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| One of Us |
Well the 45 ACP when loaded with 255-260 grain bullets is the ballistic duplicate of the original 45 Colt. Perhaps someone needs to explain to all the dead critters since the late 1800's ( two legged and 4 legged ) that they really are not dead, as they've been shot with inferior ballistics.  Paramount are these: Shot placement for the shooter. Proper bullet for the job. Beyond that, it lays with the shooter's preference and perceived minimum. | |||
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There is a lot of good and valid info on this thread. I have a fair amount of experience in the field with the 45 ACP, in a 1911, MY favorite handgun, and with a 44 Magnum, My favorite handgun cartridge. I have used and carried both quite a bit, even in BIG bear country. For hunting, the 44 Mag is best, hands down, NO contest. I can say the same for protection, against BIG bears as well, but many, many times I have carried the 1911... WHY??? Well mainly because it is just so handy. Usually I have carried my Light Weight Commander. At first with 230gr ball, later years with 230gr Buffalo Bore. I feel comfortable it will shoot into the brain of a BIG bear up close in a defensive situation. I would NOT HUNT BIG bears with a 45 ACP, but in a defensive situation I feel comfortable with a 1911 as I have shot hundreds of thousands of rounds through one, and I can shoot it better than any other handgun. Still I KNOW that a 4" S&W 44 Mag is probably a better overall choice, as a field gun. Especially of you are ever knocked down by an animal and you are shooting at contact distance... For a "field gun" nothing beats a 4" S&W 44 Mag, for all round use IMHO... Nothing. But a fella handy with a 1911, in 45 ACP, can get buy... Most of the time.  And as I prepare for my upcomming deer/pig hunts here in Texas, where I will be at the deer lease for 3 or more weeks at a time, often all alone in the night  ...I know the better field handgun is the 44 Mag, but I will be carrying a couple of 1911's in 45 ACP...With several extra magazines of course. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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N E 450 No 2 I noticed that you mentioned that you have a LW Commander that you carry. I had one a long time ago and loved the light weight and the big hole in the end. But after putting adjustable sights on it and slicking it up at a gunsmith the darn thing would never shoot any group smaller than about 5-6" at 25 yards. I tried a bunch of components in reloading for it but never came across a winning combo for that gun. I ended up selling/trading it in for something else and many times have wondered if trading in a Colt anything was a great idea. Then I think back on the groups that the darn thing shot and am able to sleep better. Did you struggle to get yours to group? Maybe I just had a lemon. | |||
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Best for what, small game? Rabid squirrel? Charging chipmunks? "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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Teancum My LW Commander is a pretty good shooter for a non accurized 1911. Back when I got it, in the late 1960's it would hold the black of a standard 25 yard NRA Bullseye target with match hardball. I never had any problems shooting 100% with it on Dept Quals. Just receintly I sot a couple of trutles with it at @ 25 to 30 yards or so. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Whitworth With a 44 mag and the right loads I can shoot small game like rabbits and squirrels [I will shoot a squirrel only of they are on the ground or on the side of a big tree, I do not shoot "up into the air"], or I can protect myself form bigger game. And best of all as I have stated in past posts the 44 CCI shotshells are very effective on small game and snakes. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Dang, I was just kidding! "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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Whitworth, I knew that, but it was still a good question. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Actually my second favorite "field" handgun is a 1911. I have actually carried my Light Weight Commander quite a bit, even in bear country. I have carried it on several backpacking trips, and on a few black bear hunts, some of them in Grizzly country. It is just such a lightweight and easy gun to pack. And strangely enough, it will cycle 99.9% of the time with the 45 ACP CCI shot shells. I have killed a lot of mountain grouse with it as well as a lot of other small game with the shotshells. I have also followed up on a couple of shot black bears with it in very thick alders, but [luckly??] they were dead when I found them. I have used it for finishers on several pigs and a few deer. And I actually killed a buck deer with it, one shjot knocked the deer down, and I ran up and quickly gave it a finisher. A lot of time on my deer lease I will carry an Accurized Government model 1911, but on highcountry hunts and backpacking trips I have used the LW Commander quite a bit. It is also my normal daily carry piece. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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