Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Caliber, bullet weight, and modest velocity...

... still get the job done. I took my 5 1/2'' .45 Colt Blackhawk out for a walk and found a little buck that kindly agreed to be a willing bullet test subject. The shot was 60 yards standing, unsupported. He was downhill and quartering hard to me. The bullet entered high on the left shoulder, traveled through the chest wrecking the lungs and blood vessels over the heart, and exited low on the right side, breaking the 3rd rib from rear on the way out. He ran about 40 yards and was dead when I got to him.

Load was 10 grains of Unique behind a a 255 Keith type LSWC at a chronographed 1000 fps. I've yet to catch one.

I'm using the same bullet with 9.5gr, but my barrel is 2" longer.

Frankly, I'd like to up the charge and scope the pistol and see how far I can group it.

That's a classic load and results. Good shooting.

Congratulations!

Nice work. One of these days, I'll get around to field testing the 270 grain Penn Thunderhead.

Stunt shooter. Ain't no way a Keith has the necessary meplat.

You got lucky once..

Yeah, that damn Elmer didn't have a clue...

To my eye, that is a trophy pic right there!

Taking a nice buck, with a nice, old school big bore, and a cast bullet is quite awesome!

Maybe my thinking is warped, but I would rather take a young buck like that with a handgun, than a much larger animal with a rifle.

Well Done.

Caliber, bullet weight, and modest velocity will always carry the day. Fine work there jds44!

I told my wife the same thing when I got home. I had more fun on that hunt and got more enjoyment making a good shot on that little buck with that gun and load than I would have a monster with my rifle.

Thank you.

Congratulations!

I can't count the number of deer I shot at less than 25 yards...when all I had was a rifle! PIsses me off that I continued to carry a rifle all those years.

At 60 yards, that is fine shooting! I would be mighty proud of that buck.

Gives me som confidence in my 44 ....I load a 240 gr at around 1000..

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

I'm mostly a .45 Colt guy and have taken a couple of whitetails, a coyote, and groundhogs cleanly with the 255 LSWC / 1000 fps combo. None stopped the bullet and none have required a second shot. I can't see why a 240 at 1000 fps wouldn't do the same.

I use a 240 SWC over 10gr of Unique in a .44 mag. It chronos over 1000 FPS in a 8 3/8" Smith. I use it for practice only. I see a whole new use for that load.

That says it all.

^^^This^^^. Congrats!

That same load is a favorite of mine in a old Model .45 Vaquero that Bowen customized & made a Sherriffs model with a 3.5" bbl, for me. It's killed a ton of hogs here at the ranch, too. Elmer Keith would be proud!