Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 45 colt handgun whitetail

I’ve always enjoyed our alternative methods season here in Missouri. I killed my first deer with a 50 caliber hawken in alternative season when I was 8. The last few years I take a 50 caliber inline with me most of the time, but always have a handgun with me for any shot I feel like I can make. I have several handguns that I could use but until this year I pretty much always took my super Blackhawk 44 mag, I’ve taken several deer with it. I carried 2 different 10mm’s the last couple years but never had any opportunity’s on the days I carried a 10mm.

This year for alternative season I decided to leave the inline in the safe and only hunt with handguns and not the 44 mag. I have a couple Colt SAA’s in 45 colt and 44-40, I generally prefer 44-40 but I’ve killed deer with 44-40 lever guns so I decided to go with a 45 Colt 5.5 2018 production SAA which was the only one I have that I purchased new. I load target rounds in 45 Colt but didn’t have any hunting ammo or time to get bullets and make a hunting load so I picked up some hornaday leverevelution and Barnes vor-tx, decided to go with the Barnes.

I killed my personal record buck with my bow a couple weeks ago so I’ve really just had meat hunting on my mind but do still have a buck tag. Saturday evening I had 3 doe’s come in and stop at 38 yards, I lined up on the biggest and she initially dropped and then stumbled about 20ft. Shot was behind the shoulder but high, the bullet stopped just short of reaching the ribs on the opposite side. I was very happy with the outcome and was sure a fun experience. Now I’m planning to branch out to a 357 magnum and 41 magnum for the remainder of the season and next year. For some reason I’ve never thought of 45 colt as much of a hunting round in a revolver but it will sure work.

It’s a dandy. I have enjoyed handgunning for deer for the last twenty years or so. I’m shooting a cast bullet out of a 6” Anaconda. Deer are not hard to harvest.

Few realize the 45 LC is a great hunting cartridge. I have carried one into the woods for 20 years now. Hunted with it last blind sit. I load the 250 XTP, which, does have eXtreme Terminal Performance.

Congrats on your doe!

The good ol' 45 Colt is quite a cartridge, all these years later.

Guy

I’m one of those few…



All .45 Colt.

Friend of mine in PENN carries a 45LC during deer drives. His only kill was a coyote several years ago, range was less than 20 yards. Said it didnt tear up the coyote that bad

I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter in 45 colt with a Nikon 2x scope.

It really likes Underwood 250gr ammo

Fun to shoot deer with a revolver and have them tip over!


Edit to add I forgot its my current avatar

Love that old Redhawk with the scope mounted on the barrel. Always liked that setup.

Guy

Damn nice set!

I have six 45 Colt’s, three of which are Ruger Hunter’s. They sure are accurate.

What load? Have a pic of the bullet?

I searched quite some time for a NMBH Bisley Hunter in .45 Colt but was never successful. Even a non-Bisley Hunter would have been nice but finally had to "settle" for this Redhawk Hunter.

I did switch out the Leupold FX-II for an Ultradot, much easier for older eyes and didn't really need 4X for the range I planned to use this for.

My favorite way to hunt is with handguns, haven’t hunted with a rifle in years. Took my first antelope this year in Wyoming at 260 yds with a specialty pistol, Nosler M48. Here I rotate between two 41 magnums, T/C Contender and a Ruger SRH. Congrats on your success.

Fun to hear about the .45 Long Colt SAA taking game.

I have had good luck with .45 LC but in more modern revolvers. I have a minty 2nd Gen .44 special that I should trade into a good .45 Long Colt SAA.

Don't hunt with my 45LC but carry it when i'm hunting, once in awhile I shoot a critter with it no complaints. Rio7

Posted this last year. 1907 SAA, 45 LC , 260 grain cast Keith style bullet. 3 1/2 year old cull buck. Impressive terminal performance on this big bodied buck.

No passes on that buck. Nice job!

I agree, you should.

But make sure not to get one with oversized chamber mouths.

https://www.coltforum.com/threads/n....68694/?post_id=506927&nested_view=1

In Handloader August/September 2018 there is an article by Mike Venturino about even an inconsistency of chamber size:


https://www.handloadermagazine.com/colt-s-single-ation-army

My Ruger New Model Blackhawk stainless in 45 Colt had chamber mouths way too tight for pushing a 452 lead bullet through the chambers. I bought a Manson reamer, opened the chamber mouths to .4525 dimensions and now it performs well.

I snagged me one of the Ruger red hawks chambered in 45LC when they came into production for little while a few years ago, double action. Never got the chance to shoot a deer but did dump some hogs with it. Is takes moon clips for 45 APC also but never shot any animals with the APC's but they are fun and cheaper to practice with

I have one of each.

My folks got me a .45 Colt for a graduation present, it was one of those Colt Cowboy revolvers. It was great until the cylinder stop took a dump. After getting it fixed I traded it for a Ruger Vaquero. Love it!

I’ve not used it to take game animals but have used it to put down livestock over the years, it works well.

Someday I plan to get an Uberti 1873 or maybe a Rossi 1892 rifle to go with the handgun.

There used to be a gravel pit here where they allowed people to shoot. I was there shooting one day and saw a guy shooting a revolver from 100 yards. I went and talked to him and he was eager to talk about handgun hunting. He was shooting a Super Blackhawk but shooting 44 Specials. He was an amazing shot. His groups were better than some people I have seen there with a rifle. He was in a deer lease where only handguns were allowed for hunting. He said he killed a deer or 2 every year.

I’ve killed a couple deer with a .44 magnum. One with a Ruger Redhawk and 225 grain Speer half jacketed SWC hollow point. One with a 6” S&W 629 and a 240 grain Hornady XTP. I acquired a 5 1/2” Ruger Bisley Blackhawk in .45 Colt several years ago. If I carry it deer hunting, it’s loaded with a 45-270-SAA hard cast SWC pushed by HS6 powder at about 1100 fps. Haven’t shot a deer with it yet though.

Ron

Have you ever gotten on the tube and watch Hickok45 perform his magic with pistols?

Never seen his magic but seen his videos. What does he do that’s magical?