Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Odd Comparison - 45 Long Colt Rifle vs 20 Gauge

Why the comparison? For those that live in a shotgun only zone but also allow pistol cartridges in a rifle.

The purpose would be for whitetail deer in eastern woods. I hunt with a 20 gauge smoothbore but the lever rifle would sure be an appealing option.

Which would you prefer and why?

They are about a wash in my estimation.

.45 Colt. With good hand loads and the Hornady flex tip bullets I would think it would shine out to about 125 yards or better.

Unless you handload,I would pick a 44 magnum carbine over a 45 colt,because of higher velocity and flatter trajectory of factory ammo.

If you already have the 45,it would be my pick over a smoothbore 20.

Thanks for the responses so far. Forgot to mention I do reload.

Having never hunted with slugs, I'll have to let others make any actual comparisons.

The qualitative aspects of hunting are, though, at least as important as the quantitative. Unless you are one of the very few that also load slugs, the Colt round will provide more fun and satisfaction. The hunt will be not just the season, but the load development, too. The ammo will be not just brand X, but brand Recruit.

Something to be said for puncturing game with a bullet you loaded for yourself. Been doing that since 1975. Not about to change. I have several rifles that have never shot a factory load.

I think if I was slug hunting, I'd go big or stay at home -- 12 guage or bust.

I used to deer hunt effectively with .44-40 handloads in a Winchester 1866, so I would definitely pick the .45 Colt lever gun.

I've never had trouble killing deer with handgun cartridges in handguns. If Ahia ever allows them in rifles, all my long gun hunting will be with reloading pistol cartriges instead of $3+ slugs.

I reload my own 20 gauge slugs using the Hornady .452 250 gr FTX bullet at about 1640 FPS with every deer but one in 4 years DRT.

I loaded for our group YOUTH HUNT this year the for a skinny 9 year old the Hornady ,452 250 gr XTP 45 long colt bullet. I cut the charge of blue dot to 24 grains from my normal charge of 31.0 gains to find the recoil level the 9 year old felt comfortable with. The little hunter had to pull the trigger of his Encore 20 guage with two fingers. We started to call him "Two finger Charlie".

I figured the reduced load slug was around 1100 FPS. Little Charlie killed a 10 point at over 100 yards and I saw the deer get shot, stagger..a short burst of speed and fall over. I know the bullet impact speed was less than 800 FPS but you would never of thought it that slow buy the deer's reaction to the bullet.

We found the bullet on the far shoulder with some expansion but nothing like the roll back of an XTP I am use to seeing.

Doc

The Federal P209tc is a solid copper hollow point plastic tipped, 275 grain 50 caliber slug going 1900. My gun shoots 3 touching at 100 yards. Good enough for me.

I'd use a Marlin in 45LC over the 20ga just because I perfer the Marlin Lever action to any shotgun platform. I guess one could make an argument either way on ballistics and on game performance.

With the right cast bullet, the LC will shoot through a horse lengthwise.

Would they accept a .460 S&W? Ruger and others have made rifles in the caliber - better trajectory at longer ranges.

This thread is making me miss my rossi/Puma 454 Casull carbine..... Wonderful rifle, and the 45 leveraction would be my pick all day long.

Cooler guns that hold more rounds, better triggers - by far - on the rifles compared to most any unmodified shotgun.

I did this comparison back when I moved to Iowa in 2002 from South Dakota, where they actually let you shoot deer with deer rifles instead of bird guns... Anyway, I digress. Iowa also permits straight-walled pistol cartridges fired from a pistol. I ended up choosing a .454 Casull barrel and fired 320 gr. cast boolits at 1700 fps from the 12" barrel and was milk jug accurate at 250 yds. Longest kill was only 125 with that barrel, but I switched to a .357 Maximum barrel and put one nice buck DRT at 166 yds. I preferred the accuracy available, handloading and cast boolits. Now I'm sending a PM to Doctor_Encore about reloading 20 gauge sabot rounds, because my daughter's 11-87 in 20 ga will arrive at the FFL today and if there is an option that doesn't cost $2 for every trigger pull, I'm all over that!

I've run good bullets (320 cast) fired from properly loaded ammo in strong revolvers and carbines through a few animals from near to over 150 yards...through the animals....caribou, bear... The only time I've had to kill a problem bear - not a big one either, it stopped a 12 ga Brenneke. Obviously either will kill any whitetail, but you can put me in the 45 Colt rifle camp.

I would go with the carbine for two reasons. Both a 20ga slug or a decent load in 45 colt is fine for deer. But my two considerations would be that the rifle is a nicer package to carry and that if you reload you can shoot 45 colt at a price that will allow you to shoot quite a bit for practice. compare the price of say 200 45 colt reloads to 200 high end slugs..

Sounds like the two are in the ballpark of one another.

Michigan has not yet approved the use of pistol cartridges in a rifle for use in the shotgun zone but I believe they are very close. Passed the House and looks promising in the Senate.

I do not have a 45LC rifle but would sure like to soon!

Here is what I settled on. I really like it.