Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 9mm for Hunting.....tell me what you've taken with them

65BR,
I they were all factory loads albeit some were hot Underwood loads the rest were lawman Speer. I love both XTPs and gold dots. I've shot a lot more coyotes with the 9 than I have deer and javalina and for coyotes I prefer the 124 gold dot or the 147, especially in +p. A 147 +p gold dot really opens up. On deer I've shot 124 standard gold dots, +p, 124 XTP and one with a a 147 XTP. It's really hard to make sense out of penetration unless something becomes a big deal like the entire half of the bullet expands, turns on its side then limits the penetration. I think XTP penetrate more, can't prove it yet on deer because the far side skin takes so much out of a bullet. The XTP expands more consistently and smaller though. On deer I've used the 45, 40, 9mm in autos and I'll be damn if I can see much of a diff in penetration when defensive ammo was used. I've even had a 45 ACP 230 win jhp fail to expand but penetrate only 13", conversely I've shot a hard cast slug from a 45 ACP through 3' of deer. Go figure. Though the base of the win was dented up so I guess it tumbled.


This year I was still hunting on the ground for a freezer doe. I got up to stretch after sitting too long and right behind me were 2 Doe's at 12 yards lol! I drew my G19 but they were only going to stare for so long and bounded off! I had 147 GD +p's

I've taken smallish wild pigs, while the 9mm worked, I was not that impressed.

That's valuable information. Did you do the same with .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Your views on the comparison would be even more valuable.

I killed a mouse with an airsoft 1911 we keep here for the grandkids. It went through his ribs, right behind the shoulder, but you could still see that the little green BB winking at you through the entrance hole. Not only was it a One Shot Stop!!! it sailed his little ass off the top step and halfway down the stairs.

Just goes to show Placement is King

That little BB was like grapeshot in proportion to that little mouse.

I've used the 45 ACP, 45 ACP +P and 45 Super. The 45 ACP +P is where it starts to get interesting and the Super is more of the same in my experience. The higher magazine capacity of the 9mm is its advantage IMHO.

rattlesnakes, and a porcupine

finishing shot on an antelope doe...didn't want to ruin any meat and was too close for the rifle

Good stuff everyone. Small fry I can see where if the XTP expands less they go deeper. And inversely for other SD ammo that opens wider limiting penetration.

No doubt bullet selection is more crucial with smaller rounds which can more level the playing field perhaps. At least on game thru coyotes and deer. Anything larger would make you want a larger round for sure.

Not a handgun but my Spanish Destroyer in 9mm Largo has taken several groundhogs. The 115 Hornady XTP gives them a serious hurtin' out to at least 100 yards.

I haven't killed anything with a handgun in years, but I used them off and on when I was younger. I used a Browning Hi-Power in 9mm opportunistically to take quite a few javelina back when I used to take a few each year for a wild game dinner sponsored by the student chapter of TWS at the university where I did my graduate work.

Bull snake?? I always heard they killed rattle snakes.. Don't know just what I heard..

They are DEADLY as far as I am concerned!

I have about had a heart attack a couple times when I dang near stepped on one!

This is me and snakes:

My grandfather was that way.. Just wondered!!

Lol, I can see how almost stepping on one in rattler country might be unsettling

Looks like someone eats a fairly steady diet of rabbit stew!

Nice work.

Feral Cats
Skunks
Groundhogs
various and sundry serpents
Terrapins
crow
fox squirrel
jack rabbit
cotton tail

Only a 22lb three quarter thawed freezer burnt turkey, I was testing some 115 gr Barnes 9mm carry loads, upon autopsy of the turkey, I have no doubt that load would kill a deer or pig inside 40 yards if I could place the shot in the vitals.

that snake doesn't have enough holes in it.
looking at that bull snake reminds me of a roommate i had in a dorm at college. We thought it would be funny to put a live one in his pillow. He was okay until he came in, laid down, and the pillow started moving. Still won't talk to me.

Yeah, coons are TOUGH. When I was heading off to the Army, way back when, I bought a 4 5/8" convertible Blackhawk in .45 Colt/.45ACP. On a trip to my cousin's, before leaving, we heard his dog baying "treed" and grabbed some guns. My cousin grabbed a Nylon 66, I grabbed my Blackhawk, and a buddy had a .45 Commander.
The dog (a St. Bernard!!!) had treed a coon, and we put the light on him, and I let rip with a couple WW Lubaloy factory loads, my buddy let loose with his Commander, and the coon never let go of that limb.
Later, my cousin climbed the tree and kicked the dead coon out of it, and when he skinned it, found my .45 Lubaloy bullet expanded to the size of my thumb, and two hardball slugs, too. That coon died, but never let go of his grip on that limb.

With a dog the size of that St. Bernard waiting for him, I don't blame him a bit.