Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .45 Auto for whitetails????

Any thoughts on the effectiveness of the factory Winchester .45 Auto 230 gr personal protection bullet for whitetails? I've taken deer with both of my .44 mag revolvers and am considering using my Kimber Gold Match .45 this weekend for a new challenge. I WOULD NOT take a shot beyond 25 yds and would expect the range to be more like 15-20 yds. I am not concerned about my or the gun's ability to place the shot well and will only take a heart/lung area shot (like I do when bowhunting). I think this idea is do-able and ethical but would appreciate comments from knowledgeable posters. <P>Another option is to use my 6" S&W 686 in .357 mag. While I've never hunted with it, I know a well-placed shot within the distances mentioned above should get the job done but thought it would be interesting to use the Kimber. What an accurate and fun pistol to shoot!<P>If I carry the .45, any buck (regardless of size) beyond 25 yards walks but I still get the satisfaction of knowing I was there and he didn't know it. <P>Life is good. Mike

You may want to check you local handgun hunting laws. I know here in NC you have to have atleast a 6 inch barrel. Well unfortunately that DQ's the 1911 style 45's as the barrel is not 6 inches long.

I have done it with a 1911A1 using hard cast lead 230gr. Let's just say I won't do it again. You are probably a better pistol shot than I am. Mine was a forkhorn at 25 yards. He died a hard death.<BR>BCR

Personal defence bullets are not suited for deer hunting. Game bullets are constructed differently for penatration. I'm a 1911 fan but even with hunting bullet don't use one, while at 20yds with proper bullets it may or may not do the job I still prefer not to....

You could check out a .460 Rowland conversion for your Kimber. They are drop ins that really boost the power levels. I think it's a tenth of an inch longer case than the standard ACP.<P>Mike

Mike,<BR>Try a H&G 68 SWC(200gr) loaded to an even 1,000 fps and aim for the lungs.It will go clean through.I did the .45super thing for a bit and found that the battering the pistol took wasn't worth the extra 200fps.<BR>Your 686 with heavy loaded 158's and ranges kept under 50yds is about the same proposition.Placement is EVERYTHING!<BR>Like someone else said personal defence loads are too frangible with the possible exception of the Hydra shok that is designed to defeat light sheet metal and windsheild glass and still get 12" penetration.<BR>Hope this helps.<BR>Cheers!<BR>E4E

When I lived on Kodiak Island I shot several Blacktail Deer with my .45 auto with 200 grain SWC cast bullets. The deer I shot were not large but they died quick. The load was also effective on lots of large Halibut any where in the head which are hard to kill!

I have dispatched many WhiteTails at the sites of Deer / Vehicle accidents. Mainly I used either Remington 185gr. +P Jacketed Hollow Points or an equivalent handload featuring a 185gr. Nosler Jacketed Hollow Point. Most of these shots were under 50 yards, and some under 50 feet. However IMHO the .45 ACP with +P Ammo, with the right bullet is very effective, and much more effective than anything in a .357 Magnum Revolver.
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<br>One particular instance I remember was with a quite large 4x4 WhiteTail Buck. He was lying off the road at a range of about 50 yards with his back end all broken up. When I arrived, and got out of the car, he tried to drag himself with his front legs. I placed a 185gr. Nosler Jacketed Hollow Point at a muzzle velocity of 1148 FPs out of my 5" S&W Second Generation Model 645 right behind the front shoulder. At the shot I could actually see blood fly out of both sides of the buck, and he collapsed instantly. When the buck was opened up, the lungs were just mush !
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<br>In another instance, I shot a medium size doe at about the same range with a 158gr. Jacketed Hollow Point, and at the shot she turned her head towards me, and bellered. I then walked closer and shot her in the head to put her out of her misery.
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<br>I have also taken WhiteTails with both calibers in hunting situations, and have vowed to never again use the .357 Magnum after the last deer I lost with a center chest hit.
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<br>Larry

Larry -
<br>I second your views on the 45, however, after taking and being in on the taking of many deer with the 357, I'm curious about your last statement. What bullet were you using on the deer that got away after a center chest hit? That just doesn't sound right. Not being contentious, just curious.
<br>R-WEST
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In the .357 Magnum I have tried several different bullets in both Handloads and Factory Loads. Mostly they have been either 125gr. Jacketed Hollow Points, 158gr. Jacketed Hollow Points or Jacketed Soft Points, and 180gr. Federal Jacketed Hollow Points Factory Loads. The best of the lot was probably the 180gr. Federal Jacketed Hollow Point Factory Loads, but I also had failures with them. Took a 3x3 Whitetail square in the chest with 3 rounds of the 180gr. Federals at a range of 60 yards, and not one completely penetrated the buck.
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<br>The last Whitetail I shot with a .357 magnum was with a Commercial Reload using a 158gr. Hornady Jacketed Soft Point. (That particular revolver shot the best with this ammo) I took a Spike Buck square in the chest at a range of 20 yards, and I never did recover the little buck. At the shot the entire chest turned red, and there was blood everywhere. After about 300 yards, no more blood on the fresh snow. I tracked that deer for over 3 miles and never did recover him.
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<br>A friend has had good results with his .357 Magnum using the 170gr. Speer Jacketed Hollow Cavity loaded with a Maximum charge of W-296. I have shot this bullet at paper, and it is accurate, but I have no experience with it on game. If I ever do decide to hunt with a .357 Magnum again, this is the first bullet I will try. Second may be the 180gr. Nosler Partition Handgun Bullet.
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<br>The farthest I have ever had a Whitetail travel after being hit with a + P .45 ACp was about 50 yards, and most of them left a blood train a novice could have followed. South Dakota's State Law states that for a Handgun Cartridge to be legal for hunting Deer, it must be factory rated to produce a minimum of 500 Foot Pounds of Energy at the Muzzle. Most of the + P .45 ACP loads with bullets under 200 grains in weight produce that amount.
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<br>I personally have had really good luck with the Nosler 185gr. Jacketed Hollow Point bullet in +P .45 ACP Handloads. This is the bullet Ace Hindman reccomended for the .45 Super, and I have had such good luck with it I have never changed.
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<br>Larry

Larry -
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<br>Interesting reading about your experiences with the 357. I've never had the problems that you've mentioned. I'm guessing SD whitetails are bigger bodied than PA's, a BIG buck here will dress out at 160 lbs +/-.
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<br>I've never had an HP bullet, regardless of weight, penetrate the body completely. Some of the hard cast bullets probably will, but I haven't had the opportunity to try one yet.
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<br>Thanks for the response. Maybe I've just been lucky.
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<br>R-WEST