Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 45 ACP and Deer

Well, I would never even consider it beyond 25 yards, no matter the load. I handgun hunted a lot years ago, used 45 colt and 44 mag with cast 300 grain flat point bullets, 357 with 175 grain flat point gas check bullets and some 10mm. I am used to an exit wound, which I got more often with those 44 and 45 loads than I do now with the 12ga Lightfield load. The exit wounds with the 44 and 45 cast loads, most impressive. My longest shot on a deer with a handgun was 125 yards, killed it dead quick. Then again that was a 14 inch contender, more of a short rifle than a handgun.

I don't care for jacketed bullets in a handgun for hunting, always believed in heavy cast.

DITTOS!!!!!

Here in Wisco my P90 would be illegal to use as the barrel must be 5 1/2" or more. Also the use of non expanding bullets is not allowed. I have a Ruger semi carbine in .40 I take out sometimes but that has a 20" barrel on it.

I"ve shot a bunch of hogs with the 45acp and a few deer. Never had an issue at all until I placed one too far back... same results as a rifle...

I've used mostly 230 jhps and 230 lead. Never had a failure to penetrate or kill.

Each animal is different. The deer ran because it had been ran already mostly.. adrenalin was up. 230 hardball does some weird things once it penterates but I wouldn't hesistate to use it out to 50 yards in a heartbeat, but I'd prefer other projectiles.

All handgun bullet sold in the US meet the legal definition of expanding. If handgun bullets do not meet the legal definition the ATF rule them illegal and can not be commercially manufactured are sold in the United States

Not really,

The Federal definition of armor piercing ammunition [18 U.S.C. Section 921(a)(17)(B)] is important. It has nothing to do with testing of a cartridge's actual ability to penetrate body armor. The law classifies ammunition as being armor piercing based solely on its construction:

(i) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or

(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.

All handgun bullet sold in the US meet the legal definition of expanding. If handgun bullets do not meet the legal definition the ATF rule them illegal and can not be commercially manufactured are sold in the United States

you had better tell that to buffalo bore, bitterroot, and a whole bunch of others that are making hart cast flat metplate bullets. I guess they ain't aware of the above.
While i cast my own bullets, better tell some of the local places that are selling hard cast non expanding bullets.

As to the .45acp, is it ideal, no. Is it a long range option, no.
The deer was NOT shot at long range.
I have followed brain pierce for a lot of years in his writings in handloader.
To paraphrase him, a .44 projectile, or .45 projectile in .44 or .45 colt will penetrate clear through an elk at about 1000fps.
It isn't really necesary with reasonable distances to even hot load a .45colt. Now a .45acp at 230 grains is not far below a 250grain slug, and with factory ammo probably doing about 880fps.
at the distances quoted i don't see any issues.
i might add with the above i just picked up a couple of weeks ago a bunch of winchester fmj 9mm bullets that are sure not expanding.
we ought to start another thread about people shooting elk with a .243, or a .22-250.
or the guy i heard about a couple of days ago, a friend of a kid i was reloading with, that thinks a .338lapua is needed for elk.
I think personally i need a m79 blooper gun.

Congrats on the deer!

This is a great thread!

Way better than talking about wet paper bullet performance.

I am most surprised at the apparent limited penetration.

Maybe all round ball isn't alike.

What did the recovered bullet look like?

Does anyone have any experience with using GI hardball?

So you are admiting to taking the deer illegally?

Troll

Some of ya sure seem to get your panties in a wad over the silliest things.

I would like to congratulate the OP on the good shot he made with his 45.

Good chance half of those here whining didn't get a deer this year, nor can they shoot a handgun worth a dayam.
And couldn't have if given the same opportunity several times over.

I killed one whitetail doe with a 45 ACP (200 gain JHP). She fell at the shot. The distance was about 30 yards as I recall.

I reload two 45 ACP bullets. Both tumble lube types and both ahead of 5 grains of bullseye. One is the 230 grain TC



I wonder what that load would have done. The bullet is not all that hard.

Yes I am! Hey, why don't you call the ODNR and report that a guy online says he shot a deer with a gun that is .8 inches too short. I'm sure they will leap to investigate this hideous crime.
It might be worse than driving 6 miles per hour over the speed limit.

I think he was telling you, don't post stupid stuff on the net....

And what was stupid about my post?

ballisticly, a 12 yard .45acp is about the same as a lot of 1990's era .50 cal ML sabot loads at 125 yards or so. Certainly doable and telling someone its not wont change the reality that it is.

You said better guns/loads are out there, so there ya go. Lucky that you can carry and had a chance to try it.

I enjoyed the story. I especially liked the part where you took a dip before the shot. That gets the ole ticker going as well.

Congrats!

Deer, rabbits, they're all dead with a 1911 and good shooting, nothing but head shots...

Hey, lip puffed out, 10 day beard, wild wind blown hair, that deer probably stopped to say "Hey Sas, what up?"