.45 ACP take down a deer?

[Frog48]

A guy I know claims that his uncle was charged by a deer, while hunting, after taking a shot and only minor wounding the deer. His uncle was injured before his hunting buddy managed to fatally shoot the deer. Neither men were carrying a secondary weapon.

I know that the statistical probability of this happening is rather remote, and that deer are usually scared of humans. However, it got me thinking that it probably wouldnt be a bad idea to carry a handgun while hunting, just in case.

My question is... is .45 ACP adequately powerful enough to take down a deer, in an emergency situation? I realize that bigger revolver calibers are ideal, but the most powerful handgun I currently own is a 1911, therefore .45 ACP.

Any thoughts/comments are encouraged. Thanks!

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I put one down with a 9mm. It was up close and a head shot though.
You're probably more likely to need it for a rattlesnake than a charging deer though.

 

[Walter]

Well, Texas being the big place it is, and the size of deer varying so much from one area to the other, I'd have to say, definitely, it depends.
If you're talking about the little north and central Texas whitetails that
might weigh 120 soaking wet, a .45acp might do a pretty good job. It would
definitely slow it down in an instant. But if you're talking about south Texas
whitetails, or the mulies down in the Big Bend, I think I'd prefer a magnum-
type pistol, at least a hot-loaded .357, but better, a .41 or .44.

Just my opinion........

Walter
(in Arlington, TX, btw)

 

[rantingredneck]

I started a similar thread a month or two ago asking about hunting with a .45ACP. I'm in NC and it is legal here to do so. I got good responses. Thread is here. Some of the posters were from Texas and gave positive responses. Best of luck.


My personal opinion is that with the right bullet you should be fine.

 

[Geronimo45]

My question is... is .45 ACP adequately powerful enough to take down a deer, in an emergency situation?

Yes. The reason for the high-powered guns for deer-medicine is to make the deer DRT - so it won't have unnecessary suffering, and so you won't have to chase a wounded critter around. Hardball .45 ACP has some pretty impressive penetration, though. It's probably taken a few bears down over the years.

 

[AJD]

A friend of my bothers illegaly killed a deer with a .22 LR.

 

[Frog48]

the little north and central Texas whitetails

Yep. Most of my hunting is at my buddy's ranch outside of Weatherford, and my best friend's family's ranch in southern Oklahoma.

 

[jaholder1971]

If it's legal, a .45 ACP will kill a deer. It'll kill a deer where it's illegal, too.

If I had to use a round, it would probably be a +P round using a JHP like Hornady's XTP or Remington's Golden Saber. Any of the 230, 200 or 185 grain bullets will work but IMHO I'd probably use a 185 grain +P as these come pretty close to 10mm ballistics.

 

[Jim Watson]

One of our club members says a .45 ACP +P 230 gr HP kills deer as well as a rifle of much higher paper energy. It is just a matter of getting a good hit with a pistol, and he is pretty good.

 

[hank327]

A .45 will work, but why didn't the guy just shoot the deer again with his rifle?
I've never understood the idea of carrying a handgun while hunting in order to dispatch a wounded animal. Just shoot them again with the rifle and be done with it. That way you don't have the extra weight of a handgun to lug around and you don't have two guns to clean.

 

[mbt2001]

Yes it would work great.

Shot placement is key. My uncle (is a crappy shot) and he hit a deer 3 times with a 25-06 and it got away. I used a .38 special on a white tail about 4 years ago, neck shot, and it moved about 10 feet...

Shot placement is key.

Neck shots are recommended no matter what gun you are using.

 

[rantingredneck]

Usually rifle rounds are more expensive, they also make a bigger hole destroying more meat with the second shot. I'm also not a big fan of shooting such a high energy round at such a close target. I'd rather use a pistol at that range.

 

[philbo]

My question is... is .45 ACP adequately powerful enough to take down a deer, in an emergency situation?

Yep, as good on a deer as any other thin skinned animal. And just like every other caliber, shot placement and distance are key. Heck, you could use a rock and a sling shot as far as that goes with the proper placement after getting really, really close!

 

[Wedge]

Yes.

 

[Feanaro]

Our own Stephen Camp has taken Deer with them. See http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/

 

[AStone]

I'll bet my life that
a mod 65 in .357M
will take down a charging deer
if the 1894 or 336 doesn't get it first.

 

[Caimlas]

A friend of my bothers illegaly killed a deer with a .22 LR.

My uncle legally hunted deer with .22LR (up in Montana). He'd shoot a deer off his balcony right after crawling out of bed (morning person), go down and have breakfast and get dressed, and then go out to dress it. He'd do this a couple times a year (he's got 7 kids so he can get a buttload of tags :-0).

He and my other uncle also carry/carried a .22LR pistol for the finishing shot, in case it was needed - right behind the ear. Personally, I carry my Taurus 9mm on the hip, "just in case" I run into hunters who are threateningly dangerous, or coyotes out early in the morning and mistake me for food.

 

[Steve C]

My question is... is .45 ACP adequately powerful enough to take down a deer, in an emergency situation? I realize that bigger revolver calibers are ideal, but the most powerful handgun I currently own is a 1911, therefore .45 ACP.

Your .45 will put a deer down just fine. The advantage of the bigger revolvers would be their accuracy at longer range and a little more power as a primary hunting arm that isn't really needed for a back up gun for closer range defense and wounded animal dispatch.

 

[RancidSumo]

A .45 will work, but why didn't the guy just shoot the deer again with his rifle?
I've never understood the idea of carrying a handgun while hunting in order to dispatch a wounded animal. Just shoot them again with the rifle and be done with it. That way you don't have the extra weight of a handgun to lug around and you don't have two guns to clean.

Rifle rounds cost a lot more and ruin more meat. My dad and brother just cut their throat, I prefer my handgun for the clean up if nessecary. A .45 will easily kill a dear, my dads 1911 has killed more dear then his rifle after he accidentally hit them with his truck and mangled them and had to put them out of its misery.

 

[Crunker1337]

If you buy the proper ammunition and you're not up against Deerzilla, a 1911 should do just fine.

I'd say get a 10mm or .44 though. Or, get a buddy to lug along a shotgun.