Deer and the .45acp

[Will Fennell]

It'll work, but...

I've taken deer with .45 acp, and with 10mm. Both worked, but the 10mm works better. Noticeably better.

 

[pka45]

John Taffin had an article about 45 ACP loads with big Keith SWC's that replicated the original 45 LC loads that have been killing deer and bigger for lots and lots of years...

Pete

 

[kir_kenix]

i would suggest buying a 26-30# recoil spring and some 45 super brass...

sure .45 acp will work (with good shot placement and range), but i feel the super just gives u that much of an advantage.

 

[AgentOrange]

45 super would be the way to go, but a 25-30# recoil spring is WAY over doing it, youd spend more time trying to cock the weapon than shooting it. i run a 18 1/2lb spring in mine with a full length guide rod, and after over 2000+ rounds of hot 45 super flying thru it, i dont have one single solitary sign of any kind of frame and/or slide battering, and have had absolutely no problems what soever. when i originally put mine together, i used the called for 22# (i think it was) spring, and it was way over sprung. hard to cock the slide,the occasional stovepipe,etc. once i switched to the 18 1/2lb spring, no problems at all even with the hottest 45 super.

you decide what spring you would use yourself of course, but personally 18 1/2 is all mine needs

 

[stiab]

If you question whether a 45acp is aadequate to drop a 200 and something pound deer; do you question it's ability to stop a 200 and something pound man?

It's hard to understand why at least 3 posters on this thread have this opinion, given how much more difficult it is to kill a deer than a person. I shot a 150 lb. buck (actualy weight) thru both lungs with a .30-06 and it still ran 50 yards, and this is typical. On this forum you see reports of deer doing incredible things after receiving good hits by high power rifles. There is no comparison between what a deer can absorb and keep on ticking versus a man.

 

[Matrix187]

Hell, you can use a good penetrating 9mm hollowpoint for the deer down south if you're a good shot with it.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I shot a wild/feral hog about 300 lbs with my Marlin Camp .45acp loaded with +P Golden Sabre 185gr. took a good chunk of skull and brain tissue off. DRT.

 

[Fleetwood_Captain]

This thread reminds me of that episode of The Sopranos where Paulie and Chris got lost in the woods after chasing after a Russian in pajamas.

In one scene they start firing at what they thought was the Russian and wind up killing a deer instead.

 

[moooose102]

i have not had an oppertunity to shoot a deer yet with mine, but it goes with me every year. it is not my primary weapon. but i bring it for those really close, on the right side of me shots where i would have to do a lot of moving to make with a rifle. those shots almost never work out with a rifle, because the deer either see's you or hears you moving, and take flight. with the pistol, you just pick it up, and aim it. i sincerly believe that a 45 acp will do a decent job, as long as the shot placement is good. also, i load alternating FMJ, and JHP loads in the magazine. i hope to get two quick shots into it before it runs off. one for penetration, and one to deliver hydraulic shock. JHP is what is in the chamber.

 

[35 Whelen]

I've never shot a deer with mine, but I used to load 255 gr. Keith typr SWC's. I'd bet the farm that this bullet or any other heavy (230 gr. +) SWC or TC is going to completely penetrate on a broadside shot. Let's not forget that the 45ACP pretty much duplicates the original 45 Colt ballistics and I don't think there's any question as to it's merits when it comes to killing whitetails.
Regards,
35W

 

[BUTCHER45]

I killed a corsican ram using a 255grain RNFP design going about 650fps shot from my .454 airgun. Went right thru him and he went down pretty fast. Also took a small wild boars' brain out with a 228grainSWC going about 700fps out of the same air rifle.

Lots of Whitetails were taken this year using .45 airguns with similiar ballistics to the .45ACP/.45Colt. A guy just last week killed a 420lb. Red Stag with an airgun shooting 250grainers at 850fps.

A big, slow slug can do some pretty impressive things. Just be able to put that slug right where it needs to be, rather than just putting the shot in a big ol' "pie plate". A big meplat is a good idea as well.

 

[rich636]

Am I missing something? Is there another meaning of airgun? Are you seriously pushing a 250grn bullet to 800fps without gunpowder? That's really impressive if you are.

 

[BUTCHER45]

My present rifle isn't quite as powerful as some other bigbores. That book in the picture above was hit at 25 meters with a 260grainer shot from my .454 airgun, going around 650fps. It is the single tubed version of my SamYang 909 .454 air rifle that can be modified to shoot 250grains at 850fps.

I get around 245-260fpe with most of the slugs I shoot. Maybe more as I need to do more testing at different fill pressures. Using the right slug, it's definitely enough for complete penetration on a broadside heart/lung shot on deer at 50 yards.

There are airguns out there a lot more powerful than that though.

My next bigbore airgun will be a .452 tuned to shoot 260grainers at about 900 fps, duplicating the ballistics of the original .45Colt load. I'll be getting either a 20gauge air shotgun, or a .54 caliber muzzleloading airgun after that. Can't decide.

I shot a .458 caliber air rifle that could throw a 500grain slug 735fps for 600fpe. The actual slug I shot out of it was a 405grainer producing around 550fpe, and the recoil was very impressive!

My buddy just killed a whitetail doe with a 200grain Devastator HP going about 950fps out of his .452 air rifle. So I have to think that the .45Colt/.45ACP will do the trick at short range.

Here's a slideshow, and a link.

http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x65/butcher45/?action=view&current=c184e37f.pbw

http://www.hardcorebigbore.com/