In Georgia, the case law only supports a conviction for FMJ type ammo. A lead semi-wadcutter, lead roundnose, Hollow point, or soft point would be considered an "expanding" type bullet whether or not it expanded in use.
A .45acp really dosen't kill or affect a target so much as by kinetic energy as expressed by the ft/lbs figure which favors a high velocity bullet. Rather, the momentum figure velocity x bullet weight in grains / 7000 which is a constant converting weight to mass (pounds to newtons). Also know by the Pounds/feet figure.
This latter figure better describes the .45acp which puts it on par with the .243wcf with a 100gr Spt.
I've taken several deer with the .40S&W and 10mmAuto with 155-200gr bullets. Performance under 75yds is on par with the .30/30 and .35Rem rifles. I've also taken deer with a .452" 200gr SWC (Lee copy of H&G #68) in a sabot from a .50cal m/l at ~1500fps. All of the above loads and guns taking over a dozen deer have resulted in only one bullet recovered. That was a ~200lb deer shot front-on with the .50cal m/l load at 40 feet, and the .452" 200gr SWC lodged in the paunch (stomach/rumen) after breaking the spine and taking out approx 3" of it. Penetration was still more than 2'. The semi-wadcutter not so much expands as the front section collapses and "rivets" making more of a round-nose or wadcutter. From the .45acp, it essentially cuts a "cookie cutter" hole through the deer and rapid death if not casused by CNS disruption (cutting the spine) but from the rapid blood loss. One deer I shot with the 200gr SWC was a doe at ~40yds broadside through the heart. As it ran from in front of the smoke plume, it was pumping two streams of blood out of 1/2" holes on both sides. It ran about 75' and leaned as it ran, till it hit the ground on it's side and then went into slow motion running motion, and then quit.... Quite a stunning show.
Shot placement is still the most critical factor.
In Jr. High School, I read the short story by Rudyard Kipling (author of "The Jungle Book" and many other works); called "Riki Tiki Tavi". He recounted the time that his gun bearer left him in the lurch while trying to take a warthog for the dinner table. He was treed by a previously wounded Cape Buffalo and had to spend the night in an accacia tree. He stated he wasn't too worried about a leopard joining him while the bull was beneath him waiting on HIM.
Come morning he used his shoe laces and a safety pin to "fish" his Colt M1911 from the bottom of the accacia tree where it fell from his holster during the rapid ascent of the tree the previous evening. Once retrieved, he used 27rds of hard-ball to disable and eventually put down the Buffalo, which he induced to charge a "scare crow/Matador" he made with his pants and shirt stuffed with leaves and dangled by his shoe laces. He shot downward into the Buff as it passed under him. Eventually several rounds found their way into the buffs lungs as he described the buff blowing blood from it's nostrils as it charged the dummy. After the buff expired, he left the tree, retrieved his rifle (caliber not specified, but I seem to remember him mentioning a .318 Wesley & Richardson, and proceded to go hunting for his "former" gun-bearer.......
I do remember getting an "A" on the book report, however.....
The hottie 45+Ps ACP, in the lighter bullet weights (as mentioned about the 185 grn) get real close to the ability of the 10mm, does not have the penetration some mention, but then again, it is bullet design that helps in that case... I like the 400 Corbon, it is, right there with both of the ones mentioned...
Y'all want me to go shoot one with the 40 too?
