I shoot a 180 JHPXTP in .357 now, up around 1400 fps. Have only killed two deer with the Blackhawk and was using my own Lee hard cast 158 grain gas checked SWCs. They worked well, but the 180 has more umph and I'd prefer the JHP on light game like deer.
I think out of your smoke pole, that bullet was probably over it's working velocity range. The .45 Colt XTP 300 grain at 1200 fps should work fine, too, but I've yet to shoot a deer with it. Heckuva fire breather load, though.
Im seeing a few places where people have successfully used the SXT, original black talon, and the Golden Saber in a full size 1911 successfully on deer. Some are calling it the ideal brush/swamp pistol for deer out to 50 yards.
I'd keep that .45 well under 50 yards and it's not what I'd describe as "the ultimate". Your .41 mag would come a lot closer to that description to me, let alone a .44. The .41 in a good load will do anything the .44 will, though. I really like that caliber, though I don't own one. With those choices, I'd just keep the .45 loaded with self defense ammo and leave it at home when you go hunting. I have a .45ACP and while I've carried it on hikes and hog hunts with dogs (we killed 'em with a knife) as a back up, I'd not wanna use it for hunting over my .45 Colt, .357, or my favorite .30-30 Contender. With something over 500 ft lbs, it ain't in a magnum category. the .357 is putting up nearly 800 ft lbs with the 180 grain load and the .45 is near 1000 ft lbs out of a 7 inch Contender barrel, a little under 900 out of my 4 5/8 Blackhawk. Now, my .45 ACP is very accurate, just ain't got the horsepower to suit me for hunting. .45 Colt sorta makes it look stupid. For "ultimate 50 yard brush handgun" bring on that .45ACP. Me, I'll be real happy with my Blackhawk in .45 Colt. It is more accurate than any autoloader I've ever seen off the sandbags at the range, near twice the energy with 1/3 more bullet weight, can actually keep 'em on paper at 100 yards in a little 5" circle, though with irons in the field, I keep my shots inside 50 yards or not much more. I owned a rather accurate 1911 and it did good to keep shots into 2" at 25. I doubt I'd be on paper with it much past 75 yards, so 50 will be pushing the accuracy of the thing. With a 1911, the more accurate you make it, the less reliable it becomes as a defensive weapon, a product of the tighter tolerances. The 1911 is about the worst of the worst platforms I can think of to use for combination self defense and hunting. If you wanna actually hunt with one, I'd get another one from a major smith and have it built for accuracy, really tight, lube it well, use it only for hunting, and preferably get it cambered for 10mm. But, I just plain don't care about 1911 platforms, have no use for them. I'd have one built if I were an avid IPSC shooter, but I'm not. I'm a hunter and for CCW, I prefer a small, DA or DAO pocket sized gun or revolver.
Yeah, good load, and it's real accurate and a very low standard deviation, too. Got the load out of a magazine article when the AA powders were sorta new to the market. The article was on using AA powders, but that .357 load sorta stood out. It's basically a Buffalo Bore equivalent.
. (though of course the performance of this load in my 4-5/8" Blackhawk won't quite match Hodgdon's 10" pressure barrel, it should still pack a wallop on deer)
