.45 ACP for Deer?

[woody]

I plan to use one of my .45’s for deer this year. Carried when I’m hunting with a levergun. I will limit myself to 25-30 yards. I have some +P 230 gr Buffalo Bore that shoots very good in my Caspian. I’ve shot a few deer with the .45 over the years but that was a finish off shot. I know it will more than do the job. Just looking for experience/ results.

Anyone have experience with the .45 on deer?

[bigbrowndog]

I’ve used factory Federal 230gr. HydraShok with good success out to 50 yds, I do not recall if it is a +P loading or not.

Trapr

[flyingzebra]

My dad's last deer was taken with 45 Auto Rim

It worked

[nockhunter]

My son killed a doe last year in the early(special does only) season with his 1911 and Federal 230g hi-shocks. He was about 30y, and hit the base of the neck quartering towards him. It spun around and died 20y away. The bullet was found under the skin on the opposite shoulder.

Mike

[bradshaw]

Nov 9, 2022 19:19:16 GMT -5 bigbrowndog said:

I’ve used factory Federal 230gr. HydraShok with good success out to 50 yds, I do not recall if it is a +P loading or not.

Trapr

*****

Trapr.... Federal Hydra-Shok 230 JHP averaged 889 fps from my Les Baer 1911 Super Tac with Kart 5”. Brainpanned a bull with that load, but that is frontal execution, not hunting. That is the second generation Hydra-Shok, with radius ogive. First generation Hydra-Shok JHP have truncated cone profile, similar to the Sierra JHP. I lungshot small to medium domestic pigs with the Hydra-Shok 230 JHP; works well. Not a +P load but note velocity close to 900 fps. This Federal load sandbagged 5x5 into 2.9-inches @ 100 yards from the Les Baer, and, with a different Les Baer Super Tac, used a second shot to centerpunch a 12-inch gong @ 180 yards while sighting-in with hunters at an Alabama camp, so the Federal .45 ACP Hydra-Shok 230 JUP is beaucoup accurate.

My favorite .45 ACP seats Remington Golden Saber 230 JHP over 8.5/Accurate #5. Sandbagged at the old Hub City Rifle & Pistol Club in Lafayette, Louisiana, with a bench rest competitor and a handgun silhouetter spotting, the Les Baer squeezed 5x5 into 2.5-inches @ 100 yards. Two of these Golden Sabers slipped right behind the shoulder on a lunging buck @ 20 yards piled him up. One bullet stuck in the hide on the far side; it fell into the gut bucket when I skun the deer. The other bullet also penetrated the rib cage, but bound in tissue of the offside ribs. Both bullets show perfect expansion and are pictured in one of the photo essays Lee posted. Expansion in lined-up water jugs is the same.

I would not by intent shoot a whitetail buck in the shoulder with the .45 ACP. Nor a mature boar hog which hasn’t’t been castrated and wears a gristle shield over his shoulders. The .45 ACP is not my idea of reliable penetration through shoulder bones or gristle shield. I plugged a wide-head steer laterally through the temple with a cast 225 Truncated Cone and the bullet did not exit; that requires less energy than shoulder bones or a gristle shield. Nor would I predict a deer to just play dead from a hard cast lung shot. A POWDER COAT SWC might write its own exception, but I’d want to try it on water jugs first.
David Bradshaw

[woody]

Nov 10, 2022 8:40:46 GMT -5 bradshaw said:

Nov 9, 2022 19:19:16 GMT -5 bigbrowndog said:

I’ve used factory Federal 230gr. HydraShok with good success out to 50 yds, I do not recall if it is a +P loading or not.

Trapr

*****

Trapr.... Federal Hydra-Shok 230 JHP averaged 889 fps from my Les Baer 1911 Super Tac with Kart 5”. Brainpanned a bull with that load, but that is frontal execution, not hunting. That is the second generation Hydra-Shok, with radius ogive. First generation Hydra-Shok JHP have truncated cone profile, similar to the Sierra JHP. I lungshot small to medium pigs with the Hydra-Shok 230 JHP; works well. Not a +P load but note velocity close to 900 fps. This Federalload sandbagged 5x5 into 2.9-inches @ 100 yards from the Les Baer, and, with a different Les Baer Super Tac, used a second shot to centerpuch a 12-inch gong @ 180 yards while sighting-in with hunters at an Alabama camp, so the Federal .45 ACP Hydra-Shok 230 JUP is beaucoup accurate.

My favorite .45 ACP seats Remington Golden Saber 230 JHP over 8.5/Accurate #5. Sandbagged at the old Hub City Rifle & Pistol Club in Lafayette, Louisiana, with a bench rest competitor and a handgun silhouetter spotting, the Les Baer squeezed 5x5 into 2.5-inches @ 100 yards. Two of these Golden Sabers slipped right behind the sjhoulder on a lunging buck @ 20 yards piled him up. One bullet stuck in the hide on the far side; it fell into the gut bucket when I skin the deer. The other bullet also penetrated the rib cage, but bound in tissue of the offside ribs. Both bullet show perfect expansion and are pictured in one of the photo essays Lee posted. Expansion in lined-up water jugs is the same.

I would not by design shoot a whitetail buck in the shoulder with the .45 ACP. Nor a mature boar hog which hasn’t’t been castrated and wears a gristle shield over his shoulders. The .45 ACP is not my idea of reliable penetration through shoulder bones or gristle shield. I plugged a wide-head steer laterally through the temple with a cast 225 Truncated Cone and the bullet did not exit; that should be less work than shoulder bones or mature gristle shield. Nor would I predict a deer to just play dead from a hard cast lung shot. A POWDER COAT SWC might write its own exception, but I’d want to try it on water jugs first.
David Bradshaw

Good info. Thank you.

This whole idea started a few days ago when I shot My Delta Elite. It shows signs of pressure with any hotter load I would Hunt deer with. Primers flattened or in a few cases fell right out!!!! I stopped right there!!!! I first assumed it might a brass issue since most my 10 mm brass was sourced for a range the FBI used shooting there MP5 in 10 mm. Thought that might be the brass issue but it happened with factory ammo also. So I’ve stopped shooting that with heavier loads. I always used them sparingly in the Delta anyways. I need to have the gun looked at. Really doesn’t have a high round count through it. I did Shoot it some for IPSC years ago with 40 S&W level loads. I’ve shot a handful of deer with it with excellent results with XTP hand loads and Sivertilp factory ammo.

So short of the story is until I come across another 10 mm to add to my battery I will May use the .45 some. I’m a bow hunter so I’ve always shot deer with firearms from a tree stand situation the same as with the bow. Behind the shoulder shots.

[seminolewind]

Woody, I've had mixed results with 45 ACP on whitetails. Unfortunately, my bad outcome was a big buck lost, so I'll never go there again with a 45 ACP.

You are a handloader so maybe take a look at the 45 Super. It's an interesting round to load, and setting a 1911 up for 45 Super is pretty simple. A 255 cast bullet at 1100 fps is a game changer for a 1911.

[cmillard]

When Iowa opened up deer hunting years ago to handgun and I gave it a try. Needless to say, I only hunt deer with handgun now. That first deer was with a 1911 in .45acp and at that time, I was shooting factory ammo, speer gold dot HP 200 grain. I shot that first deer between 25 and 30 yards. It ran about 20 yards or so then dropped. That bullet performed perfectly and was found underneath the hide on the off side. I still have that bullet somewhere.

[pete]

Yep. I use the 220gr lfn type conicals I cast for the Ruger old army, sized to fit. Over unique they go 1050fps. 66 paces behind the shoulder, done. Last year I shot a smaller doe at 75-80 paces with the same bullet at approximately the same speed with the Old Army. Steep quartering away shot, I hit her behind the left shoulder and came out the front of the right shoulder, taking out some spine along the way. I've also shot a big doe with 185gr lfn type conical at 1000fps, no problem.
I'm strictly a cast bullet hunter, I feel you will be fine if you're shooting cast. If hollowpoints, avoid bone, you should be fine.

[woody]

Nov 14, 2022 14:18:47 GMT -5 pete said:

Yep. I use the 220gr lfn type conicals I cast for the Ruger old army, sized to fit. Over unique they go 1050fps. 66 paces behind the shoulder, done. Last year I shot a smaller doe at 75-80 paces with the same bullet at approximately the same speed with the Old Army. Steep quartering away shot, I hit her behind the left shoulder and came out the front of the right shoulder, taking out some spine along the way. I've also shot a big doe with 185gr lfn type conical at 1000fps, no problem.
I'm strictly a cast bullet hunter, I feel you will be fine if you're shooting cast. If hollowpoints, avoid bone, you should be fine.

I have a few cast bullet options. My 200 grain SWC and 230 grain RN I cast I wouldn’t probably use either of those. But I did find a box on Buffalo Bore 255 gr. hard cast I may try. I plan to shoot them tomorrow.

[pete]

Those Buffalo Bores are equal to a good 45colt load, they should make meat just fine. Nobody here would poo poo the 45colt, it's a proven killer. Good luck hunting, bring us a story and pics