45 acp and deer?

jonk

First off, I'm not planning on doing it. I have a perfectly fine muzzleloader to use for deer (and would prefer a rifle anyhow due to greater accuracy) but I just got to thinking... the excerpt below is from the Ohio Department of Natural Resource's regs on deer hunting:

Gun Season and Youth Deer Gun Season - 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 gauge shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition); or muzzleloading rifle .38 caliber or larger; or handgun with 5-in. minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger, or longbow, crossbow (draw weight limitations same as for Archery Season). Shotguns cannot be capable of holding more than three shells.

Reading this, a stock 1911 would be legal, yes? If I WERE planning on doing it I would limit ranges to 25 yards or less and use premium bullets with max loads.

The reason I thought it up is my sabots for my .50 inline shoot a 240 gr .45 hollow point at a bit over 1000fps. A 1911 with a similar weight bullet would be a bit slower but not that much. What do you think?

Wolf.

--
-You know, that is an interesting question. I think the .45acp round itself is capable of taking deer, however and I agree with what you said in this regard, it would probably be best at short range, perhaps up to fifty yards. Also, it would probably be best loaded with a solid copper or hard lead slug.

Fired from a M1911, I think 75 to 100 feet (that is only about 30 yards +/- might be the max that most shooters could hope for. Perhaps a .45acp revolver would do better.(?) I am not sure what long guns have been chambered for .45acp, other than a Marlin that I think may now be out of production.

I believe these laws are written with as much generality as possible and the fish and game folks do trust that hunters will use their heads and select appropriate equipment. However, the .45acp might just be appropriate for an ace shooter. I don't think I would pick that combination either.

HandgunHTR52

I would say it is a definate possibility. I shot a 5 point last year with a reproduction 1858 Remington cap and ball revolver using .454 round balls. Of course I practiced with it until my fingers bled and limited myself to 20 yards. The shot that I took was actually only 3 yards, but I would not have shot past 20. One shot and the deer was DRT.

dcs shooters

Some hog hunters out west use a 1911 with ball ammo to do them in, at close range of course. The OH regs leave a lot to be desired. When I first moved here I could'nt use my TC Super 14. 44 mag. bbl.

richbug

A 38 S&W is legal according to the OH law, just see my self out there with an old turn of the century top Break chasing deer.

They used to have a 1" minimum case length rule, this was dropped about 2002 or so.

jonk

You know, I wasn't planning on this but the idea is starting to grow on me. I've got some hollow point match bullets; I'm going to load some up and chronograph them with max loadsand see how well they shoot. I'm still going to use the muzzleloader for the first deer if I get one but if I get another chance I might try it.

CHGOTHNDER

I remember seeing this in the movie Hoffa.

SCOUT5

Clarify with the state that the cartridge is legal. Here in IN we have case length and bullet diameter restriction and the 357 mag is the smallest cartridge we can use in a hand gun. 45 acp is not legal, 9mm is not legal, 10mm is legal, so are 41 mag and 45 lc. This year we can use rifles in pistol cartridges, again with diameter and case length restriction in this case we are given both a minimum and maximum lenth. In a hand gun I can shoot a high powered round like a .270 win but not in a pistol.

Point is make sure you know what you are doing, these laws can get very confusing.

Scout

RCrosby

I wish some of you folks from more sane places would write the F & G folks in Maine and ask why the hell a .22 Mag. is legal for deer up this way.
As for the ACP, I often carry mine while in the woods with a preferred deer rifle; .257, .270 or .308, and wouldn't hesitate to use the auto at short range, either from a tree stand or from ground level cover. Never done it, but the deer would have to be close and no other option available. The way my eyes have been lately, the .25 to 30 yards sounds about right.

Chief Shaway

Here in Il, the 45acp is not legal. Not only do they list 357 as the smallest round, they also list case length and ft.lbs. at the muzzle which would disallow the 45acp.

bpost

A cast bullet of 260 grains and Keith style pushed by a max load of blue dot works wonders on deer. The flat meplat hits hard and makes a big hole to leak important stuff out of.

allen griggs

I killed a hog with a 1911 Colt .45.
This was a 130 pound boar. I took a shot at 30 yards, aimed for the lungs.
Went high, hit the spine. This is the beauty of the lung shot, even mistakes turn out ok.
The hog dropped, his hind legs were unusable.
I went up and shot him twice in the lungs, lights out.
I wish that original shot had been in the lungs, I would have a better report for you. But, I bet that hog would not have made 60 yards.
This was some military surplus ball ammo.
I bet that ammo with the flat Keith nose would really do the job on a deer.

Grunt2

The Aguila I.Q. ammo is just the ticket..

quote:Originally posted by jonk
You know, I wasn't planning on this but the idea is starting to grow on me. I've got some hollow point match bullets; I'm going to load some up and chronograph them with max loadsand see how well they shoot. I'm still going to use the muzzleloader for the first deer if I get one but if I get another chance I might try it.