deer and/or hogs with a 1911?

[broylz]

would a .45acp in 1911 be okay for deer or hogs if kept within 35-40 yards? which bullets would you shoot? i do handload so im thinking more of a hardcast or TXP etc...

[nightrunner]

With a hog, yes. Deer, I dont know. I was reading on another fourm of a guy taking a hog at about 75 yards with a 1911 with the MechTech carbine convesion unit in .45 and it dropped it on the spot, very good. Deer I havent heard of.

[Guest 1shot]

I have never hunted hogs but I have killed a deer with a 1911A1 Colt 45 ACP. I killed a deer with a 200 gr Lead SWC pushed by 7 grs Unique. Shot it right at 30 yards broad side through both lungs. It ran about 40 yards and piled up dead. That was a long time ago when I was very poor and did not own a high power rifle only a shotgun and I had run out of buck shot loads for the shot gun. I needed the meat for me and my wife to eat. I was in NC and at the time it was not legal to deer hunt with a pistol. I took my shotgun but only had some #6 shot shells but it was good camo if I ever got checked. I cast my own bullets from wheel weights. If I were to use a 45 ACP to deer hunt with today I would use one of the 230 gr Speer Gold Dot or Hornady XTP bullets. If you put one of those close to the back edge of the front shoulder of a deer it is yours.

[broylz]

is the 7 grains of unique a hot load or middle range?

[56FordGuy]

is the 7 grains of unique a hot load or middle range?

According to my Hornady book, it shows the maximum Unique load as 6.8 grains, estimated 1000 fps for a 200 grain bullet.

[BrasilNuts]

I once killed a small doe with my Glock 17 9mm. I hit her in the neck right behind the skull, I wanted a hit or miss shot, she dropped in her tracks. It didn't seem like a long shot when I took it, but I stepped it off at 37 paces. I was using 124 grain Federal hydra shoks so I think a .45 would do for a deer just fine as long as you use a good bullet and don't get crazy with your range.

[Guest redbarron06]

During gun season I carry a Springfield operator loaded with Corbon DPX. I can get about a 5 inch group at 50 yards or so but I have it mainly for the little deer that show up right under the stand to close for optics.

[Hidalgo]

With a hog, yes. Deer, I dont know. I was reading on another fourm of a guy taking a hog at about 75 yards with a 1911 with the MechTech carbine convesion unit in .45 and it dropped it on the spot, very good. Deer I havent heard of.

Hmmmmm...... just how many hogs have you personally killed? Are you going on hearsay? Or personal experience?

I have killed several dozen hogs over the past 4 years, and I can attest to the difficulty of putting them on the ground. I'm sure that a 45acp would definitely dispatch a hog if you had it on a rope or in a pen and could make a careful shot to the brain. But out in the field, I would wager that your chances of a quick kill would be practically ZERO. I have seen them hit with .223 and 6.8 rounds that were placed in the heart cavity and they still ran a long way before going down. They are extremely tough critters and the adults have massive layers of fat and gristle that you must go through to make a killing shot. We've skinned them and found .223 rounds that never made it past the fat layer ... much less into the chest cavity and into anything vital. The key to killing hogs is to make a shot into a vital area, and do so with a bullet capable of penetrating into that area. A 45acp doesn't have the penetration capabilities to do that dependably.

Hunt them with the 45acp if you choose ... but I'd advise you to do it from a tree stand for your own safety.

Deer, on the other hand, are not very difficult to kill provided the shot is placed into a vital area. Otherwise, they suffer a slow agonizing death. This can be the scenario even if they are shot with a large caliber rifle. As for shooting deer with a 45acp, that would be acceptable provided you are capable of making an accurate shot and quickly dispatching the animal.

Edited September 20, 2009 by Hidalgo

[timcalhoun]

I hunted deer for an 11 year period with nothing but handguns. I took many with my 1911 in .45 and it did good job. Most all were taken inside 40 yards. Have fun.

[nightrunner]

Hmmmmm...... just how many hogs have you personally killed? Are you going on hearsay? Or personal experience?

I have killed several dozen hogs over the past 4 years, and I can attest to the difficulty of putting them on the ground. I'm sure that a 45acp would definitely dispatch a hog if you had it on a rope or in a pen and could make a careful shot to the brain. But out in the field, I would wager that your chances of a quick kill would be practically ZERO. I have seen them hit with .223 and 6.8 rounds that were placed in the heart cavity and they still ran a long way before going down. They are extremely tough critters and the adults have massive layers of fat and gristle that you must go through to make a killing shot. We've skinned them and found .223 rounds that never made it past the fat layer ... much less into the chest cavity and into anything vital. The key to killing hogs is to make a shot into a vital area, and do so with a bullet capable of penetrating into that area. A 45acp doesn't have the penetration capabilities to do that dependably.

Hunt them with the 45acp if you choose ... but I'd advise you to do it from a tree stand for your own safety.

Deer, on the other hand, are not very difficult to kill provided the shot is placed into a vital area. Otherwise, they suffer a slow agonizing death. This can be the scenario even if they are shot with a large caliber rifle. As for shooting deer with a 45acp, that would be acceptable provided you are capable of making an accurate shot and quickly dispatching the animal.

it was a neck shot.

Yes it was hearsay. I personally would not use a .45acp to hunt hog with. minimum with a handgun is .44mag. and id probably go big bore on a rifle too like .45/70 or .458socom or similar. I dont like to cut it close with something that can charge back at me.

[Jonsaiga]

Hmmmmm...... just how many hogs have you personally killed? Are you going on hearsay? Or personal experience?

I have killed several dozen hogs over the past 4 years, and I can attest to the difficulty of putting them on the ground. I'm sure that a 45acp would definitely dispatch a hog if you had it on a rope or in a pen and could make a careful shot to the brain. But out in the field, I would wager that your chances of a quick kill would be practically ZERO. I have seen them hit with .223 and 6.8 rounds that were placed in the heart cavity and they still ran a long way before going down. They are extremely tough critters and the adults have massive layers of fat and gristle that you must go through to make a killing shot. We've skinned them and found .223 rounds that never made it past the fat layer ... much less into the chest cavity and into anything vital. The key to killing hogs is to make a shot into a vital area, and do so with a bullet capable of penetrating into that area. A 45acp doesn't have the penetration capabilities to do that dependably.

Hunt them with the 45acp if you choose ... but I'd advise you to do it from a tree stand for your own safety.

Deer, on the other hand, are not very difficult to kill provided the shot is placed into a vital area. Otherwise, they suffer a slow agonizing death. This can be the scenario even if they are shot with a large caliber rifle. As for shooting deer with a 45acp, that would be acceptable provided you are capable of making an accurate shot and quickly dispatching the animal.

I use to go hog and deer hunting with my brother in the outer banks of NC alot prior to moving to TN. The area we hunted was limited to shotgun and pistol only. Since he was hunting with a 18" barrel Remington 870, anything past 20 yards he would use his pistol.

I seen first hand my brother kill a 300lb sow at 32 yards using a full size EAA Witness chambered in 45acp shooting 230gr Remington Golden Sabers. He shot her one time through the heart as she was starting to turn away. The bullet passed completely through her and was never found. It dropped her on the spot but since she was still thrashing around on the ground when he got over to her he shot her again in the head. That bullet we were able to dig out and found that one petal was slightly pushed inward but other than the rifling marks it was otherwise undeformed in any way. He switched over to Gold Dots after that. He shot two other hogs with the same gun using the 230gr Gold Dots on two seperate occasions. I was not there for them and don't know how far away he was but it worked just fine.

There was also a fella from TX I belive over on ARFCOM that killed/kills hogs with a SBR(10" barrel IIRC) AR chambered in 9mm using 147gr TMJ rounds. IIRC his screen name is theredgoat or something like that. Been a while since I've been over there. Lots of folks over there have killed plenty of hogs with .223/5.56 and 6.8 too.

Edited September 20, 2009 by Jonsaiga

[Hidalgo]

There was also a fella from TX I belive over on ARFCOM that killed/kills hogs with a SBR(10" barrel IIRC) AR chambered in 9mm using 147gr TMJ rounds. IIRC his screen name is theredgoat or something like that. Been a while since I've been over there. Lots of folks over there have killed plenty of hogs with .223/5.56 and 6.8 too.

I didn't say that you couldn't kill a hog with a 9mm, 45acp, 38 Special, or even a 22WMR. But that doesn't make it safe for the hunter or humane for the hog.

And I am aware that lots of folks kill them with a .223 and 6.8SPC ... we do it regularly. The 6.8 is our rifle of choice, but I don't hesitate to use the .223 with Nosler Partitions. Either rifle will do a great job if used intelligently.

Bear in mind that just because something has been done ... that doesn't make it a good choice or practice. Hunting hogs with a 45acp or 9mm is NOT a good practice.

[Guest Mugster]

You could probably get a pig on the ground with a .45acp. It's probably not a good idea. Best bet is a .44 mag and a big solid slug. I'd say your odds of having a pig run off with a .45acp handgun are up there pretty high, right alongside a 9mm carbine using ball ammo...ball is illegal to hunt with in tn, fyi.

It's probably ok for deer at bowhunting ranges. I'd use a 255gr swc tweaked up to around 850-860. Kahrman on here got one last year with a .45 I think it was using one of the all brass bullets and had good luck with it. Although if a mighty 12 point walked by i'd be kicking myself if all I had was a handgun.

[Guest 1shot]

Yes 7 gr Unique with a 200 gr LSWC is what would be classed a +P load these days. It was a load that I did not shoot on a regular basis but it was accurate in my old Colt 1911A1. I tested it out by shooting into a salt treated 4X4 and it went clean through it so I decided it would cut a hole through the boiler room of any deer and it did just that.

[Guest gunsablazingu]

I've killed a wild Boar with a 1911 .45 .The shot was taken from 20 yards or so with my TRP Operator.The truth is it knocked him down fine, but I ended up having to stick him to put him out of his misery.

[DaveS]

There is no place around Montgomery or Stewart County to hunt hogs with handgun....only other weapons, so I won't be much help. I would think a .45ACP jacketed bullet would suffice. I would go with 230gr..

[Mike]

I took a deer the year before last with my 1911. Corbon DPX. Gt her right behind the shoulder through both lungs and the heart. She ran about 30 yards and dropped.

Shot here at about 35 yds.

Mike

[bvarnell]

Hmmmmm...... just how many hogs have you personally killed? Are you going on hearsay? Or personal experience?

I have killed several dozen hogs over the past 4 years, and I can attest to the difficulty of putting them on the ground. I'm sure that a 45acp would definitely dispatch a hog if you had it on a rope or in a pen and could make a careful shot to the brain. But out in the field, I would wager that your chances of a quick kill would be practically ZERO. I have seen them hit with .223 and 6.8 rounds that were placed in the heart cavity and they still ran a long way before going down. They are extremely tough critters and the adults have massive layers of fat and gristle that you must go through to make a killing shot. We've skinned them and found .223 rounds that never made it past the fat layer ... much less into the chest cavity and into anything vital. The key to killing hogs is to make a shot into a vital area, and do so with a bullet capable of penetrating into that area. A 45acp doesn't have the penetration capabilities to do that dependably.

QUOTE]

Don't underestimate the penetration of a 230gr. .45acp or overestimate the penetration of a 55gr. .223.

I was watching one of the gun shows on Sportsman Channel about a month ago where there testing penetration on gallon water jugs.

The .223 didn't make it through the second jug!

The .45acp and .357 mag both blew out the back of the 5th jug!

I don't remember the brand of ammo they were using, don't think it was +P, just 230 gr JHP.

Their conclusion was that a .223 would be good for home defense since it was unlikely to go through as many walls.

[roverboy]

I don't have a .45 but have shot them and they are no slouch. I wouldn't mind hunting deer with one. But hogs might make me nervous. I guess if I was in a stand and had a short shot and had plenty of time it would be ok.

[Alleycat72]

I've killed deer with my 10mm Kimber. The longest shot was 63 yds. It's a lot like a loud semiauto bow.

[whiskey]

If it's all you have, then yes you can kill deer and hogs with a 1911. I have killed exactly 1 hog with a .45Auto. I got into a discussion on another board about shooting hogs with a .45 and a fellow from Texas told me I was full of it and that I couldn't kill a hog with a .45auto. That weekend I stalked up to a sounder of pigs at the edge of swamp and shot a 130 pound boar once in the neck from about 30 yards. The hog dropped on the spot. I used a factory loaded Hornady XTP in a Ruger P345. It can be done and I never felt in danger. I don't think I would have shot a 300 pound boar at that distance. Perhaps 15 yards and a head shot. I killed plenty of hogs while I lived in Florida. Mostly I used a .44mag in either a lever action or a Ruger Single action revolver. I have been charged by hogs twice and neither charge ended well for the hog involved. When I first moved to Florida I used to read all the internet stories about the dangers of hog hunting and using enough gun. They do carry merit. But like most things, once you become a custom to them, the dangers worry you less and less.

I did learn something from the fellow that I argued with about this subject. He reminded me that far too often folks on the internet make recommendations to people without fully knowing the persons capabilities. I would never recommend a first time hog hunt use a .45auto. However, for someone that is familiar with the odd anatomy of hogs and their behavior patterns, it will kill them cleanly when properly applied.

[I_Like_Pie]

My in-laws in Florida hunt pigs with a bow....kinda makes the "is the .45acp enough" argument nill simply they are so successful at it. They have used dogs and a knife too.

It all depends on the hunter and their capabilities.

[Volphin]

Personally, I think we should kill as many hogs as we can and fast. They are quickly destroying other wildlife habitat. Tasty too.

[Guest 10mm4me]

I will personally kill a deer this year w/a 1911 and post pics on the thread to prove it can easily be done.