Deer handgun question

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
Yes it will do the job if you put the bullet in the boiler room. I'd use 165gr to 200gr hollow point ammo or hard cast hunting ammo. Double Tap and Buffalo Bore offer some stout .40S&W rounds.

<>< Fish
 

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
Don't watch this video if you believe you need a huge rifle or handgun to kill a deer or your brain might... :taz:

<>< Fish

[video=youtube;nP9L3i4xDF0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP9L3i4xDF0[/video]
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Found out this weekend that a 165gr Hyrdashok to the temple of a 40# swamp pig works perfect at 15 yards out of a S&W M&P40c...

As far as deer go. Any well constructed pill put in the right place will do the job.
 
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pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
With a .40s&w...the gun and barrel length would be a question worth asking.

A short barrelled 40s&w would be less impressive from an energy standpoint than a longer barrel.

I know .357 and 6&#8221; barrels work fine. A 10 mm would be a slight step down and work fine. A 40 is slightly down again.....but i think you would be okay from a full size gun.

People have killed them with 45s and 1911s for years. A 40 typically can out penetrate a 45 of similar construction from equal guns. The bullets are faster.

I think a 9mm from a 5&#8221;+ barrelled pistol would perform fine with the right bullets. Most would frown upon this assessment, but i have researched it plenty and my opinion is that it would work. I have not tried it with a 9mm.

From a ballistics standpoint, i feel that 9mm, 40s&w, and 45 acp are very similar on the muzzle end. Bigger and heavier vs faster and smaller.

I would check you gun and use +P loads if it can handle it.
 

btsharky

Twelve Pointer
I personally would go larger. I don't like the thought of wounding an animal and it suffers and it is more probable with a lower velocity round. And I know I will get the "shot placement" replies but I also know if a bull steps out at 60 yards it would be hard to not try it. A larger caliber will give you the range that a 40 won't. Not saying it won't do the job........... Just my .02
 

hayco10

Eight Pointer
I personally would go larger. I don't like the thought of wounding an animal and it suffers and it is more probable with a lower velocity round. And I know I will get the "shot placement" replies but I also know if a bull steps out at 60 yards it would be hard to not try it. A larger caliber will give you the range that a 40 won't. Not saying it won't do the job........... Just my .02

I currently own a Glock 23 40 S&W, may be too short a barrel to maximize velocity, even at 25 yards.
 

41magfan

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I currently own a Glock 23 40 S&W, may be too short a barrel to maximize velocity, even at 25 yards.

Your G23 will work just fine. If you're going to confine your shots to 25 yards, just hit them in the right place with a decently constructed bullet and you'll have a dead deer.

Practice more - worry less.

ETA: The velocity in most Glocks, in most calibers, with most loads, runs about 50 fps for each additional inch of barrel length. As that might relate to the .40 S&W, the difference in velocity between a G23 (4.01" barrel) and the G24 (6.02" barrel) would be about 100 fps.

That's hardly a deal breaker, and relatively insignificant for shots inside 25 yards.
 
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LanceR

Six Pointer
Contributor
Deer are pretty fragile and don't take anywhere near as much energy to cleanly kill as many folks seem to believe. I only have personal pistol hunting experience with deer and boar hunting with a S&W Model 29 in .44 Magnum starting when I was stationed in West Berlin back in 1978. I do think, however that any expanding bullet from a 9mm/.38 Special or larger pistol will do the job just fine.

As a longtime hunter ed and pistol shooting instructor I teach folks that a 9" paper plate makes a pretty good deer hunting practice target with any firearm or archery implement. The heart/lung area of the smallest legal deer is about that size so if you can keep your shots on the plate at a given distance while wearing the same clothing layers you will hunt in and shooting from the same types of positions you will be fine hunting at that distance. The larger heart/lung area of larger deer will give you a bit of forgiveness in shot placement.

It is worth noting that with iron sights sight alignment at the moment the shot breaks is by far the most important element of good shot placement. You can have so-so aiming within the vitals and do fine but any sight alignment error is multiplied downrange. For example, if you have a 6" sight radius any alignment error is magnified 150 times at 75 feet..... (divide the range in inches by the sight radius in inches)

One of the pistols in my "every day carry" rotation, and my only .40 S&W, is a Sig P239 loaded with Speer 155 grain LE Gold Dots and while the P239 wouldn't be my first choice semi-auto to pull out of the safe for deer hunting I know that it would do just fine with that load.

Good luck with the deer hunting and please check back as things develop and keep is up to date.


Lance


PS: As long as the bullet gets to a given distance with enough velocity to expand as designed you'll be fine. Most ammo and bullet makers will tell you what terminal velocities their bullets of a given caliber and weight need to readily expand but I suspect that most any brand name personal defense load will work well. I'm in western Stokes County. If you are close enough to stop over PM and we can try some different loads in your pistol over the chronograph to confirm the velocity if that would help.
 

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
I currently own a Glock 23 40 S&W, may be too short a barrel to maximize velocity, even at 25 yards.

Poking a hole in the vitals is more important with a small handgun round than velocity. A .40 cal 165-200gr hard cast flat point won't expand at all but will certainly kill a deer even at lower velocity. Also with a small caliber handgun there is no guarantee that you will get any expansion at all. A well place shot through the heart and lungs should guarantee you a dead deer though.

<>< Fish
 

bshobbs

Old Mossy Horns
Bernado, you will be OK with your setup to get a deer. Practice more and know your weapon and your ability to shoot the vitals at 25 yards.
 

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
As stated by others, i would definitely suggest practicing. Pistol sights can be tough in the later hours.

Regarding the pie plate reference above.....from a treestand this target shrinks a bit than standing on the ground. I try to treat pictol hunting like bow hunting.
 

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
I will be hunting from a box stand with sandbag type rear with shooting rail about 7 feet

Make your practice as similar to the hunting setup as possible and you'll be fine. I still remember shaking like a leaf on a tree when I shot my first deer with a handgun. I was hooked after that.

<>< Fish
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Make your practice as similar to the hunting setup as possible and you'll be fine. I still remember shaking like a leaf on a tree when I shot my first deer with a handgun. I was hooked after that.

<>< Fish

And make sure to have ear plugs with you!!!!!!
Shot my first with pistol this year. Was only about 20 yards off shooting sticks while slippin through the woods. Very exciting and addicting.

But dang that 44 rung my bell!!!
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
10 4, I alway wear hearing protecting whether shooting a 22 or a pistol or deer rifle.

Oh yeah. Me too for the range and dove/duck hunting... But I can't make it work when I'm slip hunting on my feet and need my ears to hunt.

Handgun in a box blind would be rough on the ears!
 

nchunt101

Ten Pointer
My buddy killed a nice buck a few years ago with a G27. He woke up from a nap and the deer was about ten yards from his stand. The deer was behind him so he used the pistol to avoid spooking the deer fumbling with his rifle.
 

hayco10

Eight Pointer
I was trying to sell the S&W 686-4 stainless 6&#8221; barrel but no takers, that will probably be what I&#8217;ll use, but the 40 s&w was an alternative I am considering
 
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