.45 ACP For Hunting

Let me preface this by saying that I'm looking for ACTUAL experience, not conjecture. That being said, I'm very strongly considering a new Glock 41 for my primary hunting pistol. I shoot autos much better than revolvers, and I have hand cannons should I ever venture out for wooly mammoths. I know the 10mm gets a lot of hype, but what game animal in this state can't be killed with a 200 gr slug moving 1100 fps?

Any fatal flaws I'm missing here?

Shot a pig from 75 yards last week with a 3" barrel. One shot = curly shuffle.

A 200grn bullet moving at those velocities has killed a lot of stuff over the years. You're looking at 44-40, .44 special, our old 45 colt loads, which will kill anything in Texas at reasonable distances. I plan to hunt with both my .40 and .45 in the future.

P.S. My Kimber 1911 has killed two skunks deader than a hammer

This is not really hunting. When filling feeders and checking hog traps, I usually carry a suppressed .45 ACP in the Ranger. There's been a few times when we've chased down pigs and shot them on the move. I'm usually using FMJs and it knocks them down so I have to finish them off. Don't know if that helps.

I've used a G30S to dispatch a couple pigs using Hornady FTXs. Both were head shots with full penetration causing very quick death. Made for great BBQ.

Having tested other rounds on pig carcases to observe penetration throug heavy bone, I can say that I feel much more comfortable with the momentum the .45's larger heavier bullet provides aiding penetration over some smaller faster rounds I've messed with. I assume the .40 and 10mm would be equally or more effective but I have been very happy with how my .45s have worked without too much noise or expense.

My EDC round is still 9mm, for several reasons, but when I go outdoors I alwas reach for a .45 if I can. I think a 40 or 10mm would be just as good but I like .45.

I've killed multiple pigs and several critters with 45 ACP and 10mm rounds. I have a good friend of mine who hunts with a Chris 45 ACP suppressed pistol also using my 230 fmj ammo. On the 45 ACP, we've shot pigs with 200 grain Speer Gold Dot's and 230 grain FMJ rounds. The 230 ball rounds work much better and penetrate much better. The 200 HP rounds lack penetration and do not perform as well. When you jump to the 10mm, it's a game changer over the 45. The faster 10mm round with a smaller diameter (.400" vs. .452") will flat out perform better in penetration and knock down power than the 45 ACP does for hunting purposes. If I were to run a 45, I'd go 230 FMJ for the penetration.

Todd with a Badger and his 45 ACP Chris: https://www.facebook.com/todd.reynolds.332/posts/10204690947153001?pnref=story

I have done lots of penetration and expansion tests with lots of different simi-auto calibers and honestly the 45ACP has never impressed me that much. I can get similar results from a 40S&W and better results from a 357Sig. Step up to a 10mm and it stomps all 3 of those.

Unlike Chad I have never been a fan of FMJ for anything other than targets though. If penetration is all you are after then FMJ is the way to go. I like a balance of both expansion and penetration when shooting critters though.

I know that's not real world hunting experience like what you are looking for but I choose the 357Sig over the 45ACP for a reason. And I can say the 357 Sig has impressed me in real world hunting experience, not just in tests.

I have no doubts the 45ACP will work.

I posted that youtube link a year or two ago of those guys killing all sorts of deer with the 45 and 10mm glocks. I will try to find it tonite, it was pretty epic.


Edit, I had it saved



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGkTXNAJqWY

my suggestion is you save money and buy a pistol which is accurate enough to HUNT with...50 yards....the glock is not it...

Killed quite a few hogs thru the years with a 5" Springfield Loaded 45 ACP with cheap 185gr Berrys bullets loaded with 5.8gr of W231. Works well and the bleed out like crazy.

I am not impressed with .45 from what I've seen

Buzz, you haven't shot MY Glocks!!! I'll plink at Jason's at 100 yards with my G40 10mm. It's a flat out hammer!

I also have a video somewhere of me tagging a 4" pepper popper on the 3rd shot from 135-140 yards with my Glock G35 (first 2 shots were sighters). It will shoot just as good.

KC, my actual, field experience using the 45ACP on feral hogs, with both a pistol and a carbine is that it is a deadly round out to 75 yards. I've used FMJ's and JHP's, from 230 grains down to 200 grains, and have noted little difference in terminal performance, assuming a properly placed shot.



(45 carbine on my knee; 45 pistol in my holster)

185gr Hornady XTP from right at 25yds. Went behind near shoulder through vitals then broke off side shoulder before stopping just under the hide on a 150lb whitetail.

I'm surprised it stopped. I haven't use 45 acp but I've killed a bunch of pigs and several deer with my M94 in 45 LC. Have yet to recover a bullet. One pig about 140-50 was shot in the face from 55 yds and the exit was in the lower left ham.

I've yet to chrono the load but they are only around 900fps per data.

That's with you shooting it though

Not a good hunting choice by any standards; but a man stopper by everybody's standards.

By what standards? I consider 200 gr at 1000 fps as the standard for a hunting round, and I've killed lots of pigs with just such a load from a .44 Blackhawk. My pet load for a long time has been a 200 gr RNFP over 10 gr Unique in .44 Mag brass, and that load is duplicable in a .45 acp.

However, I tried a Gen 4 G21 out and found it a bit bulky for me. Ended up with a Gen 4 G35 and plans to break 1100 fps with a 180 gr cast boolit.

Standard, or minimum?

Minimum standard might be a better term.

I think part of the conversation should consider the advancements in modern loading powder, projectile advancements, and better metallurgy in modern firearms.

At the same time; I do tend to prefer a magnum cartridge revolver for most hunting sidearm situations.

I would like a 45 ACP suppressed SBR, I think it would be fun
Would be better than a 300 Blackout shooting subsonics, bullets are designed to expand at those velocities, better on thin skin like deer. For hogs, I carry 255g +P hardcast in my 1911 and they would be awesome for pigs out of an SBR.

I agree 100%

I ordered a 26lb spring for my Kimber a while back to use with hot loads. I'm hoping to get around .45 Super performance.

Anything is possible; they're better choices. Past 75 and you're usually toast for most people.

Lol..

That's what I thought the whole point of pistol hunting was.

My absolute max is 50. I used to bowhunt a lot and really liked the challenge. Pistol hunting, to me, is the exact same thing. If I want to shoot past 50, I'll use a rifle.

And I took a hard left and ended up with a Glock 35. The 41 was just too girthy of a girl for my hands, but the 35 felt right. I can push a 200 gr cast boolit at 1100 out of it, so it meets my requirements.

Just be carefull with those cast bullets in a Glock. Glock does not recommend the use of them due to the polygonal barrels.

I put over 12,000 of my cast bullets the through my g35 factory barrel in just over a year. 180 grain TC at 1000fps. Had no issues whatsoever.

I've done a lot of reading and "field testing" with cast boolits in Glocks and I feel comfortable with it. I understand folks who don't, but I feel that it is safe as long as you know how to properly lube and size a boolit.

I don't know of any manufacturer that ok's the use of reloads in their firearms. It's a lawyer thing.

Finally somebody understands!!