Hand gun hunting calibers

[tombogan03884]

We all know that .357 has been used to take every game animal in North America, including Grizzly bear..Will 45 Colt do the same ?
What semi auto calibers, besides 10 mm are practical for hunting larger game ? Will 45ACPor 9mm cut it for larger game ?

[alfsauve]

We all know that .357 has been used to take every game animal in North America, including Grizzly bear..Will 45 Colt do the same ?

Possibly, though I'd think the 460SW would be better.
I feel sure someone has done it with both the .44mag and the .41mag, though.

What semi auto calibers, besides 10 mm are practical for hunting larger game ? Will 45ACPor 9mm cut it for larger game ?

.45ACP and 9mm.... no.

Well, there's the .41 and .50 A&Es.   Then the .44Mag is available in a Desert Eagle so does that count as semi-auto?

Are you sure back in the 70's-80's somebody didn't do this with an AutoMag?   Came in both .357 and .44

[Majer]

.357 Mag Coonan, 1911 type semi auto,Also the .44 Automag, were sold as hunting guns.

[tombogan03884]

I'm thinking more along the lines of a practical "do it all " pistol self defense, concealed carry as well as hunting.
1) Common caliber, no proprietary crap like .50GI
2) reasonably concealable.
seems like the only choices are .357, or 10mm.

I looked on Wiki but can't find the reference. I believe it was D.B. Wesson in 1936 (before he took over the company) took every game animal in NA with one including moose.

[Timothy]

I've been working toward a 4" .357 wheel gun and a lever gun in .357 either in a carbine or full length rifle over the last few years.  Some of my early post reflect this.

I know someone will differ but there's no reason, thus far, that would sway my opinion.

Money is the issue at this point.  I'll get there and worry no more..  I feel comfy with that caliber in any state in the union against critters I need to eat or critters I need to protect myself from.  I doubt very much I'll ever live more that a few hundred miles from where I'm sitting so black bear, white tail deer, a rabid raccoon or fisher are easily dispatched.  There have been some mountain lion sign in New England but there ain't much you can do if you're the lunch o the day for a puma without a scattergun..

[Sponsor]

[les snyder]

Tom... is this a theoretical question, or practical consideration?.... what type game?

I started my competition games shooting metallic silhouette... hot .357mag loads(200 grain 35 caliber rifle bullets for the rams) in a Merrill...a .44mag Super Black Hawk for revolver with all the H110 you can fit in the case, and downloaded for bowling pins... hand loading gives you a lot of options... a friend hunts elk in Colorado with a .460Roland (hard cast) for predator protection in a 1911...

I don't hunt, but I think a hard cast .44 mag or .454 Casull (with .45 Colt for carry) would be a working option... I don't think thin skinned bipods would need that much... I'm content with a 9mm and good ammunition... YMMV

[alfsauve]

I'm thinking more along the lines of a practical "do it all " pistol self defense, concealed carry as well as hunting.
1) Common caliber, no proprietary crap like .50GI
2) reasonably concealable.

Now more than ever I'm thinking the S&W 460V 5" would be the ticket.  Could use 45LC for SD and .460SW for hunting.   Okay if you don't want the .460S&W  because it's proprietary, then you could hype up the .45LC loads somewhat.

More reasonable would be 4" 629 in .44Mag or a 625 Mountain in .45LC.



And like Les my earlier competition was IHMSA.   But I went the .357Max route standing on two legs, putting down Rams at 200m.   It was a blast  <pun>   

[Rastus]

In "conventional" calibers I'd go 10MM.  Not to dis the 9MM or the 45, but Col. Cooper did prefer it.

If not that...a little more conventional.  Go with a 10MM "short"...the 40 S&W.

Maybe the 40 for a do it all?  I really prefer the 10MM but getting the ammo is not always easy...especially the full power stuff and not the loaded down ammo that mimics the 40.  DoubleTap ammo is a good source for 10MM.

I have a Kimber 1911 in 10MM and love it....heavy as a brick bat to carry though.  So...if weight is an issue go with Tupperware and a 40 (does Glock still make a 10MM)?

[tombogan03884]

Tom... is this a theoretical question, or practical consideration?.... what type game?

I started my competition games shooting metallic silhouette... hot .357mag loads(200 grain 35 caliber rifle bullets for the rams) in a Merrill...a .44mag Super Black Hawk for revolver with all the H110 you can fit in the case, and downloaded for bowling pins... hand loading gives you a lot of options... a friend hunts elk in Colorado with a .460Roland (hard cast) for predator protection in a 1911...

I don't hunt, but I think a hard cast .44 mag or .454 Casull (with .45 Colt for carry) would be a working option... I don't think thin skinned bipods would need that much... I'm content with a 9mm and good ammunition... YMMV

Theoretical at this point, but I might act on it in the unforeseeable future .
I don't hunt either, but we have bear and moose here who can show up at odd times so it kind of falls into self defense.

Tim, I agree on .357 but want to go semi auto if possible, it is however my solid second choice.

Rastus, 10mm was what got me thinking about the subject, as for 40 would you consider it ETHICAL to take say, a deer, with .40 ?
My objection to 45Colt, and 44 mag are the size makes them fairly impractical for EDC.

[Rastus]

A 10MM is essentially a 357 Mag.  Ethical....that's pretty much a grey area as far as I can see.  Used to be that a 30-30 was all you needed up through mule deer.  Now to "be ethical" some people tout 7MM mags and ultra mags along with 300 win mags. 

I dunno...either the 357 or 10 MM is about 1/3 the energy of a 30-30.   But I also know when I was growing up most of the deer around the house were taken with a 22LR with head shots which was unethical. 

I think a hot 40 would do alright and put you up near 650 ft-lbs of energy whereas you'd be stretching 775 or so with a hot 10MM.  A hot 357 around 850 ft-lbs.

This based on a 6" barrel from:    http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html
If you look at the ballistics chart towards top center you'll see a link for the energy graphs. 

However as I look the Glock in 10MM comes at best with a 4.6" barrel and the Kimber Eclipse in 10MM is a 5" barrel.  So it might come down to available barrel length and another caliber. 

The Automag in 6.5" barrel 44 mag is probably the "ethical" choice at 3-1/2 pounds. 

I'm thinking do it all is a tall order if you want real knockdown power.  Maybe just a (OK, I know...ouch) a TC pistol for hunting and keep your semi-auto for carry for defense and not hunting?