testtest

.45 ACP vs. 10mm for Hunting

nmedge said:
Have never hunted animals with a pistol. Now saying that I do know that if you hit a human with a 45 acp chances are they won't get up unless they are high on something.
Click to expand...
I'll challenge that statement!

I was making fun of my buddy at the range and he grabbed a handful of .45acp and threw them at me and the ones that hit me just bounced off without effect.

.45acp myth busted...🤪
 
10mmLife said:
I'll challenge that statement!

I was making fun of my buddy at the range and he grabbed a handful of .45acp and threw them at me and the ones that hit me just bounced off without effect.

.45acp myth busted...🤪
Click to expand...
06D2CC3A-C11C-4188-A504-3A29034252F3.gif
 
Although I have both an XDM 45ACP 4.5 inch barrel and the Elite XDM 10mm 3.8 inch barrel.
When I go on a wildlife rescue
(leaving from my apartment)
I will carry my 45ACP
Since I’m now carrying my Elite Compact 10mm as my daily carry gun if I get a wildlife call while I’m out and about then that’s what I have.
I carry on wildlife calls mainly to deal with the 4 legged predators.
I will say I was slightly worried that I would lose significant velocity and accuracy with the 3.8 inch barrel in the 10mm compact I don’t see any issues after shooting that super accurate gun.
Nothing needs to be said about the XDM 45 great shooting gun!!!

Let me add, I don’t hunt.
 
nmedge said:
Have never hunted animals with a pistol. Now saying that I do know that if you hit a human with a 45 acp chances are they won't get up unless they are high on something.
Click to expand...
There’s plenty of examples that prove that statement wrong…there’s an example of a cop who made ten+ (13 is the number that comes to mind) hits with a .45, many solid torso and a couple of head shots, before the guy went down…it’s not magic.
 
Good effort, though a cautionary note helps a bit. The reference to Elmer Keith’s loads in the .44 Special being 18.5 grains of 2400 is out of date. That load was developed in balloon head cases, which haven’t been made since before WW2. To safely load the .44 Special to +p levels, using Elmer’s 250 grain cast lead semiwadcutter bullet #429421, use a maximum of 17.5 grains of 2400 (old style) and non magnum primers. Crimp heavily in the crimp groove and you will get 1200 fps+ depending on barrel length and bcg. But you load it at your own risk. I’ve used it a good bit, and it does everything Keith said it would.

For 20 years I lived in Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula and on Prince William Sound. A smallish 4 year old brown bear will weigh a minimum of 400 lbs and they have large bones. Most weigh more. It is surprising how many have been killed with 9mm and .40 S&W cartridges (google Phil Shoemaker takes brown bear with 9mm Buffalo Bore ammo). These bears are not comparable to lower 48 animals, except elk, grizzly and moose.

Many Alaskans I knew were leaving their .44 magnums at home, opting for lighter weight 10mm autos which held more ammo than a .44, usually with loads from Double Tap or Buffalo Bore. Most of them carried a rifle or 12 gauge with slugs also. 45-70s were popular in the brush.

In my experience, both the .45 ACP and the 10mm are perfectly adequate deer cartridges. The .45 loaded with the Hensley and Gibbs #68 Semiwadcutter at 900+ fps shoots through deer easily on side to side shots a bit past 75 yards. The 10mm with the 200 gr Double Tap wide flat nose at 1300 fps gives great penetration also, and further out than the .45 auto. Use adequate loads and don’t shoot game any further than you can regularly hit an 8” paper plate.

Enjoy!!
 
Last edited:
Re .45 auto legendary stopping power: it ain’t so. If you believe in it, take your favorite .45 load out to the woods and shoot a couple of porcupines. It’s a great cartridge but it’s not magic.
 
My edc is a Springfield loaded model 5". I replaced the stock recoil spring with an 18.5. My social load out is Double Tap's .450 smc in either 230 gr hp's or 185 gr hp's. These provide .357 ballistics or 10mm ballistics on a 1911 frame yet the recoil is manageable. I'd hunt with either of those. Double Tap also makes a .450 smc 255 gr hard cast for hunting.
 
Hmmm, well I have both, but hunting with a pistol seems like cheating. If you were hunting for the sport of it, then surely you'd want a rifle that could cover some distance to get the job done. But I suppose if it was for survival and/or personal protection from wild animals, I guess having a pistol would be a necessity.

In all that, I guess what it boils down to, is what is the intended target and how close do you want to be to the target. If you are out foraging for food and come across a doe, the 45 will do well, if while dragging that deer out of the woods and you see a bear in the distance take notice, it's time to bring out the 10mm cause I aint waiting for it to charge.
 
first post here. Aside from the 45 v 10 debate— I’d like to say this article kept me reading to the end because of the wordsmithing. That is a first in a long time from this particular magazine/website. Kudos to the Wordsmith.

RE: the debate on 45 v. 10; I am just thrilled I can rack my brains over for which one to get powder or which to try a new load recipe on…. Viva la ’Merica (stay great, America.)
 
Junior2K20 said:
Hmmm, well I have both, but hunting with a pistol seems like cheating. If you were hunting for the sport of it, then surely you'd want a rifle that could cover some distance to get the job done. But I suppose if it was for survival and/or personal protection from wild animals, I guess having a pistol would be a necessity.

In all that, I guess what it boils down to, is what is the intended target and how close do you want to be to the target. If you are out foraging for food and come across a doe, the 45 will do well, if while dragging that deer out of the woods and you see a bear in the distance take notice, it's time to bring out the 10mm cause I aint waiting for it to charge.
Click to expand...
A rifle is not an option for where I deer hunt; I could use a shotgun with slugs, but…a handgun is a lot easier to carry.

And I think a handgun is a hades of a lot more “sporting”; a rifle and reach out 2-300 yards, easily…the deer is damn near in the next zip code. A handgun, where you’re talking 25-50 yards (possibly further, but not much, if the shooter is up to the task)…that’s sporting, in my eyes. It takes a bit of skill to get a deer in that close…
 
KillerFord1977 said:
Both calibers, among many others, will work for hunting.

The main question is:

Is the firearm user up to the task ?

The “proper” and “best” cartridge on earth wont matter if the shooter does not have the skill. Period.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Most folks don’t really know what open sights even look like any longer on a rifle, let alone on a pistol! I say it is sporting indeed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top