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ShannonHayes
Posts: 211 Member
The .45ACP 1911 for close range hogs & black bear?.......
ShannonHayes
Posts: 211 Member
I was wondering if any of you guys have any experience using the .45ACP on hogs and/or black bear, at close range, hunting with dogs? And, if so, how effective is it? My .45 is a 4.25" barreled 1911.
Replies
It's really about bullet selection. The potential problem is that your available modern .45 hollow point loads are mostly all designed for performance within the FBI's guidelines on a human target and may not penetrate enough on big pigs or bear in all conditions. In fact, current 147 grain 9mm HP will do better by several inches. A flat nose cast bullet or flat nose FMJ will penetrate PLENTY and is probably your best option for the .45. If you want penetration AND expansion, the .45 ACP is not a good choice - the revolver rounds with more speed and/or sectional density are your better bets.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
I have put down a number of sick cows with my 1911 and 230 grain Hornady TAPs...not the same as hunting but it worked...
The bullet is a semi-sphere. It travels slowly comparatively. As such, it's prone to path deflection after impact. A truncated cone or semi wad cutter profile would be better. The platform itself is ideal for easy carry and weather/dirt resistance. Depending on one's train of thought, that could be more of a deciding factor than the bullets short comings. But most people frequenting gun forums own better tools.
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain
"The Un-Tactical"
Dude, she shot it in the throat right behind the chin and below the spine! Of course it got up and ran.
It’s apparent (with all the movement of the scope) that the platform is not stable enough.
Set her up for success. There is no reason to put that stress on her from a stationary position.
I do not blame her. That’s on you, man.
This is generally the kind of thing I'd be playing with if .45 ACP on hogs was my mission. Those are 230 grain LFN's out of an LBT mold, but there is no shortage of molds or commercial cast of similar format. Winchester even loads something along those lines in an FMJ.
These were cast out of something akin to wheelweight plus a bit of extra tin & dropped straight out of the mold into water, so the hardness is a bit north of linotype, but heavier & a lot less brittle. In layman's terms, no deformation. Bullet on the right was shot at 830 fps into a row of milk jugs, stopping in the 9th one, so yeah, it's a long enough drill bit. (most duty loads stop in 3 or 4).
I would prefer those results to a hollowpoint of inconsistent performance (like the Hydra Shok in Zee's thread from a couple years back), simply because I KNOW what it's going to do. A more modern HP is going to sacrifice that penetration, but there might be some perks to that when hunting with dogs (never done - don't know).
All told, this is a bit similar to the advice I give with regards to the .380 for defensive carry - that little round has enough energy for penetration OR expansion, but not both. Consequently, my .380 round of choice is the Winchester Q4206 FMJ white box load, which looks an awful lot like a miniaturized, copper clad version of the above LBT slug.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
They're Oregon Trail 200gr RNFPs with about a .265 metplate. The problem is they're so accurate at around 730fps with 5.5 grs of W231 that I can't bring myself to run them faster.
The real key to any defense gun is familiarity and skill under pressure. You could equip yourself with a 50 BMG against Smokey the Bear, but if you miss the critical shot that lets them get into range it means nothing.
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski