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Hunting with Kimber .45

4K views 35 replies 8 participants last post by  Chuck43 
#1 ·
Has any one ever hunted with their .45? I'm going on a boar hunt in November and was curious if any has ever shot a small deer or boar with a .45 before and if so what ammo did you use and how close were you?
 
#2 ·
Hey NurseAdam, I myself am not a hunter but most of the guys I know wouldn't consider using a .45ACP out of a pistol a viable option. Not accurate enough at the ranges they typically need to shoot at. It also lacks the energy needed to humanely do the deed. At 10 yards I'm sure it would work on a deer or small hog but in the field it's unlikely you'd be at that range unless you were on some kind of game ranch?
 
#4 ·
I would be hunting from a blind for the boar and it would be 25 yards or closer going for head shots and I would be in a tree stand and only shooting at deer if they came right underneath me.. I don't know if this is possible just thought it would be a cool experience if possible. I will also talk with the owner of the ranch and see what he thinks.
 
#6 ·
...like I mentioned it could work provided the shot were properly placed? Buffalo Bore offers a +P outdoorsman that gets you in the energy range. The cast solid bullet would probably be the better option? They recommend using a heavier recoil spring and buffer set up. It's good you'll be talking to the owner to get an OK, there may be objections as the .45 isn't the ideal choice for a clean kill.
 
#8 ·
I'm curious at 25yrds or closer, what North American animal would survive or run away after a proper shot from a 45ac. I'm not a hunter but a good head shot in my opinion wouldn't be healthy for any animal. No matter what cal.from 357 on up at that range and a true shot I would think would kill a boar.
 
#9 ·
A head shot from a 45 @25 yards would be difficult, a vitals shot would be reasonable to make but has so much less delivered power than a proper hunting rifle. Even with +p it would be 1/6 of a 30-06. Its not that the 45 cant be deadly but we should kill our prey quickly and cleanly as possible.
 
#12 ·
One other thing to consider would be the quality of the meat. I've been told that if the animal is killed cleanly, essentially not knowing what happened, you get better meat? If the animal is wounded and experiences fear or pain the meat will not be as good. Those emotions release something in the animals blood that you can ultimately taste. This came from my fishing buddy chef Mike, he's been a professional chef for 35 years at private clubs around the country. He's also an avid hunter. Turns out it's better to kill and ice any fish you're going to keep ASAP too, same concept.
 
#13 ·
Zoom, the place I am going offers nighttime handgun or bowhunts for boar and they say the boar don't come out to often during the day so a rifle would be out of the question... I do agree of using a rifle but it's not as challenging for me anymore, I find It almost cheating haha I am taking the bow and the handgun down incase the handgun isn't a viable option
 
#17 ·
You're going to find the kill zone to be even smaller on a boar then a deer and the animal is going to be a lot harder to put down. I would consider a .45 barely adequate for the job. If you want to handgun hunt then get a gun in a caliber designed for it, I would suggest a minimum of a 10mm with a 5"-6" barrel. Personally without getting into the heavy stuff my favorite close range deer handgun is a .41 mag.
 
#22 ·
You all are wasting your time talking to Zoomy...the only hunting he does is for the next McDonalds for his next large "Diet Coke" fix.
 
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#23 ·
Zoomy, I think I'm more interested in the big stick haha But I might have to consider getting a handgun for hunting because rifle hunting is just getting boring for me, unless I'm putting on a drive... I like hunting things in a unique way :D I went for gator with my bow a couple years ago and it was AMAZING!!
 
#26 ·
Actually Thompson Contenders are a pretty good deal. Once you have a frame you can easily change calibers/barrels in a minute or two. I have 3 barrels for mine and barrels are not required to go through a FFL, you can have them sent directly to your home. About any caliber you can think of from .17 to .45-70 can be had including .45 and .50 black powder calibers.
 
#35 ·
Cleanly and quickly? Like with a bow? And let them run a few hundred yards until they bleed out? Your right, I think thats the only humane way. Many many times even a clean shot behind the shoulders doesn't kill quickly. Now I'm not a bunny hugger, I like venison but who can guarantee that "quick kill" shot? I say take head shots with a proper scoped weapon and really try for a quick kill. Or, a grenade, that would be good and it'd keep your shoulder in good shape. Oh, IMHO..........
 
#36 ·
I disagree on taking head shots, I've seen deer with their jaws blown off unable to eat that have starved to death. Know the anatomy of the species your hunting and plan your shots. You want a shot that hits the front shoulder through the heart or lung or a shot that first penetrates the heart or lung and then hits the back shoulder. That animal is either instantly dead or not going anywhere and can humanly be finished off quickly.
 
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