40 S&W for deer hunting

[fouled bore]

This year Indiana is allowing the 40 S&W to be used for deer hunting along with the 10mm Auto.

Is the 40 S&W really powerful enough to take a deer humanely?

http://www.eregulations.com/indiana/hunting/deer/

See the section on handguns.

"A new state law also legalizes a handgun that fires the 10mm Auto and 40 Smith & Wesson cartridge."

 

[lpsharp88]

I'll beat everyone to it. Shot placement is key. Place the round where you need to, and it's more than good enough with proper bullet selection

 

[jmr40]

With proper bullets and shot placement it'll work quite well at handgun ranges. The better loads are very close to 357 mag performance. Most revolvers are going to be more accurate at distance than semi's because of longer sighting radius and better triggers. But if you can shoot a semi well enough to make the hits I have no problems with the power level.

Off topic somewhat, but reading over the regs in the link I came across this and it makes no sense to me.

Bullets with a diameter smaller than .243 inches (same as 6mm), larger than .308 inches (same as 7.62 mm) or in between .243 and .308 are not legal.

So a rifle has to be either .243 or .308 caliber. Nothing bigger, smaller, or in between. Seems strange to me; I'd like to hear the justification for that one. I understand that this only applies to certain zones and other calibers are legal elsewhere. But I still can't figure out the reasoning.

 

[jmorris]

There are a bunch of rounds I would pick before .40 but there are worse choices too.

 

[gspn]

Is the 40 S&W really powerful enough to take a deer humanely?

That depends on a number of things. How accurate are you with it? From what distance is the shot taken? What was your point of impact on the animal? What type of bullet did you use?

I'd say it's plenty humane in the hands of a hunter who understands the limitations of both the cartridge and his level of competence with it.

In lesser hands, no. That's pretty much the same with any weapon.

 

[FL-NC]

Sure, if you can hit it where it needs to be hit. Most handgun owners aren't very proficient with their handguns, but not all of them.

 

[Don McDowell]

It was designed to take out a 150 lb man, it should do the same with a 150 lb deer. Those 40 caliber handguns also mimic the 38 wcf. which back in the day was a pretty popular cartridge. As with any cartridge shot placement into the vitals is key, but added into the handgun hunting is the ability to place that shot at 50 yards or less.
Most folks are somewhat taken aback after their first handgun game kill.. even the mighty 44 magnum doesn't lay them out cold like one would expect it to from all the hype, and eye crossing recoil.

 

[fouled bore]

Sure, if you can hit it where it needs to be hit. Most handgun owners aren't very proficient with their handguns, but not all of them.

My thoughts are the same and in a hunting situation with that excitement and trying to make a >20 yard shot. I am afraid there are going to be some that will use their cc gun and will be some deer that are not found.

Indiana has a minimum case length for all handgun cartridges except for this exception.

 

[WestKentucky]

I have seen it work when opportunity presented itself. A buddy was taking a dump and a doe stumbled by. She was apparently upwind as she got to 12 yards and the glock sent a hollow point. She pretty much fell over in her tracks.

 

[Snyper]

I wouldn't want to hunt with a 40 S&W.
I like finding the deer I shoot

 

[jmorris]

I like finding the deer I shoot

I don't see it as a matter of finding them, rather I like to not have to look for them in the first place.

 

[coyotehitman]

I have seen it work when opportunity presented itself. A buddy was taking a dump and a doe stumbled by. She was apparently upwind as she got to 12 yards and the glock sent a hollow point. She pretty much fell over in her tracks.

Did he hit the doe or did the wind shift directions

 

[fouled bore]

The gun must have a 4" barrel so this would eliminate a lot of CC guns.

 

[matrem]

Hmm.
Have a couple .40 SWs that have been included in "my" ballistic testing.
They usually penetrate plenty to humanely kill deer and open up adequately with proper bullets, (HSTs, Gold Dots, XTPs are three I'd trust) but the "sport" of hunting doesn't need to be pushed any farther than necessary.

If you're really good with it and hit just behind the shoulder, make sure your tracking boots are laced up just in case, then enjoy that venison.

 

[CLP]

I'll beat everyone to it. Shot placement is key. Place the round where you need to, and it's more than good enough with proper bullet selection

Is that not the case with any cartridge?

 

[gbran]

Close range .40 v 150 lb deer ought to slam the animal backwards 3 feet off the ground, just like on TV.

 

[MrGiggles]

There are a lot of guys that have killed deer with the Hi-Point 9mm carbines. Although not ideal, they do the job.

I'd say the .40 is more than adequate at short range.

 

[Snyper]

I don't see it as a matter of finding them, rather I like to not have to look for them in the first place.

That's wishful thinking to assume the will all just fall over where they are standing.

I prefer they all have two bullet holes for a good blood trail, because most are going to run some distance.

 

[Hookeye]

The Indiana .24 and .30 cal limits for the test period are not about ballistics IMHO. It's people management.

The HP rifle stuff passes, when it failed before, by having perceived limits.

Not every outdoors fan is a hunter. Not every hunter shoot deer, and not every deer hunter is cool with rifles.........and even a bunch that are, remain pretty darn ignorant on real world ballistics.

The legislature passed the law, without DNR approval. Initially it was 5 listed cartridges, but not by proper name. DNR steps in with clarification after it became law, so now it's min 1.16" case length, any .24 or .30 cal.

10mm auto was also to be legal (not meeting handgun spec of min 1.16"). They botched it too, so DNR clarified any 10mm.

So yeah, expect a fair number of tacticools losing deer to .40 S&W.
FWIW handguns only made 1% of the deer harvest last yr.

"drop em in their tracks"............well with a spine hit anything will do that.

I've killed a fair number of deer, a few with .44 mag revolvers. It works, but is NOT magic.

I'd use a long slide 1911 in 10mm, just for fun. But loaded with heavier bullets, gobbles case capacity........and I shot my bud's 1st edition Delta and I didn't think it "all that".

Like what another posted...........about killing and finding dead deer being two different things.

A bunch of folks are gonna find out.

But then, if tacticools lose 2 deer for every 1 they recover, maybe that plays into the deer reduction strategy of the state.

 

[Hookeye]

Yrs ago, on a bow forum, some cop dude lost a gut shot deer by bow.
He previously proclaimed the .40 S&W and his bullet choice superior to my choice (230 SXT in .45 acp). He said it was better in all circumstances since it opened up, and my 230's might not.

I explained that I'm cool with lesser expansion, since I'll shoot through the corners of walls or skip bullets off pavement, if a bad guy is behind a car.

He called that silly.

Anyway, Mr. Know it all finds his gut shot deet the next day and pops it twice "center mass" (whatever that is) and the deer runs off to be lost forever.

Gut shot a 100# doe, it suffered half a day and still didn't go down with two supposed hits from the super boomer .40 S&W.

Of course the argument on superior carry rigs, and the gut shot doe........were maybe a month apart. But I brought them together on the 2nd thread and he promptly shut up.

 

[Hookeye]

If I was to run a 10mm auto, it's be hot.........and my shots under 50 yards.
I might even keep em closer until I had a few good kills under my belt.
No experience with the cartridge on deer, so I'd proceed with caution.

 

[FL-NC]

I wouldn't hunt deer with a handgun unless there was a handgun only season (cause it would give me more time in the stand by going out with a handgun) but then if I was going to do this, I would bring some type of magnum that I was really good with.

 

[Hookeye]

One can get some decent performance in a specialty pistol, and not have to go "magnum".
But speaking of magnums..........there is such a thing as a 10mm Magnum.

It made the old handgun cartridge spec of Indiana (min 1.16 case).

More than one guy had his 610 Smith and Wesson reamed to take it.

Do wonder what a reg 10mm and a 10mm magnum would do velocity wise, from lets say a 10 or 14" Contender.

 

[Hookeye]

Do like 1911's and a long slide 10mm would be a pretty darn good lookin' handgun.

 

[10 Ringer]

It's not the size of the bullet, but where the bullet goes.