New animal vet with new permit-What gun to start?

[sbwaters]

A new vet that I took shooting with my Springfield Armory 9MM XDs likes it. His permit just came through. He doesn’t expect to have to put down animals, but wants to be prepared to do so.

Anything wrong with a 9MM XDs?

I know one could get a very reliable .357 revolver, too.

What else should be considered and why.

Thnx.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

When I saw Vet initially I was thinking your run of the mill dog/cat Vet. I'm assuming this person does ranch/farm visits as well?

As far as a Cow/Horse/etc., up close and personal and they know the anatomy, a 9 should be just fine with correct shot placement.

However if it's also going to be a EDC piece it should be whatever this person can shoot well and feels comfortable with.

 

[X-Rap]

A vet carrys powerful drugs on his truck to put down animals at contact distance. He'd be much better off with a solid scoped rifle in .30+ caliber for those deranged critters that may be terrorizing the feedlot or pasture and keep the 9 for the 2 legged problems.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

They are not vets but two of the mobile butchers around my neck of the woods have .22 magnum rifles for dispatching animals. If it is for personal defense, there is nothing wrong with the XDS or the 9mm cartridge.

 

[ontarget]

Yeah, I thought vets used a lethal injection to put down animals. 9mm is fine for EDC though

 

[bannockburn]

Nothing wrong with the XDs in 9mm. for either situation; useful in terms of both two and four legged applications. And the same would apply to bullet placement as well.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Three thoughts come to mind.

For putting down ill unwell animal I'd go will 22 magnum rifle.

For general self defense against humans then we have the general debate.

For a large four legged animal that is somehow threatening your life, I'd think of whatever you would want for bear protection. Myself I'd want 44 magnum revolver.

 

[cfullgraf]

My daughter is a full time farrier. She carries a Kimber Micro9 for self protection. She calls the local vet if a horse needs to be put down.

 

[DairyVet]

I feel like I can provide some legitimate experience here, with the caveat that I only work with cattle now (used to be all types).

I use a .22 WMR single six. A colleague at my practice uses a browning buckmark in .22LR. Both can be effective, I'm more confident with the .22 mag, and have personally seen failures to penetrate with .22LR out of a handgun. The XDS 9mm with FMJ will be fine for livestock.

Not all vets carry drugs for euthanasia. They're expensive, require a lot of paperwork, and leave a toxic carcass behind. If a firearm is used properly the animal doesn't notice the difference, and the argument can be made that in some situations a firearm is more humane since it doesn't require as much restraint.

 

[X-Rap]

There are different elements involved when speaking of large animals. Some may be in squeeze chutes or snubbed of short in which dispatching could be done with most any rimfire if drugs were to be avoided.
My concern is the beast that for whatever reason is unapproachable. For this a center-fire rifle is the humane tool.

 

[DairyVet]

In general I agree that at ranges beyond a few yards a centerfire rifle is the way to go, but this question was from the perspective of what a veterinarian would need, not necessarily a livestock owner. I've euthanized animals in a pretty wide variety of settings, and I'm hard pressed to think of a scenario where I'd need to put down an animal without being able to get reasonably close. If the animal can't be restrained enough to work on it then why would you call a vet? My experience is limited to upper midwest confinement and pasture-based systems, so perhaps I'm missing something that would come up in another production setting (western range land?).

With respect to the OP's question if your friend likes an XDs for personal defense it should be serviceable for livestock if he keeps a few FMJ rounds handy, that is unless he ends up doing work for a bison ranch...

 

[sbwaters]

Thank you all for your insight from experience. I shall pass it on.

 

[Coop45]

Being a vet, have you considered a BULLDOG? LOL!

 

[jrmiddleton425]

My veterinarian's personal handguns are .45 ACP 1911s. .30-caliber or larger rifles as required for the animal in question.