Minimum pistol caliber for hunting deer

[BurkGlocker]

I've read on more than one account of people taking deer with .40 S&W, but personally, I wouldnt go for anything less thn a full-stoked 10mm. Lets see what the OP says about it...

 

[TexasRedneck]

No .22 listed??!?? Ya got ANY idea how many deer have been taken with one? It'd be different had you said "legal" or some such - but dude, there's a ton of boys in the back woods'll bring home the venison w/a .22 all day long.

 

[BurkGlocker]

Well, I was hoping that the 'legal' taking of deer wouldve been the basis of this poll. LOL From this point foward, lets let 'legal' be the defining term...

 

[TexasRedneck]

Okay...then whar's yer .38 choice? Ya got the 9 - the .38 will do it as well....

Nuthin' like a smart-aleck, eh?<G> Actually, I'm votin' .357 as minimum.....

 

[BurkGlocker]

Smart-alecks are what make the world go round... If I wasnt then I dont think my wife would still be married to me...LOL And I figured the .357 wouldve taken care of the .38 class, so it wasnt included.

On another note, I wished I could find another 610 S&W for my hunting pistol. I shouldve never sold the one I had back in 1999, and nowadays, they are so expensive...

 

[Dawico]

Where is the "other" category? I vote 500 magnum because I don't like to track.

 

[BurkGlocker]

I didnt submit those as choices because honestly, if you hit them squarely with anything above a .44Mag it should A) go down with one shot B) be blown to smitherens and is automatically tenderized or C) even if you miss it will be so scared of the muzzle blast, it will skin itself, and put itself in your freezer...

 

[Dawico]

A square hit with any of those rounds will do the trick. But incase you catch ribs, I guess the 357 is the way to go.

 

[Big country]

I voted .40. I might try it some day but I wouldn't try any of the 357 and under out past 20 20 yards personally but that is just based on my skill with a hand gun not cartridge performance.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Havin' taken deer w/a .357, it's not only doable, but gives some pretty impressive results.

 

[BurkGlocker]

Do you use SJHP, lead or a JHP when hunting TexasRedneck?

 

[TexasRedneck]

JHP - but that was a few years back. Got down on a huntin' trip, rifle scope messed up (buddy of mine "bumped" it hard enough to put a huge dent in the scope) so I used my old Dan Wesson .357 w/6" barrel....deer didn't seem ta notice much of a difference! Ended up takin' 4 deer w/it that weekend, and several more the next year as I waited for him to replace the scope. He ultimately did - but that was back in a time when neither of us had much money....<G>

 

[Big country]

LOL! The 357 will do a good job on pigs I know for a fact. I have seen a guy with a 357 mag lever action shoot deer DRT so I don't doubt the 357 performance at at all.

 

[Texas42]

I'd always wanted to try some of my HD ammo on a deer. A 7 or 15 yard shot with perfect conditions.

I know people have killed deer with a 9mm luger, but I'm still a little nervous at the idea.

 

[dee]

My minimum as a personall choice is .357 but all I've carried is my .41 or .44

 

[tallman1]

.357 magnum IMO is the least caliber and velocity. Taken 2 does with a S&W 686 6" barrel. I now hunt with a 7-30 Waters in a T.C. But have yet not taken a shot with it at a deer. Shot placement is paramount.

 

[Hoji]

.357 is the minimum caliber I would hunt with in a handgun. I would not EVER use a standard caliber semi auto round. { however I use them a lot to dispatch hogs in traps} the idea is a clean ,quick kill.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Oh, I dunno.....if I'm crawling into a culvert pipe after a wounded hog (yeah, been there, done that) I REALLY prefer to have a .45 w/230 grains in the pipe. I've done it w/357, 9 mm an' 45 - an' the 45 is the ONLY thing I'll go in after 'em with any more!

 

[Hoji]

If you use enough gun to begin with you do not have wounded hogs.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Nice try, Hoji - but I'm usually retrievin' 'em 'cuz the shooter didn't bother to learn shot PLACEMENT>