9mm pistol round for deer?

To put some scientific evidence behind this question, it is fiercely debated on this forum as to whether or not a 223 is an ethical deer hunting round.

According to www.Ballistics101.com the range of energy that a 223 round produces is 1250-1600 ft/lb at the muzzle. Keep in mind this is the "on the fence" calibre.

The same website shows the energy range of a 9mm to be 300-550 ft/lb, so only 1/4 to 1/3 of the energy of a round that is already fiercely debated.

Could you theoretically kill a deer with one, and has this been achieved? Yes, but you can kill someone with a syringe and an an air bubble, too.
 
Seeing that a buddy of mine dumped a 700 lb. moose with a .22 Hornet using a 70 gr. Speer bullet handload
20 some-odd yrs. back, at about 60 yds. , it only proves again the importance of precice bullet placement.

Check out the Gamo website and view the video of hog hunting with a .177 airgun....too cool!
 
IMO you should show a little respect to the animal you are taking. I really don't thing 9mm is that great for deer unless maybe you're standing next to it. If it was the only gun I had and I needed the meat to survive, sure. It will work fine. Buy a 30-30 savage or 303 sporter for $150.
 
BadAsMo said:
Thanks Petamocto
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You are welcome, good sir.

For the record, to draw out the comparison even further, the 9mm's energy of 300-550 ft/lb compared to something like the 30-06 (vice the 223's 1250-1600), and you will see the commonly recommended round for deer hunting is 2900-3300 ft/lb.

So not only is the 9mm only 1/4 to 1/3 of the power of the "on the fence" round, in reality it only gives ~10% of the stopping power that is "recommended" for a quick ethical kill.

*Disclaimer* Anecdotal examples are always going to be provided by people who have said "I have managed to kill it with only X calibre", but ask people how much they regret the shots they've taken when for whatever reason the shot wasn't perfect, and those people will tell you it is always better to overkill than underkill.

Bottom line: Don't shoot a deer with a 9mm.
 
Exactly.

Just because someone else claims they did this thing that one time, and it worker....doesn't mean that it was:

- a very lucky success, unlikely to be repeated often

- ethical. Bullets don't always fly straight. They don't always get proper velocity. Shooters arent perfectly steady all the time. Having a lot of extra bullet power will help ensure the animal doesn't suffer when things go only slightly imperfect. And reduce siffering when things got stupid.

Poachers may well be taking down deer with rimfires. But they are not caring about animals suffering, and they are by definition doing illegal activity. To me, poaching is not hunting. Hunters behave responsibly, taking care to reduce or even eliminate suffering.

Now that said...if you are in a survival situation, and you need the food, well, if 9mm or .22 works for you that day, then you and your family can live for days longer, that can be justified because you are reducing suffering of humans. But maybe you get a .223 or .308 in case survival situation occurs...it would be the responsible thing to do.

A 9mm may not even kill a deer sometimes, even days later. So you get no jerky, no trophy, you made an animal limp for the rest of its life. Not really ideal.

So, could it be done? Yes.
SHOULD it be done? NO.

Even if some rednecks assure you it worked that one time, out by the lake, when Bob's truck got stuck in the mud...and they didn't run out of beer till next morning!
 
hoytcanon said:
If the "bang" is the thing, then go with a .22 LR for "Bear Defense..."



;)
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Ya, but its been done, Bella Twin's world record grizzly is an old theme around here, but the .32 is exotic, and now we've determined its enough for a grouse! I wonder if I could get a PPK put on my ATC . . . that darn .44 is so heavy. Hmmm, 70 gr bullet at 850 . . . suddenly a .243 doesn't seem so bad after all.:)
 
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