9mm compared to buckshot for deer hunting - thoughts?

I had a friend (RIP) who used a FN Hi-Power in 9MM using 125gr down in Texas. He never tried a shot longer than 25 yards. He used rather warm loads. He told me he seldom needed two shot to kill his deer. I am not sure what the difference would be between an arrow head/bolt in the lungs of a deer vs a 9MM round in the same area.

Shooting the dog sized deer on the Queen Charlottes with a 9MM within 25 yards would result in ethical kills .I think hunting with a handgun in Canada is about as likely as the sun setting in the East....just saying.

Take Care

Bob
 
I'd take the buckshot under most circumstances.

The 9mm is essentially a fat 22, it will absolutely work on deer. The 22 was banned for big game hunting in BC as a roadblock to participation, not over any concern that it didn't work.
 
MiG25 said:
I'd take the buckshot under most circumstances.

The 9mm is essentially a fat 22, it will absolutely work on deer. The 22 was banned for big game hunting in BC as a roadblock to participation, not over any concern that it didn't work.
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Well lets not get carried away here. The middle ground for 9MM is a 125 gr bullet going 1,100 FPS, A .22LR tops out at 40 gr travelling about the same velocity. Three times the mass traveling at the same velocity is a large difference in most books.

My Texas friend's load used 125 gr FMJ at 1,300 fps. The Hi-Power would take the load but not often. It was Solley his hunting load and used lessor loads to practice and play with.

Take Care

Bob
 
So your Texan friend was shooting with a power level of about 469fpe at the muzzle, with a bullet weight slightly more prone to losing energy over the same distance as a 147gr 9mm round. A 9mm 147gr moving at 1200fps gives identical energy to this and will hold it a bit longer downrange. Seems the results would be similar.

.22lr can of course go a lot faster than 1,100fps, with some rated at 1,600fps or even 1,750 I think, though I tend to only shoot subsonics so don't know a lot about the hotter stuff. That transonic instability issue bothers me, as apparently it does with .22lr target competitors who strictly shoot subsonic types. Still, if for example a CCI Stinger 32gr bullet achieves the velocity specified on the box, 1,640fps, that's leaving the muzzle with just over 190fpe. So one of the most powerful .22lr rounds is less than half the energy of a somewhat more powerful than average but by no means +P rated 9mm cartridge from a carbine length barrel.
 
GerardSamija said:
So your Texan friend was shooting with a power level of about 469fpe at the muzzle, with a bullet weight slightly more prone to losing energy over the same distance as a 147gr 9mm round. A 9mm 147gr moving at 1200fps gives identical energy to this and will hold it a bit longer downrange. Seems the results would be similar.

./QUOTE]

My friend was shooting his deer with one shot at close range with a pistol. I may load up some of his loadings and see what a PC Carbine adds to the mix aside from the gain of approx. 150fps.

There is no comparison between any version of .22lr ammo and that of/ off the shelve 9MM, never mind what he was shooting. Murrry 3-D said it best, go shoot a metal plate with any type of 22LR ammo you can find and then fire one round of 9MM. The difference will be notable.
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I tested a few brands of 9mm 147gr recently. Was surprised to see the velocity changes compared to published pistol barrel velocities (4" to 5" barrels). Winchester JHP went up about 4" from the NR barrel. Winchester suppressor subsonic went up about 6%. Remington UMC went down 2%. And CCI Blazer went up rather remarkably to an average of 1230fps. So there seems considerable variation depending on powder type, how early it burns in the bore. The UMC actually slowing down seems to indicate it's used up all the powder in that first few inches and friction is taking over, dragging the bullet slower in an 18.6" barrel.
 
Canuck44 said:
I had a friend (RIP) who used a FN Hi-Power in 9MM using 125gr down in Texas. He never tried a shot longer than 25 yards. He used rather warm loads. He told me he seldom needed two shot to kill his deer. I am not sure what the difference would be between an arrow head/bolt in the lungs of a deer vs a 9MM round in the same area.

Shooting the dog sized deer on the Queen Charlottes with a 9MM within 25 yards would result in ethical kills .I think hunting with a handgun in Canada is about as likely as the sun setting in the East....just saying.

Take Care

Bob
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but was done legally up to the 70s. i spoke with some guys and guides that used 357 and 44 on moose caribou and grizzly, why not dreaming it will happen again.
 
medvedqc said:
but was done legally up to the 70s. i spoke with some guys and guides that used 357 and 44 on moose caribou and grizzly, why not dreaming it will happen again.
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After 2 minutes accessing the political climate I concluded, it is not happening. A better bet unfortunately would be the eventual loss of our handguns. All it would take would be a mass shooting when a Liberal majority government or a Conservative minority in power. I wish it were not so but.....

Take Care
Bob
 
This whole thread is weird guys.

Can you kill a deer/bear/hog/human with a 9mm? Yeah.

Is it particularly ethical to do so given many better choices? No.

End of thread? Doubtful. lol.
 
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