40 cal. on deer?

[mike garner]

hello fellers, i am going to order a early Lancaster rifle kit from TVM i already have a 62 jaeger. i am looking for a small cal. that i can use for target, squirrels and deer. i know it is a touchy subject with some about the use of small cal. on deer. but here in SC our deer range from 90-200 lbs for a grown deer. the average i would say is 120lbs. i would really love a 40cal. but i know a 45 would be better put to use on deer. has any of y'all actually used a 40 on deer? and how did it do? i know there are a lot of opinions but i need someone with real hunting exp.

 

[mooman76]

I have never done a 40 on deer but see no reason it would not work as long as you do your part and keep your distance down some. 40 is one of the few calibers I don't have. I'm sure some others here have done it with a 40 and they will probably be chiming in soon.

 

[George]

I've only killed one deer with my .40, but I won't hesitate to do it again. And again.

I knew an old experienced hunter who used a .40 for all his deer hunting for many years, no problems.

I will be more selective of my shots with a .40, but it will do the job, no question.

Here's my post of that one deer, 2012.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...423/post/1213280/hl/"new+trick"/fromsearch/1/

Spence

 

[Katahdin]

Check what your state requires as the minimum for deer.Here in Maine it is 45 cal.might help you decide.
More important,,know your limits and the limits of the rifle you are shooting.
Your 69 would not be much good at 300 yards but within it's/your limits ,,deadly.
Hunt close and good luck..

 

[Patocazador]

I have two .45s that I sometimes hunt with. When I put a .440 ball in one hand and a .530 ball from my .54 in the other, I get a queasy feeling about using the .45. Sometimes I change my mind and go with the .54 but I would never use a .40 caliber. It does not inspire confidence in me.

Feeling good and confident in your weapon is important in a hunting situation. There should be no room for doubt. When in doubt, go bigger.

 

[mike garner]

i have killed deer with a 50 and the ball is not a whole lot bigger than a 40 but i know it has limits the 50 don't have. i would keep my shots to no more than 60yds or so, i think it will work ok.

 

[hanshi]

I've killed deer with the .45, .50, .54 and .62 but the majority of the deer kills has been with two different .45s I own. It has worked perfectly with more DRTs than all the rest. While I've never shot a deer with a .40 I wouldn't hesitate at all.

 

[Spikebuck]

i have killed deer with a 50 and the ball is not a whole lot bigger than a 40

A .390 lead RB weighs 89 grs. A .490 weighs 177 grs...basically 2X as heavy. In a sphere, a small increase in diameter gives a much larger percentage increase in weight.

Not saying a .40 won't do it, just pointing out that diameter of a ball is not your only concern in limitations of the projectile.

 

[Swamp Rat]

Vorm, or SC reg. for deer on private land is use anything you want. Public land is where it dictates what is legal. And for that the 40 cal is the largest cal. legal for Small game and the 36 cal is the smallest to use on deer. As far as shooting hogs, the rules states you are required to shoot with the legal size weapon that what season it is. So if your squirrel hunting you can shoot a hog with your 40 cal or if your deer hunting you can shoot a hog with your 40 cal. It's actually the perfect rifle for down here"legally speaking".
Dixie the only draw back to the 40 cal I could see is a lack of blood trail because you will most likely only have one hole in the deer instead of two. Just double lung shoot and listen for the crash and go pick it up.

 

[mike garner]

swamp rat that's exactly right, most likely there will be only one hole and little blood. as thick as it is here in the woods that is my concern, but i do have a secret weapon. his name is radar, he is my brothers lab. he can find a blood soaked needle in a hay stack! as far as legal on private land we are pretty much wide open.i just wanted to get all the folks take on it that had used a 40 on deer. i most likely will get the 40, if i am not confident it it then it will give a good excuse to build a 45 :wink: and by the way swamp rat we are very close, i live on the edisto river near cottageville....

 

[wattlebuster]

Dixie I have never killed a deer with my 40 but if it were all I had I would use it. Luckily I am able to have a few more calibers that are what I feel a tad better suited for the job. My woods are thick as in you cant see very far even when the leaves drop in the fall so just in case my deer be it buck or doe runs off after the shot I want the largest blood trail I can get an I feel you cant go too big on this so if you have something bigger then use it. You/We owe that much to the deer. I know lots of folks say the 40 will do the job an I agree with them. It will do the job. BUT I live by the old saying what can go wrong will therefor I want/need all the help I can get an thats why I use the bigger calibers. Your mileage of course may vary but I would sure hate to have a really nice 10 pt come along an shoot him just to have him run off with little to no blood to follow. Just my thoughts an really not worth the time it took to type them :idunno:

 

[mike garner]

wattlebuster, i thank you for your advice and it is well taken, and i agree the woods are thick were i hunt also and a deer can be gone in a second. i may go ahead and get the 45 i had one in a caplock and it was easy to shoot but i had to let it go i am a flint man. but i sure am itchin for a 40

 

[wattlebuster]

I would get one for sure if I could :thumbsup: They are a ton of fun to shoot an cost way less than the bigger cals as in lead an powder. I shoot my 40 every weekend an it helps keep me in tune for when its time to break out the 62 to fill up the freezer every fall/winter. Who can afford beef these days :shake:

 

[Onojutta]

The diameter of a 40 caliber ball is plenty big enough to cause a mortal wound to a deer. Just ask anyone who hunts with a modern 30 caliber rifle, or 270, or 243.

But there is a lot more to a lethal hunting round than simply the diameter of the projectile, though. The energy delivered by the ball is what does the damage, and that is what many states use to establish minimum loads for game. Somewhere I have seen, and I can't for the life of me remember where, that the minimum energy recommended to kill whitetails is 800 ft-lbs. That's at point of impact, not at the muzzle. So if you have access to a ballistics calculator, check and see at what range a .40 can deliver 800 ft-lbs of energy and keep your range less than that.

Also, as someone else said, make sure you check local game laws. Likewise in PA, the minimum caliber allowed for deer is 45.

 

[Katahdin]

What is the length of the barrel and what are you shooting for a powder charge???

 

[MSW]

for what it's worth, I would stack the odds in my favor and go with a .54. this will afford you a number of advantages over a .40:

your shot will have much more energy (at the target) than a .40 - the smaller ball will shed velocity quicker than the large one.

since your .54 will be going faster, your 'effective range' will be greater

since you're launching a projectile with greater mass, it is less likely to be deflected by wind or the odd twig.

since you're launching a bigger projectile, your blood trail (absent a DRT) will be greater and easier to follow.

just one guy's opinion ... free and no doubt well worth the price

 

[mike garner]

well i ordered my kit today, i am getting an early Virginia in 45 i weighed my options and think it will be the best cal. all around. i thank you for all the comments and support. oh and for some that suggest i get a 54 cal. as i said in the beginning of my post i already have a 62 in a jaeger, the big cal. will sure get the job done on a deer but i am trying to get away from using so much lead and powder and unnecessary power all the time.

 

[ZUG]

I think you made a WISE choice :thumbsup: -- good luck with it :wink: .

 

[Loyalist Dave]

.45 will do fine. You will enjoy the light recoil; in fact it may surprise you.

LD

 

[Katahdin]

If you Hunt you should be able to get close. If you just want to shoot,that is another story.Not the size of the PRB that makes it all happen,,Shot Placement is the magic....45 is deadly at 50 yds IF the shot is in the correct place,,How good are your eyes at 50 yds?? mine start to go bad..