.40 for deer

[shootemup]

Early muzzleloading season here in Arkansas, so I've been on vacation this week. A couple of mornings ago I went up into the woods behind the house with my little .40 and set up on the ground amongst a blowdown, with my back to a tree.

In less than an hour a little yearling buck and a fawn were browsing down the hill from me a ways. Eventually the buck gave me the shot I wanted and I put a .395 roundball behind his shoulder.

He jumped, then ran on down the hill into the brush. The little fawn just stood there, looking in my direction. I scared it off when I stood up to reload. I walked over to where the buck had been standing when I shot, and found bright red blood all over the place. I started off in the direction he ran, and found him piled up about forty yards away.

Maybe the best thing is that it was all downhill back to the house.

According to my old parallax range finder, I shot that deer at 48 yards. I got total pass-through and blood was everywhere. The ball spread out when it hit the off-side shoulder and actually damaged some meat.

I’m sure this isn’t going to convince anybody who thinks a .40 is too small for deer, and that’s fine. I do realize that I had to be very careful about the shot I took, and then keep it at short range. But I like that part too.

With two deer now in the freezer (actually the second one is aging in the fridge right now), I plan to get real picky about my last one.

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[jethro224]

Grats! :hatsoff:

Be sure and pick a good one for the last one. And take some pics!

 

[rabjr]

Grats! :thumbsup:

 

[jmac]

Your right, I'm not rushing out to buy a new .40 cal for deer but you can't dispute results :thumbsup:! Congrats...

John

 

[410-er]

If the 40 was legal in Pa. for deer,I would have one.Good Job! :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

That's just about identical reactions I got from two deer shot with a 25-20. I was packin it for rabbits when the opportunity arose, which is what I bought it for in the first place.

No, it's not the "ideal" deer gun, whatever that is. But in good hands, good shooting will getterdun.

 

[longfowler]

.40 is the minimum for deer up here in NH. I know our deer tend to run a wee bit bigger and tougher than yours down south, but the law still thinks a .40 has enough to do the job. And most our deer are shot at about 50 yards too.

 

[jan buck]

grats! :thumbsup:
.40 cal is min. here in wi..45 for smooth bore.
guess i'll stay with the .54 :wink: :wink:

 

[MattyB]

If you place the shot well, .40 is more than enough for deer at reasonable ranges. Congrats.

 

[rdillion]

Way to go Spot. :hatsoff: I killed a yearling doe with my 40 cal. Sadly I also had a doe run off from a shot at 50 yards. Never did find her. She hit the ground hard and laid there kicking and while I was reloading she stumbled into the woods. Shot placement is everything and my flinter did hang-fire a little on that shot. I'm beginning to see why people had their flintlocks converted to percussion. Still love my flinter. My current build is a caplock S.M./poorboy in 40 cal. I really love the historical period in which these rifles were in use. I really like the 40 cal. You can shoot it all day and it doesn't beat you to death.

 

[Bretwalda]

Great job Spot!!! I am an big fan of small bore, short range, precise placement shooting on deer also. For me my range limit is 35 yards..but as a long bow hunter for years that is where I feel my "safe zone" is for perfect placement of that one small ball. Happy hunting for that special 3rd deer!!! :applause:

 

[shmrck1]

IMHO,
Shot placement is everything...Most of the
deer I have harvested the last couple of years
have been with a .45cal,PRB.Know the limits of
your shooting abilities and
stay within them.

 

[Lastmohecken]

Hello there, fellow Madison Co. boy. I live on the other side of Madison Co, from you, around Hindsville.

I have taken a doe so far. Presently, I have been using an old .54 TC Hawken, but will soon have a Jackie Brown Fowler in .62, but I have been seriously considering a .40 cal Tenn flinter, or maybe a Late Lancaster or Southern rifle. I like the idea of the .40, since it's legal for both squirrel and deer, so I could spend September and early October hunting squirrels, and still have enough gun for coyotes etc, not to mention after hunting squirrels for a while, a deer should be a pretty easy shot, with a rifle that I should have shot enough to get it really tuned in, and proficient with.

 

[rdillion]

Hey Spot, If you don't mind me asking, what powder charge do you use in your 40 cal.

 

[shootemup]

Hi rdillion,

I use 65 grains of 3f Goex under a .395 roundball in a .015 cotton patch (it's a pre-cut patch lubed with bore butter).

I have relatives down your way, incidentally -

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[rdillion]

Thanks for the info. I was shooting 65grs thru my 40 but I scaled that down to 55 or 60. Have to check my measure. Seemed to shoot more accurately in my rifle. As soon as I can scrap up the money to buy the rest of the parts I need I will get started on my 40cal S.M./poorboy rifle in caplock. Not giving up on the flinter just wanted a caplock version of the rifle I have now. Probably hunt exclusively with the flinter the rest of this deer season. I slowly becoming a M.L. only hunter.

 

[Snowshoe]

Way to go, my .40 has taken 2 deer, one at 50 yards and one at about 30. both went about 30 yards with a total pass through. I think they are very adequet with a well placed shot.

 

[marwat06]

Shot Placement, Shot Placement. Nice shot. Can't use a .40 in Indiana. Kinda of funny min. caliber is .44 but the bullet min. is .357. Regs written for those unmentionable guns.

 

[ohio ramrod]

My nephew's youngest boy has dropped 11 Ohio Whitetails dead within 25 yds of where hit with a fourty caliber. In fact only one went more than ten yrds.Last fall he dropped a 275 lb buck that went about ten yrds. He did hit one large doe and not recover it, so it is not a matter of how large a caliber but rather where you hit them and at what range. There are very few hunters who can drop 11 out of 12 . Knowing your limitations is what makes the difference between hunters and shooters.

 

[PGTMG]

Well done. :v