Being from Ohio and needing to use a slug gun for deer I am looking for an alternative. Feeding sabot slugs to a shotgun is about the same cost as feeding a 500 Mag while still getting questionable results. While I have a few 629s I'm trying to get away from the buck and snort of the 44 mag. I do however have a 5 inch 625-2 which has always shot very well with acp and the small amount of AR someone has given me. The question is to what extent could the 45 AR be safely loaded and most importantly perform relative to a 45 Colt. Currently I am torn between selling the acp to fund a 625 colt, providing of course I could find one, or beginning to reload the AR to warm levels. If anyone has done this or has any advise or thoughts I would appreciate some feedback. Thanks

I just don't understandwhat the problem is with using one of your 629s, which are just right for the task. Unless you just can't hit a deer with one, that is definitely what I would take. You suggest you handload, and it is dirt simple to load a .44 Mag down a touch with several different powders, and still be superior to a .45ACP, which is very short range at best. The .45 ACP will kill a deer if you hit it right, but the slow speed and rainbow trajectory makes hitting precisely beyond a few tens of yards difficult.

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Science plus Art

I have shot deer with a 44 Mag and a 45 ACP, in a 1911.
The 44 Mag is much better.

I would suggest you load down the 44 Mag a little, rather than loading the 45 ACP revolver UP.

If you only had the 45 ACP revolver, loading up would work. I am a user and a big fan of the S&W 45 ACP revolver, but since you already have the 44 Mag...

You said it better than I could. Just download that .44 and use a good hard cast LSWC. Should be good for any deer in North America if you keep the range down as I try to do when hunting deer. More accuracy and less chance than wounding one from trying for a long range shot.

A good slug shotgun is a way better weapon accuracy and power wise for harvesting deer than any handgun IMO. My new 870 with it's Hastings barrel, Bushnell 3x9 is easily a 150-200 yard gun with the right slug. I'd tell ya the ones I use when I get home from work as the wife is sleeping and I don't want to wake her up getting into the closet! It will shoot an honest 2' group all day at 100 yards. Just bought it this year and cannot for the life of me remember the name and grain of the slug, but it's extremely acurate. Missed using it this year, but would not hesitate to take a 200 yard shot as it only drops 2 inches at 100 yards.

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V/R
Roger / SG

These would do over 1000 fps in your 625 and would be an excellent Deer bullet. BB knows how to charge for their products but it does answer your need.

.45 Auto Rim +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

I, too, am an Ohio resident and consider a good man with a good revolver to be THE tool for harvesting deer in the woods.

All of my deer have been taken with the .44 Magnum (most with a 250 home cast Keith at 1300 fps).

That said, I have two 625's and would not hesitate to take my 625-6 (5" barrel minimum in Ohio) deer hunting with the proper load. Here is a picture of my cartridge - a NOE clone of the 250 gr Keith Lyman 454424 at 900+ fps:



This will shoot clear through a deer at reasonable ranges (that performance from the .45 Colt was spec'd by the U.S. Army to shoot through a horse at 100 yards). You will need to practice from field positions to see what your max safe range to hit properly, but that is needed whatever you shoot.

Thousands of deer are taken with a bow in Ohio every year and I guarantee you that the properly loaded .45 Auto Rim with beat the performance of a good bow (both in accuracy and stopping power). The key, whether you shoot a bow, handgun, shotgun, or rifle in whatever state lies in the shooter. If he can and will do his job, then the tool is secondary.

FWIW
Dale53

Like other's have stated use the available 44, if not your 625 should do when loaded properly,

Dale53 those .45Ar's sure give the impresion of potent medicine.

Thanks for all the info. Part of the idea of using the 625 was it is shorter and lighter than either of my 44s. I've seen different reports how well even lower powered Colt loads do just as well as the 44 with less blast. I do not understand, however, using 250 gr cast bullets as opposed to say a 200 or 230 XTP to gain a better trajectory. I am familiar with results of the xtp on deer having used them in the sabot muzzleloader loads.

What Dale53 shows is exactly what I would use and it will do the job just fine.

I would also use the one Elmer designed for the AR, I believe it is 452423 at about 235 grains but just because I have that mold also and use it for the AR.

Both have big meplats and at about 1000 fps will take care of any deer.

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KSCowboy

At the ranges you'll be shooting -- the increased penetration of these hard casts will trump any couple inches of flatter trajectory you might get with a lighter bullet. There IS a case to be made (I think) for a tough, heavy JHP for Whitetail with a .44 or .45 but making that arguement on this forum usually results in hurt feelings.

Remember in Ohio, you need a minimum Bbl length of 5 inch's or longer and a minimum of .357 or larger. A 45 LC is legal and the .45 acp and AR is not. I actually confirmed this with a wildlife officer. Double check this if your hunting in Ohio.

I don't really care about Ohio hunting regs, but that sounded so weird I had to check. The requirement is 5in barrel and straight-walled cartridge, which would seem to include 45acp and 45AR. Gotta admit, though, that here in Florida the FWC guys invent random requirements apparently from boredom, or maybe malice. One way or the other, Accurate gives a max load in 45acp/AR of 12.0 AA9 under a 250gr cast bullet. In my old 625-2 that gave 940fps, enough for any deer not wearing Kevlar (also prohibited in Ohio, I understand). The load, by the way, is far from what the gun can actually take. You can safely get well over 1000fps with a 250 in a 625.

Not to be argumentative, but this is what the actual regulations read:

"Use certain handguns during the youth deer gun season and deer gun season. These handguns must: (a) have a barrel length of not less than 5 inches, (b) use straight-walled cartridges (no shoulder/ neck; straight-tapered wall is acceptable) and (c) be .357 caliber or larger."

None of the above rules out the use of .45 Auto Rim for deer hunting in Ohio. It is (1) straight walled, and (2) of .357 caliber and larger...

FWIW
Dale53

Questionable results??? You certainly shouldn't get questionable results from a proper slug or even more remotely a .500 Mag. A full house .500 Mag is more like a .375 H&H and is a massive overkill on any deer in Ohio. A hard cast would probably go end to end on two deer lined up. Don

I do like my buddy's 500, but not looking for that much punch. I have always read into the Ohio deer laws that a 45 acp/AR/Colt would work. I dug my PC 629 out last night for the first time and gave it a try. I need to work with it but still am liking my 45 LC Blackhawk at this point. I love the recoil of the big N frames but when it comes to hunting I was hoping for something more mild for controll and in my case the usual follow up shot. Thank you all for input. The good news is I have one week less than a year to get something ready.