Deer Huntin'

[meanmrmustard]

Anyone ever kill a deer with their Sigma sw40ve in a hunting situation? Not interested in opinions of caliber, that's another thread, just interested in the weapon itself. Thank you.

 

[cavegeo]

I not sure that 9 mm or 40 S&W are legal calibers to hunt with you would need to check your state laws.

Myself I have better guns to hunt deer with.

 

[bassseeker]

Other than finishing off a severly wounded animal, I would not use a self defence caliber handgun that is not designed for hunting.

 

[Quanah]

I killed a supposedly-hit deer last year with a .40/165/Federal HST from a Glock 22. It jumped up and bolted toward a busy highway, I had a safe shot and punched it through the shoulders. Bang-flop. Recovered the bullet, which had ground bone on the way across, nicely expanded under the skin on the off side.

I also had to kill a 105+ pound pit bull mix, in a flat out charge, with the .40 S&W. That time it was 165 grain Golden Sabers. Took four rounds to shut him down but the damn thing blind-sided me and I was sweeping kids out of the way with my left hand and shooting with my right.

Killed another one, again coming straight-on, with the 165 HST's this year; centered the chest just below the base of the neck. The dog turned & ran maybe 20 yards, then skidded on its nose.

The .40 S&W is no puss. Keep in mind that tons of deer & other game (not to mention men and horses) were killed with its grand-daddy, the 38-40, using plain lead bullets.

Given what I've seen, I would not hesitate to shoot a deer with my 40VE, provided that I knew I could put the slug through or just above the heart. Use a bullet that will penetrate well and don't shoot any further than the distance you can keep three consecutive shots on a quarter-folded paper towel. Plan on a little tracking and then anything else will be a pleasant surprise.

 

[Sebago Son]

I was raised by my Indian Grandfather that the hunt was a deeply spiritual reconnection with nature and a reflection upon my place in the circle of all things.

You have the responsibility to the game you take. This responsibility is to be ethical in your hunt and clean in your kill.

If all you had was the Sigma that would be one thing. But to reduce the hunt to a science experiment or worse is to me unseemly and disrespectful.

I fully recognize that not everyone feels this way.

 

[cbr6864]

Why the the hell would you want to? Im an avid hunter and every kill I make is a clean kill. Its not very pleasant to watch some idiot showing off who only wounds the animal. Then spend all day tracking a blood trail.

Personally I have zero respect for anyone who would take an animal that wasnt a clean kill.

 

[Quanah]

Ah, the hall monitors have arrived. Let me 'splain it like this.

The .40 is legal where I hunt.

I know--as in 'don't have to guess'--that with the right load and a good shot, the .40 will kill deer cleaner and quicker than a broadhead.

This is America. I do things because I can.

One man's ethics is another man's backstrap sandwich.

 

[Sebago Son]

Ah, the hall monitors have arrived. Let me 'splain it like this.

One man's ethics is another man's backstrap sandwich.

Funny, I never seem to be short of meat.... or self respect.

 

[cbr6864]

Bottom line there are two types of hunters those that respect the animal and the sport, who will only take a shot when they know it will be a clean kill dropping the animal where it stands. Then there are those who just enjoy killing.

Im willing to bet most of these guys on the internet bragging about killing have in fact never hunted a day in their life. Its one thing to brag online but another to actual do it in real life. I have taken several people to a ranch near me were im a member for hog hunting. More than a few boasted up and down about their skills and wanting to kill something.

Most of them were very poor shots and only wounded the hog we would rush up to the animal waiting for them to to finish it off and they couldnt. Seeing an animal kicking and screaming as it is slowly dies is just sad.

Anyone can sit in a stand next to a feeder and take a gut shot part of the hunt is stalking and waiting for shot.


There is no point in putting an animal through an agonizing slow death unless you have to, its called being human

 

[Quanah]

Well, I've blown most of a deer's heart out with a 30-06, watched it saunter off 20 yards and jump a five-strand fence- only to land dead as a hammer on the other side. Then I've had bang-flops with lesser calibers, and seen a few run 20-50 yards as well.

So please tell us, oh masters of the internet instant-kill, precisely what you're using and how you're using it- so we, the unworthy ones, may bask in your presence and hope to attain your perfection?

 

[Toney]

You can ues any rd with a 40cal base or bigger here in OK. I haven't used my M&Pc execpt to finnish one.
I think the 357mag is'nt big enough, I have taken a few with one but have moved up to a 44mag.

 

[cbr6864]

I have never had a deer take a step after a shoulder shot

 

[jake m29]

I killed a mule deer with a single round from a S&W .40 sigma at about 20 yrds. I can't remember the exact model but I can tell you it was the model they got sued by glock over. I had a tag and was working on a ranch. I came upon the deer and the only gun I had with me was the sigma. I used the sigma to fill my tag. I can't say it would have been my choice but it did fill the bill during a time of nessesity.

 

[Sebago Son]

It's A Matter Of Ethics....

So please tell us, oh masters of the internet instant-kill, precisely what you're using and how you're using it- so we, the unworthy ones, may bask in your presence and hope to attain your perfection?

Remember, you asked... read and learn.

I use either a .300 H&H or a .35 Remington to hang alot of venison.

This is what a 200 grn. .358 caliber Cor-Lokt softpoint will do at 50 yards....

This is what a 180 grn .308 caliber Hot Core boat tail will do at 225 yards.

Too much gun? I think not. These (and other) deer dropped within sight of where they were hit and their end came quickly.

But we digress.... the topic of this conversation is not whether various rifle calibers are adequate for whitetail under different field conditions. (if what you say is true than you know how tough they can sometimes be to kill).

Rather it's about the advisability of the intentionally taking of a deer with a certain handgun round that was designed for a different purpose in a pistol that does not have a sterling reputation for pin point accuracy.... all in the interest of some boy-ish "experimenting".

Snide remarks not withstanding, we should all do whatever we can to make an ethical hunt end with a clean kill. The respect we owe our quarry demands it.

With that, I'm done at this station....

 

[Quanah]

These (and other) deer dropped within sight of where they were hit and their end came quickly.

And there you have it. I've gotten that with .40 S&W, .44 Mag & .45 Colt handguns as well as .223-.308-30-30 & 30-06 rifles. Even the lowly .223 will wreck a deer's heart at 170 yards.

So what's the argument again? Guess what, there isn't one. We all shoot 'em to the ground with whatever we prefer. FWIW, I love the old .35 too. Looks like it is working for you.

 

[TNDave]

The 40 Smith and Wesson is about the ballistic twin of the old 38-40. There is no doubt the 38-40 has killed a lot of deer but it was fired out of rifles and carbines. There was a famous lion hunter who used a Colt 1873 in 38-40 but I can't remember his name. Of course those lions were treed.

If a man had a 40 cal pistol and was a very good shot he might be OK killing a deer on a nice broadside shot out to maybe 25-35 yards. People kill deer with bows at those ranges so 180 slug doing close to 1000 fps should down a deer after a short run with a double lung shot just like an arrow. The 40 doesn't really have power to spare though so it might be better to use something else.

I have killed a lot of deer with 243's, 308's, and 30-30's. Some deer can run farther than you think even with a solid hit from a rifle. Losing a deer is a bad feeling.

 

[meanmrmustard]

I didnt intend to create an ethics war with my post, but let's get it outta the way, shall we? Any person with a legal means of taking a deer with which they have practiced and can be confident in their ability to humanely take the animal is ETHICAL in my book. In Missouri, I can legally kill a deer with my .40 S&W. That, however, does not make it ethical. But, in practicing with that particular weapon, I feel confident enough to kill a deer respectfully, then I'll do it. Ive taken deer for the last ten years with the same cartridge: .223 rem.... Ghast!!! How dare I not use the 30/06 or 300 win mag! But I kill them cleanly and quickly, so is that tiny bullet unethical? I use a .50 smoke pole too, which is not a whole lot bigger than my .40. I use it inside 100 yards, because that is the distance at which I can kill a deer and do it to my potential, not the guns. In my state, we are allowed to kill deer with .50 air rifles and a atlatl!!!! Do you know what an atlatl is? Look it up! So, my question to you gents wasn't whether the .40 is able, because I KNOW it is. But, has anyone tried it yet? Save the ethics portion for your own thread.

 

[rlpos1]

Let's say just for Sh*ts and giggles in an ethical or nonethical situation that two folks were hunting each other, I beleive an 06 will trump a 40 in any brand or build from most distances over 30 yards

 

[meanmrmustard]

Human Hunting???

Unless the dude with the 40 hunts you down within 30 yards, then I'm guessing 06-boy is hunting outta that big tree stand in the sky. Remember, some of us bow hunt too, so waiting for a close shot isn't difficult. But, once again, we aren't talking about ethics, nor HUMAN HUNTING. So, you are free to go back to sharpening your knives Dahmer. This thread is going no where evidently, as no one has answered the question I originally posted. Is it the ethics part? No, I think it's a know-it-all attitude towards change. Thousands of years ago, bow hunting was experimental, something a proud native American failed to mention on this very thread. But guns made hunting easier, also through experimentation. However, alot of us still bow hunt, but why? The extra season? The challenge? To be different? Your reasoning is your choice, same as mine. Hand gun hunting is alive and well; I've seen deer shot with glocks, rugers, wheel
guns, and In many different calibers from 9mm to 460 mag. It's not the caliber I'm asking about. It's the particular weapon, the Sigma.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I had a guy tell me he resorted to his Beretta 92 since his rifle jammed up on him. He said he was in a tree stand and the deer was pretty close. Since most modern day HP defense ammo is made light years better than just a few decades ago, I can see it working just fine up close. I’m not such a good shot with my Sigma that I think I could be accurate enough unless the deer walked up to me and stood real still. I would use a revolver that can be single action fired long before I would use my Sigma. So do I think it could be done? Sure. Do I think you should go out this season and try it? Of course not. Do I understand that for years now we have shot deer with much lesser power factor or whatever ammo? Yep. I know poachers still go out with .22LR and .22WMR but that doesn’t mean I will be testing my luck with one. So academically speaking I would say yes, you could do it, but WHY?