9mm vs 40 S&W vs 45 ACP

[Doc Dan]

The .45 ACP is a slow, low energy round relying on bullet weight. The .357 Magnum is a much higher energy round and is devastating.

[TomAiello]

The .45 ACP is a slow, low energy round relying on bullet weight. The .357 Magnum is a much higher energy round and is devastating.

.45 ACP has the advantage of being easy to suppress, though. I'm a fan of suppression for HD scenarios. I keep both safety glasses and active hearing protection (two sets, one for me and one for my wife) with my HD firearms, but having fired guns indoors, more suppression is better. Subsonics come with a lot of disadvantages though, and bullet weight is one of the few ways to make up for low speed.

[Doc Dan]

The .45 ACP is a slow, low energy round relying on bullet weight. The .357 Magnum is a much higher energy round and is devastating.

.45 ACP has the advantage of being easy to suppress, though. I'm a fan of suppression for HD scenarios. I keep both safety glasses and active hearing protection (two sets, one for me and one for my wife) with my HD firearms, but having fired guns indoors, more suppression is better. Subsonics come with a lot of disadvantages though, and bullet weight is one of the few ways to make up for low speed.

I agree with that. the 45 and suppressors were made for each other. And a gun in a confined space without hearing protection is no joke. It ain't like TV.

[Snacktime]

I've killed a lot of hogs, both wild and domesticated.

In the wild, I carry a 4in 44 magnum with 240gr hard cast solids because you never know what shot the hog will give you and these WILL penetrate with a head on skull shot. I'm

In the barn lot its usually a 4in 22LR Ruger Single-Six full of CCI Blaser 40gr solids. As Michael said above, halfway between the eye and ear does the trick. As does a behind the ear shot if the hog won't cooperate. Same with cattle, sheep and whatever else wanders into the farm.

As I keep telling people...it's all about where you hit, not what you hit with. With that being said, I carry the 10mm (the real 40 caliber), 44spl and magnum or 45ACP about 85% of the time. I don't anticipate any protracted gunfights so a high capacity 9mm is not in my carry lineup. I carry what I do because I'm infinitely comfortable with them and confident in their abilities to protect me from anything I may encounter....2 legged or 4 legged.

Lol love hog hunting and it's always fun to see what doesn't work and what does. I have skinned a pig and counted 9 holes, still went 200+yards before another hunter dropped it with a single shot.

44 mag is my choice for all outdoor activity and 45 acp for all indoor protection. More of proof of function and trust at this point.

[Doc Dan]

A 9mm has such a wide ammo choice. If the proper ammunition is selected, a 9mm will do more than the .45. A 147 gr. round designed for penetration running at nearly 1200 fps is no joke. It will kill a hog or a black bear. It would not be my first choice, but it will certainly do the job.

[twinboysdad]

I've killed a lot of hogs, both wild and domesticated.

In the wild, I carry a 4in 44 magnum with 240gr hard cast solids because you never know what shot the hog will give you and these WILL penetrate with a head on skull shot. I'm

In the barn lot its usually a 4in 22LR Ruger Single-Six full of CCI Blaser 40gr solids. As Michael said above, halfway between the eye and ear does the trick. As does a behind the ear shot if the hog won't cooperate. Same with cattle, sheep and whatever else wanders into the farm.

As I keep telling people...it's all about where you hit, not what you hit with. With that being said, I carry the 10mm (the real 40 caliber), 44spl and magnum or 45ACP about 85% of the time. I don't anticipate any protracted gunfights so a high capacity 9mm is not in my carry lineup. I carry what I do because I'm infinitely comfortable with them and confident in their abilities to protect me from anything I may encounter....2 legged or 4 legged.

Lol love hog hunting and it's always fun to see what doesn't work and what does. I have skinned a pig and counted 9 holes, still went 200+yards before another hunter dropped it with a single shot.

44 mag is my choice for all outdoor activity and 45 acp for all indoor protection. More of proof of function and trust at this point.

A buddy and I were cleaning his wild pig kill and there was a load of bird shot that was underneath the skin but not through the fat. Hopefully whoever did that was trying to get the pig away and not maim it.

[RustyIron]

Lol love hog hunting and it's always fun to see what doesn't work and what does. I have skinned a pig and counted 9 holes, still went 200+yards before another hunter dropped it with a single shot.

You shot the animal nine times, and needed the help of another hunter to put it down? Personally, I would be so ashamed of my lack of skill and ethics that I would hang my head in shame and never speak of it.

[JRinFL]

9, 40, 45? The answer is "yes".

[T.J.]

A 9mm has such a wide ammo choice. If the proper ammunition is selected, a 9mm will do more than the .45. A 147 gr. round designed for penetration running at nearly 1200 fps is no joke. It will kill a hog or a black bear. It would not be my first choice, but it will certainly do the job.

This

[murphjd25]

I prefer .40. Best of both worlds and just the round I am most experienced with and have always carried. Picked up a couple hundred more rounds this morning from Cabelas, along other ammo.

[T.J.]

I have several 9’s but I do carry my 10 when I’m in the woods.

[Doc Dan]

A 9mm +P+ at 1300 fps is a devastating round. Shoot something with one of these sometime and you all can see what I mean. That is moving and stepping.

Did you read that article where the Alaskan guide killed a grizzly bear with a 9mm and Buffalo Bore ammunition? The bear was right on him. His client was knocked to the ground by the bear and then it turned on the guide at arms length and he shot it and killed it.

[T.J.]

A 9mm +P+ at 1300 fps is a devastating round. Shoot something with one of these sometime and you all can see what I mean. That is moving and stepping.

Did you read that article where the Alaskan guide killed a grizzly bear with a 9mm and Buffalo Bore ammunition? The bear was right on him. His client was knocked to the ground by the bear and then it turned on the guide at arms length and he shot it and killed it.

Before I had my 10, that’s the exact ammo I’d carry in the woods in my 9.

[TomAiello]

I have a 10mm, but for any kind of woods carry where a real bear encounter is possible, I think I'd opt for 460 Rowland.

Although, at this point in my life, I'm not sure that will ever happen. And on the (three--all when much younger) occasions where I've encountered bears in the wild I have never been armed.

[T.J.]

I have a 10mm, but for any kind of woods carry where a real bear encounter is possible, I think I'd opt for 460 Rowland.

Although, at this point in my life, I'm not sure that will ever happen. And on the (three--all when much younger) occasions where I've encountered bears in the wild I have never been armed.

We only have black bears here so I’m confident in the unlikely event of an encounter, as long as I do my job, the 10mm will do it’s job.

[Snacktime]

10mm really is amazing, having watched the hunting industry change from wheel guns to Glocks. The whole Alaska Grizzly bear debate really brings in the absolute stopping power. 10mm brought the stopping power back to normal sized pistols. I remember first time I shot my friends brand new Taurus Raging Bull 454 and **** I was sold! Then I had a friend get 500s&w and I had to rethink wanting a 454. Then they both sold them and bought G20s. I am still in the dark age with my 6" super black hawk in 44mag. I need to get with the times.

[Doc Dan]

10mm really is amazing, having watched the hunting industry change from wheel guns to Glocks. The whole Alaska Grizzly bear debate really brings in the absolute stopping power. 10mm brought the stopping power back to normal sized pistols. I remember first time I shot my friends brand new Taurus Raging Bull 454 and **** I was sold! Then I had a friend get 500s&w and I had to rethink wanting a 454. Then they both sold them and bought G20s. I am still in the dark age with my 6" super black hawk in 44mag. I need to get with the times.

I'd take a .44 mag with hard cast bullets over any 10mm. I had one of the original Colt Delta Elites when they first came out. I had the original Norma ammunition that was far, far hotter than anything made today. All companies backed off of those two loads. they were so hot it scared the panties off of them all. Still, the .44 Mag out performs the 10mm, though those Norma loads were encroaching on the .41 Mag in the lower end.

Shoot a couple of dear with each and you will see what I mean, or even a couple of hogs.

[Snacktime]

I'd take a .44 mag with hard cast bullets over any 10mm. I had one of the original Colt Delta Elites when they first came out. I had the original Norma ammunition that was far, far hotter than anything made today. All companies backed off of those two loads. they were so hot it scared the panties off of them all. Still, the .44 Mag out performs the 10mm, though those Norma loads were encroaching on the .41 Mag in the lower end.

Shoot a couple of dear with each and you will see what I mean, or even a couple of hogs.

I got some hot home made specials my dad cooked up with required solid copper bullets that I need to try out. I moved into the city a year ago and when I pulled out the Black Hawk at the indoor range, I got a "No No No, only regular pressure ammo and no large calibers". Actual been looking for Lever Action 44 mag for pigs, just haven't gotten to the point of finding the one I want (looking for an older hammer safety winchester). I grew up with 30-30 that my dad will never let me have while he is still breathing so I want to get something just a little bit different.

Never gotten to try the .41 Mag, one of those rounds that has eluded me in my life. I know it was super popular for a while with the pistol hunting crowd. I go to a lot of pawn/used gun stores and still haven't stumbled upon one.

Boy do I miss those old cheap boxes of lead, spend days cleaning the bore after a good time out shooting steel.

[JRinFL]

I'd be concerned about any indoor range that cannot handle 44mag, 41mag, etc.

[Snacktime]

I'd be concerned about any indoor range that cannot handle 44mag, 41mag, etc.

It's more of a trust thing, you just have to become a regular. I also was at the range to function check my new 1911 mags after having failure to hold open on last round. The range master didn't like I was loading 1-3 rounds and had 10 magazines trying to figure out what brand worked best.