Dozer02

Pick a good hot +P SD load and you should be O.K from 30 yards and under. While it's not a great "deer round" it was designed to kill man which generally weigh more than most whitetails. We use .22WMR's for population/crop damage control for whitetails and never had a problem with it. The .45acp at close range is devastating and packs a serious whallop! Be sure of your shot and place it in the head or vitals and you'll fill the freezer for sure. I know two different fellas that used 9mm's on whitetails that weighed in excess of 170lbs and brought em home with one well placed shot. The only semi-auto pistol that I've ever used on both hog & whitetail hunts was my Colt Delta Elite 10mm with my own handloads, one well placed shot, one kill each.

Oliverfan

Thanks for all the replies and opinions. I do have a couple shotguns but I've always had the dislike of using them for deer, not sure why but in my mind a shotgun is right for winged game. Plus around these parts everyone who hunts with shotguns drive deer in big groups, which turns me off more. May rethink my opinion on the shotgun and use it instead this fall/winter. Give my buddy a little more time to tag one before I go after them.

Nick0410

Good headshot with any cal will most likely do it. Seen it done with a 10/22

Tater

Shotgun would be a good option, in my humble opinion. I think the shotgun is a very flexible weapon system.

A good slug or some buckshot would sure fit the bill.

gfw1985

Given the fact you already have a shotgun, go with it. 12 gauge slug(if legal), is more than adequate, and accurate out to 100 yds. A no brainer.

terry_p

Take the 12 ga to the range with some slugs and make sure you hit where you think it does and you are all set. The old rifled slug has come a long way and there are a lot of options out there. Avoid the sabots with a smoothbore they were designed for rifled BBL's.

Another option: Don't know if your guns have choke tube but if they do you can buy rifled choke tubes that I have heard work well with saboted slugs (almost as good as a rifled bbl is what a couple of the magazine writers say??). I have a rifled BBL in my shotgun and the sabots are accurate. With mine finding the right combo took some time but it will hold 3" at 100 yds which I am happy with. Figure I am good to 150 yds but have never shot farther that 75 yards. It works well.

I got a chance to look at the SR1911 for the first time this weekend and they are a fine looking pistol. Congrats on yours.

James6591

Didn't buy it?

terry_p

Too rich for my blood right now plus the place was so crowded it would have taken forever to get it done. It was the first day of their annual sale and by far it is the largest crowd I have ever seen there. It is a big sporting goods store called The Kittery Trading Post and they have parking for hundreds of cars and yesterday you had to drive around until someone left to get a place to park.

My apologies to the OP for the drift.

Tater

I think just a good old Foster slug would work quite well enough out of a smooth bore barrel; it's what they're made for. I would worry that the rifled choke wouldn't do so well. Go look at some of the different designs and what they are meant to be used with (smooth, rifle choke, fully rifled). Check your choices on the various ammo maker sites.

BLeeber

I've seen deer killed quite well with the ACP. But, he's better than anyone I've ever seen at shooting a .45ACP. Use a hardcast bullet, not an HP. As mentioned here, Buffalo Bore makes a good round. DoubleTap make a good one too. PRACTICE!

That being said, use the 12 gauge! I would take both and try the .45 if the RIGHT shot represented itself. But a 12 gauge will be better than a .45ACP any day. But, I've always had a desire to hunt with an ACP. Just after seeing this other guy do it, I realized it's not easy and I've put it off.

Tater

Brenneke Home

RockDoctor

I've killed several small Texas deer with my .45acp when I was experimenting with handgun hunting. I used Federal Hydrashock because that was what I used for CC. What I preferred, though, to make a more sure kill without wounding was my Redhawk .44Mag with a 2x scope. During my handgunning years I still-hunted more, could see and hear better for stalking closer shots. My hunting now is with long guns, preferable in .270 or .280. Saying that, I would not hesitate to take my Stevens 350 with double 0 or Slugs. The Stevens has a Ghost Ring I have found to be nice for my tired, old eyes.