Shooters Forum banner

Has anybody been bold enough to try a 9mm handgun for deer?

5K views 51 replies 26 participants last post by  Pete D. 
#1 ·
I was talking to a friend at work about this last night. He mentioned would it be enough for a deer. I told him at close range (no more than maybe 25 yards) and I would use good hollow point ammo too. I told him that lots of people use .357 Magnum but, there's better ammo and bullets available for handloading. .357 is faster too.
 
#2 ·
Not intentionally....and that makes a difference.

When it's all you got...they you arrange things for a "win" or you don't shoot. Poachers have been using seriously under powered rifles for 100's of years and getting their game because they evened the odds.

If you have a choice, better to use something that is not situationally limited.
--------

Old tale...but illustrative.


Sitting in the back yard..contry place...with a buddy with CCP (concelad carry permit...and I dobut the old guy took a crap without a pistol near at hand).

Heard a bang-band from about 1/4 mile away.

10 min. pass.

Up his driveway and crossing about 11-13 yards in front of us was a 150 pound hog.


He drwas a 38 Colt Agent, leads the running hog, and triggers 3 shots.

Dead hog...had a few bird shot stuck in it (from the "bang-bang") but nothing serious,


Would I say a 2"snubnosed .38 makes a hog-killer?...nope.

Did it work in this situation....yep.

Could I geta.38 snub to do it again...yep,if I could arrange that kind of range.
 
#43 ·
A story from about 45 years ago. Neighbor and co-worker and I were talking. He was a vivid hunter and fisherman. We began talking about you younger years. His family was very poor lived away from any town or city. He told me much of his free time as a youngster was spent hunting and fishing so the family had food to eat. If he wasn't successful they went hungry more often than not. Seasons did mean anything; he hunted and fished year round. He said he thought he shot more deer with a .22 LR than anyother caliber. Close range in the head and they went down like a dropped rock. And, he also said he would be in huge trouble if it took more than one shot. Family didn't have money to a lot of ammo so it was always one shot, one kill no matter what the caliber, and the smaller the caliber the cheaper the ammo usually.

Almost any caliber will kill a deer if you are close enough to place the shot in the right place, and the round has the energy to reach a vital area and damage the organ sufficiently to kill. He learned to hunt, meaning get close enough to the game so that the he could place the shot in the right spot -- every time -- to kill the game quickly, and he learned marksmanship. And, much of the year it had to be quietly....

Lessons learned helping feed the family as he grew up made him a very good hunter as an adult. Always filled his tags regardless of season. I think the only season he didn't hunt was black powder but my memory may be wrong. Summers he spent a lot of time fishing.
 
#4 ·
If using a 9mm handgun is legal in your area, if you are a good hunter and a fantastic marksman, and if you use the appropriate bullet and load combination then feel free to hunt whatever you feel you can kill cleanly and humanely. I am too conservative to think that the 124 grain bullet at 1110 fps is an adequate round to hunt deer. A black powder rifle in 36 caliber has been used to take deer for a long time in this country - even before it was a country - and it has about the same ballistics out at 100 yards. I am a decent marksman but I couldn't sneak up on deaf, blind deer with a cold to get close enough to use a 9mm. I have performed one shot kills on deer with my 357 but it was pure chance that a deer wanted to commit suicide by walking within the 60 or so yards for me to take a shot. I don't even carry a 9mm for self defense. I don't trust the round to do the job. (yes, I know that police and military use 9mm around the globe) I guess I'm old fasioned and tied into the whole "one shot stop" theory of self defense and hunting. That's just me with my limitations. Feel free to take advantage of your skills and your gun, whatever it might be.
 
#5 ·
With the terrible record of the 9mm on humans, I have more respect for the deer. I've shot broken down, car-hit deer with everything from 22LR to 35 Whelen, but it I'd never subject a healthy deer to such a light weight round.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Well, there are 9mm's and then there are 9mm's,...probably close to a couple dozen different offerings in 9mm,... but, I will assume you are referring to the 9x19mm parabellum. As stated above, poachers have been taking deer with small calibers, aka the 22LR rimfire cartridge, for a VERY, VERY, long time!

As, also stated above,... when in need, and when the opportunity rises, USE WHAT YA GOT!!

But, your friend better know what he is doing, if that is his choice!
 
#7 ·
A friend has shot a few in his yard with a 9mm..... but our runt deer in central Texas aren't exactly 'deer-zilla.' Marginal on them, is putting it mildly.

Would suggest 'supersizing' his deer hunting handgun......
 
#8 ·
I'm not for it, but as already been shown, in certain circumstances it would absolutely work. I'd use a hard cast, heavy load.

Some might find it interesting to read about the well known Alaskan guide who used his 9mm to protect his clients being charged by a grizzly. He killed it graveyard dead with hardcast ammo from BB.

If interested, I'm pretty sure that BB has the incident documented on their site now. Fairly recent occurrence, within the last year I believe.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Some might find it interesting to read about the well known Alaskan guide who used his 9mm to protect his clients being charged by a grizzly. He killed it graveyard dead with hardcast ammo from BB.

If interested, I'm pretty sure that BB has the incident documented on their site now. Fairly recent occurrence, within the last year I believe.
If its all you have, its better than nothing, but no sane person would recommend it.
The event that Tnhunter is talking about happened back in 2016 I believe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shooter444
#9 ·
Same old guy...in in n90's when he did it,passed at 93 in 2006..

Bet me he dould get a deer with a cinder block.

Wasn't really legal...but he's dead they can't get to him now....but it did it.


tyrtee stand...cheater cinder block block loadced with crap for weight...took him a season and a half...but a he barined it.

Those old WWII were tough.


So sit me out there for log enough and I'll eventally pass on several,but take one with a .22LR...or a 9mm...or a sharpstick….it'sj ust going to take time to get one that seems like a "win".
 
#10 ·
There has arisen a cult of 9mm worship that seems to thing it is the equal of both the 357 Magnum and the venerable 45 ACP. Some of us refuse to bow down at that particular alter, remembering when it wasn't so all powerful or universally admired.

As said above, you can take a deer with a 22 LR if your careful enough and get lucky. Doesn't make it a good idea and neither is 9mm.

Dave
 
#11 ·
I forget what movie it was but Joe Pesci is walking along in a suit and tie with a couple of hunters with high-powered rifles talking business and Joe is stumbling along. A deer pops up next to him and he pulls a snub nose .38 from his shoulder holster and plugs the deer. DRT. If it's good enough for Joe Pesci, it's good enough for me --- and a 9mm has a little more power. My father-in-law shot a few deer with .22LR in the 50's. Head shots. Personally, I wouldn't hunt with less than a .44 Special.
 
#13 ·
Sarcasm can be lost in translation when using posts. If I believed in movies, I'd think good always wins out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shooter444
#14 ·
I should point out that I have finished off two deer with a snub-nosed .357 mag. It worked fine.... 125gr. bullets at around 1,200fps.... which is just about the same velocity that a 9mm will give that bullet weight, in a 4 or 5 inch barrel.

Both bullets went through the neck of the deer, and were found in the dirt on the other side. Range was measured in a few feet. Result was as expected.

So yeah.... can it work? "Kinda" been there, done that. Hungry enough, I'd start with the 9mm-ish ballistics, instead of ending with them.

Beyond powder-burn ranges, it just isn't too impressive.
 
#16 ·
I shot a 100 lb hog through the shoulders with 9mm ball ammo at 35 yards a d got full penetration and a dead hog. The 9mm downing high power was all I had at the time so it was utilized. I’m certain it could take a deer if the shooter does his part. Obviously, it is not the weapon of choice for deer hunting.
 
#18 ·
I used to carry a 9mm to finish off deer when hunting in NY, but never took it as a primary firearm for hunting deer.
I've taken my 45acp out several times and have taken several deer with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shooter444
#20 ·
It's been a long time since I fired factory ammo from my 357's but the LabRadar shows just barely under 1600 fps with the 140 grain bullets. My 9mm shows 1110 fps with a 124 grain bullet. Both are full size guns, the 357's are 6" and the 9mm is 4.6" barrel. Paul Harrell did a test between the two and the 357 in a snubby was still a lot faster than a full size 9mm. 125 vs 124 grain bullets. There is less difference between a 380 and 9mm than there is between a 9mm and a 357.
 
#22 · (Edited)
The ONLY 9mm pistol rounds I'd REMOTELY consider using on deer would be a 9x23 Winchester or a 9x25 Dillon, loaded to max, with a VERY hardcast 125 gr. (or heavier) wide-meplat projectile. The closer the bullet resembles the Sierra 125 gr., 357" JSP, the better.
The old rules for ETHICAL handgunning of whitetails were:
1.) No smaller than .40 caliber.
2.) No lighter than 200 grains.
3.) No slower than 1000 f/s at the muzzle (but preferably at the target).
The .357 Magnum, Maximum, and Bain & Davis cartridges are exceptions to the bore diameter constraint, and all are capable of satisfying rules 2 & 3. If the now-obsolete 9x25mm Mauser round was available in a stocked Broomhandle Mauser, THAT might be an option.
No 9mm cartridge developed for defensive purposes gets my nod as a deer-harvester.
 
#23 ·
My favorite uncle, a USMC Korean War vet, carried a P-38 with him his entire life. Died at 82yrs. He was also a notorious poacher during most of those years and used that P-38 on everything from fish to men. Watched him drop three deer in one day with head shots, all were more of less close to the road, but still. One hand, out the window of his idling pickup, Pow. Drop. He had to use that 9mm on a home invader who was beating him and his family with a pick-ax handle in a robbery attempt. Perp lived but was well perforated,1969. The guy definitely picked the wrong Marine that day.
Point is, it can be done, but you must have the confidence in the firearms used as well as in yourself and your skill level before ever pulling the trigger. My take, for what it's worth anyway.
 
#24 ·
Respects and gratitude to/for your late Uncle, but his stellar performance with the 9mm on deer does not make it a "deer gun", anymore than that professional guide's dispatching a BEAR with HIS 9mm makes it a BEAR gun.
Shooting ANY animal with a weapon that is underpowered for the job does THEM no favors, and only undermines the reputation of careful responsible hunters, when things go wrong. Want to shoot deer with a 9mm handgun? Find a 9x57mm Mauser, chop the barrel to 14", and replace the buttstock with a pistol grip. That, or have a T/C contender custom-chambered for it.
 
#26 ·
Respects and gratitude to/for your late Uncle, but his stellar performance with the 9mm on deer does not make it a "deer gun", anymore than that professional guide's dispatching a BEAR with HIS 9mm makes it a BEAR gun.
Shooting ANY animal with a weapon that is underpowered for the job does THEM no favors, and only undermines the reputation of careful responsible hunters, when things go wrong. Want to shoot deer with a 9mm handgun? Find a 9x57mm Mauser, chop the barrel to 14", and replace the buttstock with a pistol grip. That, or have a T/C contender custom-chambered for it.
LOL! Agree 100%. But telling a guy like him anything about anything was rough duty at best. He did what he wanted to do whenever he wanted to do it and dxxn the rules. That was him and his own cross to bear.
A lot of folks feel, the bigger the hammer the better. Whatever, I guess. I like having an assortment of appropriate hammers for whatever the jobs might be. To boring otherwise.
 
#25 ·
Went back and looked at my chrono data, just curious.

Had two snubbie .357s at the time, both 2" or thereabouts, one stainless (gone) and one titanium (still have it). Both painful to shoot with full loads! I don't remember if the stainless gun was ported, but the titanium one is, and I shudder to think how much worse it would be without the ports.... like catching a fastball in your bare hand, with every shot. Anyway -

Stainless .357 snub averaged 1,245 for 7 shots, Ti gun averaged 1,206 for 7 shots.

Also had a Smith 940 at one time (snubbie revolver chambered in 9mm) and with 1 7/8 barrel, averaged a surprising 1,228 for 5 shots, with 115gr. loads. All the loads I am referencing are Cor-Bon. The 940 "effective barrel length" was probably close to 3 inches, maybe 3 1/2, considering the length of the cylinder and probably losing a bit of velocity to the b/c gap.

My Hornady 4th edition (just the first thing I grabbed off the shelf shows max loads of 1,200fps (one load) and several others between 1,150 and 1,175 fps, with 124 gr. bullets, test gun listed as a Smith model 39 with a 4" barrel.

One thing's for certain..... a full-sized 9mm gun would be a LOT easier to hit anything with, than any of the snubbies I've ever owned or shot.

Full sized Blackhawk (6.5" barrel, effective length probably close to 8" counting the cylinder) exceeded 1200fps with 185gr. cast bullets.... and was vastly more accurate. That was a handload with a heapin' helpin' of 296. Probably could have gone higher, but it was superbly accurate at 50 yards, so I stopped load development. Certain I could shoot tighter groups at 25 yards, and probably 50, with that gun, than I could at 7 yards with any snubbie.
 
#27 ·
I agree with your "hammer" analogy. To take it a bit further, I think your Uncle (bless him & his memory) was using a tack hammer for general carpentry, which forced him to work much harder at the task than necessary. But if he enjoyed working with his favorite "hammer" anyway, then so be it.
I didn't know we were now comparing (.38 Special?) snubbies to 9mms, but at that point, I think it's a decision of whichever handgun the shooter is most skilled with, and IF the shot at the deer ABSOLUTELY MUST be attempted. Depending on how one defines "snubby", MY choice would be 3" barreled Taurus .44 Spl with the Keith/Skelton 7.5/Unique/215-240 gr. SWC load, over even a LONG-SLIDE 9mm, with any SAMMI Max load. Probably not as much fun to shoot as a 9mm or a .38 Snub, but the effect on the other end is difficult to improve on.
 
#28 ·
.357 snubbie, not .38 snubbie... and the comparison to 9mm was not to endorse either, but to show that they had similar ballistics (.357 snubbie vs. full sized 9mm).

But both outclassed quite a bit, by a full sized .357 (which I have taken deer with). I've also done a 'finishing shot' through the neck on two different whitetail bucks with the snubbie .357, worked fine. Which doesn't make it a primary hunting gun by any means, not without being well inside of usual bow hunting range.

Just food for thought.
 
#29 ·
Well I've never tried it and my friend was just curious about it. He's got better options to choose from anyway. He owns a .40, .45 ACP, .357 Sig., and .50 AE. I told him I've killed 2 with .357 Magnum 6". It worked good.
 
#31 ·
Yep. And it shriveled on the vine before it could bear much fruit. Never did get to source any of the ammo. Just to have some you understand.
The .45 Winchester Magnum appeared about the same time and I did get some of that stuff. And a pistol to shoot it with too.
Now that is a cartridge that you could use on deer size game, loaded with the proper bullets and some of today's suitable powders, I don't think it would be frowned on. Some would of course but they have their own axe to grind.
Disclaimer: Even tho I watched my uncle successfully do what he did, I certainly don't condone it, especially with a P-38 and WW2 surplus Nazi Germany 9mm ammo.
Even tho he was a terrifically good shot, just say no.
 
#32 ·
Just curious - is it legal to hunt deer with a 9mm (assuming 9mm Parabellum) anywhere?

I wouldn't use it anyway, but I was just wondering about the legality.
 
#41 ·
Just curious - is it legal to hunt deer with a 9mm (assuming 9mm Parabellum) anywhere?

I wouldn't use it anyway, but I was just wondering about the legality.
In normal hunting areas in Montana there are no caliber restrictions for hunting. Not even limited to centerfire.

For "weapons restricted" hunting zones it is either "archery only" (may or may not allow crossbows in normal gun season) and the "archery, muzzleloader, shotgun, conventional-handgun" zones.

"Conventional handgun" is defined as "does not use a cartridge originally developed or primarily used in rifles", "must not be a bottlenecked cartridge, straight walled (slight taper permitted) only", "must have barrel length less then 10.5-inches", and "can not have a stock and/or be fired from the shoulder".

No actual caliber requirements beyond that or centerfire requirement so technically you could legally use a 22-short rimfire handgun (22-lr breaks the rifle cartridge rule but the short doesn't).

That noted, they can and will ticket you or worse for wounding animals due to choosing to use a cartridge that you can't or won't use carefully enough to make up for it's lower power. So if you were going to go hunt deer with a 22-short gallery gun pistol in a weapons restricted zone you had better be good enough to put that little pill in right behind the ear for a perfect brain shot through the weak point in the skull. If you can do that fine, but if not. . . .
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top