.40 cal. for deer

[Dphariss]

My .40 with 44 inch Green Mtn. Swamped barrel likes .395 - 65 grains. Min for ML in WV is .39 . I was told years ago that was so the officer could caliber check with one of his .38 revolver rounds.
I have taken deer with the .40, last one dropped in his tracks with a neck shot at 70 yards.
I shot a big doe once with .62. Bullet blew through both lungs and she ran 150 yards.

Its not how big the hole is it's how fired up the deer is. I have both WT and MD does carry a wound 200 yards that in one case should have piled the WT up on the spot.  Her feet only touched the ground about 10-11 times and it paced to 200 yards across a hayfield. Landed on her side the last time and slid on the snow. 54 shoulder shot that missed the bones but wrecked  the important stuff.
Dan

[bob in the woods]

The deer don't know I'm even there. Usually, they are ambling along, I shoot, and they expire.  It's the way I love to hunt. Dogs are pretty popular here for deer hunting, but I'm not fond of that type of hunting. Folks who try our venison always comment on how it doesn't taste "gamey"   They're right.
BTW-  I'm thinking I won't take the .40 unless I can't help it. We have a 500 pound + bear which is hanging around, and I don't want to shoot him with a .40 !    The season is open now for bear, so hopefully I can get him before with the bigger gun before Nov deer season.

[Dave Marsh]

I agree with you Bob in the Woods.  I've shot many deer with a bow as they were grazing.  The arrow passed through and the deer kind of jerked a bit and then kept on grazing until it fell over dead.  It never knew a thing.  Around here everyone drives deer so they are all running and the adrenaline is pumping.  Then after the deer is all pumped up the shooting begins and the unlucky ones get hit and then run the death run.  In my opinion this is what causes the gamey taste.  Of course improper processing after the shot adds to the gamey taste.  When I hunt I sit and like to be close.  Works great with a muzzleloader as well.  My wife will only eat my venison.  If we go to friends house and she is offered venison she politely refuses until I do a taste test.

Dave

[RichG]

my experience is  that .40 and up all go through a deers chest without any problem. 50+ might go out the other side, but at that point the damage is done.

[hanshi]

The states I've hunted in mandate 50 grains of powder as the minimum and .44/.45 as the minimum caliber, at least during the ML season.  I always use a bit more powder than that in any of my deer rifles.  Oddly, or maybe not, I've recovered more .50 ball from deer than .45.  I don't know what this proves, if anything, it's just what I've experienced.  Most of the deer did run a bit but never far.  There were also quite a few DRTs.  But, then, .45 was the smallest round used.