40 caliber

[benjaminw7528]

 will a 40 caliber take a deer at short range if so what cartridge would you use

[MS Hitman]

I'm having John Linebaugh make me a .38-40 (.40 caliber) on a Bisley.  Based on what I've seen, it's defintitely a 100 yard revolver if not closer to 150 yards. 

[timothy]

I'd say go with a Hornady 180gr xtp inside 25yards and wait for the perfect shot. Whats your situation exactley? Do you not have a revolver or are you just curious?

[Mikey]

I would say you are really stretching it with a 40 S&W.  Don't get me wrong, I really like the 40 bore but the S&W cartridge is slow and may not give you either the expansiuon or penetration you need to take a whitetail.  If you are insistent upon using a 40 S&W I would use a hardcast flatnosed bullet (as flat as you can get the piece to cycle) and wait for a close range (25m or less) shot.  That's my advice.

MS Hitman - If John Linebaugh is going to make you a revolver in 38-40 the it should be strong enough to handle the rifle loadings for that round.  Rilfe loadings with the 180 gn jacketed and 172 gn cast get to near 2k'/sec from a 20" carbine.  Years ago I based my 40/45 acp wildcat on the 38-40 round and its capabilities and easily knocked over the ram at 200 yds and took a couple of whitetail at 100 yds or so with t&t chest shots. 

You may recall one of Elmer Keith's writings in which he was de-horsed by a bull he had just shot with a factory 38-40 revolver load only to have the bullet flatten on the bull's skull and do nothing more whan whizz the bull off further.  Keith cursed the 38-40 load (factory load) as bein' near useless, but he later mentioned that the load that brought the bull down was one of his hardcast semiwadcutters, loaded hot (for an 1873 Colt) that came up next when he thumbed back the hammer. 

The 40 calibers can do the job for you, you just have to choose the right one and load it properly.  HTH.  Mikey.

[MS Hitman]

The limiting factor on John's conversion is definitely being able to prevent crimp jumping on the bullets.  Joohn has shot up to 240 grain cast bullets to over 1,700 fps, but these are single loaded.  He's tlod me about some ammo being loaded in Florida that holds the crimp well, but I haven't gotten any yet.  I would like to have a Keith in the 240 grain range for this revolver.  I believe that at 1,000-1,200 fps, nothing we have in the lower 48 would hold it.

Elmer had similar problems with factory ammo in the fight with the bull elk. 

[WL44]

I'm not sure what Benjamin has in mind - pistol or revolver.....

I saw a discussion elsewhere about the .40 S&W on deer - and the responses surprised me, particularly in view of the reservations most have about the .357 mag.

I shoot both, but have never hunted with my .40 (wouldn't be legal anyway). I know that diameter and frontal area counts for a lot, but the .40 S&W I doubt would make me feel comfortable.

I've always viewed the 10mm auto as close to the .357 Mag in many respects, but not from personal experience. Ted Nugent seems to have used it quite efftively on various African game animals easily up to the size of deer.

I'd feel comfortable with a top end 10mm load with a 180 or 200gr XTP, or a hardcast with a decent meplat. You could use an auto, or a S&W 610 if you could find one.

WL