9mm or 45acp???

[Theinespines3]

So i am thinking about buying the Springfeild XD and i want it to shoot at the range and also carry in the woods. We just got new land up in bear country and would like to havea gun to carry just in case. Also would not mind to carry it when hiking so i could take out some of those yotes. What would you choose? I am torn and have no expernce with hand gun loads, any wisdom would be awesome.

Thanks
Pines

[USNRETHunter]

45 no question for anything in the woods. IMO, the only reason to carry a 9mm is because you can carry a lot of rounds in a small package. Here in Iowa, you can use a handgun for deer during shotgun season, but it has to be .357 or bigger, thus a 9mm (at .355) doesn't cut it.

I have a Glock 26, but it's the 1911 45ACP that goes hunting. You can't go wrong with the XD45 though.

[bigtim6656]

unless your going to use it to hunt i would go with a 9mm they have a lot of peneration and low recoil also likeUSNRETHunter
said they have alot of rounds in a small package i had a ruger p89dc good price gun and you can shoot through alot of stuff with it alot of people say the 45 has more knock down power but what a little more knock down power when you can but 15 round factor clip trough a center block wall and in your target 150 round does not leave much chest leave to breath with or pump your blood to your brain but for self denfense there both good also the 9mm rounds are cheaper if you look you can get 1000 online for around 100 to 120 dollars

[rihmfire]

9MM OR 45ACP....MY CHOICE WOULD BE 45...BETTER KNOCK DOWN POWER....BUT....I WOULD SUGGEST TO GET A S&W 6" 44 MAG..
CAN BE RELOADED IN A WIDE RANGE OF LOADS...SHOOT A BIT FARTHER TOO!

[biscuit jake]

The 45 acp is a decent antipersonnel round, but I would go to a 40 S&W if critters are in the picture. Historically, the problem with midbores (38 spc, 9mm, 32's, excluding the 357 maggie) is that sometimes when they hit bone, they deflect and do not go on to vitals like you plan. And sometimes they do... but if can find a better choice, do so. With all our shootings in the MP's we never had an immediate fatality caused by a 9mm. Lots with the 45.

[jeremyd2012]

.45acp

[kdvollmer]

Right now, Springfield has the best of both worlds. The XD.45 Their COMPACT model will hold 14 rounds total. 13 in the mag and 1 in the pipe.

One of the biggest reasons that people say to buy a 9mm is the ammo capacity. Now, you can carry a .45 with only 1 less round than most standard High Cap magazines in 9mm. If you didn't get the job done with the first 14 rounds, rou aren't going to get it done with that last one round either

The springfield is a great gun. I have the XD tactical in .40 and I love it. I've had several die hard gun owners of other brands shoot it and say that they just might have to buy one.

Good luck to you

[Theinespines3]

I have a S&W 629 44 mag with an 8 1/2 in. barrel, but want a smaller gun to carry on the hip for the just in case or what ever or even a coyote......

Still seems like a split and at the same cost for the gun, Just go big or go home?
Pines

[younggun308]

Of the two, I would pick the .45 ACP it's also known as the .45 Auto.


But I would like to recommend the .40 S&W, it's a faster round, smaller bullet, but still faster, and it was made for law-enforcement to be some kind of a brigde between the 9mm and the .44 Magnum, since the 9mm wasn't powerful and the .44 Magnum couldn't be fitted well into a semi-auto pistol, and it kicked too much.
I heard one guy on here say that he would shoot junk cars at junkyards with his pistol, and 75% of the 9mm rounds he shot at the car wouldn't even penetrate the windsheild!

So, the .40 S&W was the answer, and it's a great round.

[SJAdventures]

45 is the only one I would want to take into the woods. Unless I was just wanting to shoot some cans.