45 acp s and w revolver
 

hey guys i bought a 45 acp s and w mountain man gun 3 in bar is this a good side arm to cary in the woods

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

Well its a good gun against Humane Varmits. It would lack stopping power for Bears and such. I had a couple of them with longer barrels.

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

I'm withJames --- I like the .45acp, got a couple of 'em as a matter of fact, love to shoot,and I do sometimes tote 'em in the woods .... but I'd prefer something bigger if I were fending off bears.

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

If you wanted to get a .45 ACP to carry in the woods you should've gotten the semi auto. The revolver is considered to most reliable hunting handgun, but there are so many great models of 1911 style pistols that are at least as reliable. I have a Colt Govt Model .45ACP and it has never jammed after thousands of rounds, and I know that I could hit a bear sized target with it seven times REAL fast. I don't know any animal on earth that doesn't have sense enough to die after being shot seven times with a .45.

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

I carried a Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP for years. If you do not think that a .45 ACP has nostopping power, no matter what your shooting at, I'd think again. If you're carrying it in the woods for your own personal safety then you have already decided your shots, when being forced to use it would be at very close range and in as rapid a fire mode as possible. Here I always felt the .45 ACP shined. It is a controllable cartridge even when double tapping, andwith practice can be shot accurate also.

Whether it would killa bear at close quarters, I could not say since I never tried it. I will say that if a bear was a threat at close quarters, and you were proficient with that weapon, you could sure make that animal wonder if you were worth the risk of attack. I know it will take a whitetail deer off their feet and lay them out right now. Other then a bear, I could not think of something you might encounter in the woods that you would not more then match for battle.

The other real beauty of the .45 ACP is the accuracy many of the pistols and revolvers display with that cartridge. We were shooting at some extreme distances with the .45 ACP and doing a real good job. My friend was fortunate enough to fall into a deal on an old Model 1911 that when you looked at the way the pistol fit together you doubted it would fire, but that was as smooth and accurate a piece, as I have ever fired.

I think for protection, you made a wise choice. I've seen people with the .44 mag and .41 mags and bigger, that could not hit a bull in the you know where because of the recoil of the handgun. I just wish the common sense fairy would have floated down and slapped me up side the head, the day I sold that Colt Combat Commander I owned. But what was offered at the time for exchange seemed like far too good a deal. Live and learn.

Enjoy your hand cannon.

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

While the .45 ACP doesn't post real big numbers in terms of energy, they have amazing knock-down. I have packed around a Series 70 Commander in my glovebox for about 30 years, and have shot quite a few critters with it - some of them pretty large. A guy I know shot a black bear through the door of his cabin about five years ago and killed it - with a 230 grain Speer Gold Dot. I suppose I would choose a .500 S & W revolver for an enraged grizzly, but the .45 ACP would make the top of my list for all around handguns.

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

First I admit to LOVING the 1911, I think if God had a pistol in mind this is what it looked like. But as for the stopping power of the ol warhorse 45, I think ALOT is left on the table. An old 'nam vet buddy of mine has an old bolt action pushbolt in 45acp and asked me to take it deer hunting last season. It has a 3x9x40 on it and he busts beer bottles at 100yds with it all day long, it is a great shooting little rifle. I bought a box of Corbon 245 +P hollow points for it and with about a 16"-18" barrel (can't remember now which it was) it should've yielded the most the hot Corbons had to offer. I setup in a bowstand and soon a little doe stood perfectly broadside at 15 yds and I easily put a big slug into her lungs.

She stumbled quickly to get her front gear back under her and then bounded away through the woods. I gave her awhile to wait and then proceeded to track her. The blood trail wasn't much to begin with and soon stopped, had the leaves not been ruffled and I am very familiar with that woodlot, I doubt I would've found her. She ran 250yds through the woods! I examined her and found a perfect shot, right through the lungs (no shoulder shot) but the bullet only went through her right lung and didn't go any farther. That is why she barely bled and was able to make it that far.

That right then told me that it is NOT a deer caliber. Sure I am sure it might stop a black bear and possibly even a grizz if you had to. Shooting animals behind the shoulder is far different than shooting them face on in the head! But personally I would rather have a .357 for such work than a .45acp. But for sure, the big slug would be better than nothing and better than a .38, 9mm or a 40 for a "stopping gun".

I wonder now if perhaps ball ammo wouldn't have done better? Perhaps more penetration and a hole completely through both lungs wouldn't have turned out better in my situation?
RA

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

Red - the folks I know who have taken deer with the .45 ACP all used ball ammo. Appears to be about as effective as an arrow . . .

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

There is no doubt about the ability of the 45 Auto to stop humane varmits. There are however better choices for defense agains big mean animal. I carry a 45 ACP as a defense weapon and I think its tops for that application. I would much rather have a 45 acp in the woods than no gun at all but a good 45 LC or 44 Mag revolver would suit me better. The 230 grain FMJ should give the best penetration.

RE: 45 acp s and w revolver
 

James B: I agree.

A .44 mag would cost bout the same, with a heck of alot more ammo options and stopping power