September 19th, 2022
9minute read
He galloped in pursuit until my good steed [brought me] alongside…. Custer needed both hands to control his horse.
Eventually Alexis got the hang of it, reportedly killing eight buffalo, cripples omitted.
Market hunters used shoulder arms.
For general hunting, wrote Cody to Winchester, I pronounce [your 1873 rifle]the boss.
The 1873 held 15 of Winchesters first centerfire cartridge.
Other companies picked it up.
Sam Colt so chambered his Single Action Army revolver too.
Fired by bandits and lawmen, the .44-40 cut a wide swath in the rowdy West.
It also served hunters.
Blunt lead bullets set practical shot limits at 100 yards or so.
The .44-40 reached that far with 500 ft-lbs.
During the 1890s, smokeless loads in the likes of the .30-30 and .303 Savage gave hunters more zip.
By the 1920s, buffalo hunts were history.
Repeating carbines had buried heavy single-shot rifles.
According to the tale in a 1948 issue ofOutdoor Life, they soon came upon grizzly prints.
Rounding up most of the stock, they were forced by a storm to finish the job on snowshoes.
Tracks led to a carcass.
The grizzly was on them in a rush.
Two-Pony fired twice before he was flung a dozen feet by a flailing paw.
His partner caught a blow to the face as he lunged for the revolver.
Suddenly the bear was all teeth, gums and eyes.
Some other hand must have aimed … and pulled the trigger, he recalled.
Upon finding his partner dead, so did the bleeding cowhand.
He would later learn his bullet had entered the bears chin and driven up into the brain.
Elmer Keiths post-war hunting exploits with handguns have been colorfully recorded.
He found a .44 Special with 18.5 grains of 2400 powder effective on game as big as elk.
The Other Option?
Autoloaders havent been so blessed.
Still, modern ammunition makes them much more capable than they were even 40 years ago.
Bullets for the .45 ACP are .452 in diameter, those for the 10mm .400.
Remington offers the .40 with165-grain JHPs to 1150 fps.
They pack 480 ft-lbs, which Winchester claims with its 165-grain Defender load.
Winchesters 155-grain Silvertip HP eclipses the 500-ft-lbs mark.
BHA stokes 115-grain Honey Badgers to 1325 fps, for 448 ft-lbs.
Killing power cant be distilled to foot-pounds, more easily hiked by velocity than by mass.
Big, heavy bullets make reliably big entry holes and carry more momentum into bones.
For hunting, Keith preferred his .44 Special loads to .357 Magnum ammo.
At speeds throttled by the length and strength of handguns, his reasoning makes sense.
Some loads for big-bore autos land deer-killing punch.
Why pick an auto over a revolver?
Well, autos hold more bullets.
Self-loaders lie flat, which can be an advantage in packing a handgun, especially for chest-carry.
Thats the best place if you need the pistol to defend yourself.
On the ground, you could still reach your chest.
I like Galcos Great Alaskan chest holster.
A custom version from Falco (yes, just one letter different) also tops my list.
Both keep the pistol secure, handy and easily shielded by your jacket or rain gear from weather.
Autos can be fitted with any sight.
A red-dot is as easily installed on a slide as on a top-strap.
But to shoot far, youll probably want the reach of a cartridge best suited to revolvers or single-shots.
Pistols like XDs and 1911s from Springfield Armory cycle with sunrise certainty.
I have a 10mm XD-M Elite with a 3.8-inch barrel, an 11-shot magazine in its short grip.
The Hex Dragonfly red dot sight adds little bulk but affords more precise aim.
Its also faster than iron sights against poorly defined targets.
With both, bullet upset is desirable, penetration a must.
Round-nose FMJs cut long channels but can wander.
While the 10mm has a ballistic edge, .45 aficionados need not apologize.
The .45s long tenure has brought it a cornucopia of useful loads.
Velocities for these were taken from 4 14 to 5 12-inch barrels:
Winchester carbine.
These figures are from 5- and 5 12-inch barrels:
These are just a sampling from major ammo makers.
Barnes also stokes its 185-grain +P Tac-XP bullet to 1000 fps.
A notable outlier is the 135-grain Black Hills Honey Badger.
This fluted copper bullet exits at 1250 fps with 448 ft-lbs.
It drives straight, burrows deep, leaves a cavity of surprising diameter.
To my mind, the .45 ACP is a 75-yard cartridge.
Less, and More
The 10mm extends effective reach.
I initially doubted the 10mm XD-M Elite would be fun to fire.
A range session, however, changed my mind.
The XD-Ms double-stack magazine bumped grip dimensions up to fit my hand perfectly.
Excellent balance gives this pistol a nose for the target.
Federal, Hornady and Winchester loads cycled perfectly.
At 25 yards, three of five holes touched in a triangle that corralled four shots inside 1.4 inches.
(Yes, I nudged the fifth out!)
These figures are from 5- and 5 12-inch barrels:
Other companies catalog 10mm Auto loads.
Remingtons 180-grain FMJ clocks 1150 fps, Winchesters 180 FMJ flat-nose 1080.
Winchester also offers a 175-grain Silvertip HP at 1200 fps, and a 180 Defender at a 1240.
A stand-out is BHAs recent 115-grain Honey Badger load at a scorching 1664 fps.
Conclusion
Not long ago, a man with a revolver and a rifle in .44 W.C.F.
was well armed, a formidable foe and a hunter of means.
In handguns, the .45 ACP ably supplants the .44-40 and 19th-century .45 Colt loads.
The 10mm Auto can bring a bit more game-killing punch on slightly flatter arcs.
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