.45 for woods carry. Does bullet type matter at all?

[ClangClang]

I recently stumbled across a good deal on a like-new FNX .45 ACP and being that I have poor impulse control, I snapped it up. It is now my biggest (both size and caliber, haha) handgun and it will be my woods carry gun for bow season this winter in CO. A .44mag or other "real" woods gun simply isn't in the budget, but then again, we don't have any real bear threat down here. (Side note - I'm just an apprentice hunter. I will be tagging along with buddies while they attempt to fill their elk tags. I'm along for the ride and hoping to learn something).

So back to bullet choice - I've been doing a bunch of research and reading to pick an appropriate cartridge and it seems to be pretty much split down the middle. About half of what I read favors something like a hardcast SWC or something with a prominent cutting shoulder, and the other half of what I read seems to favor a standard personal defense round like a JHP. I can't find real consensus, nor any real science to sway me one direction or the other.

So... does it really matter at all? At this point I'm just going to arbitrarily pick 3 or 4 different boxes of whatever I find that is heavy, +P, and $1/round or lower. Then just stock up on the cartridge that shoots the best.

Someone convince me that I really should go SWC or JHP. Or something else entirely?

 

[theleo91386]

It's just a matter of two different beliefs. Some guys value the large relatively shallow wound of a hollow point to transfer energy as fast as possible and other guys like the narrower deeper wound of the SWC. If your worried about two legged critters use the JHP, if it's four legged go with the SWC. The SWC gives you a better chance of reaching a critical organ with poor shot placement, in theory.

 

[Dameon]

I use my 1911 for the same thing. My personal preference is the Underwood 185 grain +P Hornady XTP jacketed hollow point rated at 1200 fps. The Hornady XTP is designed for controlled expansion to allow for deeper penetration and Underwood really packed a wallop in the round. To me, it seems like the perfect middle ground between something like a Federal HST and hardcast SWC.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I use my 1911 for the same thing. My personal preference is the Underwood 185 grain +P Hornady XTP jacketed hollow point rated at 1200 fps. The Hornady XTP is designed for controlled expansion to allow for deeper penetration and Underwood really packed a wallop in the round. To me, it seems like the perfect middle ground between something like a Federal HST and hardcast SWC.

I use the same

 

[ClangClang]

OK, yeah, that's what I figured. I'm probably leaning towards the XTP or a similar variant as it's pretty good for both 2 and 4 legged critters. And where we'll be is so desolate and also so exposed (virtually no tree cover at all), I don't expect to run into anyone or anything other than my hunting party.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

I use my 1911 for the same thing. My personal preference is the Underwood 185 grain +P Hornady XTP jacketed hollow point rated at 1200 fps. The Hornady XTP is designed for controlled expansion to allow for deeper penetration and Underwood really packed a wallop in the round. To me, it seems like the perfect middle ground between something like a Federal HST and hardcast SWC.

Just for the sake of playing devil's advocate, be aware that taking a lighter-for-caliber expanding bullet and driving it faster than what it was perhaps designed for raises serious risk of it acting like a varmint round and will not penetrate very well. Great if varmints are the threat. But, if you're carrying for the small chance of bear, but bear it could be, penetration is priority number one.

Here's some food for thought: American Hunter | Alaska Outfitter Defends Fishermen from Raging Grizzly with 9mm Pistol
The guide is a regular poster (goes by "458 Win") on a few other forums and he's long been a strong advocate of hardcast lead for bear, as does just about all who've downed bear with handguns. They don't claim a strong expanding bullet will fail, but they trust their lives to hardcast and that says a lot.

 

[hodgeman]

Food for thought.... make sure your pistol will feed whatever bullet you choose. I've had a couple 45s that wouldn't feed anything but ball ammo reliably. No experience with the FN, but other manufacturers for sure.

 

[mtswampfox]

Food for thought.... make sure your pistol will feed whatever bullet you choose. I've had a couple 45s that wouldn't feed anything but ball ammo reliably. No experience with the FN, but other manufacturers for sure.

Like that info. A gunsmith can polish a feed ramp and throat a chamberbto improve the odds of perfect feeding. A good magazine helps too

 

[xrangerx]

I would take a .45 loaded with whatever I felt was needed for my area. No Bear threat where you are would push me to use JHP as bears are all I would feel the need for deep penetration in CO. But you could check out Underwood ammo, they have some innovative designs and if I was going to use a .45 here I would give their hard cast flat nose a shot

 

[Randle]

X2 underwood penetrater My son shot it into wood rounds and got 14 in penetration with 9mm
Underwood Ammo | Ammunition | Bulk Ammo | 10mm | Xtreme Penetrator

 

[aclawrence]

I would think a 45acp is just too slow to get good penetration on a bear. You definitely can't argue its success on two legged critters though.

 

[GKPrice]

Food for thought.... make sure your pistol will feed whatever bullet you choose. I've had a couple 45s that wouldn't feed anything but ball ammo reliably. No experience with the FN, but other manufacturers for sure.

what Hodgeman says trumps anything having to do with loads, expanding bullets or velocities as the FIRST concern - 230 grain round nose LEAD is always a relatively safe bet for the 1911 and shoot at least 100 rounds through it, 200 would be better, before depending in it for a potential DEFENSE weapon

 

[Himark]

You would have to check but i think the fnx is rated for 45 super it was originally designed for a 1911 with a heavier spring and buffer. I carry a xd tatical comact with a heaver spring and 185 barnes that average about 1460 they are handloads but there are factory 45 super loads in the 1300's if you are worried about bears. The factory 45 supers are about even with a 10mm.

 

[Laelkhunter]

If you are still looking for suggestions, how about staggering 230 FMJ and a +P 230 hollow point in the mag? Have a FMJ in the chamber, next round would be a HP, then a FMJ, etc. Multiple shots will probably be fired in a situation anyway, so you will have an expanding bullet and a deep penetrating FMJ going downrange.

 

[The John]

Personally I prefer cast bullets for 4 legged critters.

 

[5shot]

An HP isn't likely to do much in the way of expansion on a bear. It is going to get plugged up with hair and fat on the way to the vitals.