.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.

 

[Brock63]

if carrying for 2 legged threats or smaller thinner skinned non-dangerous then JHP self defense ammo is fine. In elk country I would carry something with more penetration and energy like the Buffalo Bore 45 +P Outdoorsman...you can shoot it in your FNX without any spring changes. That will give you a bit more velocity and energy with a solid cast flat nosed bullet that is made to penetrate and stay together for maximum damange.......and I consider prudent for defense against hungry black bear, mountain lion, grizzly....who heard the gun shot dinner bell ring and tries to beat you to kill or if packing out comes in while field dressing or returning for second load on your backs. If you get the Wolf or DPM spring kits....can shoot the 45 Super...IF...a big IF...you are able to shoot it accurately. I would recommend sticking with +P ammo with proper bullet construction for now until more experienced and confident. It will penetrate plenty .....if you put it where it counts.

 

[Justin (Raz) Rasmussen]

A few of the handgun against bear failures that I have been able to find have been .45 with hollow points. Now, those are griz so take that for what it is. I have no idea which particular flavor of hollow points they were.

My buddy Ty has a Bison Ranch, he had to put a calf Bison down. He shot it point Blank in the head with .45 FMJ. None of the 4 rounds he fired penetrated the skull. Likely because it was young and the skull still has some give to it until fully developed. That plus they were cheap range ammo out of a short barrel.

With that info here is my recommendation:

If you are going to choose .45 it probably should be +p out of a full size gun.

If its me and I have to potentially bet my life, I'm choosing a solid like a G9 woodsman or Underwood hard cast. I'm also shooting a bunch of whatever I choose to be sure its feeds and fires 100% reliably.

 

[Brock63]

agree...hollow points are poor choice for things with lots of fur, fat, skin and heavy bone.... Even the FMJ is just copper over solid lead...do good in ballistics gel but not against hard bone like forehead of bull or shoulder of grizzly.
NEarly all JHPs have problems with 2-legged critters in winter time with puffy jackets, leather jackets, hoodies and stuff all layered up...
Yeah, I think +P is minimum in big cat or bear country with any load 9mm, 357mag, 40/10mm), 44 Sp/Mag, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, etc.
Also agree that whatever you choose...would put minimum of 100 rounds through your weapon to be sure will feed and extract 100% reliably.....and that you can shoot and hit what you intend....and that biggest hardcast bullets that you can shoot effectively with as many as you can pump out before it dies or you die. LOL

 

[Thegman]

There's never a shortage of speculation, but it's hard to definitively say what bullet would work "best" for bear defense because there's not that much data on various bullets and use cases. I'd look to what handgun hunters prefer for large animals as they have the most experience with what's effective. That would generally be some type of FN/SWC hardcast bullet. Those at least seem to have the least questions about their effectiveness.