40cal. rifle for deer and small game

[foxriver50]

just had to ask. when I used to wach hunting shows ,till I noticed I was getting sucked in to "the got to have it to be a hunter" way of thinking,  I never saw a dressed animal. I figuerd it was for the camra.

[Red Badger]

Nope that was for the public... we don't want to show little Johnny and Susie all the gore of field dressing and work that goes into the safe preparation of wild game.  Might traumatize them and then the network or the producers would be sued for all those Shrink and counseling session bills... or show a little blood and set some maniac off on a shooting spree....

PIETA wants to ban all these shows, but shore does not mind  those "Wale Wars" type shows showing us being mean to other humans who are not living hand in hand with our brother animals....

Now back to topic -

A while back someone who is no longer here did post a valid point - Our forefathers had usually one rifle/musket to hunt and protect themselves and their family with so the caliber they used was a constant.  It therefore follows that -

1. They did not shoot different species based on the caliber or the firearm they carried (ie no grizzly bear with a .32)
or
2. The were extremely familiar with this tool(the firearm), knew the properties of the animal, and had the patience to do the job right the first time...

I personally think that number 2 is the answer but might be wrong as nature would have weeded out the ones who chose option number 1...

[Ironwood]

When I was a young kid of about 8 or 9 my Grandpa let me kill the hog he had been fattening up to butcher.  The hog was in a small pen.  My Grandpa put his finger on the spot he wanted me to hit with the rifle.  After he stepped out of the little pen he said "go ahead".  At the shot the hog simple fell over and kicked a few times as my grandfather found the jugular vein with his knife.  The rifle I was using?  It was my grandpa's single shot .22 rimfire.  I think the ammo was a .22 Long.

You know if a small bullet like that will do the job, a roundball of twice the size and weight will do the job just as well.  When well placed.

[tatonka11]

I agree no. 2 right answer,if they did't they'd be mighty hungry or worse

[Micanopy]

85lbs ...wow...
biggest deer Ive go was a 210lbs doe...dresed            do you Texans way yer deer dresed?

Some times, mostly we process them and eat them. Our whitetail, like most southern subspecie of whitetail, are not as large as their northern kin as they dont need the body mass to fight colder winters. However since we have near 4 million of them pesky fender bustin pain in the neck critters, we get to shoot more of them.

[Osceola Bill]

I have shot 32, 40, 45, 50, and 54 caliber smoke poles and find the 40's to be accurate to a fault. My neighbors wife competes over in North Carolina with a 40 and am glad she does not shoot at me. It is shot placement regardless that gets it done and a 40 leaves a lot more rabbit when you find nothing else. Sneak up close and don't miss. The head shot from a canoe trick  mentioned by our friend is not legal in Alabama except to  shoot snakes. You will  love shooting the forty and from a stand a conical will get it done, if you do your part.

[roundball]

You will  love shooting the forty and from a stand a conical will get it done, if you do your part.

Always thought it would make a .40cal a lot more attractive if there was a commercially available .40cal conical readily available.

I used T/C's .45cal/255grn Maxi-"Hunter" for a couple of years long ago...essentially twice the weight of the .440"/128grn ball...extremely accurate and devastating on deer out of their 1:48" twist barrels.

A .40cal conical about twice the weight of it's .395"/92grn ball...ie: 180grns would make the .40cal much more versatile...with a good OP wad the accuracy should be pretty good even in a deep groove rifle with that 1:48" twist...

[texasranger]

don't see anything wrong with a 40 cal. if you are good with it and the distance is not past say 75 yards. I would prefer a 50 cal. myself just because of the ball weight and longer distance I could put a deer down.

[Rocklock]

I have shot 3 deer with a .40 RB flintlock  w 75 gr FFg.  One the buck was slightly quartering to me.  Did not penetrate the rib cage but broke a couple of ribs and lodged in the hind quarter.  I know, but I was shooting a RH flinter left handed trying to get into the chest cavity thru the neck hole.  Trailed him 6 hours and got a broadside shot at just under 40 yds.  Still went about 125 yards w heart lung placement.  Ball did not exit.

Other 2 were spine/neck shots and they dropped in their tracks.  Rested and shooting rt handed.

Now that I have larger bore flintlocks I will not use the .40 on deer again, even these great dane sized deer in Central Texas.  Soooo my answer is that a .40 will do it if that is all you have.  Don't expect an exit wound to aid in trailing.  If building a gun primarily for deer, I would choose a .50.
TC

[Hanshi]

My preference for deer is a .45 or a .50 prb.  Both have proven quick and deadly on more than a few, for me.  I've never killed a deer with a .40 prb but wouldn't hesitate to do so.  Depending on the outcome I might or might not continue using it.  Some have reported killing lots of deer with the .40 prb and even getting full penetration.  Still, I can't help but think of the .40 as being marginal for that use.

[pathfinder]

I don't lie; never have.  I did lie once just to see what it felt like. 

so ! how`d it feel ?

It felt......it felt.....well, exhilarating!   

Kinda made me feel like voting democrate,came to my senses very fast though!

[Wild Ed]

Both of my daughters killed their first deer with a muzzleloader when they were seven.  One with a little Traditions halfstock in .36 and one with a TC Cherokee in .32.  Both were clean kills taken from less than thirty yards away in a blind.  I did load the .32 with a maxiball.  Neither doe dropped in her tracks, but both fell in sight.  Sometimes I think we overgun to compensate for bullet placement and range.  JMHO  

Here is a link to an article I wrote on picking a caliber.  It concerns modern rifles but you might enjoy it.  ET
http://wildedtx.blogspot.com/2011/10/picking-proper-caliber-for-your-game.html

[Hanshi]

I've been out with the .40 during deer season but no shots came my way.

[flintboomer]

My experience with the .40 as a deer rifle was not good.
Deer #1 was a mule deer doe and it took 3 shots to finish her off. The first shot was a little too far back and did not do the job. Shot #2 was with 70 gr at 15 yds and stopped on the shoulder blade without penetrating any further. Shot #3 was a head shot and finished the job.
Deer #2 was a yearling doe and I shot her high but stopped her because I hit the spine and finished her with another head shot.
I have not used the .40 on deer since that time.