Looking for a semi-auto handgun for hunting

Fist off. Hello members!

Like to get a semi-auto handgun for deer hunting and to use for woods carry, kill two birds with one stone. I was wondering if a 10mm, 45 Super, etc. would be a good round out to 50 yards or so.

Would the 10mm be better due to the sectional density?

I had read a guy living on Kodiak island AK, him and his wife both carry the 460 Rowland , I believed in the 1911 platform.

Welcome to the site. The 10mm will do what you want as will the 460. Shot placement is everything though. Pick the most accurate gun you can get. There are far better choices than a semi though.

No personal experience but I read lots of stories about the use of the 10mm. Ted Nugent is one who stands out as an advocate of the Glock in 10mm if that helps any.

A semi is not the ultimate hunting handgun. With that said, they do make a fine choice. I pack a Sig 1911 5" in 45 Super. I prefer it over the 10mm due to greater bore diameter. I run my 200 gr loads at 1285 fps with Power Pistol. They group 1" at 25 yards. I personally would never consider a 460 Rowland over a 45 Super.

My choice of hunting handgun is a Ruger Hunter SBH in 45 Colt. It is a very fine weapon.

Thank you for the welcome Gary!

I have a 4-5/8 River Colt, just wanted a duel purpose semi for hunting and a woods gun.

I've read that people have loaded the 45 Super up to 460 levels in the 460 Rowland. I have a buddy the put acura rails on a 1911 45 Super and is shooting 4 inch groups at 50 yards off the bench. Most woods hunting shot in reality are around 25 or so yards so the 10mm would be good, but the 460 you can shoot the 45 acp, 45 super and the 460 out of the same barrel.


On your SIG are you running it with a comp?

No sir, no comp. I installed the Wolff Delta Elite spring kit & rocked on. The entire conversion cost me $12 plus the brass.

I really don't think SD plays a role in handgun hunting bullets.

Definitely not when shooting less than 50 yards ;-)

For the cost of some brass and a spring, the 45 Super would do all one would need for 50 yard deer. Heck, I wouldn't feel impotent @ 50 yards with but a maxed out 45 ACP in my 1911. The more I look at the Super, the more interested I get. No flies on the 10mm either, but then I'd need a new gun.

The upcoming issue of AMERICAN HANDGUNNER will have a feature on 10mm hunting pistols. There are several good choices on the 1911 platform plus the Glock and EAA Witness Hunter. A few weeks ago I shot some hogs in Texas using Buffalo Bore 220 gr. loads and they worked like a charm. Good luck on your quest.

A 1911 in 45 Super is a fine pistol, no doubt. I concentrated on obtaining a very accurate 1911 and then finding a good accurate load that would give the 45 Colt a good run for the money. This can be done with the 1911 in 45ACP either with regular ACP brass, the Starline +P brass or the expensive Super brass.

You can get good velocities reloading with 230 grain bonded/255 grain or 265 grain cast bullets or you can purchase Buffalo Bore 255 grain cast commercial ammo that flies right at 950/975 fps from a non-tricked out 1911 with 5" barrel.

You can install an oversized firing pin stop along with a heavier recoil spring and up the ante a little with your "stock" 1911 if you want to match the 45 Colt up to a 265 grain cast bullet flying at 1,050 fps or a little more. Not much that you can't do with that 1911 if you place your well constructed bullet in the right location.

I like the .45 Super myself, some of my favorite handloads are a 255gr SWC Keith style at 1,100 fps for a general purpose load, a 250gr Hornady XTP at 1,300 fps does well and expands nicely or a 255gr BT WFNGC at 1,200-1,300 fps when you want speed and a wide meplat.

I've ran 300gr LFNGC's to over 1150 fps in the .45 Super too, from a 5" comped Glock. You can push the .45 ACP bullets fast, real fast really but that's not a good idea when you've got tougher .45 Colt style JHP's and hardcasts that will serve the purpose better.

Can't really say much about the 10mm, I've had several and didn't think that much of them, but some love them. I like the Super because you get bigger, heavier bullets at a good speed, and with a well supported (and comped) barrel it can mimic the 460 Rowland level loads.

I been really thinking on the 45 super, I have read with the acc u rails the 45 super is a really accurate shooting handgun and smooth.

Ones who are shooting the 45 super, what platform are you using?

Here's a few pics of my setup, a Gen4 G21 with KKM 4 port compensated barrel. Shoots well as you can see with the picture below of a 4 shot group shot at about 15yds using handloads.

I carry one of two semi-autos every time I go in the woods. A Glock 20SF loaded with either 180 grain Nosler JHP's or 190 grain WFNGC's. The 180's are traveling at 1320 fps. and the 190's will do 1335 fps. from the 6" KKM barrel.





The other is a Colt 1911 with a Clark 460 Rowland conversion kit. This gun carries either 185 grain Nolser JHP's at 1490 fps., or 230 grain FNGC's at 1335 fps. Accuracy is very good with both loads.

First off welcome!

Now IMHO

I have used the .45 super and the .460 Rowland. The Rowland is a clear stop above the 10MM and the .45 Super in power.

Now to disect your query.
You specificaly named deer as your quarry. The 10MM, .45 Super and .460 Rowland will all cleanly take deer at 50 yards provided you put the bullet where it is supposed to go. I hunt with revolvers most of the time but I am becoming much more attached to the .460 Rowland. When set up properly it doesn't beat a gun to death. It uses many bullets that are already used for hunting in the .45 Colt. The 250XTP and the 265gr Beartooth cast bullet are both outstanding in the Rowland.

Something to remember if setting up a .460 Rowland is not to skimp. I watched some guys on another forum destroy guns trying to run Rowland power witout fully modifying the gun to take it. Running one without a proper comp is suicide for your gun. One guy that I repeatedly tried to get to go ahead and get a real Rowland conversion split the frame on a Glock 21. The purpose of the comp aside from recoil reduction is to keep the slide and frame locked until the pressure spike has started retreating. Simply stufffing a heavier spring in it wont do it. Yes you can build a super that way successfully but a Rowland opperates with another 12,000psi when loaded to potential. When loaded in this manner the .460 Rowland is capible of generating 1100ftlbs. Well above most factory loaded .44 magnum ammo until you start using specialty stuff like Garretts or Buffalo Bore.

The .45 Super, .460 Rowland and 10MM are all capible of very good accuracy. This is dependent on the quality of the loads and gun.
Doe shot at 50 yards:

5 shot group at 25 yards

Here are the seating lengths need with some of the bullets I ahve tried in it.