What can a 40 S&W do?

The cartridge has been the brunt of jokes such as short and weak among other things but what is it capable of? I have killed numerous deer with it and have been well satisfied. Recently I went to pick up a skull mounted 10pt that I killed with my 41 Hunter. Next door to the deer processor another buddy runs a processor that does cattle and hogs. The owner came over because the buildings are connected and told us we might want to go out the front door and stay. They had an enraged 2000 lbs bull that the owners wanted slaughtered. They have their kill gun so once he was in the kill pen they would dispatch him. The pen is built for animals up to 1400 lbs and this one was 600 lbs over that. I told them if they were that afraid of him I had my Glock 23 and would try to get him off of them if he broke out. They were nervous. The guy operating the gate was ready to drop it and run once the monster was in the pen.I was at the door in the front of the kill room gun in hand.

As expected the bull ran in, they drooped the gate and he began trying to get at everyone. He would have destroyed the pen. His back was as high as my head. They shot him in the head twice with the kill gun to no effect. It further enraged him. 10 year old bulls have very thick skulls. I asked Joey if he wanted my pistol to which I got an emphatic yes. He got at the front of the pen and finally was able to line up the bulls head between the steel bars and shoot. At the shot he hit the ground.

So what did we learn? The minuscule .40 when called upon can and will penetrate thick dense bone. Obviously one of my big boomers would have been better but when you have to utilize the items at hand it is nice to know they they work.

Cool story. It's the tool you have, not the one you want. What bullets were you shooting to get good penetration on the skull? Where did it hit?

I have always said ,It's not what you have at home, it's what you have at hand that going to settle the fight, [four legged or two]. proper placement and a bullet that gets to where it needs to be.

Center skull just above the eyes with the bulls head down. 180gr Winchester white box. In my ballistic buffalo there are several bullets that out penetrate that bullet. The 165 Sierra generally penetrates 20% to 25% deeper.

Growing up, every steer that we slaughtered, was brain shot with a 30/30...never had any issues. Plus, there's a difference between point blank to the brain and 30 yards to the heart.....use what you have, but I wouldn't pick the 40 S&W for a Brown Bear hunt 😉 Either....a 22 Magnum will penetrate most skulls too, but a bull that big, I'd definitely rather have the 40

They were using high velocity 22 LR which they use all the time. The bone was so hard it dented it. The 40 Wouldn't be my first choice for a brownie either. lol

I know exactly where you are coming from...I'd take a 40 S&W any day over the stick that we all carried when working cows...I've had to jump the corral panels more times than I can count.

Last time I had a mad bull in close proximity Dad floored him with a Louisville Slugger. Registered Jersey bull as mean as hell, but the old man was just as mean when you got him stirred up. I was eight years old and as scared of that bull as a possum is an axe handle !

To the subject of the OP, I sometimes call it the .40 Short & Weak too, but it?s what I carry everyday on my hip.

Thanks for the story. I carry the .40 and also have a G23. I've reloaded the .40 quite a bit and with a good barrel like a KKM, I've ran 180gr past 1200 fps and 200gr hardcast (WFN montana bullet works and 200gr wfngc from beartooth) to just over 1150 fps from the G23. I've killed smaller animals with it but nothing as big as that bull and would certainly have no issues using it to hunt deer or pig.

We've had to put down several animals over the years. Needless to say, I don't even like using a 22 magnum. I've seen cows take more than two in the head at point blank range and not be affected.

Quickest kill I've ever seen was two slaughter cows with 115 grain fmj from a 9mm. Lights out instantly.

I'll take anything over a 22 for slaughter work. It works when it works, but when it doesn't, [censored] gets real.

It is according to the type of bullet you shoot in it. I shot a spike buck with our carry hp load that had been hit with a vehicle from about 10 feet in head and the bullet did not go through his head. it killed him but i was surprised it did not exit. I have saw 9mm bullets with same type shots exit. So watch what type of projectile you are shooting and match it to what you are shooting at to make it work.It will work with the right conditions.

Very true. I have tested bullets for years. There is no doubt that some service rounds would fail to exit. If I may ask which load do you carry in the .40?

I am pretty sure it was winchester 180 gr SXT LE edition.