9mm and animal size

Southern Shoote · 06-30-2005, 09:12 AM

This is not specifically a hunting question but thought it could best be answered by those that did hunt often.

I have a Ruger P89 9mm that I carry for protection. I know that it is not near the best choice for protection in the woods but it is all I have. I wish to add a .357 magnum to my collection but can't afford to at the moment. My question is this...what would be the largest animal I could defend myself against with this caliber, 4 1/2" barrel length and a 15 round magazine, and average shot placement?

lefty o · 06-30-2005, 10:35 AM

while im not a big fan of the 9mm, it is capable of killing anything that walks on the face of this earth. at the same time it would most definately not be my choice if i were going to go for a walk amongst grizzly's.

Rockh0und · 07-02-2005, 09:16 AM

As far as defense goes, a 9mm should do fairly well. It makes plenty of noise and I'm sure it would hurt like hell if you got shot with it. That's enough to make most wild animals go look for a meal somewhere else.

georgeld · 07-15-2005, 10:17 PM

Amazing as it may seem. The 9 and .38's compared.
Same bullet, same powder charge, shorter case, more velocity. AND I'm the guy that ran 9's down as pipsqueek for years until one night while just reading the loading tables to occupy my mind. Hard to believe at first, had to get three more books out to make sure. I've not only learned diffferent, got an education at the same time. Even us old dogs can learn something new now and then as shocking as it may be.

For hunting back up, I use a Blackhawk .30 carbine as that's what I like and own. It's heavy, accurate, makes one H of a noise and penetrates impressively. A few yrs ago had to head shoot a cow elk that wasn't as dead as she looked when I got up close. With 110gr, blew her head apart at ten feet with a snap shot as it sure looked like she was trying to get me. Hit high and off to one side some over an inch. Busted the top of the skull pretty bad. No question about her being dead then.

I just got a .40, haven't shot it much and intend to carry this one also, or instead of. Depending on what's going on at the time. Will be my carry gun too, so I need to see what it'll do on flesh. Depends on the animal and witnesses that happen to be present as to what and how much testing I do.

Just got a 6 cavity Lee SWC mold a few days ago, am getting anxious to start casting up bullets for it and get a bucket full loaded so I can shoot it a bunch before hunting seasons start.

One time we were butchering two 1200# steers. Shot one in the head with the Ruger .30 carbine as Dad missed with a .22 mag pistol, his hit in the horn cavity. Very impressive the way it killed that beef. I swear his feet hit him in the belly before he ever started to go down. Never a twitch either. BUT: cut his head nearly off and only got half gallon of blood, by the time he was skinned and quartered might have been another half gallon. Couldn't have been much over a gallon total when he should have bled out more than three gallons.

I wasn't aware the meat cutter was p'd about it until I asked Tom why this one hadn't bled any more. "Because you killed him 'too dead' with that !!!!ed cannon pistol!!!"

Excuse me Tom, dead is dead right? "no, you stopped his heart, all that bloods stuck inside the meat". What we need is to kill their brain and have their heart still pumping so when we cut their throat all the blood will run out, makes better meat.
Needless to say the half I kept was from that one to make them happier. The meat was very good, we didn't notice anything different from any other meat. Both these steers were half angus/whiteface and had been pen fed 180 days on corn.

When we picked up the frozen/cut meat, Tom handed me the bullet. Had found it in the back half of the atlas joint. (first neck joint, where the head joins the neck) A full 11" penetration. That had to be 110gr Rem RN, 12.5gr either H110, or H4227 at 1215fps as that's the only loads I've ever used for this gun. Same load I shot that elk with, and other game animals both as killing and finish up shots. I've shot a couple deer with body shots with it over the years, but, that's all the animals I've shot with it other than a couple coyotes.

The way I feel, with a foot penetration at 20 feet range on a beef's head, that's more than enough. Don't know about anyone else, but, I'm still impressed with that. Now then, IF the .40 cal will equal it I'll sure be pleased and surprised.

George

06-30-2005, 09:12 AM	#1
Southern Shoote Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1	9mm and animal size This is not specifically a hunting question but thought it could best be answered by those that did hunt often. I have a Ruger P89 9mm that I carry for protection. I know that it is not near the best choice for protection in the woods but it is all I have. I wish to add a .357 magnum to my collection but can't afford to at the moment. My question is this...what would be the largest animal I could defend myself against with this caliber, 4 1/2" barrel length and a 15 round magazine, and average shot placement? Last edited by Southern Shoote; 07-06-2005 at 07:37 AM.

07-02-2005, 09:16 AM	#3
Rockh0und Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ozark Mountains, Arkansas Posts: 93	As far as defense goes, a 9mm should do fairly well. It makes plenty of noise and I'm sure it would hurt like hell if you got shot with it. That's enough to make most wild animals go look for a meal somewhere else. __________________ :gangster: The essence of war is violence. Moderation in war is imbecility - John Fisher

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06-30-2005, 10:35 AM	#2
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,546	while im not a big fan of the 9mm, it is capable of killing anything that walks on the face of this earth. at the same time it would most definately not be my choice if i were going to go for a walk amongst grizzly's.

07-15-2005, 10:17 PM	#4
georgeld Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 22	Amazing as it may seem. The 9 and .38's compared. Same bullet, same powder charge, shorter case, more velocity. AND I'm the guy that ran 9's down as pipsqueek for years until one night while just reading the loading tables to occupy my mind. Hard to believe at first, had to get three more books out to make sure. I've not only learned diffferent, got an education at the same time. Even us old dogs can learn something new now and then as shocking as it may be. For hunting back up, I use a Blackhawk .30 carbine as that's what I like and own. It's heavy, accurate, makes one H of a noise and penetrates impressively. A few yrs ago had to head shoot a cow elk that wasn't as dead as she looked when I got up close. With 110gr, blew her head apart at ten feet with a snap shot as it sure looked like she was trying to get me. Hit high and off to one side some over an inch. Busted the top of the skull pretty bad. No question about her being dead then. I just got a .40, haven't shot it much and intend to carry this one also, or instead of. Depending on what's going on at the time. Will be my carry gun too, so I need to see what it'll do on flesh. Depends on the animal and witnesses that happen to be present as to what and how much testing I do. Just got a 6 cavity Lee SWC mold a few days ago, am getting anxious to start casting up bullets for it and get a bucket full loaded so I can shoot it a bunch before hunting seasons start. One time we were butchering two 1200# steers. Shot one in the head with the Ruger .30 carbine as Dad missed with a .22 mag pistol, his hit in the horn cavity. Very impressive the way it killed that beef. I swear his feet hit him in the belly before he ever started to go down. Never a twitch either. BUT: cut his head nearly off and only got half gallon of blood, by the time he was skinned and quartered might have been another half gallon. Couldn't have been much over a gallon total when he should have bled out more than three gallons. I wasn't aware the meat cutter was p'd about it until I asked Tom why this one hadn't bled any more. "Because you killed him 'too dead' with that !!!!ed cannon pistol!!!" Excuse me Tom, dead is dead right? "no, you stopped his heart, all that bloods stuck inside the meat". What we need is to kill their brain and have their heart still pumping so when we cut their throat all the blood will run out, makes better meat. Needless to say the half I kept was from that one to make them happier. The meat was very good, we didn't notice anything different from any other meat. Both these steers were half angus/whiteface and had been pen fed 180 days on corn. When we picked up the frozen/cut meat, Tom handed me the bullet. Had found it in the back half of the atlas joint. (first neck joint, where the head joins the neck) A full 11" penetration. That had to be 110gr Rem RN, 12.5gr either H110, or H4227 at 1215fps as that's the only loads I've ever used for this gun. Same load I shot that elk with, and other game animals both as killing and finish up shots. I've shot a couple deer with body shots with it over the years, but, that's all the animals I've shot with it other than a couple coyotes. The way I feel, with a foot penetration at 20 feet range on a beef's head, that's more than enough. Don't know about anyone else, but, I'm still impressed with that. Now then, IF the .40 cal will equal it I'll sure be pleased and surprised. George