sw 40 for hunting whitetail Deer?

In a survival situation, a hot .40S&W is good. Think, if a bow is used to harvest deer and produces 275ftlbs, a .40S&W should have no problem with its 450ftlbs. A .40S&W also has much more penetration. I'm going to be TD for this, but .38super has taken 2 deer under my belt, both clean kills at 30 and 40 yards. The first went 50-70 yards, the second went even less.

People used to use .22LR to hunt deer before laws were placed. Keep in mind most survival rifles are in .22LR.

As an experienced handgun hunter, I estimate that from actual results in the field on real deer, I would get acceptable kills using the heavier JHP bullets on broadside lung hits out to 50 yards on large whitetails, but not Canadian size.

Anyone who can hit an 8 inch paper plate at a particular distance, can reliably take deer at that distance. And a 1/2 inch wound channel through the lungs is necessary for humane putdown, which the described ordnance has at that 50 yard distance.

Check with local authorities for legality of whatever you are considering using on what game species. Note that the fact that the 40 S&W larger bullet has about the same killification modulus as a 357 which has ~20% more energy, but simple muzzle energy is the law in most fiefdoms.

Those that worship at the muzzle energy altar haven't killed deer. I personally consider Jeff Cooper's .40/200/1000 suggestion as appropriate. No less than .40 caliber, no less than 200 grains, no less than 1000 fps. I have killed several deer with rounds that equal this "200,000" power factor, bullet weight times velocity. For example a .45 ACP Speer Lawman, 200 grain at 950 fps, Remington Golden Saber 185 grain at 1060 fps. A good .357 Magnum 158 grain at 1260 fps. Bullet construction is the other element to keep in mind. Most self defense rounds are designed to limit penetration. This requires you to limit the presentations you are willing to take a shot at, much like bow hunting. A double lung shot deer isn't going far. If you expect to punch through a shoulder on the way to the vitals, buy custom ammo like Buffalo Bore or Double tap loaded with hard cast semi-wad cutter or LBT (truncated cone) bullets. Handgun hunting requires a level of skill foreign to most once a year rifle hunters. Regular practice in standing, kneeling, brace seated and even prone aren't out of the question. Use of shooting sticks can be added to these if you hunt in brush or tall grass as standing may be your only option. Larry in an earlier post hit it spot on: an 8 inch paper plate is an acceptable reference. Hit it routinely with 5 rounds out of 6 at 50 or more yards from field practice positions and you'll be confident of success at a more typical 35 to 45 yards on real deer. Of course, check local laws. Most states have liberalized the old " must be a straight wall pistol cartridge as long or longer than a .357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, etc and producing some arbitrary amount of muzzle energy or remaining energy at some distance. If I were to advise you, I'd suggest a .41 Magnum with a 4 to 8 inch barrel and adjustable sights for deer if you get the bug to handgun hunt on a regular basis. The Ruger Blackhawk is the least expensive, quality revolver that come to mind, followed by a Taurus Tracker in .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum. Use .44 Special or .38 Special loads for practice if you don't reload. Of course you must use Kentucky windage for light loads and/or readjust you sights for hunting loads.

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Too small and weak for four-legged critters. The .357 Magnum revolver is better but only at short range. Glock makes a hunter in 10mm and you can even order the 6" barrel from Glock for it. This is a much better choice. The .45 acp and .40 S&W are good defense against two-legged predators but poor against muscular and heavier boned critters like deer, boar and bear.

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In some states anyhow, the .40 is considered too low power to hunt deer. Most states require a .357 Magnum minimum to hunt deer.

It is not the ideal hunting round. However, it will kill a deer. I don't know why people are saying it will not. Police officers trust their lives with that round. Plenty of people have been killed up to 50 yards with that round. A properly placed bullet will kill a deer.

That said, I wouldn't use it because there are too many pistol rounds that would do a better job.

Maybe if you're really close * <10 yards * and have perfect shot placement.

If you want a .40 caliber semi to hunt with, look into 10mm.

Most handgun cartridges are waaaaayyyyy underpowered for hunting. And I'd say the .40s&w is one of them.

Hunt like a normal person, and bring a shotgun or a rifle.

At 10-20yds with proper rounds and well placed shot it will do the job but,its not that good of a choice for deer. Chances are you will see deer at 100-200yds and wish for a good 30-06 rifle with scope.

Why use a round that has questionable power, when you have tons of rounds that can drop a deer from hundreds of yards out? "Don't fix it if it ain't broken"