9mm for small game?

[upstate88]

I am looking at a Ruger PCC9 as I shoot 9mm a lot and do not own a .22 anymore. Has anyone ever hunted small game with a 9mm and if so what kind of ammo should I be looking at?

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[Medic!]

I bring 12-15 thousand rounds when I go to Montana.
Cost aside. That's a lot of weight to pack around.

That, and I just don't think it would be as fun as a 22.

 

[Alexx1401]

I am looking at a Ruger PCC9 as I shoot 9mm a lot and do not own a .22 anymore. Has anyone ever hunted small game with a 9mm and if so what kind of ammo should I be looking at?

Depend on what you are hunting and do you just want to kill or do you want the meat and or hide. For much of it ball ammo is going to be fine. Stuff is going to go clean through a lot of them so it's going to put it down. If it's up to say Coyote size then maybe a light HP. something in the 115-124 gr. These will of course tend to make the hide damaged a lot though.

 

[Twodogs]

I've seen chipmunks take a 9MM to the chest and continue to charge.

 

[Mistman]

FMJ's are pretty worthless for shooting varmints as far as I'm concerned. Back in the day a buddy of mine would scoop up thousands of 55gr FMJ out of a barrel at Northwest Armory for reloading. They were cheap. We'd go to Montana and Wyoming for a week in early summer for P-dogs and ground squirrels. Each of us would have a small spiral notepad in our pocket to record 'confirmed' kills. The problem w/FMJ's is you couldn't easily confirm the kills as they would rarely kill anything instantly. He could poke a hole in a P-dog and it would crawl down the hole leaving a little trail of blood. He'd yell out 'confirmed kill', I'd be like 'right'. Used to P'me off after a while. I saw him punch 3 holes in a badger and it just kept on going until I flattened it out w/a soft point. He only used them one trip and had to admit they were worthless for putting something down quickly. Clean through w/a little hole will not put something down quickly and sometimes not at all unless you get a really good hit.

 

[Alexx1401]

FMJ's are pretty worthless for shooting varmints as far as I'm concerned. Back in the day a buddy of mine would scoop up thousands of 55gr FMJ out of a barrel at Northwest Armory for reloading. They were cheap. We'd go to Montana and Wyoming for a week in early summer for P-dogs and ground squirrels. Each of us would have a small spiral notepad in our pocket to record 'confirmed' kills. The problem w/FMJ's is you couldn't easily confirm the kills as they would rarely kill anything instantly. He could poke a hole in a P-dog and it would crawl down the hole leaving a little trail of blood. He'd yell out 'confirmed kill', I'd be like 'right'. Used to P'me off after a while. I saw him punch 3 holes in a badger and it just kept on going until I flattened it out w/a soft point. He only used them one trip and had to admit they were worthless for putting something down quickly. Clean through w/a little hole will not put something down quickly and sometimes not at all unless you get a really good hit.

Talking about a 9mm here. The prairie dog that runs off with a 9mm size hole in him is where I would get out of there. You are hunting zombie dogs.
As for shooting a Prairie dog with a .223 assuming this is what you were loading and it leaves a small trail of blood? That I would have to see to believe. The ones I have seen shot with an AR would often turn to a mist when hit with ball ammo.

 

[Medic!]

Yes. I totally agree.
Unless you shoot them way out there where the mirages dance.

 

[MarshalChillN]

Some states don't allow hunting with ball/fmj ammo. Even varmint hunting... You might check your states laws first.

 

[Medic!]

Never heard of such a law?
Must only be for those Close to nowhere?

 

[Certaindeaf]

For small game, the Lee 105gr SWC is awesome.. makes a big hole all the way through.



And for bigger stuff the Lee 140gr SWC is good medicine.

 

[thorborg]

You might try frangibles, safer for all around you from ricochets and less near miss wounding, albeit shooting squirrels and rabbits with any projectile from a 9 seems a major overkill and a waste of meat.
Even if you are good enough for a head shot, the head would be vaporized. Though not so important for rabbits, An intact and attached squirrel head is an essential tool for skinning them without leaving the carcass riddled with a mess of hard to pick off and brittle hollow hair..

 

[KKG]

I don't consider the 9mm to be accurate enough for Small Game hunting. A .22 Long Rifle Rimfire out of a Quality Target Pistol such as the Smith and Wesson Model 41, with a 7-3/8" Barrel, Scoped and Suppressed, has served me well for the Smaller Critters. Such as Squirrels, Racoons, Grouse and Wild Turkey. I've even taken a Small Coyote with a Single Head Shot.

 

[Member 34319]

I'll agree accuracy could be the issue. At 50 yards with most ammos 9mm would likely yield you a 5-6" grouping. This can inmprove with ammo choices. With some lighter and faster loads you could see results capable of taking small game.

The plastic stuff like Rugers ARX rounds or solid copper rounds could be better choices.

 

[Mistman]

Talking about a 9mm here. The prairie dog that runs off with a 9mm size hole in him is where I would get out of there. You are hunting zombie dogs.
As for shooting a Prairie dog with a .223 assuming this is what you were loading and it leaves a small trail of blood? That I would have to see to believe. The ones I have seen shot with an AR would often turn to a mist when hit with ball ammo.

Very true, I was talking about center fire .22's. As for them getting away when hit, saw it plenty of times, like I mentioned it was enough to annoy the crap out of me after a while. We used .223's and 22-250's and after shooting hundreds of them shooting anything under 200 yds seemed like cheating, so not much close up shots. I even saw a jack rabbit keep running after being hit w/a FMJ .223 even though a big puff of fur flew out the far side of it. I'm sure it didn't go far but far enough a confirmation was inconclusive in the sage scrub. You shoot enough things w/FMJ's and you will see it too.

Have to agree w/the accuracy regarding the 9 for anything past 100 yds (and that's w/a good carbine) and once your at that distance your losing a lot of energy. I could definitely see one as a farm/ranch rifle as I've come across coyotes within 75 yds walking around, too far for a good pistol shot (from me anyway) which is usually what I've got on me. It'd probably be fun shooting jacks in the sage as those are usually within 30-40 yds or closer when they bust out or walking ground squirrel areas after the babies come out.

 

[156256Hunter]

I am looking at a Ruger PCC9 as I shoot 9mm a lot and do not own a .22 anymore. Has anyone ever hunted small game with a 9mm and if so what kind of ammo should I be looking at?

Just be sure to check your state game hunting regs for semi auto capacity (in Oregon last I checked it was 5 rounds max in most scenarios) and whether the caliber is legal for a particular small game species.

 

[MarshalChillN]

Never heard of such a law?
Must only be for those Close to nowhere?

Ok,ok... I stand corrected. After searching Washington Game laws, I can't find anything about FMJ or ball ammo being illegal. I grew up in Texas a half century ago and I'm positive there was, years ago, a law stating it was illegal to use it for hunting.
Now that I feel like an old fool, I'm going back to lurking mode !!

 

[thorborg]

I don't consider the 9mm to be accurate enough for Small Game hunting. A .22 Long Rifle Rimfire out of a Quality Target Pistol such as the Smith and Wesson Model 41, with a 7-3/8" Barrel, Scoped and Suppressed, has served me well for the Smaller Critters. Such as Squirrels, Racoons, Grouse and Wild Turkey. I've even taken a Small Coyote with a Single Head Shot.

In Oregon, Grouse is the only Avian game we can pursue with a 22. I wish they would add Turkey to the menu too..

 

[41mag]

Now that I feel like an old fool

welcome to the club....just try to find a place to sit down around here with the rest of us....

 

[No_Regerts]

I put a cow down with a 9mm once. It would probably kill a squirrel too.

 

[MarshalChillN]

Just be sure to check your state game hunting regs for semi auto capacity (in Oregon last I checked it was 5 rounds max in most scenarios) and whether the caliber is legal for a particular small game species.

In Washington, there is no max capacity except for shotguns when hunting migratory game birds. Handgun barrel must be 4+ inches.