love the colt .45 for stopping power. Never did undserstand why they got away from them.
Just to be anal, the .45 Colt (or properly the .45 Long Colt) is not the same as the .45 ACP. The .45 Long Colt is a rimmed revolver round, popularized by cowboy revival movies in the 1950's. The .45 ACP is a rimless cartridge designed for use in semi auto pistols, the most famous of which is the Colt model 1911. The Colt .45, on the other hand, has quite a bit of "stopping power", and can be easily verified by picking up a bottle at fine liquor stores. Bille Dee was on to something when he said "It works every time."
What would you use as a hunting pistol?
Depends on the game. For deer, I would go with a .44 magnum. It was developed by Elmer Keith for just that purpose and performs quite nicely. Ballistically, it is very similar to the .30-30 Winchester which many consider to be the ultimate moderate range deer cartridge. I would add a scope to the package as well.
Now, if your talking handguns chambered in rifle rounds, I would get my hands on a Contender in .308 Winchester. It's hard to beat ballistically, and the recoil is worth the performance. I once shot half a box of ammo through a Contender in .30-06, and I probably won't be doing that again. It took me six months to get over the flinch I developed as a result.
Demo Dick
"My first priority will be to reinstate the assault weapons ban PERMANENTLY as soon as I take office...I intend to work with Congress on a national no carry law, 1 gun a month purchase limits, and bans on all semi-automatic guns."-Barack Obama
"When in doubt, whip it out."-Nuge