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The Handloaders Bench > Metallic cartridge reloading > Cast bullets > Do Soft Bullets really work for hunting?

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Do Soft Bullets really work for hunting?
 Moderated by: wheezengeezer, fryboy, Charley
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 Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 04:35 PM
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miestro_jerry
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Over the years, I have found over the years that WW or even softer alloys work very well for hunting. The bullet penetrates, deforms and transfers it's energy to the game.

I do use a gas checked bullets, so I can get higher velocities in most rifles. This allows for more energy from the rifle to the game. Many of the old time big bores used pure lead for hunting, but they were also very big calibers and had a lot of powder behind them.

So what do you all use for hunting bullets?

Jerry

 

 

 



 Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 07:44 PM
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Paul B
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Many years ago, when I as using the 30-30 a lot more, my cast bullet loads were shooting to the same point of aim as Federal Brand 170 gr. ammo. I did a rest on some bundles of very wet soggy news papers at close rnge and at 100 yards. The recovered bullets had just about the same configuration as the jacketed factory ammo and retained weight was only slightly less, maybe 5 percent les than the factory at the most. Bullet, for the record, was the Lyman #311291 with 30.0 gr. of IMR-3931 (Dupont version, not the current IMR.) Great load for deer and I never recovered a bullet as they always seemed to exit the far side. No LBT bullet tester back then so I'll estimate the bullets were about 14 BHN, give or take. Straight wheel weight metal of he era.

Paul B.



 Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 09:20 PM
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Charley
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I have always used fairly soft (by current standards, anyway) bullets for almost all my cast bullet shooting. Whitetails arounbd here are fairly small, never recovered a bullet from them. Have to extrapolate expansion fron the wound channel, and yeah, I do get expansion from my alloy, even at BP velocities.



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 Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 11:20 PM
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miestro_jerry
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It's funny, I use the same bullet for my Sabot Rounds in my front stuffer as what my Marlin 1895 shoots. Both are WW lead.

Jerry



 Posted: Tue Oct 20th, 2009 02:03 AM
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fryboy
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i use cast 45 acp's in sabots for plinking lolz i love the great plains bullets in the smoke pole but i have even seen soft round balls flatten from a 44 colt type black powder revolver,if it has a gas check i use a softer bullet,it has been much discussed but keith's fav alloy was alot softer than many precast i have bought,i do tend to make the heavier 357's out of a harder alloy ( as well as quench them) they dont have a gas check tho



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