muskeg13
07-20-2007, 03:49 PM
I'm currently working up moose loads for a M1886 45-70 and a M1895 in .405, and I would like to hear other's experiences in using bullets cast with air cooled wheelweights on such large game. My only previous experience in hunting large game with cast bullets was on caribou 12 years ago, and although I was successful in downing a large bull with the first (spine) shot, I was very disappointed in the "killing power" of the bullet I used. It was a needle nosed .410" 420gr Lyman Smitzer propelled by black powder at about 1300fps. Those bullets were cast with 1:30 alloy, so they should have been plenty soft enough to expand. I now realize that bullet design was a very poor choice for a hunting bullet. Not only were exit holes small, I'm convinced that very close range coup de grace shots meant to break the neck were hitting bone and deflecting.
This brings me back to today, with moose season exactly one month away. I decided to work up loads using RCBS flat nose gas check designs. With my air cooled wheel weight (+2% tin) alloy, the bullets weigh 413 and 361 grains, and run BHN 12-14 with my Saeco tester. The bullets are lubed with Javelina Alox. I'm getting 1840 fps in the 45-70 and between 2140 and 2200 in the 405, with only slight traces of lead wash on some of the lands and grooves in the last inch at the muzzle. There is no real lead build up, just slight coloration, most of which is removed with a single pass of a dry patch. There is lube "star" on the muzzle crown after 10-30 round shot strings. The best accuracy so far has been 1.5-2 inches at 50 yards with aperture sights, and that was with me shooting mostly for the chronograph, not concentrating on the sight picture (or recoil!). I'm still tweaking and intend to hunt with the most accurate load I end up with.
Does anyone have experience with similarly constructed bullets on game the size of moose?
This brings me back to today, with moose season exactly one month away. I decided to work up loads using RCBS flat nose gas check designs. With my air cooled wheel weight (+2% tin) alloy, the bullets weigh 413 and 361 grains, and run BHN 12-14 with my Saeco tester. The bullets are lubed with Javelina Alox. I'm getting 1840 fps in the 45-70 and between 2140 and 2200 in the 405, with only slight traces of lead wash on some of the lands and grooves in the last inch at the muzzle. There is no real lead build up, just slight coloration, most of which is removed with a single pass of a dry patch. There is lube "star" on the muzzle crown after 10-30 round shot strings. The best accuracy so far has been 1.5-2 inches at 50 yards with aperture sights, and that was with me shooting mostly for the chronograph, not concentrating on the sight picture (or recoil!). I'm still tweaking and intend to hunt with the most accurate load I end up with.
Does anyone have experience with similarly constructed bullets on game the size of moose?