Your favorite "Deer Loads?"

[Blackwater]

It's long been my observation that deer really aren't that hard to kill IF we just put the bullet in the right place. When my son started hunting at age 9, I got some old magazines with pics of deer in them at varying angles, and drew outlines of deer at various angles with the heart/lungs outlined inside as they'd appear if he had X-ray vision, and he took to that like a duck takes to water, and understood very well where to aim, and then all I had to do was teach him how to shoot, and that, too, was pretty easy. He was always a good listener and quick learner. I actually think he had the makings, at least possibly, of an Olympic class shooter, but those dreams were quickly dispelled by finding that he had very little interest in shooting at bullseyes. Put hair, hide or feathers in his sights, though, and he was a real bell ringer!

Anyway, I may try taking a deer with cast this season, which I haven't done to date, though I've used them quite a bit. Just curious what calibers you use and what loads, and if you have it, your velocity. As I said, I've seen guys go from 7mm and .300 mags. that they couldn't hit with, to .22/.250's and .243's that they were poison with, and I'm just wondering what the lower limit is that you've taken deer with, and how your "typical" loads have worked. All input is appreciated.

[David Caldwell]

.30-40 Krag = 20.0 grains of 2400 with 200 gr. 311299 @ 1666 fps (w/gc); 1 1/2" @ 75 yds.


.308 Win. = 16.0 gr. 2400, same bullet @ 1525 fps; under an inch @ 75 yds.
= 22.0 gr. Reloader 7, same bullet @ 1605 fps; an inch @75

.458 Win Mag = 20.0 gr. 2400 with a plain base 400 gr. Lyman bullet @ 1133 fps; 1 1/4" @ 75 yds.

I try to shoot 'em right square in the shoulder; they won't go far.

[rking22]

I am in agreement with you, hit properly and they fall down quickly. I have seen some run quite a ways after a devastating hit and drop at the shot other times, nothing is absolute on how long they run. I trailed a doe 2 years ago that went 60yards after she she was "out of blood"! I have shot rughly one per year for the last 35 years with a 50cal RB and 60 to 75 gr of FFF, typical run 30 to 40 yards, 1 fell at the shot. It was not a CNS shot, I shoot them all thru the shoulder aiming for the far side shoulder. Also several with a 45 Colt Low Wall . GouldHP and Win 296. That also did a good job with a good hit. Couple with 45-70 and same boolit , worked too good, needed to slow it down for the #1 ! Last few years been hunting with a Rem 141 in 30 Rem (rimless 3030) using 311041 or 165 RD over 22ish gr of RL7 (Lil Dandy #26 bushing). 2 of the 3 fell at the shot (high shoulder, trying to get real close to the spine) another ran 20 yards and tipped over. Have shot 2 with J words in the last 10years, all others with good ole lead, and generally inside 50 yards. I really like hunting with the flintgun so some years I never go out with a cartridge gun. The last with a J bullet was with a 222Rem, lung shot with a 55gr about 175 to 200 yards. Doe had only 3 legs and was last day of the season. I shot the coyote trailing her and when she just stood there I decided I would eat her rather than the busserds! She ran about 75 yards, was a thru and thru shot, double lung, damage was very much like the 311041 at 50 yards. this year I will hunt some with a 4 inch 41Special revolver, 230gr HP at about 1000fps, and a 375Win with a Lee255 at 1500. If I want a scope I will use my 760 in 35 with an NOE230FP at 1900ish. I have more powerful, slightly more moern guns but these give me the pleasure of the hunt while still being "enough gun" YMMV

[DougGuy]

Lee C430-310-RF over 17.0gr H2400 WLP primer in Starline brass. 1180 ~ 1200fps from a 7 1/2" Ruger SBH.

Lee C452-300-RF over 20.5gr LilGun WLP primer in Starline brass. 1000fps from a 4 5/8" Ruger Vaquero.

Barnes 180gr PBSP over 41.5gr H4895 in Lake City brass. 2400fps from a 1970s Ruger M77 .308 Win.

Winchester 1oz rifled Foster slug from a Mossberg 500a with cantilever scope mount on the factory rifled slug barrel.

400gr White .45 cal HP seated in Knight sabot over two 50gr Pyrodex pellets in a White .50 cal inline.

Dayglo orange 1" x 10' ratchet strap from Home Depot looped into a noose and wrapped around my fist. :bigsmyl2:
__________________________________

These are my deer loads ranked from top to bottom based on which caliber/gun/weapon has put the most meat in the freezer.

[Harter66]

1 with a 200 gr 30-06' just barely over the 1k ftlb/100 yd requirements here .

Next spring I intend to test a 6.8 Remington with 279-124 fp from NOE at about 2300 fps on hogs and a 27-130 in the 7x6.8 mildcat at about the same .

If you don't have a minimum energy/range requirement a 45 Colts in a 16" carbine with a 454424 over H110 does a fine job on hogs as does a 452-252 with 8.5 Unique at 5,17,47 yd up to 165 lbs . (It's what I had to work with) the H110 load gave me almost 1300 fps where the Unique load an SAA load was at just 1000 fps .

Both the Colts and the 06' were plenty for the need.

[OnHoPr]

I really don't have a favorite load for cast really because I only started hunting with cast except the PRB a few years ago. I started with the Lee 180 and I took a couple of deer with it. It was cast soft and about @ 2150 fps from a quickloads data that someone did for me. I did sit with the 94 win in a few places where two to three hundred yards shots were possible like a tree farm and clear cut. I chose it because of its BC and not because of metplat. I liked 32 gr of AC 4064 the most accurate, then 34 gr of imr 4350 pretty accurate, and 33 gr of 4007 ssc still in the 1 MOA. At 270 yds it will get 10 -11" of penetration in a box of just moist sand with over double expansion. It is a bit more than the 243, but no where close to the 7mm. My usual deer kills are over a 100 yds though, just the setting I like to sit in. I am starting to think about that boolit that Larry Gibson uses a lot, I think it is the 311141 or something like that 180 gr, HP. I think it would give a little bit more initial smackem than the Lee 180. To bad they didn't make that boolit in a 200 gr, that would be very interesting. The reason is a stated above, because of the BC and a little longer distance deer killing to the moderate range instead of the 100 or 150 and under shooting. That SBH with a 240 to 310 should do fine with 800X, 2400, 296, or AC9 in the just over 1100 to 1500 fps. There just might be a factor in boolit diameter and metplat when it comes to hitting a deers ribs or shoulder with cast. Unless you paper patch or maybe the new PC method the cast not hitting and major meat and/or muscle is going to leave a tunnel wound through the lungs, so maybe the bigger the better.

[Lonegun1894]

I took a buck with a 4" Ruger Security Six firing a 158gr Lee RNFP pushed by 7.0grs Unique in a .357 Mag case at 45yds a few (3-4) years back. On the other hand, I have done a lot more hog hunting with a lot more different weapons than I have deer hunting, so some of that may be better to answer your question. I have used .30-30 with a 170gr Lee FNGC and a .44 Mag with a 240gr Lee SWC, both pushed by 2.7grs Unique to take hogs inside 50yds with head shots. Now these loads are only doing around 500ish fps, and we were doing some quiet pest control rather than proper hunting, but they worked fine and a friend and I still use these now and then to take hogs on his place without disturbing his wife. For what it's worth though, I also hunt hogs with a .22LR pistol, so I have screws loose according to some of my friends. Now I'm not saying it's a good idea to go this low in power for actual hunting like the .30-30 and .44 Mag loads we use, and in fact, it is probably a horrible idea due to us shooting them under a feeder so knowing the exact range, while hunting, you never know how far or how close your deer will show up, but the low power loads work IF placed perfectly. For hunting, I use full power .357 mag, .44 mag, .45 Colt (usually Ruger level), .30-30, trapdoor-level .45-70, and various .50 and .54 muzzleloaders. I figure if you get a 150gr or heavier bullet moving to 1000fps impact velocity, or preferably 1200+fps, and put it in the right place, you have a deer.

[Blackwater]

Lonegun, I'm sitting here chuckling. You and a good friend of mine may have some "screws loose," as you put it, but you both eat a lot of good venison and pork! Nothing succeeds like success, so maybe those screws aren't quite as loose as some think? From all I've seen, it's just a matter of keeping your shots in the vitals, and within the limits of whatever gun you happen to have with you to do it with at the time. It's one reason I want to finally get around to taking some "big game" with cast in my rifles. I've bought few J-bullets in my whole life for handguns, and have mainly shot cast for 40+ years now, but haven't really done a whole lot with them in my rifles, and that needs fixin'. Thanks for the replies. Pretty much what I expected. I'm planning on taking a cue from Goodsteel, and casting as soft as I can, finding the best lube, and just using it within its capabilities, which I don't think are going to be very restrictive. My eyesight will be the mainmost problem, but I can't cast or reload those, so .... I guess I'll just have to endeavor to persevere with that one. Thanks for the info, guys.

[44man]

Cast shooters seem to be good shooters. Don't believe what you read about deer being easy to kill, seen them go a mile after hit with a .300 mag. I am always called on to help rifle hunters find deer and they lose so many it is disgusting. Found 12 on one property alone and nothing to find 10 or more when shroom hunting in the spring.
Very important to get boolit placement and that is something I agree with.
My friend uses a 270 and is an expert shot, when I hear him shoot I know he got one. I get there and find blood but not him so I track, sometimes over 100 yards with gallons of blood on the ground so I ask him how the deer got so far on empty?
He hears me shoot twice with my revolver and thinks I missed. He comes to find 2 deer dead in place.
He has agreed to use my .44 this season. He is sick of destroying meat.

[osteodoc08]

Only cast harvest I've done was with my 1895 GS launching a 405gr WFNGC boolit propelled with Varget. It's a thumper for sure. Hoping to get a cast handgun harvest this year

[Blackwater]

44man, I was just talking with my buddy who's shot more deer than most hunters have seen this last week, and we got on that same subject of the .300 and 7mm. mags, and how the deer shot with them, even when hit well, often go what seems to be inexplicable distances. Both he and I have come to the conclusion for the rather smallish whitetails we have here, where 200 lb. is a BIG one, that the softer J-bullets have almost always better performance than the more "controlled expansion" types, but as you note, they DO tear up a lot of meat if you hit a shoulder or other big muscle groups we tend to want to eat. Why a .270 130 gr. or .25/06 100 gr. kills them so quickly seems to be a constantly asked question that most astute and experienced hunters have been asking for a long time, with varying answers proposed. All I've been able to conclude is that the "softer" or quicker opening types seem to pretty well uniformly perform the best, especially with heart/lung shots where they waste very little meat. We both like eating them a LOT!

This is why I said I'm gonna' try GS's soft bullets at whatever speed I can get them to shoot well at - to see if the same applies to cast as well as J-bullets. Heretofore, I've usually hunted beanfields and power lines where long shots were often a real possibility, but now, most of the places I have to hunt are wooded where 100 yds. is unlikely, and this lends itself well to handgunning, too. Being rather weak in the eyesight dept., and absolutely despising the prospect of not being able to see the sights well enough to shoot - which happens a lot faster and sooner back under the shadows - and wounding a deer to have a beautiful animal die a wretched death. It just ain't right to allow that, and I've turned down some shots because of it. They'll always be there again, probably, but a wounded deer won't be. Very simple, but hard for some of us impatient types to do. One of my proudest moments was when my son refused to take a shot because of this. I knew I'd taught him well, and that he'd actually absorbed the lesson, and had made use of it. Talk is common, obedience and good judgment and reason aren't.

So ... I'll probably use a rifle just out of consideration for the quarry. One of the best things about shooting and reloading is we never run out of "new" things to try, and now that cast will do all that I'll likely need to do, it's a real no-brainer to use them. The cost factor helps us old retired types, too, which is yet another attraction in addition to "I just wanna' know."

I've got my pre-64 M-94 in .30/30, the Ackleyized Whelen, the Marlin .44 carbine, the Guide Gun, several '06's, and plenty more to play with, but it'll probably be one of those mentioned. I really WANT to use the M-94, but am worried about the irons on it, or rather my ability to SEE the darn things in low light. No point in their being there if I can't see them! I just like a nice, compact, light, thin rifle in my old age, and I know it'll darn sure take 'em fairly, and shoot well, too, IF I can just see those sights. Thinking about getting a tritium blade in the front, but being a bit of a prig and purist when it comes to good, old guns, I just can't seem to pull the trigger on that one. If my eyes get any worse, though, I may HAVE to if I want to be able to shoot in some of the places I'll have to hunt now, on my and my wife's land. I love long distance shooting, and the challenges it presents, but more and more it's just good to get some venison. Funny how that works, ain't it? :coffee:

[quilbilly]

45 patched round ball over 55 gr of FFF Goex.

[tdoyka]

let's see...
30-40 krag with 165gr ranch dog and a load of h4198(25.5gr)
45-70 with 405gr fbfn with a charge of h4198(35.0gr)
both of these are going for deer during the 3 early day season.
444 marlin with a 275gr ranch dog with either rel7 or h4198
6.5 creedmoor with 120gr ballistic tip and a load of superfromance(45.0gr)
270 win with the 130gr ballistic tip and a charge of imr4320(47.0gr)
these three will be for the two week deer season, the 444 marlin is gong for black bear.

[44man]

Blackwater, good post and it is true. Too much tearing of tissue that will seal faster then a clean cut. It is like closing a zipper. Deer have a clotting agent stronger then any animal. Seen them stop bleeding in 100 yards shot with a .300. Only found the 11 point because I knew where it was going. The shooter, me and my grandson fanned out to cross the hill and it was recovered, had a hole you could stick you head in.
One of the best deer guns I have left is the 6.5 Swede, far less damage then any rifle I have used, yet very fast kills. The 30-30 can be very destructive but my worst was the .280, hated bloodshot from head to butt. It cleans up but takes twice as much time to clean meat.
Since I use only revolvers now, I found what each caliber needs for instant kills with no meat loss.
I have run the whole way from a loss to instant kills with no meat loss to total destruction. You would not think a revolver can be as destructive as a .300 rifle so you must adjust your boolit to work. Cast is in your control, unlike factory stuff.
I am good at what I do and have no knowledge at all about cast in a rifle. That is another can of worms I don't need. I know muzzle loaders with RB's. I want nothing to do with inlines.
Ask what alloy or boolit for the .30 and I will stare at you and ask for your experiences and what you did to fix bad results.
I do a necropsy on every deer to see what happened. Not wet paper or water bottles. I hate those expansion tests, not the real world. I don't want to see a boolit recovered in a deer, it failed.

[Blackwater]

Great minds DO think alike, 44man, because except for your comment about leaving bullets in the deer, we seem to agree nearly 100%. I don't think any two hunters will EVER agree quite 100%, but we're darned close. What you say about the .280 is true of any high speed modern rifle with good, quick opening J-bullets. That's why I've almost always taken body shots, and like the ribs, which don't destroy much meat at all, though it IS harder to clean up as you note. If broadside, I like to place the bullet up very close or in the little crease behind the shoulder and about level with the top of the heart. This has worked what seems to be minor miracles for me when combined with fastish, quick opening bullets on deer who are unaware you're anywhere near, and quite calm.

But hunting offers many seeming paradoxes, and most of us want a "one size fits all" explanation, but all those I'm familiar with never seem to apply across the board. The tearing/clotting comment is excellent, and one I tend to forget about. I've talked with a couple of pathologists outside the courtroom while they were waiting to testify, and asked them questions about wounds, and both of them, and all the stuff I read that I am pretty sure can be trusted (not all can these days), tends to indicate that killing is a very uncertain thing in most situations. I've helped track a deer that was shot with a magnum and was well hit, just as you describe, and it STILL went an awfully long ways. I think you may be onto something with your tearing/clotting theory, because it's far from a very uncommon story we all hear. I guess it's one of those paradoxes we just hate to have to deal with because it upsets our tender illusions that we can always explain and understand everything.

The pathologists I've talked to can rattle off a pretty long string of variables that can affect reaction to a shot, and it included quite a few that I'd never really thought about, so it's a much more complex matter than we like to think, usually.

That paradox of the magnums will probably puzzle me to my grave, but what's life without something to keep us perplexed, and therefore humble? The one thing I've seem apply as near to universally as we seem destined to achieve, is shot placement. Make that good, and it really doesn't seem to matter all that much what caliber you use.

I used to get all the night hunting cases when I was with probation because it was well known that I was a hunter & shooter, and knew the laws pertaining to that particular realm of the law. Almost universally, they used the .22 LR and usually HP's, and I asked every one I ever had about how the deer reacted when hit, and where they aimed, and almost 100% of the time, they aimed for the classic heart/lung shot up close behind the shoulder. They almost all indicated that it needed to be up very close or in the crease of the shoulder, and most of them were decent to very good shots. Those .22 LR shot deer never went very far. Ain't that amazing? The .22 LR, at times, may be a better/quicker killer than the .300 mag!!! If there's a greater paradox, I'm not familiar with it. I guess this is one of those aspects of our sport that may well have always been intended to keep us humble, and mindful of all that we DON'T know, or quite understand fully?

And I'm not just going on the stories I hear about, but on the ones that I've assisted in tracking and have seen the wounds with my own two eyes, and the stories of people whose words I am sure I can trust very well. Like I said, it sure keeps a guy humble ... and guessing!

[44man]

It is complex. Some deer will "HUMP" up and walk away to drop in sight. Some bolt and go forever.
It is wrong that deer are easy to kill. Is pain felt different? Seems a pig is much smarter and like a man, can feel pain quick.
Now I shot a whole lot of deer in PA with healed in .22 bullets at the rib cage. A white lump that when cut open had a .22 bullet inside. I recently found a .22 in the neck of a deer.148657 Fully expanded and turning green around the wound. Just made it through the skin.

[DougGuy]

I shot an old doe once that had 3 different sized buckshot and a broadhead dispersed through her body. I took her with a .45 Colt Vaquero so that meant it was the 5th time she'd been shot. That leaves 4 previous hunters that went back home with a big question mark when someone asked them did they kill anything.

[Lonegun1894]

I will add that sometimes it is better to use a weaker load than a more powerful one. Here is my thinking before anyone crucifies me for blasphemy. I mentioned using a .22 LR pistol for hog hunting, and doing well with it. I use a Ruger 22/45 with a 4.5" barrel and 36gr bulk pack HPs in it because it is most accurate with them. On a hog, this combination gets used either as the classic heart/lung shot or into the forehead if the hog is facing me. Into the forehead, it easily goes through the brain and lodges around the base of the neck. A broadside shot gives me a pass-through every single time. A friend that has seen this decided to try his rifle and do the same. Guess what, increased velocity means decreased penetration at times, and this applies to any caliber we choose. How many times have we read here on this forum about guys who will go hunt just about anything with a FN of one form or another, but refuse to do the same thing with the same bullet when it has an HP in it? The difference is increased expansion and decreased penetration, and while it may be a blessing for varmints, it isn't for edible game. This is just a matter of matching the bullet to the velocity to get the desired results on target. It also applies to ANY caliber we may choose. For example, if you take a 170gr jacketed FN/RN bullet with soft point designed for a .30-30, and fire it out of a .32 acp case (assuming anyone here has a gun that would chamber this) it will not be going fast enough to expand so will act like a FMJ. Take the same bullet and load it into a .30-30, and it will act as designed and work well on deer and hogs. Now take this same bullet again, and load it into a .300 Mag, and you can expect it to act like a varmint bullet. I hope that makes sense to y'all and not just me, cause if it's just me, I need to cut back on the coffee and sleep instead of thinking and trying to figure things out.

[OnHoPr]

Did you ever hear or think about these Blackwater.

http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/pl-spark-start.html#one-hole-sights

148661

The bigger metplat larger dia boolit might fair a touch better in the 100 yd and less category.

[flint45]

Now we have to use pc all copper condor bullets but when I leave and hunt elsewhere I use 24.0 gr.of sr 4759 and a 210 gr.r n boolit in .30 army or my 95 marlin .45-70 with 385 gr. Kramer rnfp g.c. boolit and R7.

[44man]

Now we have to use pc all copper condor bullets but when I leave and hunt elsewhere I use 24.0 gr.of sr 4759 and a 210 gr.r n boolit in .30 army or my 95 marlin .45-70 with 385 gr. Kramer rnfp g.c. boolit and R7.
PC junk, you will never find my cast in an animal. Jacketed soft core that leaves lead is different. HP's that break apart is different. Yes, lead will kill birds but Kali can't distinguish between them.
Demoncrats ate lead paint and are brain dead. I get sick of buying stuff that is not legal in Kalifornication. Even car parts. The state is full of libtards and will crack apart at the fault line and ask for help.

[GLynn41]

a .410 GNR-- 5.5" 255gr .33 meplat @ 1480-1500--2 x Burris--80 % load
9'' .41 GNR 4X simmons-- load ?-- I have used this one a lot but never have taken anything with it- so load has not mattered I did cost my self 2 nice bucks and a doe because I forgot to take the safety off --dumb-- have used a pentapoint @ 1830 fps -may go with acww 230 gr LFNGC at around 1700

[Blackwater]

Good post, lonegun. Barnes seems to have the size of their HP's worked out now, but they had some problems getting there with their all copper bullets. The grooves helped, then they seem to have gotten the right size of the HP's down pretty fast, and they're much better killers now, at least on our local whitetails. Increase expansion and penetration suffers, and visa versa. Soften the bullet and expansion gains, but penetration suffers.

There are lots of ways to skin this cat, shooting deer, but the only constant, if you can call it that, that I've found is that bullet placement matters most of all. Those old African hunters from the early days there often HAD to use FMJ's because that's all they could GET! And yet, they did very well with them, but they were almost wholly good shots and knew game anatomy and thus, where to put those bullets. Only rarely would their quarry get away.

Still, we modern "sportsmen" owe the game our best efforts, and we can NEVER get TOO lacadasical about what we shoot! I for one, absolutely abhor the thought of one of the animals I shoot suffering unduly because of some fault of mine. It's like fingernails on a chalk board! Therefore, I've always tended to "use enough gun" as Robert Ruark said, and paid very particular attention that my guns were capable of putting whatever bullet I was using right where it needed to go. That's probably at least half the battle, and it's worked well.

My reasoning for the OP was simply to placate my acquired resistance in using anything less "powerful," even though I know in my head it'll certainly do the job if I'll but do my part of it. I'll be firing whatever seems to shoot good into some wet newsprint with some glossy stuff in front and back to better simulate muscle and sinew. Once I do that, I think I'll be able to go forth with the kind of confidence I've always had with my more "conventional" armaments.

There's really no substitute for that kind of faith when one's finger starts to touch that trigger. When it's a question of whether you want to hit 'em in the eye, or the heart & lungs, is an awfully GOOD question to be able to ask at that moment, and helps stay tremors, and keeps mental focus on that trigger squeeze, which can't help but make for better results. Besides, I don't get around as good as I used to, and tracking is no longer something I enjoy! Within the ranges I'll likely be shooting this season, I ought'a do pretty good, or at least I always hope so.

Thanks for all the supplies. I was really just looking for some cheerleading to deal with the emotions rather than real data, but data can be helpful too, as is understanding what all CAN work well for others. Thanks!

[S.B.]

S&W model 629-4(with Ultra 4-dot on top in Weigand mount, I hunt deep timber) with a Lyman 429421 over 10.0 of Unique powder for right at 1000fps.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/1841044_leftside_again.jpg
Steve

[44man]

Barnes did work hard to get bullets right and to their credit, did a good job.
I agree with you that confidence is so important. Whether we buy or make our own, they must work. The worst thing ever is an animal that suffers. We do the best we can and accuracy with placement is what we do.
Come here to hunt with cast and I know you have it but come with a .300 mag thinking the gun will solve all and I will look at you crooked.

[Blackwater]

You know, 44man, I'd never really thought about it, but you're right, I think. I know when I cut myself with a razor, the blood is very difficult to stem, but scratches (torn flesh) tends to clot right up very quickly. I'd never really thought about that one. Thanks. But consarn it! NOW I need to get an (or some?) LBT type moulds! Ya' just cost me money, bro'! This is something I've just GOT to try!

[Lonegun1894]

Blackwater,
That little trick is why I always carry two pocket knives that are sharp enough to shave with everywhere I go in addition to a gun or two. I test them every couple days on my legs to see if they will shave the hair, and if they don't, they get sharpened again so they will. I figure that if an attacker gets to meet one of my blades, the last thing I want is for him to stop leaking hydraulic fluid before the EMTs get there. I mean, I would hate for the responding officer to not have a good blood trail to follow. I mean, that would just be plain old rude of the criminal to not leave a good trail.

[Blackwater]

Lonegun, I'm sitting here chuckling. Lots to what you and 44man say! I may be opinionated on some things, but I've never claimed to be anything but as dumb as a box of rocks sometimes! It's a big ol' world, and none of us EVER get to know it ALL, and I certainly can't claim to. I've tried hard to pay attention along the way, but some things just escape me sometimes. C'est la' vie. It's amazing at the simple stuff we all miss sometimes. Sure keeps a fella' humble! And when it comes to casting and loading, that's a GOOD thing!

[44man]

Lonegun, I'm sitting here chuckling. Lots to what you and 44man say! I may be opinionated on some things, but I've never claimed to be anything but as dumb as a box of rocks sometimes! It's a big ol' world, and none of us EVER get to know it ALL, and I certainly can't claim to. I've tried hard to pay attention along the way, but some things just escape me sometimes. C'est la' vie. It's amazing at the simple stuff we all miss sometimes. Sure keeps a fella' humble! And when it comes to casting and loading, that's a GOOD thing!
I will never say you are dumb! I think you have more common sense. I am the most opinionated old bastard you ever seen but it is from experience, not from a rag. I make some stupid posts but have never been proven wrong. I rub many the wrong way but dang I get the best revolver groups ever shot and have so many deer on the ground it is crazy. I know archery and have over 220 archery kills but can't pull my bows anymore. Shoulder injuries not related to archery. Not many have come close to the near 180 revolver kills I have. It will increase this next season.

[Lonegun1894]

Blackwater,
I'm with 44man and won't call you dumb either. Here is my theory. Every single one of us has a specialty of some sort, it's just figuring out what yours is, and helping others with it when you can. I have spent my life in pursuits that use weapons, survival skills, and other assorted fieldcraft. Time in the military, and currently in LE, hobbies are pretty much anything outdoors, primitive skills, etc, etc.All that has left a mark. You get the idea. I am not very civilized, and have been told I'm at least a couple centuries behind the rest of humanity, but I don't mind a bit. The sharp knife trick is just one of many that I was taught young, but then again, I was hanging out in the woods with Viet Nam vets when I was in high school instead of chasing girls with the rest of the guys my age, and it shows. I can hunt, fish, and fight, but if you ever want to win America's Funniest Home Videos, if I ever get single again, just follow me around with a camera and watch me trying to get a date. You'll either laugh or cry. :)

[Djones]

First Cast Harvest 2012

I had a Marlin GBL 45-70 with an 18.5" barrel. Starline 1.8" case (trimmed to meet IN regs). 30 grains of 5744 powder. Rem LRP. Lee458-450 grain round flat nose. OAL is 2.54. Heavy crimp. Velocity 1350-1380 fps. Doe at 40 yards ran less than 10 yards after shot!

2013

44 mag revolver
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?221003-A-Great-Couple-of-Days-Deer-Hunting

Smokepole 50 cal
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?224022-Lee-320-REAL-50-Cal-Gets-Busy

2014

44 mag levergun
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?266049-44-Mag-Carbine-NOE-434-310-RF-on-IN-DOE

358 winchester
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?266046-358-Winchester-41-Grains-LVR-NOE-360318-Cup-HP-2000-fps-130-yards

[Blackwater]

You guys are just kind. We can ALL be dumb as a box of rox sometimes. That's why we have to learn to pay such close attention to what we do in the casting and reloading rooms. I didn't one time, and blew up a nice Super Blackhawk, so I'll have to disagree with you two, and stick with my original story because I CAN miss some pretty basic stuff at times. That we all can doesn't make it any less "dumb," but only heightens my attention to detail when in the reloading room now. As has been said, "Once burnt, a lesson learnt." I do my best to at least TRY to resemble that, but nobody is perfect, which is why it's so necessary to exert all the care we ARE capable of in what we do. Sure keeps a man humble!

[44man]

I believe in cast shooters and we have more experts here then anywhere. I truly would love to meet every single one of you.
I say bad things sometimes but it is not personal, it is based on what I see in the field. Some of the stuff twists me up. To find rotting deer every where I go really gets under my skin.
I got so angry a few seasons ago with a neighbor that I no longer went to tell him I have his deer that came where I hunt. My friend seen the nice buck come across the field and into brush but he didn't come out. I found the deer and told him to wait but the neighbor never got out of the stand, I could see orange up there. That is the last straw and I will never go tell him again. I told my friend to take the buck home, that creep never got down to look. The deer was gut shot with a .308 but since it did not fall, the creep just waited for another to wound and lose. I can't count the deer I find from him. Ethics be damned, I am tired of being a bird dog.
Everyone here knows me and if you come and ask I will spend all day or all night helping find a deer. My friends will also give up a whole day but don't you dare stay in the stand without looking.
If he would have just got down, I would have walked the 900 yards to him.
I have found deer and gutted them, sat and waited for the hunter to tell him I found the deer. Then I help him drag it.
You might say we stole the deer but that is tough. It would have been another rotten buzzard pile.
I have given away so many deer, I can't count them.
I gave a big 8 point to the same friend last year. He will not hunt with anyone else. He did not brag at home and cut the skull to bring the antlers to me.