Cast Boolit alloy for cape buffalo?

[WBG]

For a hard/tough .585 bullet at 2000 fps. that won't shatter and won't expand on cape buffalo, what do you think of a blend of 80% Lyman #2 and 20% linotype ? Quenched or not? Brian

[Hickory]

I think Lyman #2 will work for you, water dropped will give you a harder boolit that will resist shattering.
Just keep in mind those critters are tough, make sure you hit it in the right place the first time.
And keep on shooting until it's down.

[Cmm_3940]

I think Lyman #2 will work for you, water dropped will give you a harder boolit that will resist shattering.
Just keep in mind those critters are tough, make sure you hit it in the right place the first time.
And keep on shooting until it's down.

And make sure it didn't bring friends. You're talking about going after the most dangerous big game animal on the planet with a boolit you cast yourself. You, sir, must have big brass ones.

[Hickory]

Plenty of cape buffalo have fallen to cast boolits before solids were used.
Besides, anyone hunting & shooting cape buffalo are looking for excitement.
And what better way to fulfill that adrenaline spike than enter an added element of risk.

[WBG]

Good advice! First of all, I was hoping that somebody would suggest water quenched #2. I will do some testing with it.
Secondly, you guys are right about cape buffalo. I have hunted them twice before with a 375HH. I killed one at 22 paces. Another at 40 paces. I agree that it is all about putting the first bullet through the heart and hopefully breaking bone in the process. I hunt with a PH and tracker that I know and trust. ( See/google the story "Abraham's Grin" in The African Hunting Gazzette. Jan 2015 issue.) So, I don't have really have big brass ones. In fact they are quite the opposite. I know this secret is safe with you guys.
Now regarding hard cast lead bullets (not brass.) I know that folks here on Cast Boolits are the right ones to ask. You have already saved me a lot of fussing and expense with your wisdom. If anybody here has the real "skinny" on this subject please come forward. I am sure listening. Brian

[WBG]

PS. Usually my wife or son come with me on dangerous game to video it.

[GabbyM]

5% Sb, 3% Sn, .3%Cu. Just heat treat in an oven at a lower temp. Over doing the heat treat can make them brittle. Besides you don't need much. The copper seriously toughens the bullet. Even air cooled I've made these in .458" that shot clear through trees. Never made a bullet as large as .585 except soft shotgun slugs.


With the 3% tin content you need to take care your bullet noses don't grow on you. Over two or three weeks after casting this alloy may grow .001". If you have a nose bore ride it may cause loaded rounds to not chamber.

[WBG]

Sir, This is good info. For heat treating, what tempurature and time should I try?

Also, the .3% copper; that is interesting. That might be the key element that toughens the bullet and prevents shattering. ( Shooting through a tree especially if it's hardwood says a lot about a bullet not shattering, I think.)
This is sorta close to Lyman #2; Same Sb, but 2% less Sn. Is there any Cu in Lyman # 2? Thanks for the new insight, Brian

[WBG]

Hickory, That's it exactly. That's why they call it "Dangerous Game" and charge so much money. Using a cast bullet that I have made myself will really put some spin on the ball for me. Thanks for your point of view. Brian

[frank505]

Several of my old customers killed buffalo with 600 grain 505 Gibbs car bullets. I don't think they loaded them to 2000fps, more like 1800. Killed lots of bison with similar loads, never recovered one, even from a 2500 plus bull.

[WBG]

Frank, That's a good point. There are guys who have killed buffalo effectively with cb in big handguns at 1400-1600 fps. 1800fps is a lot easier to shoot that 2000fps. Many experienced hunters are sure that velocity is over rated for this animal. They say that penitration, a function of bullet design, is the most important factor. 1800fps is better regarding accuracy and leading too. Brian

[WBG]

Gabby, Since your helpful post I have been reading this forum to learn how to get Cu into the Lead/tin/antimony mix. It sounds tricky. Do you have any suggestions on how to do it? Thanks, Brian

[mnewcomb59]

Whatever alloy you choose, test it so you don't have any surprises. I have found a good deformation test is gallon jugs alternated with 1 inch hickory boards pr 3/4 inch plywood. 5 or 6 layers of this should stop most bullets, but I dont know what kind of sectional density you have.

[shoot-n-lead]

I know you said no brass...but...punch bullets.

[jmort]

As far as I know, no .585" Punch, but they penetrate real good.

[WBG]

Shoot-n-lead, Sorry but I don't catch your drift. Sounds interesting: "punch bullets" what's that? I'm a little slow here. What do you mean. Thanks Brian

[Hickory]

One last thing on shooting cape buffalo, whether it's you or him,
the first one to get pumped up with adrenaline, is usually the one that wins.

[country gent]

The gentleman that ran our Local gunshop to a cape buffalo with a flint lock muzzleloader ( It was a 20mm he built himself.) with a patched round ball and very heavy charge of 1f powder. I would go with 2% tin 10-15% antimony and pure lead. Water quenched lightly should do a fine job.

[GabbyM]

Gabby, Since your helpful post I have been reading this forum to learn how to get Cu into the Lead/tin/antimony mix. It sounds tricky. Do you have any suggestions on how to do it? Thanks, Brian

Yes we have a couple threads here on alloying with copper. Trying to read through those threads can about make a guy dizzy.
Pooper came up with the process of contaminating pure lead with zinc then using copper sulfate to mix in and replace Zn with Cu. Easiest way is to buy some #3 Babbit from Rottometals. It contains a high Cu %. I use both methods. Cut foundry 2/6/92 with pure Pb with Cu added via the copper sulfate method to get Sb down from 6% to whatever I’m after. Then add #3 babbit to get Sn level to what I want. Copper comes along for the ride in there. I also have some Rottometals “super hard”. Which is Sb with just enough lead so you can work with it. Good for things like making WW metal harder.
I’d have to play with an alloy calculator to figure out any recipe. Depends upon what metal you can get to use. I see you’re in Canada so shipping from Rottometals may get stiff.

[WBG]

Gabby, Thanks for the help. For now I think it's over my head. I think that I will have to put the Cu idea on the shelf for a while and maybe return to it this summer after I have done some shooting tests. Brian