why hunt with cast boolits?

[NoAngel]

.358 Winchester
230g Thor cast from a copper babbit enriched alloy, .360, LBT blue soft
35.0g of 3031
Chrono - 1825 fps


H&R Handi rifle, .357 mag barrel reamed with a Manson reamer to .358 Winchester



Groups at 100 yards







NOTHING in north america will survive a well placed shot from this. It's not abusive. It costs me pennies to load. The rest of the gun world can stick their big magnums and fancy whizz bang gimmick bullets where the sun don't shine.



..and just for the record, that flyer is from a freshly cleaned bore. I never clean this rifle now, unless groups start to open up.

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[TXGunNut]

I've got a better question: why hunt with J-words? Haven't been in a situation where I wanted to for years. I might fling the odd J-word from my carry gun at a target of opportunity now and then but I've been putting deer in my freezer and using my tracking skills on other peoples' deer for a few years now and I'm not going back.

[white eagle]

I use jacketed in cals I don't cast for
like 22 and 7mm the advantage in these cals
is velocity I doubt you could push a cast at 4100 fps
like I get out of my swift

[TXGunNut]

Good point, pretty sure casting .22's would be an exercise in frustration for my clumsy fingers. Come to think of it I don't bother to load for .22 CF's anymore. I don't hunt with anything smaller than a .30, generally .35 or bigger but must admit I've always been intrigued by the 6 and 7mm.
Velocity a good argument as well but I'm big & slow and I like my boolits the same way. I've dabbled with the fast stuff and just can't get interested in it, diff'rent strokes, as they say.

[dragon813gt]

I have smaller hands and processing 22cal bullets is no fun. Sizing them isn't the problem. Putting checks on them is a different story. Even getting the checks out of the bag is a pain :laugh:

[white eagle]

yeah I remember trying to check my first 22's wasn't long after I quit casting for them

[tdoyka]

i have a hard enough time to use a 20 cal jacketed bullet!

[TXGunNut]

Just for laughs I shoot a 17MHR now and then. Boggles the mind that they can actually make a bullet that small and get it to work!

[Lead Fred]

why hunt with cast boolits?

Because dinner dont know the difference

[TXGunNut]

Just for laughs I shoot a 17MHR now and then. Boggles the mind that they can actually make a bullet that small and get it to work!

[dverna]

If you want long range accuracy and good terminal ballistics, without a ton of work, shoot jacketed bullets. I can use the same Gameking bullet for a 50 yard shot or a 300+ yard shot. KISS.

I have no need for cheap hunting bullets. Cost is immaterial.

Don Verna

[rking22]

Why not is my question. I have always (40+ years) hunted close, much more exciting for me. I shot groundhogs at long range and will still use Js for that if I ever get interested in it again. For deer hunting, a 30 cal cast works just as well and I will NEVER run out of them! I hunted last year with 35 cal and this year will be a 375 Win and 41 Special, cast rounds all the way around. For my purposes a cast is better and just as simple. Better because it works well at lower velocity, making the rifle more quiet and non existent recoil, provides all the range I need. I still have 1000s of 30 cal Js, haven't shot one in 10 years, much less hunted with one. Quit buying them when they hit .25$ each, yes I'm frugal (tight) too!

[TXGunNut]

It's not about the cost. For my hunting situation and the critters I hunt CB's simply work very, very well. There's a certain amount of satisfaction in cleanly harvesting game with a boolit YOU made.

[35 shooter]

I love the eat right up to the hole aspect of using cast to hunt with.
I've found awesome killing power without the meat damage by using cast compared to jacketed.

I seldom shoot past 300 yds. on big game in the field anyway, so i don't feel like i'm taking a back seat using cast compared to jacketed in that regard either.

I love the challenge of working up loads at the range with cast too, as it never gets boring and i'm always learning something new to try.
Plus the satisfaction of making the boolit i shoot myself....Why not shoot cast?

[EMC45]

I have only killed 5 deer in my life. I am a "newb" at this I guess. I find immense pleasure in shooting paper and also just sitting at the bench loading. The first 2 deer I killed were with a Mosin M91 with jacketed bullets. The last 3 were with a 45-70 and cast 405gr. bullets. They both filled the freezer, however I do like the cost aspect of cast and the idea of "making" them myself.

[kiwi]

Best thing about casting your own you don't have the problem of supply as long as you have a cache of suitable lead you can make what you want when you want and just the lead hardness for what you are going to use the end product for.

[Digital Dan]

If you want long range accuracy and good terminal ballistics, without a ton of work, shoot jacketed bullets. I can use the same Gameking bullet for a 50 yard shot or a 300+ yard shot. KISS.

I have no need for cheap hunting bullets. Cost is immaterial.

Don Verna

You be a funny guy.

[6pt-sika]

I have smaller hands and processing 22cal bullets is no fun. Sizing them isn't the problem. Putting checks on them is a different story. Even getting the checks out of the bag is a pain :laugh:

I cast 22's for a Marlin 1894CL in 218 Bee just long enough to take a pair of grey squirrels . After I accomplished that I was done with casting 22 cal .

[6pt-sika]

2/3rds of what I killed deer wise this year were done in with stuff I cast . A bunch with my 444's and a pair with home cast buckshot . Now with that being said I did in a few more with jacketed from a couple bolt actions and a couple AR's . I have no issue with anyone using jacketed or cast . As long as it's still fun keep doing it .

[6pt-sika]

I have my eye on a particular rifle and if I get it , either it or another I have just like it will become a 270 WIN cast bullet rifle . And taking a deer or two with cast in the 270 will be one of my objectives for the 17/18 season .