Truncated cone for hunting??

[kens]

Has anyone have experience with a cast lead truncated cone for hunting?
Is that enough meplat for a good hunting bullet?

[Dan Cash]

I use a 225 grain .45 bullet from Accurate in both .45 ACP and .45 Colt. I have shot 3 deer with the bullet, one with the auto and two with revolvers; they all fell down dead. I guess it works.

[Outpost75]

If meplat is more than 1/2 of bullet diameter it will work.

But 0.6-0.7 of bullet diameter is better.

[MT Gianni]

I would not want to hunt with the classic tc Lymans 356402 but would feel fine with my 265 gr 44 SSK castings. It's all relative.

[sixshot]

MT Gianni, I like that!

Dick

[kens]

I'm looking at hunting with the Lee 452-230-TC

[mnewcomb59]

I'm looking at hunting with the Lee 452-230-TC

I would say that meplat is too small. I have 357 bullets with a larger meplat. Meplats under 60% of the caliber tend to tumble and not penetrate straight. I KNOW that that bullet tumbles because I used to run that mold and I tested it in water jugs multiple times and it always came out the side of the fourth jug in the row.

I sold the mold and now run the 200-RF and 255-RF in my Colts and ACPs. They penetrate in a straight line.

If you really wanna hunt that bullet, I would put a small dimple on the nose about like half a BB. This shallow cup point won't blow your penetration, but it will let the meplat swell out to .7 or even 100% meplat.

[jcren]

I have used that bullet to finish trapped and wounded hogs. Hits like a hammer and penetrates well.

[waksupi]

I had a truncated mold for my .358 rifles. Great accuracy at 100 yards, at 200 yards, you could barely hit the side of a mountain.

[kens]

this will only be short range stuff, 100 yards at the maximum
it has a .6 meplat

[mnewcomb59]

It tumbles because the meplat is too small. You can't count on that bullet to hit the heart because the wound track is not a straight line, more like a banana that randomly curves off to any one of 360 degrees.

Now lets discuss how poor the entry wound will be. There is less meplat than a 38 special AND launched at a slower speed. Not confidence inspiring. All the damage happens once the bullet tumbles and starts curving away from where you are aiming.

[Texas by God]

Seems to me Dan Cash and jcren answered your question with actual meat testing.

[30hrrtt]

My Lee 452-230-TC has a meplat of about .3. I would have no hesitation using it for hunting and may this season if the NOE shallow hollow point weighting in at 245 doesn't get the draw.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
How big are your corn crunchers ? Have a friend in central Georgia and he says the area deer are "large dog" size with a few that maybe weigh 150 lbs. If you have smallish deer it may not be real important. But do use a soft type cast. Range scrap or softened WW. So called hard cast will make a nice pencil hole that just may self seal before your supper gets too far away. We call this "beagle time".

East central ILLinois corn crunchers are 200 -300 pounds generally. I would not desire to be shooting your cast slug if I had a WFN 250 -300 grainer available which we do. Big bodies need big holes to leak out and good straight penetration out the far side.
Mike in Peru