Cast bullet expansion

[Hannibal]

I have used the 'search' function, and found the results I received to be lacking. So if I've missed an obvious answer to the following question somewhere, I'd appreciate a link/pointer. Thanks in advance.

That said, is there a source anywhere to provide guidance for cast bullet expansion if the BHN, meplat and velocity is known apart from individual testing?
I've done *limited* testing myself, and it has been enough to show me that if the BHN and velocity are not correct, then the 'on target' performance will be unsatisfactory. And how meplat affects these results .. . . I've not begun to explore.
I realize a .44 caliber bullet, however hard, will not ever make a hole under .44 caliber. That's not what this is about.
I'm trying to determine if a .30 projectile, for instance, can be effective from 25 yards to 250 yds from the same rifle using the same cartridge and cast bullet without either resulting in a 'meat grenade' or simply punching .30 holes in whatever it strikes.

Thank you for any and all factual replies.

[Beerd]

Search for the Bruce B Soft Point bullet.
Cast 'em just like Nosler Partitions.
..

[Hannibal]

I'm familiar with the process, and while I've never tried, it seems the process is full of potential problems and is overly complex. Cast bullet accuracy past 100 yds is difficult enough without adding soft alloy tips, in my experience.

A forum member I'll not name has stated on this forum the cast bullet is supreme to the jacketed counterpart for hunting applications. I beg to disagree, but I'll not attempt to argue the point without data to back either position.

Hence, the purpose of my question.

[badgeredd]

Sit your bullet in a pan of water and play a propane torch flame over the nose. You will see the metal start to soften. Let it air cool and you will have an annealed nose that will expand more than the body.

Edd

[runfiverun]

if you can get a jacketed bullet to hold together at 25 yds you got something going.
I'd spend the quarter and stick with them.

[fredj338]

if you can get a jacketed bullet to hold together at 25 yds you got something going.
I'd spend the quarter and stick with them.

It is diff to get a well designed jacketed soft to do well at 25yds & 250yds. To get there with cast, doubtful imo. Cup points cast medium soft may work?? Hannible doesn't say what his limited testing was, but ballistic gel or proper wetpack are really the only suitable test mediums IMO.

[Harter66]

Attachment 201639
These are recovered from a medium that I can't really describe beyond saying that the results were the same on game at similar ranges and speeds .
These were a 200 gr full spire point bullet paper patched for an SKS to 1800 fps single fed . The performance was near identical in a 30-06' with a fast twist bbl I'm told doesn't exist , I won't tell the rifle .

They retained 196-98 gr of the original 200 . They were .590-.610 so not quite double diameter . Calculators say the impact speeds were about 1200 fps at 100 yd . These were recovered from a 103 yd trap .

A small mulie taken on an antlerless tag with a 90 yd quartering away shot displayed an identical , to my untrained eye, wound track to that of a 2700 fps Hornady #3033 , now discontinued . The exit was a half dollar hole with a net disruption and permanent hole tennis to baseball size .
The alloy was 75/25 WW/1-20 . THE 1-20 is derived from lead tamper seals with copper hanging wire . And is likely copper saturated to the limits of the tin content .

The same alloy used a 2050 fps in a 6.8 SPCII with a 278-124 NOE will punch a 30+ cal hole in .250 CRS plate at 110 yd . No expansion tests have been done to date as the alloy seems to work .

With the alloy reduced to 50/50 a 454424 will grow to leave a 50 cal exit when fired at 1000 fps from a 45 Colts carbine at 17 yd on a 165# hog with a rib strike and 12" of meat hair and organs . Only evidenced by the exit shield hole . Similar expansion was noted on a 145# hog hit at 7-10' with an entry inside the right shoulder and a half moon trench through the left inside ham . None was observed on the 50 yd 135# hog shot through the vitals . Impact speed was under 850 fps calculated .

Dead soft lead at 4-500 gr killed a couple of buffalo leaving the muzzle under 1400 fps .
A 200 gr 35 cal will make a completely different hole with a 50% meplat than a 27,28 or 30 cal will .

[Digital Dan]

Pure lead is a reliable expander. Trick to getting it up to velocity and maintaining accuracy is paper patch. The deer that stopped the bullet in the first pic was out about 85 yards, MV 1600 fps. Retained weight 297 grains out of 300.