I am trying to get some input concerning store bought boolit performance. I mostly have cast my own but occasionally buy store bought, like for my 357 where the 125 grain cast were about as cheap as buying a mold. Also they gave me a chance to try that weight and design. 200 bullets go a long ways in that rifle for my shooting. Also an individual on another site had used commercial bullets and was getting excellent accuracy with his 38-55. However as I read his tests I see the limitations of the typical "hard cast" store bought boolit. Velocity kept around 14-1500 fps or leading starts. Also the claim is made that the anything over 1500 fps is inferior due to lack of penetration for hunting.
Most of the folks on this site likely cast their own, but I have been trying to get input about the hunting performance of the typical store bought cast bullet on larger game like deer. I am quite happy with them in my 357 as I am using a load more aimed at smaller critters. For deer I would pour my own. Typical commercial bullet is the 92-9-2 lead-antimony-tin alloy. Big bores like the 45-70 probably can use them quite well and its possible that they might give some expansion out of rifles like the 30-30 tht push them fast enough. I think 1500 fps might be close to a threshold of expansion for that type of bullet.
DP