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Thread: First elk! with cast LEE 320 50 cal

  1. #21
    Boolit Master

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    I used to shoot deer with 50 cal roundballs and had great luck close up. Recovered one one time, it looked like a pancake. It was a swaged speer .490, and was, I guess, pure lead. seems like the REAL would have expanded a little at least.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master brewer12345's Avatar
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    I cast all my round balls and conicals from SOWW. Plenty soft. The .530 round ball I used this fall must have been pretty soft because the entrance wound even showed expansion on the doe. REALs shoot well for me provided I use an over powder wad.
    When you care enough to send the very best, send an ounce of lead.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master





    SSGOldfart's Avatar
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    Congrats on a job well done, what state are you hunting?
    I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
    Paralyzed Veterans of America

    Looking for a Hensly &Gibbs #258 any thing from a two cavity to a 10cavityI found a new one from a member here

  4. #24
    Boolit Bub
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    In my new home state of New Mexico, down in the Gila area.

    I think the condolences are appropriate, but for my wife. She is tired of hearing about elk and elk hunting and the application period is open so here we go again!!

    I didn't experiment with any other cards or loadings as I was well within a "minute of elk" with the range I am comfortable with open sights. If I had mounted a scope I would have tried harder for better groups. Pretty easy to hit elk if you hunt up inside 30 yards!

    If I draw primitive MZ deer this year I may start shooting round balls and try for maybe 150yard ranges, I bought the Lee combo mold but haven't shot them yet.

    Thanks for all the congrats, it's a long way from NC where I was raised and I bit different from tree stand hunting whitetails I'll say that!

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    Jan 2014
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    Those REALs work well in 1:28 twist too

    Got a load that is gold in an inline of mine with a lubed durofelt wad under it, 95 grains of RS select...1-1.5 inches at 50...

    I have heard alot of mixed reviews on the REAL boolits but I've never had an issue... plumbing lead and the felt wad seem to be the ticket

    Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master


    missionary5155's Avatar
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    Good morning and Congratulations !
    There sure is a grand heart thump using a muzzle loader ! Hard to imagine SOWW not expanding much on a big heavy body.
    Mike in LLama Land
    "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
    Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.

  7. #27
    Boolit Bub
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    Well it was a double lung shot, not much resistance there I guess, very close and at 1500fps I went through one rib and clean out the other side.

    I'm not complaining man it got the job done in a few seconds. 10 of 10 would shoot exactly the same again

  8. #28
    Boolit Master taco650's Avatar
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    Congrats on a successful hunt with your muzzleloader! One suggestion... don't water drop the bullets because it does harden them. Instead, fold up an old towel or cotton shirt and lay it in the bottom of a small cardboard box and drop them into it. That way they can air cool and will stay a little softer. Might make them easier to load.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master

    TCLouis's Avatar
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    Congratulations.
    Relive the hunt with many meals in the future!
    Amendments
    The Second there to protect the First!

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy KMac's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taco650 View Post
    One suggestion... don't water drop the bullets because it does harden them.
    I thought lead needed some antimony in it to water harden. Dead soft lead will harden when you water drop it?
    " My people skills are just fine. It's my tolerance for idiots that needs work."

  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by KMac View Post
    I thought lead needed some antimony in it to water harden. Dead soft lead will harden when you water drop it?
    No, it wont.

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy Huntsman's Avatar
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    Awesome!!
    Good job. Enjoy the fine meat 🥩!

  13. #33
    Boolit Bub
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    A bit of an update after all the support i got on this thread last year,

    I just was at the recyclers buying a MAF sensor and picked up 15lbs of what i believe is dead soft roof flashing LEAD sheets. it was 60c a pound so i figured 9$ should last a loooong time, I only shoot my BP bullets dead soft. i think my "soft" WW mix is fine for my shotgun slug loads.

    I was easily able to flex it with my hands and i even tore a sheet in half to get right to the 15 weight i had prepaid for.

    The hunting news is that I drew another tag this year! a FAD fork antlered deer IIRC likely to be a large (hopefully) desert mulie down in south eastern new mexico. im planning on shooting the same REAL 320gr bullet and I wanted something as soft as I could get for hopefully better expansion on a smaller mule deer.

    I also am hoping to buy an OTC Javelina tag and unless i see one while mule deer hunting with the minnie ball loaded; I am planning on hunting those with the 490 round ball side of my LEE 2 cavity mold and ill use the Dead Soft lead to cast new round balls as well. I havent shot those yet so that will be fun, working up that load and testing at diffrent ranges (javelina are a small target)


    Thanks again for all the congrats, the ELK has been eating great and we are coming up with new things to do with it. ill start a new thread for both of those tags when i get a litle closer to actually hunting. It sure is nice to have a full freezer during these uncertain times when the supply chain is disturbed.

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master
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    My 73 year old buddy is new to ML'ing and has looked worried that his ".50" wasn't enough gun. ! Ha. ! I shoot a .54 most of the time, but assured him that a .50 was enough gun for just about anything. I'm going to tell him your story. BTW, roofing sheet lead is wonderful stuff. Get as much of it as you can.

  15. #35
    Boolit Grand Master

    jonp's Avatar
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    Fantastic and good for you. Did you do any jerky?
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

    Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy Huntsman's Avatar
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    Well you have to like that!

  17. #37
    Boolit Bub
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    I did make a few bags of jerky, i haven't gotten into it much yet. there was more of that roofing lead, is 60c lb a good price, also i only shoot the ML a few times a year, i figure 15lb = 328 320 grain minnie balls might last a lifetime ?

  18. #38
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Elk is on my bucket list. I muzzle loaded them in AZ years ago. I had a Bull tag and saw 27 cows. Not one horn!

  19. #39
    Boolit Bub
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    thats how it goes! i saw a bunch of healthy spikes and cows on my bull tag also.

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by rjz5400 View Post
    I did make a few bags of jerky, i haven't gotten into it much yet. there was more of that roofing lead, is 60c lb a good price, also i only shoot the ML a few times a year, i figure 15lb = 328 320 grain minnie balls might last a lifetime ?
    Buy all you can ,it will be scarce real soon and that 15 lbs does not get me thru a couple of weeks . With the politics now who knows how long it will be available /ask California !

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check