Preference. & Why?

[versa-06]

Continued for above . I have recently picked a few close range locations to hunt deer & a few bears. I am working with 250-314 grain bullets for both. Most shots not over 75yds.

[ChristopherO]

Continued for above . I have recently picked a few close range locations to hunt deer & a few bears. I am working with 250-314 grain bullets for both. Most shots not over 75yds.

Though I have neither of those two calibers/cartridges I would use them for your intended purpose in a heartbeat. When I mentioned the NOE 182 grain WFN GC that is a .360" boolit I shoot out of a 35 Whelen. I would use those for the same purpose from how well they test out up to 100 yards. Your offerings are even better.

[warren5421]

Don't do bear here in Indiana. For years it was a 12 ga SxS in Indiana and Ohio using cast slugs backed by Black Powder. When Indiana went to pistol caliber rifles I went to a Uberti 73 in .44-40 using a full case of black powder, about 36 gr, felt wad, and a 200 gr RNFP. Shots are under 100 yards.

[Elmer Fudd]

I prefer 35 caliber for cast for both hunting and just shooting. I have more guns, cartridges and moulds in 35 than any other caliber. I sometimes shoot silly heavy rifle bullets in a 357, with 38 brass, after sizing down from .360. I like the heavies (280-310) in the Whelen, and the 230 RD. I use that 230 FN in the 358JDJ and the Maximum. I use more 160-180s in 357s. The 35 seems to kill out of proportion to the bore diameter, where the 338s do not. The larger bores, mostly .4 and bigger, do so to a greater extent. I don't find the 375 H&H to be an exaggerated killer, but it is effective (I have only deer and elk under my belt with it, and jacketed bullets to boot). As opposed to a 45/70 on marmots...

Moral of my story: softest cast or jacketed possible, and the larger the bore the better. As you go softer, muzzle velocities can come down to shoulder-friendly recoil levels. I almost always shoot through a suppressor, so report is mitigated to an extent.

I tend to cast from one alloy, that being COWW. Sometimes, I get better results if I dilute with SOWW, so I do that, and probably add a bit of tin for easier fill-out on certain moulds. They all seem to have different requirements as far as alloy and temp. And for the same reason, probably laziness, I like to use one bullet in several guns. Knowing that, I can't explain why I have a dozen or so 35 moulds.

[Wayne Smith]

Right now it would be my 1895 Steyr with the Frankenstein boolit. Plenty for local deer and black bear. With a condom bullet my .25 Krag AI. I haven't shot cast in that yet except to fully size cartridges. That was with a caseful of WC867 and a small cast boolit. About 100 gr out of a mold designed years ago and group buy.

[35 Rem]

Since you limit it to cast bullets for deer, I'd have to go with 35 caliber and specifically the 35 Remington. Like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, it's "Just Right". Big enough to guarantee sufficient penetration and energy without noticeable recoil. The cost of the bullet has nothing to do with my using cast for deer, it's the satisfaction of using a bullet I made myself. Also the handiness of leverguns combined with cast lead bullets lets me almost time travel to the past when hunting.

Not to imply that I'm a purist by any means. I started shooting because of a love for varmint shooting, specifically groundhogs in huge bean fields so jacketed bullets at screaming velocities are no stranger to me. During deer season I like to sit looking over the same big fields sometime with my 257 Weatherby, 25-06 or 270 and there is no way I'd even consider using cast in them. (Has anybody EVER tried cast in a 257 Weatherby?? haha). I have shot a bunch of deer between 300 and 400 yards with the 257Weatherby so Yes, I have done my share of that kind of deer hunting. I was burning out on just killing a deer when I started testing cast bullets using water jugs to convince myself they could be lethal and humane. Once convinced I have it a try with the 35 Remington and I was amazed at how effective it was. Last year I didn't even take a jacketed bullet load out of the house during deer season and got 4 deer with my own cast bullets. Very satisfying. Who knows how I'll hunt this year.

One point where I differ from a lot of you is that I'm using only cartridges that operate in the velocity range where cast works equally well to jacketed. If your rifle can't fling a bullet any faster than say 2,200 ft/sec, the jacket adds nothing but expense and wear on your barrel. In fact a cast bullet of the same weight with a larger meplate and cast softer will almost certainly be more effective on game. So far my cast bullet deer rifles are 30-30, 7.62x39, 32 Win Special and 35 Remington. I'm shooting loads that give the full potential of these cartridges so I'm giving up nothing to shoot cast. I can see where somebody might feel "cheated" somehow turning his 30-06 into a 30-30 by shooting cast in it. To each his own - there is no right or wrong in this hobby. It's for fun anyhow, right??

[Smoke4320]

used to hunt where typical shots were 150 to 500 yds .. Most were 200 Plus . At those ranges I preferred Jacketed bullets for the better accuracy.
Now where I hunt 50 to 100 yds is average so Cast Bullets do the trick.
as far as caliber its what hits me for that day it could be 300 Blackout 247 gr subsonic HP's or up to 45-70 350 gr HPs. If the bullet is placed correctly they all die VERY quickly

[versa-06]

My 375 Win.'s & 38-55's & 454 casull rifles haven't taken any game because I got them after the last season. I did take out 2 beavers with the 38-55 re-bore by Jessie using a round ball pushed with titegroup & quite devistating. I feel I can get a little more range with the 375 bores, but the 2 454's are really heavy hitters with less powder consumption than a 45-70. There was a big fire in the woods by my house & the deer have changed their traveling routs. Started traveling in a very dense holler that can be hunted up close & personal. These big bores may score yet. -06

[ChristopherO]

Keep us posted. We know they will work and work very well. Looking forward to hearing the stories and viewing the photos you post this season.

[AlaskaMike]

Continued for above . I have recently picked a few close range locations to hunt deer & a few bears. I am working with 250-314 grain bullets for both. Most shots not over 75yds.

That's pretty much the situation I've had when I've gone hunting blacktails and black bear in Prince William Sound up here. Certainly no shots beyond 100 yards, and most would be within 50 yards.

I used my Rossi 92 .44 mag using a 295 grain bullet from an old Lee group buy we had here maybe 15 years ago. Here's one thread I started when I was trying to come up with load data that shows the bullet design: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...light=fat+flat

Unfortunately I never got a shot with it, so I can't say how it works on either deer or bear. I'm certain it's a serious thumper though.

I recently got another Rossi 92 in .454 Casull, but the only cast bullet that I've had the opportunity to shoot any significant amount is the RCBS 45-270-SAA. It shoots great with midrange loads using Unique, as well as top end loads using IMR-4227. I wouldn't hesitate to use it with either load for deer or bear.

[Good Cheer]

My preference for deer is a heavy 3/8" bullet launched fast enough to shoot so flat as to make shots out to 200 yards a no brainer. In other words, no rainbow trajectory for me to plot on the fly. That said, I want a long neck for lots and lots of lube grooves and so I don't have to jack around with bore rider designs, just the right case capacity to hold the right amount of slow burning powder, a handy overall length of rifle while still having enough barrel length to get the velocity I'm after. And I want to do it all without using an alloy that's too hard for hunting.

[georgerkahn]

O.K. All deer & Black Bear hunters, What caliber 30,35,375,44,& 45 is your preference & why? In my older years the recoil & the loud report is not as exciting as it was when I was 35. What is your favorite?

Sadly, my knee has gotten to point (bad!) I'm down to but rim-fire-varminting, but I have a zillion good memories in the woods seeking Bambi . My first was a model 92 Winchester in .38WCF; I "graduated" to a .30WCF (.30-30 in a 336) for year or two; then went "Hamer" with a .30-30 Remington (Model 8). BUT, in my last decade or so in the woods it was my .38-40. For relatively short-range shots -- most at 75 yards or less -- with minimal report and recoil, with pie-size-paper plate accuracy off-hand at this range -- I found this calibre hard to beat. All my cast bullets propelled with IMR3031 powder.
geo

[Rapier]

I pretty much use 35s with the 200 grain FN RCBS/Saeco style. Saeco makes the plain base version in an iron mould, great for powder coating, nose down, without a GC. I can push them up to 2,500 fps with no leading and get sub 1/2" groups. Use them in colt guns, single shots to ARs and in revolvers. Cartridges like the 35 Whelen, 350 RM, 358 Win, 358 MGP, 357 Super Mag, etc.

[versa-06]

Been Blessed to take several with a 358 Win & that 35-200 RCBS mold, it's a good one. Was even fortunate to get a good 8pt & a Large 6pt. I'm not a horn hunter but if he's got a big rack I'm all in. I am a real lover of deer steaks, over the years we have learned how to prepare them without them being tough. -06

[ChristopherO]

I pretty much use 35s with the 200 grain FN RCBS/Saeco style. Saeco makes the plain base version in an iron mould, great for powder coating, nose down, without a GC. I can push them up to 2,500 fps with no leading and get sub 1/2" groups. Use them in colt guns, single shots to ARs and in revolvers. Cartridges like the 35 Whelen, 350 RM, 358 Win, 358 MGP, 357 Super Mag, etc.

Nose Down. NOSE DOWN! You, Sir, are a genius! Thank you for posting that bit of brilliance.

[Earl54]

Here in my part of Florida shots are 100 yds max. This year I am shooting a 30/30 load that was an old drilling load in the past. I have come to believe that a meplat of close to .300 or larger, a velocity of at least 1200fps, and a long for cal. bullet will do the job at " my" ranges. .311 cast bullet, 1350fps, 214 grains, .290 meplat, out of a 22 inch barrel,is my choice for this year - we will see.

[versa-06]

Seems like the closer an animal gets, the more exciting it gets. Sitting in the woods & a good deer (I'm a buck hunter & not a trophy hunter) comes out & he's close, my heart goes into overdrive & the excitement is awesome. A big bore rifle that won't beat you to death adds to the picture. The confidence in your own hand load, carrying a bullet with some weight & a large meplat, is assuring that the animal will go down soon. -06

[Good Cheer]

We're thrilled that way when they're chasing each other around the yard... uh, except when they start destroying stuff we're trying to grow.

[Tom_in_AZ]

If hunting with cast, I like the .45-70 with wide meplat bullets. I usually load them hot, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t load them to trap door velocities. 405 grains at 1300-1400 fps.

[warren5421]

For deer at 100 yards or less, most shots are less than 50 yards, I like a Winchester 73 Musket in .44WCF loaded with max case black powder with 200 gr RNFP lead bullet. For the small black bear around the farm outside of Minford, Ohio I like the .38-55 WCF in Browning High Wall.