338 and 35 cal

[TCTex]

Pilgrim, that answers a LOT of my questions and THANK YOU!!!


It looks like I am going to experiment more with my 35 Whelen loads. I am casting the 200gr RCBS-WQWW's. A starting load of IMR 4895 is over 2000 out of my 15in's of rifling. I can tell right now I am going to have to cast more. My stock/inventory of 104 is not going to last long. LOL


35Whelen, my casting endeavors are the reason why I went with the larger calibers. My plinking rounds are 30 Herretts and 300 Whisper shooting 180 gr cast bullets at 1100 to 1300 fps. And yes, I LOVE seeing what the 358009 does to a 1in thick 8in round gong at 100 yards. There is nothing like it.


Your exact points are the reason I like shooting large bore cast. I grew up cutting my teeth on a 54. Cal Lancaster Flintlock. Not even my Dads beloved 7mm Rem Mag would knock a deer over like that 232gr 54 cal round ball.


But here is where it takes the turn...


I also have friends who have experance hunting elk with black powder ( traditional round balls) who say a 54 isn't big enough. Most of them hunt elk with 62 cal's. (20 ga shooting round balls.) When my father shot a cow elk with his 54, he did not get full penetration on a clean broadside shot with his round ball. Ended up doing quite a bit of tracking.


But that is the difference in a pure lead round ball and an allow conical which has been tempered. And the reason I am trying to get educated instead of being ignorant.


To all that have posted, THANK YOU!!!!!!


Duane


Ps, my 338 Federal & 338-06 ended up both shooting SR4759 with cast. They are like shooting 357 Mags in the Contender. I could shoot them all day. I sold the 17in 460 S&W and 17in 375 H&H AI that gave you a headache from the concussion of the blast.

[jhalcott]

I've used a lot of 358315 and 358318 in the 358 JDJ Contender. I also have a bolt rifle in 35 Whelen that I ve killed a few deer with. I have "soft pointed" a few of these with great results. I have a NO NAME 245 grain flat nose mold that works great at up to 150 yards. In my 14" Contender 35 Remington barrel I like the 180 and 200 grain bullets. Flat nose cast seem to work very well in the 35 caliber on game.