Just looking for opinions on...

[Lead melter]

Your favorite alloy for hunting boolits in the 200-400 grain range with speeds of 1400-1600 fps in 30 to 45 calibers. While many factors are to be considered [boolit fit, gas check or not, lube, etc.], just what have you guys been successful with?

20:1, 30:1, 40:1, oddball mixtures, what have you. Just looking to start narrowing the possible field a bit and would like some "real world" results on critters taken, penetration, expansion...you know the drill.

Not trying to start a fuss amongst brethren, just looking for your opinions.

[brian]

i've simply used WW at that speed. there may be better alloys though. reason i haven't experiments is alloy availability (as compared to WW) and time. Good luck. I suspect some of the Pb-Sn alloys would be better than Pb-Sn-Sb alloys, as Sb tends to make the CB brittle rather than malleable. maybe some of the BPCR competitors (who seem to mostly use straight Pb-Sn mixtures) can comment on their use on game. I suspect, based upon the extreme success in north america in the late 19th century in the hugh reduction of game populations across the board by Pb-Sn alloy projectiles in the various Sharps, Ballard, and other BP CTG rifles of the day, what ever Pb-Sn alloy that you get to shoot well at the velocities you're interested in will be good.
have fun.

[Dale53]

I have shot all of my white tail deer with a .44 magnum handgun, Keith bullets (except for the last was taken with the Lee C430-310-RF) using my regular bullet alloy (now it is ww+2%tin and formerly was ww/lino 8/1). I have never recovered a bullet (even when shot lengthwise). My shots have been taken from 10 yards to 85 yards and ALWAYS total penetration with about a 3/4" permanent wound cavity. I doubt that they expanded but the performance was excellent

However, a friend of mine, who went Buffalo hunting with a 45/70 Sharps had me load him some hunting ammo. The alloy was 30/1, the bullet was a 522 gr Lyman 457125. The velocities were equivalent of a 45/90 black powder rifle. The buffalo was shot at about 100 yards just behind the shoulder. Hit one rib going in, drove a wide path through both lungs, took a rib going out and stopped under the hide. It looked like a text book bullet - perfect umbrella shaped expansion. It retained more than two thirds of the original weight. I would call that near perfect performance. Oh, at the shot, the Buffalo (large Bull Bison) hit the ground, got up an struggled four or five steps and hit the ground for good. My friend was MORE than happy.

Sorry I don't have more on other rifles for you. My bear was shot with a .375 H&H Magnum with J******* bullets many years ago.

Dale53

[dubber123]

I have only gotten 2 animals with cast, 2 hogs, the first was 200#, and shot with a heat treated 425 gr. WFN from my .475, velocity 1,350. 2" entrance hole, nothing but mush for lungs, top of heart gone, 2" exit.

The second was 275#, 50-70 Contender, 400 gr. heat treated, LFN. Velocity was less than you indicate, (1,000 fps), and even though the Meplat is similar to the .475, it did noticeably less damage, but still plugged a 1-1/2" hole straight on through.

Your velocity range sounds good, in the .44 and up, I think a wide Meplat is the way to go, and it will work fine cast hard. In less than .44 cal, I think straight WW air cooled or maybe softer to get expansion. There are lots of guys with more game experience than me, I'm sure they will weigh in.

[Wayne S]

straight WW, GC when the bullet was designed for it

[cast405]

I prefer the paper patch bullet for all my big game hunting,remarkable expantion at all velocities and the bonus of being able to shoot very soft alloys at high velocity which guarantee expansion. The caliber of choice for me is the .405 winchester in a ruger #1 so far it has harvested 1 bull elk and 4 columbia blacktail no tracking required no bullets recovered.

[Larry Gibson]

I like to use 1-16 tin/lead alloy for cast hunting bullets at that velocity level. I came upon that alloy some years back when researching the 500 gr service bullet used in the 45-70 cartridge. Frankford Arsenal did considerable testing and that was the best alloy they came up with. I use it in my trapdoors with the 500 gr bullet at 1300-1400 fps, in my TC Blk Mtn Magnum .50 cal muzzle loader with a 370 gr Maxi-Ball at 1520 fps and in my top end .357, .41 and .44 Magnum loads at 1400-1500 fps. Penetration, expansion and weight retention are excellent in game.

For velocities over 1600 fps I use a WW + 50% lead alloy for my .30, .31, 8mm, 35 and .375 caliber rifles. With that alloy at 1900-2200 fps velocities I expect to clean the barrel every 5-7 shots to maintain accuracy.

A good hunting alloy at those velocities that you can shoot almost all day with is WWs + 2% tin. If the muzzle velocity is 2000+ fps then some expansion can be expected at 200 yards given a decent meplat.

Larry Gibson

[cast405]

just a pic of 330gr bullet recovered from wet paper at 100yds... 2109fps at 100yds
2416fps at muzzel .405 winchester Ruger #1 53.5gr reloader 7 about 20'' of penetration

[pdawg_shooter]

I prefer the paper patch bullet for all my big game hunting,remarkable expantion at all velocities and the bonus of being able to shoot very soft alloys at high velocity which guarantee expansion. The caliber of choice for me is the .405 winchester in a ruger #1 so far it has harvested 1 bull elk and 4 columbia blacktail no tracking required no bullets recovered.

+1 ON THE PAPER PATCH BULLET! All my rifle loads are paper patched. I was able to get a hair over 3000fps with MOA accuracy in a 300RUM. Cant ask for any better than that!

[helice]

In my 357 (M-92) & 350 RM I use a 240 LWN PB at about 1650 foot seconds MV. To get any expansion I mix WW and range scrap for a very soft 10-11 BHN (using Veral's softness tester). If I go over 2000 foot seconds I water drop wheel weights. In the 44 (M-92), 444 and 45 (M-92), 250-310 grain slugs, I use Air cooled WW if over 1700 and add range scrap 50-50 if under 1700. Keep Writin', I'm learnin'. Helice

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Hullo Lead Melter, to answer your question, IMHO, I use water quinched ww @ these velosities, if I go higher I add some hard shot or go to linotype. I shoot 30 cal 150-180gr, 357-150-300gr, 375 44 200-310gr, 45-180-425gr

[docone31]

I am with paper also.
I make an hard alloy. I do not hunt so just makeing accurate holes is good enough. Some of my melt has zinc in it.