30 cal boolit weight for deer

[high standard 40]

I'm planning to put together a 30 cal "cast bullet only" rifle for hunting whitetails and plinking. I'm pretty settled on a 308 Winchester and I will be slugging the barrel as well as the chamber so I can order a custom mold to fit this gun. I will have the mold cut with a meplat of about .18"or .20" for good performance on deer size game animals. So my question is this to those here who have practical experience with the 30 bore. What weight should I have the mold cut for? I'm thinking somewhere between 180gr and 200 gr.
I want to assure a full pass through on a deer or hog. Our doe weigh and average of 120 lbs and an average buck goes 140-160 lbs with an occasional 200 lb plus buck showing up. Shots are normally no more than 150 yards and most are well within 100 yards. The 308 Win should give me all the velocity I need for the job so again, what weight would be ideal 180? 190? 200? What has been your experience?

[rockrat]

The best performing boolit I have for my 308 was a group buy mould that weighs about 198gr. I push it with 32gr of Varget, for about 2200fps. Probably overkill for what you want

[Ben]

This bullet seems to have all the characteristics that you've mentioned are impt. to you, this may be what you want without going to a custom maker.

http://www.westernbullet.com/rc3gr.html

Looks like MidWay is out of stock on the mold right now, but there are other places
to get an RCBS mold like Graf & Sons, etc. :

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/125643/rcbs-2-cavity-bullet-mold-30-180-fn-30-caliber-309-diameter-180-grain-flat-nose-gas-check

Maybe someone who owns this mold and has experience with it will offer some comments on the bullet ? ?

[atr]

I get very good results with the #311291 / 170 grain ( sometimes heavier if I add more lead to the pot)
MOA accurate at 100 yds with 1/12 rifling in Savage 99C .308
shooting whitetails between 50-150 yds

[Ben]

I increased the " thump factor " on my 311291 with this modification. I'm thinking it will be a good killer on white tails. Mine weigh 173 grs. with no lube or g/c.

My meplat now measures .208 "

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/017800x600-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/021800x600-1.jpg

[high standard 40]

For the 311291 and perhaps other bullets in this weight range, do you usually get an exit? Because of the dense cover we hunt in here, I need to have a total pass through to help assure a blood trail if the animal runs after the shot.

As far as a commercially mass produced mold, I would rather order a mold designed expressly for my rifle. I want bullets of the correct diameter that seat no lower than the base of the neck. I want it to fit the throat and have a true bore rider nose profile with an ample meplat. I don't mind at all paying for a custom mold. Spend once, cry once. So anyway, what I'm really curious about is other folks experiences in regards to bullet weight and penetration. How much is enough to insure a total pass through? Reasonable velocity with the heavier bullets should be 2000-2200fps.
Is 180 grs enough or should I go 200? Maybe compromise at 190? The rifle will have a 1-10 twist.

[rhbrink]

Look at Accuratemolds.com go to the catalog and look at the molds from 31-180S on up to 31-200 R. Make measurements of your bore and groove plus throat and seating dept send Tom a Email with what you have and you will shorty get a great mold custom made for your rifle and the hunting that you want to do. Takes about a week.

Good Luck

Richard

[high standard 40]

Look at Accuratemolds.com go to the catalog and look at the molds from 31-180S on up to 31-200 R. Make measurements of your bore and groove plus throat and seating dept send Tom a Email with what you have and you will shorty get a great mold custom made for your rifle and the hunting that you want to do. Takes about a week.

Good Luck

Richard

Thanks Richard, that's exactly what I intended to do all along. I just need to make my mind up on weight. I bought a mold from Tom late last year and I love it. He will continue to get my business.

[jhalcott]

The 311041 and 311291 have worked quite well for ME in several .30 cal guns! I get thru and thru with a .30-30, .308 and 30-06. I do NOT limit myself to only these molds though! I have molds from very light (100 grain) to 215 grain heavies. I have a pointy 185 grain mold that I flat point for deer hunting .All the molds I use are gas check style.

[JDL]

high standard 40,
I've killed deer with Lyman 311466 and 31141 when using my .300 Savage and never recovered a slug. The 31141 in particular makes a spectacular wound channel of 2" through lungs and would be my pick in a .308. Unfortunately, my .308 doesn't like cast so I use my old .300.

JDL

[gnoahhh]

Over the years I have gotten excellent results (good expansion and pass throughs equaling quick death in all instances) with a 190 gr. cast bullet that has a .200 meplat, out of .30/30s & .303 Savages (and a .30/06 at .30/30 velocities). Of course, alloy selection plays a big part in it too. (I stick with WW+lead+tin for a bhn of 11-12) In one instance the bullet entered behind the shoulder and exited at the base of the neck on the off side, tearing a golf ball sized chunk of meat and skin away. Of course, from the parcels that bullet hit on its journey through, a full metal jacket would have killed him also. I applaud your approach, but in reality shot placement plays as big a role as does bullet selection.

If I were starting over from scratch, I daresay I would invest in .35 caliber technology for cast bullet deer hunting. But that's just me.

[bones37]

My personal experiences with a 30 cal. cast boolit is with a Win 94 in 30/30. I use a RCBS 'cowboy' mold, 150 grain, plain base cast at 310" pushed with a 7.5 grain charge of Unique. I harvested several "nice" whitetails here in Mid TN, all of which were complete pass thrus END to END at ranges from 50 to 75 yards.

[Larry Gibson]

Shot a lot of black tail and mule deer in that weight range over the years (40+) with cast bullets in .30 and .31 cal rifles. I setteld a long time ago on the 311041 HP' to 3/16s depth and cast of a soft alloy that allows excellent expansion. I push these at 2000 - 2200 fps, dending on barrel length, and find them very deadly on deer to 200 yards (my own max range with cast). I've recovered only one bullet in many many years and many deer. All others have been through and through with excellent terminal results. I have also killed deer with 150 - 210 gr .30 cal cast and not recovered any bullets either, all being thru and thru.

Larry Gibson

[Old Goat Keeper]

Try either the 311041 or the fling brick,aka RanchDog's 308 boolit. Either one will hurt a deer bad.

T-o-m

[high standard 40]

If I were starting over from scratch, I daresay I would invest in .35 caliber technology for cast bullet deer hunting. But that's just me.

That is sound advice. I already have a Custom Mauser 98 chambered in .358 Win that I have set up for cast bullets. I use a 255gr bullet with a generous meplat. It works very well. I Kinda wanted to try the 30 bore a little also. And I am in full agreement as far as shot placement.

[Blammer]

all I know is that at 160 yds I got a complete pass through on a broad side shot with my 225gr 311284 traveling at 1850 fps out of my rem 700-30-06.

I'd say 180-200gr is doable easily enough in the 308 and 1800-2000 fps will give you LOTS of penetration. Your meplat is a good thing, and your alloy will be most important.

I'd not fret about the base being in the neck so much, but to each his own.

I'd try a few 'commercial' bullets first to see what your firearm likes then go the custom route.
First one I'd try is the 311041 then the 311284, them being the extremes of what you want. It may give you a better feel for what works in your firearm.

[stubshaft]

My favorite boolit for hunting in a .30 is an old 30-150-SP RCBS Custom boolit. It works great in my 30/30, 30 Herrett and 308. I used the LBT 180 for awhile and couldn't tell then difference in killing power so I went back to the 150.

[Ben]

high standard 40 :

Blammer offers good advice.

It would be nice if you could get access to 50 or so bullets from the following molds.
The RCBS 180 gr. flat point, the Lyman 311041, and the Lyman or NOE 311284.

If you load those up with known " accuracy loads " and test them, your rifle will tell you " how it feels " about those 3 designs when you walk down and examine the targets.

That wouldn't be the tell all or end all to your questions you've asked , but it might point you in the right direction ? ?

[largom]

Like many others my favorite 30 cals. are 311041 and 311291 however, I don't think you will go wrong with any flat or round nose in the 150 through 180 gr. weight. An accurate load and a well placed shot will get the job done.

Larry

[high standard 40]

Thanks to all for the replies. This is exactly the response I was looking for. I don't have the rifle yet........still getting the funds together. I sort of figured that anything 180 gr and above would exit on a deer, and to be honest, and I'm quoting a friend here, "once the bullet exits, the killing stops". When the project gets closer, I'll try to find some of the suggested bullets and start the testing.

Thanks again.

[rhead]

I use the Lee 150 grain flat nose loaded over 14.5 grains of 2400. So far full pass through every time. On the occasions when I was able to hit the bone of the off side foreleg it also passed through that. I have no data on an end to end shot. The deer will drop anywhere from in its tracks to a few dozen yards. From the appearance of the exit wounds The 50 50 wheelweight pure lead is giving some expansion.

In my opinion accuracy trumps boolit weight within any reasonable weight range.