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View Full Version : 308 Cast Boolet Success Hunting for mule deer doe!



Dthunter
10-27-2013, 01:53 AM
Hello Fellow Boolet fans!

I finally found some time to go hunting with my cast boolet rifle! (A Rem700, Varmint Laminate,1:12" twist, 308 Winchester)

I spotted 4 does and a spike buck feeding across a draw. It took me about 20 minutes to move into position. Using the wind to my advantage, I stalked along the field edge, and found a Big clump of dirt and straw. I used this to lay down behind, and set up the rifle.

The deer fed slowly toward me, totally unaware of my presence. I had to wait around 1/2 hour for a shot because the lead does vitals were obscured by the curvature of the field topography, and grass. When her body was fully clear of any obstructions, I lazer ranged her at 230 yards. I dialed up my scope 3.75 MOA from my 100 yard zero, and prepared for the shot. My Lyman #311299, 200 grain boolet was loaded in front of 47.0 Grains of IMR 4831, and seated long to engrave the rifling upon closing the bolt. (2357fps average velocity). (USE THIS LOAD DATA AT YOUR OWN RISK, AS YOU WOULD ANY DATA THAT WORKS FOR SOMEONE ELSE.)

As The lead doe fed to a broadside shot (facing to my left), I placed the crosshairs just above her heart and squeezed off the shot. As the pictures show, I couldn't be happier with the result! All that load development, and hundreds of rounds down range, paid off! The sound of an impact was startlingly audible/loud and clear! She took a few short leaps and piled up. She went maybe 10 yards after impact.

Upon field dressing and "post mortem", I found that the boolet passed through both lungs and severed several large arteries. The wound channel showed around 2" of distinct radial damage to all tissue, and the exit wound was 1-1/4" in diameter. Sorry, I never took any wound channel pictures.

There was VERY LITTLE blood in the meat when I deboned it. She bled out very well!

My boolet alloy is 18lbs. Wheel weight lead + 6 feet of 50/50 Lead/Tin solder. Air cooled.
I never recovered the boolet, but the wound channel tells/suggests a story of expansion, and little to no fragmentation. I am very satisfied with the results!

Hope you guys like the pictures!

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Have a look at my short video if you like. The link is below.

http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/darcytyndall1/media/IMG_1327_zps1e2650a1.mp4.html

ultramag
10-27-2013, 02:58 AM
Congrats and thanks for sharing the hunt with us!!! Great write up and pics.

Rainier
10-27-2013, 03:05 AM
Wow!! Great shooting! And yes, it appears all the hard work that went into your load development did in fact pay off - 230 yards straight through the boiler room - great job and thanks for the write up - gives us new rifle boolit caster hope.

OnHoPr
10-27-2013, 09:01 AM
Good shot and congrats on the freezer filler.

Junior1942
10-27-2013, 09:15 AM
Great details! Loved it.

DanWalker
10-27-2013, 09:31 AM
Nicely done sir! Congrats and great shooting. Enjoy those steaks...

runfiverun
10-27-2013, 09:54 AM
I hope this answered some of the questions about higher velocity with a cast boolit.
btw your load of 4831 is about 1 grain higher than I use in my 10 twist 308 with a 165gr boolit.
and a grain and a half less then I use in my 358 with a 250.
all of them right about the same velocity as yours, this does lay the smack down on deer.

NYBushBro
10-27-2013, 10:08 AM
My boolet alloy is 18lbs. Wheel weight lead + 6 feet of 50/50 Lead/Tin solder. Air cooled.


I'm curious what 6 feet of 50/50 Lead/Tin solder weighed out to (to try and figure out how to reproduce your alloy).

Nice shot!

missionary5155
10-27-2013, 10:26 AM
Howdy and Congradulations !
That was an enjoyable read and good photos ! Practice always pays off. Knowing the trajectory and capabilities of the round sure makes a shot like that possible.
I still am amazed at the ears on those corn crunchers. They must be able to hear bees buzzing at 100 yards.
Mike in Peru

Dthunter
10-27-2013, 10:33 AM
I'm curious what 6 feet of 50/50 Lead/Tin solder weighed out to (to try and figure out how to reproduce your alloy).

Nice shot!

I just measure 6 feet of solder and add as is. I do not weight it.
I found that this helped my bullets to cast much sharper, and more consistent weights.

Idaho Mule
10-27-2013, 12:26 PM
I love this time of year. All the success stories (and even un-successful ones) are so interesting to read. Looks like us guys that shoot the lowly lead boolits are faring pretty well this year. Keep 'em coming guys. JW

Larry Gibson
10-27-2013, 01:22 PM
I hope this answered some of the questions about higher velocity with a cast boolit.
.........

It sure does; Dthunter used a good bullet design (no scraper groove and an obvious good fit), a 12" twist barrel and a slow burning powder with good ignition characteristics and probable 100%, or close to it, load density. All those add up to pushing velocity/RPM to the maximum while retaining accuracy.

Larry Gibson

birddog1520
10-27-2013, 04:14 PM
Congrats on your deer!!

Randy, The Birddog.

Gibbs44
10-27-2013, 07:12 PM
Congratulations on the deer. That's some good shooting. I guess that answers my question about cast at distance and hunting. It certainly did the trick.

NVScouter
10-28-2013, 10:32 AM
I just bought a new 1:10 .308 and have a 150g mold on the way to do just this! My 375 is dialed but I'm trying to save that for Elk. I think I'm going to steal your load minus a couple grains and see how it goes.

Congrats!

Djones
10-28-2013, 11:32 AM
Nice job! Great story and thanks for sharing.

Smoke4320
10-28-2013, 11:36 AM
great write up ... good looking shot placement.. congrads on the deer and all the work to get a good shooting cast round
Our season opens in 3 weeks and I hope to do the same real soon afterwords

filthygovmploye
10-28-2013, 10:29 PM
Howdy and Congradulations !
I still am amazed at the ears on those corn crunchers. They must be able to hear bees buzzing at 100 yards.
Mike in Peru

youre right, they are about the same length as the skull!!!

thebigmac
10-28-2013, 10:55 PM
VERY NICE SHOT. Glad to hear the receipe of that shot. That 311299 boolit in a .308 sure is somethhing.

Great story and thanks for sharing.:smile::smile::smile: thebigmac

1Shirt
10-28-2013, 11:53 PM
Nice narrative! Enjoyed it and the pics! Congrats!
1Shirt!

CastingFool
10-29-2013, 12:06 AM
Congrats on the doe.

Magana559
10-29-2013, 12:17 AM
good eating right there!

Dthunter
10-29-2013, 02:09 AM
Thanks guys! This cast boolet hunting is addictive!

TXGunNut
10-29-2013, 09:28 PM
Good shooting and well told. Looks like she'll make you smile every time you open the freezer for awhile.

Huntsman
10-31-2013, 02:31 PM
Nice write up! Congrats on both your cast load and the success you achieved with your doe kill.
Where in Alberta? I'm in Morinville and will be doing most of my hunting in 350 & 510.

Dthunter
10-31-2013, 07:33 PM
North of Grande Prairie, in 358.
Let me know how you make out!

Huntsman
11-04-2013, 09:51 PM
Will do. I'm picking my son up from the airport Wed night and heading out for sun up Thurs morning.
I hope my 'cast' 54 cal 410gr Maxi-Ball hits its mark.
Cheers

RugerFan
11-06-2013, 02:58 AM
Thanks for a great write up. I have also been rather pleased to find significant wound cavitation with round nosed .30 cal boolits. That's a nice setup you have there.

Fisher
11-10-2013, 11:48 AM
Congrats you sure got my attention, unfortunately I could not get my computer to show me your video...

Crawdaddy
11-10-2013, 03:01 PM
Great shot, great story, congrats!

sixshot
11-10-2013, 03:47 PM
That load just won't work down here in the states, our deer are much tougher....or at least thats the rumor! Great job on that slick head, you couldn't have hit her any better.
Used to use an old pre 64 winchester 308 on Texas turkeys. I loaded the 311291 cast slug over a small dose of 4759 & a pinch of kapok & just shot them in the breast, you could eat the bullet hole. Again, nice job!

Dick