Amazing Discovery; PC bullets will kill

[Doughty]

I have killed deer with traditionally lubed cast bullets and with paper patched bullets, but never with a powder coated bullet,,,, until now. Amazingly they will also kill deer!!!!

[Hamish]

LIB!!! How about that,,,,,,:drinks:

Love the rifle pic.

[modified5]

I didn't know a lipstick case could kill!!! :kidding:
Great shot, great pics. Thanks for sharing.
I'm more jealous that I didnt get to shoot big game this year. :violin::)

[Hardcast416taylor]

Richard. Still using the paper patch moulds in .416 and .338 that you made me some years back. They also are deadly on `critters`. Great to see you posting again.Robert

[rondog]

Hell yes they'll kill! Took my doe last Sunday with a pc'd 255gr. Lee RFN .45 Colt at 250 yards, right through the heart and out the other side, then through the leg. Flew true and sailed right through.

[lancem]

I remember a wise man on here not long ago saying something to the effect that holes kill things, bullets make holes.

[richhodg66]

Can you post some details about your alloy and load? I have wondered how powder coating affects expansion. Seems like since it allows for the use of softer alloys, it should enhance terminal performance.

[blikseme300]

Hope to join this new club soon. I have my Ruger M77 in 458WM dialed in with Lee 450grPB over 33gr of SR4759 with dacron tuft. These CB's are coated with John Deere green from Smoke and 3-4" groups at 100 yards are easy off-hand. Off of sand bags on the bench groups often touch. I initially struggled with accuracy because of the generous throat but once the nose of the CB was enlarged by the PC accuracy improved dramatically. PC is a great tool that allows us to manipulate the CB without resorting to custom molds.

Forgot to add to this post: congratulations or your successful hunt, enjoy the bounty.

[jtaylor1960]

Is that .375 Krag on the barrel?Tell us about that cartridge please.

[Texas by God]

Did it jump high then run off? Heart shots often produce that reaction. I want to hear of the cartridge also.

[richhodg66]

Is that .375 Krag on the barrel?Tell us about that cartridge please.

They made the Number 3 like that one in .30-40 Krag, Dad had one, wish he still had it. Necking it up to .375 sounds like a good wild cat.

[Doughty]

modified5,
That's what my grand daughter thinks they are.

Hardecast416taylor,
Good to know the molds are working for you and that you are still putting them to good use.

rondog,
.45 Colt is the only handgun round that I don't powder coat for now. Some years back I made up two 4 cavity molds to fit my Ruger "Just right." If I powder coat them they won't chamber now. They still work just fine.

lancem,
I don't consider myself to be a "wise man" but I'll add one to that saying, "Flat point bullets make good holes."

richhodg66,
The load is 47 grains of Reloader 19, (about a 100 % case fill) over a large rifle primer for about 1500fps. I don't know exactly what the alloy is, probably along the lines of 50% old WW and 50% "pure" lead. After taking them out of the PC oven, I dump them in water. Maybe 17 BHN. When I shot them with conventional lube they just air cooled. I cast the bullets in a 2 cavity mold I made. One cavity is the bullet shown (about 300 grains). The other bullet is the same thing on the ends, but shortened in the middle to come out at 180 grains. I load this with 10 grains of AA#5 for about 1100 fps. I generally cast these bullets after casting for something else, where the alloy might be more important. After casting the important bullets I'll then run some off in this mold, to keep my stock up. Doesn't seem to affect the accuracy much. I stopped trying to use mushrooming bullets and just let the flat point do the work. I ate about 75% of the heart shown in the picture.

blikseme300,
"PC is a great tool that allows us to manipulate the CB without resorting to custom molds." I agree.

jtaylor1960,
The rifle started life chambered in .375 Win. Back in my younger days I hunted with it using the Lyman 280 ish GCed mold over a max load of AA2015 for about 1900 fps. I felt this didn't have enough shoulder set back for hunting. I later got into the Quigley match shooting for a while. .375 was the minimum caliber. I had lots of .30-40 brass so thought of making something along those lines in a Ruger action. Something like a .38 Rem. I have a .30-40 reamer so I ran it in, then a neck and throat reamer for .375. The finished gun weighed a little over 12 pounds. I loaded a 335 grain lino GCed bullet upto over 2100 fps and went to it. It occurred to me that I could rechamber my 7 pound Ruger #3 in .375 Win to this new round. So I did. Talk about shoulder set back. Over the years the speed and bullet weight came down to where it is now. The 180 grain load shoots really nice.

Texas by God,
The rut is on here. This boy was on a trail that some does had just gone down. He was moving at that quick walk they use at these times. Very intent. The trail was about a hundred yards away. Besides the does, I had just watched two bigger bucks go by. I had a rest against a tree, but as they moved between trees and brush I could not get a clear shot. By the time number 3 came along I was dialed in. I shot just before he came to some brush. He seemed to just lunge forward just after the shot and then was gone. I saw him pop out of the brush about 20 yards further on, head down, and then behind more brush. When he didn't show again I investigated and found him about another 30 yards along. From there on out he was meat.

richhodg66,
For many years I campaigned with a #3 in 30-40 Krag and accumulated a lot of brass. It was a good gun, but, the chambering job and barrel were less than they might have been, in my opinion. I therefore built a Ruger #1 with a Lilja barrel and chambered it to my likes. But instead of .308 I used a .338 barrel and blew the cases out for it (33 Krag). A 225 grain paperpatched bullet at 2400 fps will get it done. If, God forbid, I should be forced into having only one Ruger single shot rifle, I'd keep the .338. It can do it all.

Thanks to all for the nice and congratulatory words.

[jtaylor1960]

Thanks for the info Doughty.

[nockhunter]

I have killed deer with traditionally lubed cast bullets and with paper patched bullets, but never with a powder coated bullet,,,, until now. Amazingly they will also kill deer!!!!

"Great shootin" That back ring dosn't look like it's in the groove of the receiver.

Mike

[Doughty]

Mike,
Guess what? The back ring isn't in it's groove and neither is the front one. Geezz! How long has it been like that? 'I look but I do not see.' It was on tight and would not move, but..... nockhunter I now dub thee "Nockhunter Who Sees". Thank you.

[nockhunter]

Glad I could help.

Mike

[shoot-n-lead]

Was there ever any question?

[NYBushBro]

Doughty - what tool do you use to put that cannelure on the neck of the brass?
I'd like to do that with my 32-40 brass... but don't want the 'knurled' look.

[rototerrier]

And here I was thinking they were only good for making holes in paper or splattering on steel. Glad to know they can kill as well. I was really wondering :)
Now you need to test different colors to make sure they all work.

Seriously though....good shot placement!

I've found just about anything will take a deer withing the rounds effective range and with good shot placement!

[Smoke4320]

Not so fast .. The 4 deer I have shot with powdercoated bullets this year protested .. They refused to run off instead they laid down and refused to move..
Got so tired of it I would load them on the 4 wheeler and take them to the house !!!

[Doughty]

NYBushBro,

That's not a cannelure, it's just where the shoulder on the .30-40 Krag is blown out to .375. It leaves a small shoulder.

180959

[OnHoPr]

So, have you found the right color yet when you drop one of your boolits in the MT snow with cold hands using a single shot and being able to find it easier, congrats on what looks to be a fine eating critter.

[Doughty]

OnHoPr,

No problem with that this year. Not enough snow or cold to worry about.

[Plate plinker]

Nice thats a shot you will not ever forget.

[Doughty]

Plate plinker,

Thanks, and I hope I never forget.