Should I soften hard ball alloy?

[JJC]

I have Roto metals hard ball alloy. What do you guys recomend as far as softening for big game hunting? Should I add some stick on WW and air cool? Leave it alone? I will be using two NOE molds that have a .330 meplat. Muzzle velocity around 1735 with the 425 gr boolit out of a 45 70. Thanks, John

[Bret4207]

You already have a .330 metpalt and .458 body size and penetration should be no issue. I'd guess it's work just fine as is. You're going to have a half inch hole in the vitals plus radial damage. Do you think a 3/4" hole will make all that much difference? That's the beauty of the big bores- they start out bigger than most bullets ever hope to reach!

[9.3X62AL]

My "default" alloy for most rifle casting is a duplicate of Roto's hardball alloy--92/6/2. It is most satisfactory in 45-70, either plain-based or gas-checked. I share Bret's view that the 44s and 45s are "pre-expanded" from the git-go.

If I wanted to enhance such a boolit's performance, I would cast some soft points per the BruceB method. I have done this with the Lee 405 plain-base, and there is no variance in trajectory/targeting between the soft-point castings and their homogenous-alloy counterparts cast in the same mould. This tendency carried through with the 270 grain/9.3mm boolit as well, to 200 yards. For my next stunt, I'll be trying the 200 grain Lee 30 caliber bore-rider under these same conditions in the 30-06, using a 75 grain 25 caliber pure lead donor slug for the soft point. Film at 11.

[JJC]

I agree. Penetration was so good with ACWW, I wanted to get your opinions on the harder alloy. I figure if the boolit expanded some no harm.