Favorite deer boolits

[Marlin Junky]

What are the favorite deer boolits around here and launching devices for shots that could be anywhere from 50 to 150 yards or a bit further.

MJ

[Bigscot]

For jacketed rifle, 150 gn Horn SP or Rem PSPCL in 30.06, 130 gn Rem PSPCL in .270 and 100 gn Rem PSPCL in .243. I have also used the 150 gn Horn RN in 30.30.

Before I started casting I used the Horn 240 gn XTP in .44. Now I use either the RD 285 or a 250gn K RCBS.

Bigscot

[Johnch]

My #1 lead launcher is the Marlin 1895?? in 45/70
The RD 350 gr bullet will be used in this year
As the bullet is accurate

#2 is the Savage 110 I bulit up in 35 Wellen
My Group buy bullet is this years choice
It shoots everything good ( better than I can see )

#3 or #1 in Ohio is my TC contender in 357 Max
Using the RCBS 180 gr Sil. bullet cast with a soft nose
Seated out , so just the GC is in the case
Never use it past 125+- yds , but I know where to hold at 150 if needed

John

[Glen]

For revolvers -- the 429421 HP at about 1200 fps from .44 Special loads, or about 1400 fps from .44 Mag loads.

For Contenders -- the Lyman 33889 HP (238 grains) at about 1600 fps from my pet wildcat Contender.

For rifles -- the RCBS 35-200-GC at 2100 fps from a Marlin .35 Remington levergun.

[DanWalker]

My favorite deer boolit is the LEE 300 gr rnfp.(.45 caliber)
It's really more of a wfn style, but it hits like a freight train.
I push them around 900 fps in my blackhawk and over 1500 fps in my win 94 trapper.
For conventional jacketed stuff, I prefer the 7mm08.
I use 140 grain ballistic tips loaded over a warm dose of IMR 4064.
I've never had any critter go more than 30 yards after being hit by one. Most just drop at the shot.

[Marlin Junky]

For rifles -- the RCBS 35-200-GC at 2100 fps from a Marlin .35 Remington levergun.

Glen,

What's your alloy hardness? I might be shootin' whitetails and/or mule deer under two years old.

I don't own a .35-336 Marlin that's set up for optics so I'll probably try to get RCBS 35-200 shooting well from my .358 Hawkeye with it's 12" twist.

MJ

[trickyasafox]

By me its slug guns for deer. I've had good luck with Winchester silver box slugs in a smooth bore 870. Shots are almost all within 75 yards though.

we bought a bunch when they were on sale for a 1.39 per box. probably will use em till we run out

[krag35]

Since you specified Boolits, Lyman 31141's @1900 fps or so out of a '94. Lyman 311284's out of My Krag @ 2000 fps work well also. Last year I used a roundball out of my T/C Renagade. Next year I plan on using Lyman's 429667 (w/ reversed gascheck) in a winchester 444 Marlin.

[Glen]

MJ -- My alloy is about 12-13 BHN.

[GLynn41]

.41 mag 5.5" --230 K @1365 or 230 wfngc
41/44 5.5'-- 230wfngc @ 1500 or 170 at 1720
41/445 255wlngc @1900+ 13" contender
all cast bullets are water cooled
358 win 225 Serria btsp 2507
25.06 115 part. 3100
30.06 150 gr BT 2850

[Marlin Junky]

MJ -- My alloy is about 12-13 BHN.

Glen,

When was your 336 made? I'm trying to figure out what type of rifling it has. I'd really like to get a .35 with a 16" twist that's factory drilled and tapped.

It looks like in '68 Marlin changed their .35 barrels from 16 grooves to 12 grooves that were a little wider and deeper than barrels made from about '55. I don't know if there were other more recent changes to Marlin's .35 barrels. It looks like the ER had a Microgroove configuration and a 12" twist! Wow, I wonder if anyone has been able to shoot boolits from that one with any serious degree of velocity and accuracy.

MJ

[Glen]

I've had several 336s in .35 Remington over the years, ranging from 1950 to 1964. The first one I got, and the one that I used to work up most of my pet loads, is a 336 RC that was made in 1964 and has Microgroove rifling with a 1 in 16" twist. It shoots cast bullets very nicely indeed.

[Marlin Junky]

I've had several 336s in .35 Remington over the years, ranging from 1950 to 1964. The first one I got, and the one that I used to work up most of my pet loads, is a 336 RC that was made in 1964 and has Microgroove rifling with a 1 in 16" twist. It shoots cast bullets very nicely indeed.

Glen,

So you're having good luck shooting BHN 12 to 13 boolits through a 16 groove 336 at 2100 fps and you're groups are what size? How difficult is it to slug a 16 groove 336?

MJ

[Glen]

Typical 5-shot groups are about 1 1/4" at 50 yards with open sights and middle-aged eyes.

I don't know, I've never slugged a 16 groove 336. I generally size my cast bullets .359".

[Marlin Junky]

Glen,

Thanks for the info.

If your 336 was made in '64 it should have 16 grooves.

MJ

[crowbeaner]

My favorite cast bullet load for deer is the RCBS 30-180-FP over the max. charge of WW 748 in the RCBS cast manual #1; 30/30 RCBS dies, RP 9 1/2, and WW cases. I have taken several deer with this load and it shoots right on the open sights on my 94 saddle ring carbine with the chicken scratching on the receiver. It will put them all in 1 ragged hole at 50 yds. No leading, and sized to .308 for the barrel. I use Hornady gaschecks and seat them before I run the bullet through the sizer die. CB.

[Dale53]

All of my deer ecept the last one have been taken with the 245 gr Keith in one of two .44 magnum reovlers (8 3/8" S&W Model 29 or a Ruger Red Hawk 7.5"). The Keith bullet has been very satisfactory. The last deer, a nice 10 point White Tail, was taken with the Lee C430-310 RF GC bullet. Instant one shot kill (but frankly, since I broke the neck it was not really indicative of much of anything except good shot placement). It was a terribly long range shot (25 yards) which made it a bit easy.

My two longest shots were 75 yards and 85 yards (both neck shots).

The most important thing when hunting with a handgun is bullet placement and that is made possible by LOTS and LOTS of practice (at least that is my excuse for shooting so much).

Dale53

[Diamond-City-Bob]

As of two hours ago my favoritest boolit in the whole world is a Lee .454 255gr swc at about 900fps. 40 yds. BANG (two steps) Flop. Wheel weights, Felix Lube, Ruger Blackhawk 4 5/8", One Ragged Hole rear sight.
No meat damage,
Great evening.
Backstrap for breakfast

[Lloyd Smale]

I guess that would be the bullet ive killed the most game with of all kinds and that would be the rcbs 44 240swcgc.

[FWAddit]

I share Glen's choice: "For rifles -- the RCBS 35-200-GC at 2100 fps from a Marlin .35 Remington levergun." My rifle is an old one with Ballard-style rifling. Besides the Marlin, I use the same load in a rebarreled Model 93 Mauser.

Of the deer I've killed with this load, two have been hit in the heart; one heart split into two pieces, the other into three. But the boolit also penetrates well. I took a raking shot at a departing deer (I mistakenly thought it was already wounded) at about 40 yards and hit it just behind the rib cage. It went less than 50 yards. The boolit had angled across the body and exited at the shoulder.

I settled on the alloy through accuracy and expansion testing. On a friend's hardness tester, that lot later tested out at 15 BHN, a little harder than Glen's 12-13.