Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Postells in 45-70 for hunting?

I have a large stock of postells 532 grainers cast from 1:20 alloy which I use in my 45-70 Shilo for target shooting.
My muzzle velocity is about 1250 fps. My twist is 1:18.
My bore/groove diameters are .450/.458

I would like to try them for deer hunting out to 200 yards.
I always read that for hunting large meplats are needed.
However would a postell not shoot a 45 cal hole through a deer?
Could some one enlighten me on the wisdom or lack there off using my postells to shoot a whitetail?

I can get commercial superhard bullets but I understand I need to jack up pressures and velocity to obdurate those slugs in the bore, with corresponding heavier recoil.

Would cast 1;20 405 grainers shoot in a 1:18 twist?
What Brinell hardness wouls 1:20 alloy be?

Anyone has a better idea what I should use for commercial available bullets for deer?
I can use some good advice.
Thank you all for your time.
Hendrik

they work just fine on deer!
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000152640132

Ive loaded a few for a buddy with a browning 78 in 45/70 and hes had zero problems thumping DEER and HOGS with those 535 gr slugs, I think hes pushing them to about 1400fps but Id doubt thats signifficantly differant, but any slower in the browning anfd accuracy drops off,
BTW I cast his bullets from wheel weight alloy with 4% tin added so the certainly expand slowly and don,t rivet easily, and Ive used the same alloy in both 405 and 420 grain hard cast slugs useing the same alloy from MY 45/70 on ELK and they killed ELK very effectively

I am a big fan of the hard flat nosed bullets, and have used them on deer/pigs in rifles and handguns. My experience pales in comparison to the quantity of animals taken with the 1-20/1-30 Postell and similar design bullets up to bison sized animals (I am not 150 years old)! I'd like to tell you that the hard/flat bullets are better, but that pedigree is overwhelming!

I wouldn't change what you're doing, unless you want to. The 405 will stabilize in that twist and 1-20 is about 8 BHN. That alloy will show expansion in that bore size at IMPACT over 1,200.

I could argue that the hard/flat has greater merit when it comes to handguns; history might be on my side there!

HawkI and 340Mag, Thanks for the usefull information you both send me.
Shrike