Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Anybody do any deer hunting with cast?

Yes, exactly. One can also see the same effect with heat treated alloy with a larger meplat instead of higher velocity. Balancing those three details is important.

So are you shooting the PC boolits sans gas checks.

Yes for the most part in everything except gas-operated semi-autos (AR15 etc). I use a gas check in those applications because gas cutting through the coating can happen as the bullet base passes the gas port.

In most other applications, I have had good results both with and without gas checks (usually try both ways) so I generally omit the gas checks now in bolt actions, pumps, etc. (Note the expanded Saeco 352 in my first pic above with a gas check - that was part of early testing to figure out if the check was needed or not in that 35 Remington pump gun. It was not.)

I whacked a small buck at about 70 yards a few weeks ago with my ported .450 marlin using my powder coated NOE 458-396 bullet in front of enough Benchmark to put it at a little over 1,900 FPS. 50/50 ww/PB ladel cast. Severe, severe damage to the deer. That bullet is probably still flying. It entered just behind the left front shoulder as it was slightly turned towards me and exited at the back of the ribs. I watched the blood shooting out of the entrance hole as it ran about 30 yards. Obviously an easy find! This is now my go-to load in. That rifle. Outside of my .300 Wby I dont think I have ever seen as much damage to a deer

That one might have enough umph to get the job done. Maybe on both ends

That's a lot of flat nose for using 50/50 alloy at that speed. It probably blew a significant portion of the nose off, hence the massive damage. Even with straight clip on WW alloy, at 1900 fps that style will mushroom like a hollow point and lose some of the nose. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but should be expected to do more meat damage than some guys are looking for.

The pic of that .44 bullet I posted earlier....under the offside hide on a big doe it was. Broke the right foreleg, 2 ribs, cut the heart in half, 3 ribs on the way out and the left foreleg. Weren't any trackin' done after the fact. Little meat damage other than the heart. MV was ballpark 1,600 fps, the shot was about 80 yards so I figure about 1,400 fps on impact, +/-. Pure lead. 300 grains and as I recall there was 287 grains retained.

yes I hunt with cast bullets.

35 whelen is my favorite rifle and cartridge.



and of course with my muzzleloader.
here is an action shot if there ever was.



yes that is the bullet just before it pokes through the skin on the side you're looking at.

Heckova picture there Blammer!

Wow, what nice surprise that is. I've taken a couple that were in front of a camera and checked later to find no pictures, before or after. They don't seem to get a high percentage of what walks in front of them.

Yes. I've been hunting with cast for about ten years now, on and off. Up until a couple years ago, it was all I used. I all but retired all of my bolt action and "modern" rifles and got bit by the levergun/sixgun bug, in which naturally you have to shoot cast!!

Here is my first cast kill. It was a doe at about 40 yards or so, out of a tree stand in southern West Virginia. I was using a 1970's vintage Winchester 94 with a Lyman 311041 cast from wheel weights over top some 3031; I don't recall the load offhand. She dropped at the shot. The damage was impressive. I have yet to recover a cast bullet shot at game.

I need to get back into it again. From small game and predator hunting with a 25-20 or my 357, through deer with 30-30's, 45-70's, and 45 Colt, I have never had so much fun as I did when I was casting and loading my own, and shooting open-sighted leverguns and single shots.

I have shot a few big whitetail does with a 45 long colt lever gun using 300 grain wide flat point started at about 1500 fps., and frankly it flattens them. Smashes all bones and keeps on going . I believe the ones I used are about 20 brinnell and are from Montana Bullet Co
.These are very accurate in my rifle and have a gas check. I don't think it matters with regard to gas check , may help with accuracy.

Yep, that load in your .45 is about like mine in the .44, bullet weight and velocity wise. Thor's Hammer....

"Anybody do any deer hunting with cast?"

Yep.

I like handgun calibers.

Ruger Flattop 44 Special with 255 LBT WFN running 1050 fps from a 4-5/8" at 15 yds.



45 Colt with 283 gr LBT WFN running 1174 fps from this Taylor (Uberti) 1873 lever gun at 102 yds.



....and when you must go shoot a BIG deer. 45 Colt with a 335 gr LBT LFN running 1050 fps from a 4-5/8" NMBH at 15 yds.



Working my way into rifles with my 9.3x62 with a 255 gr LBT LFN GC, water quenched. With Varget i'm getting over 2200 fps, .8 moa for 5 shots and I wish I could figure out how to load a video for your viewing. I asked Veral Smith how far rifle loads were effective and he says that for rifle, if you shoot a gallon milk jug of water and it literally explodes, you're G2G. I've got a great video hitting a jug at 110 yds and it literally exploded.

No deer hunting experience but I did kill my first bear last December with a 357 Maximum loaded with a 270gr LFP that was PC'd and sized to .360". MV= 1760fps, the 190lb bear didn't stand a chance!

Thanks, Dinny

Here's a small sample of some of he six gunned animals I've taken with cast, most in the last few years but a couple of them are older kills. I've taken 14 elk with revolvers. First photo is my lion taken with a S&W 357 at 4 feet using a Keith cast. Second is a decent muley buck taken long range, about 180 yds steep down hill using a 180 gr GC cast. Next is 2 Texas Javelina taken with my OM 41 shorty & the 230 gr Keith cast. Next is a Montana white tail doe taken at 123 yds with the same 357 Maximum as the muley above, she was facing me straight on, hit her center chest & broke the 3rd rib back with an exit, knocked her flat.
Next is one of my bears at about 65 yds with my 10.5" Ruger 44 & a 250 Keith, did a back flip at the hit & rolled down hill towards me for 10-15 yds & dead. Next is a cow elk at about 55 yds with my S&W model 57 8 3/8" nickel & the 230 gr Keith, one shot & down in 40 yds. Next his my bull moose, off hand at 45 yds, Ruger Super Redhawk & a 370 gr SOFTNOSE cast, one shot, double lung & down in 5-6 seconds. Mule deer doe in Utah on a depredation hunt, Ruger 45 bisley at 67 yds with a 260 gr Keith, blew out the heart, down in 4-5 seconds. Utah antelope at 74 yds with my 8 shot Blackhawk 327 & a 135 gr cast HP, took out both lungs & she barely got tuned around & down. Last is a good muley buck taken close to home at 94 yds with another of my 10.5" 44's, iron sights & a 44 HP, took out both lungs & down in 4-5 steps. I could fill many more pages but another day.











Dick

1945, Great photos..

Cougar at 4 feet. Whoa, that was close! I got attacked by a cougar once, but I have to admit, it was the best night of my life!!

Thanks, Dinny

Yeah. 250 grain home-cast SWC from a .44 works. 300 grain home cast LBT from a .44 works. Most recent was a 245 grain .45 maxi ball from a Lyman mold launched from my .45 cal TC Seneca. Also my personal entry into pan lubing.

Tom

Nice Crocs, Dick!