Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns WFN cast bullet velocity and effectiveness

Looking for input from those that have used cast WFN bullets to hunt large game. Is there a velocity at which they are more effective, wound more or Dispatch game quicker.

I've been casting the Lee 310g wfn 44 bullet lately. For years I carried the similar 310g laser cast bullet loaded at 1200 fps in my 329 pd while in the woods.
They penetrate very well but I'm getting to where I don't tolerate the recoil as well as I used to. I've been working on a reduced load that goes 1050 fps and is much more manageable. I have no doubt the bullet will penetrate well even at the lower speed but will the wound cavity be reduced much.

An old timer that used to hunt a lot with cast used to tell me that wfn and Keith type bullets wound better at 1200fps or above. He said that at lower speeds they just pencil through. I'm not sure if there is any truth to it especially with only 150 fps difference. I know my 1200 fps load does about 1500 fps from a rifle and definitely seems to hit things a lot harder exploding varmints etc.

I'm wondering if I'd be better off going down in bullet weight to a 240-260g wfn and running them around 1200 fps or just staying with the Lee 310g at 1050 fps. I know I'm not going to run lots of 310g bullets through the 329pd or mtn gun at 1200 fps anymore.

Bb

You may like these:

https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product/44-mag-lbt-280gr-wfn-gc/

https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product/44-mag-lbt-280gr-lfn-gc/

...or these:

https://www.lehighdefense.com/429-c...d-free-target-handgun-rifle-bullets.html

My experience is limited, but I can tell you a 255gr WFN at 1050 from a .44 special is plenty decisive on deer......at any angle.

I don’t have tons of WFN experience, the .44 250WFN from LBT is the only one I’ve loaded. But a friend of mine who owned several LBT WFN and LFN molds always said the WFN didn’t shoot well unless pushed hard.

Crap, great timing on this thread, i have a 15 twist 6" octagon barreled 500 Linebaugh on the way, was figuring on 1100 fps with someones version of a 0.512" dia. 450gr Keith bullet with a 0.400" meplat, and a big 0.513" dia.530gr LBT WFNGC with 0.410" meplat at 1000 fps, may have to lean on both a little more for good accuracy and straight line penetration.

Burley,


I can tell you that I have shot a fair bit of stuff with hardcast .44s that were 300, 305, 310s and 320s. Quite a few of those were at a nice sedate 1,000 FPS. What I found was that they punched a hole right through the animal, same as if they were going 1150, and :

I still never recovered the bullet.

The animals all seemed to act about the same.

It was a lot easier to control the recoil.

I shot the guns better, especially the short barreled guns like 4" 29s.





MS

Yeah, I am watching pretty close myself.

I'd bet JWP has some good thoughts on the matter as well.

You bet Big B, you have a half inch bone punch on the way too, What Mac said above helps too, will be waiting on JWP's take as well, i still think twist plays an important role in bullet stability through animal hide/tissue/bone etc, i think of a child's toy top, as it slows in rotation it begins to wobble.

Yeah, I believe the same thing Gunner. Get them spinning and they'll stay on point.

JWP might still be learning why we are still enamored by the marvelous 35 Whelen. I know he was working that 1885 pretty danged well last we spoke.

Yes, and iirc his 35 Whelen is a 10 twist, talk about spun up tight ; ] LOL

Oh yeah, I like what he is seeing from that over twisted old devil..

You bet, me too.

In my experience the larger the bore and meplat the less important speed is in terminal performance. I shot a mature bull Elk through the rib cage with a 440 grain wide meplat hard cast after he was down as a finisher. At a velocity about 950 to 1000 FPS out of the 500 JRH. The damage dwarfed that of the 180 from the 300 win mag that impacted at 285 yards. The exit from the 440 grain hard cast was 3 to 4 inches.

I also shot a 70 1/4 SCI bison with the 500 Linebaugh with the 525 grain WFN hard cast from Cast Performance @ 1090 FPS that exited and blood poured out of the entrance hole.

I smaller bore such as 38 special / 357 mag higher speed deginately increases terminal performance..

In my experience the 475/500's are very effective @ 100FPS and 1200 FPS gives more than adequate performance with good bullets.

Good word JWP. Thanks buddy. Should pick up the BFR this afternoon. I'll be bending your ear soon.

Yes, Great news! if we can call grizzly lighter bodied/boned big game, what did you hit the big grizzly with JWP? was it a hard cast with big meplat? if so, did it work to your satisfaction?

Thanks

This is JMO, sedate velocities do as well or nearly as well.....possibly better than the higher velocities! The only real advantage of speed is flatting the trajectory a bit, making longer shots a bit easier! In fact, unless I misunderstood John Linebaugh, the WFN actually penetrate deeper when impact velocity is in the 1000 to 1200 fps range vs. higher velocities! I’m stating that from memory......so the velocity numbers may be a little off from what he actually told me! memtb

That was the first grizzly ever shot with the 475 Linebaugh in 1988. I shot him with a 385 grain LBT LFN that I cast from wheel weights and water quenched out of the mold. Velocity was about 1350 from a 5 1/2" barreled revolver built by Hamilton Bowen.

The bear was coming in on us us as we worked a moose kill. My partner shot him first with a 338 with mag and Federal factory loaded 250 grain Partition. The bear went down and immediately sprung straight up on his feet as if spring loaded. My rifle was out of reach so I drew my revolver. The bear was angling away and aimed at the back of the rib cage in a line to the off shoulder. At the shot the bear went down spread eagle style and never gotten up again.

Yes I was very satisfied.

That all depends in my experience. If the bullet material is tough enough to withstand the higher velocity then faster peneyrates a little deeper but generally not a significant amount.

Damn, hell of a story, what a rush, grizz great first test subject, appreciate the info JWP.

Yep. My favorite .44 caliber cast bullet. LBT WFN Hardcast 250 gr bullet over 10 grains of Unique. It kills deer and feral hogs extremely well in my experience.

I’ve shot some amazing 25 yard 5-shot groups with them at that velocity range.
I’ve pushed them MUCH faster out of a Winchester 94 - .44 Trapper for some amazing 5-shot groups at 100 yards.

But really didn’t see that much difference in the way they killed deer and hogs.