Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Honest question regarding bear bullets

Where are you in Northern Colorado? If you are close by, we could test it. My only comparisons between soft lead core bullets and hard cast/mono metal solids are in the sub-optimal defense caliber of .380, and hard cast and xp/xd rounds punch through stuff that soft lead core FMJ and JHP ammo in the same caliber can't penetrate. (Rather impressive, actually.) I have a variety of 9mm, including +P hard cast and standard pressure mono-metal, but I do not have a 10mm. I do have a .40 S&W that I could get some hard cast and mono-metal ammo to test against FMJ or hollow points I also have a .45 ACP and some Buffalo Bore 255 grain +P hard cast ammo and some standard pressure JRN ammo. A suggestion of inanimate test media from esteemed forum members would be welcome.

Just thinking out loud.

Cheyenne. PM sent

"As noted for reasons of using familiar equipment I've tried a .460 Rowland in a 1911 and a switch barrel 9x19/.357 Sig/40 S&W. I found penetration from the semi-auto pistols quite disappointing compared to hard cast from a magnum revolver - I think the N frame is maxed out at .41 Remington Magnum so that's what I own and tested; bigger cartridges need bigger guns, too big for me."

I'm somewhat inclined to agree with you up to a point. I have an S&W M629 .44 mag and it couldn't hold up to Elmer Keith's pet load of 22.0 2400/240 gr. bullet. S&W fixed the gun twice and said no more. Total rounds of ammo between the two repairs, 250 for the first time and 200 for the second time. The gun is semi-retired.


On larger guns, I have a couple of Ruger Redhawks, a 5.5" and a 7.5" and they're just too damed heavy for this old fart to pack around. I will say they handle the more stout loads quite well.

"One thing that frustrates me in these discussions is the us of terms such as "Hard Cast" We have scales and available tools to at least get a comparative measure. So when we or a supplier states something is Hard Cast does it mean 10brn, 15brn or 25brn. Or perhaps it means our fingernail will not scratch the bullet. Rant off"

You know? I never thought about it that was probably because I cast my own bullets. I kind of worked out an alloy that works for me. It's a bit complicated as the harder the alloy the greater the chance of the bullet shattering if it hits something like very hard bone. My alloy casts out air cooled to about 11 Average on the BHN scale. Water dropped from the mold works out to about 19 BHN by age hardening about a week, Or, if I want extreme hardness I bake them in a toaster over at 400 t0 450 degrees for a minimum of four hours. Long is better but four works for my purposes. At the end of the bake I water drop them and let them age harden for a month. Average hardness plus or minuus one BHN is 30.

Probably my preference for most use is the 11 BHN bullet. I've never tackled anything like a bear with the .44 but the few deer I've shot with the bullet have all been pass throughs so I have no idea what shape they ended up. Bullet is the Lyman 429421, Elmer's bullet.Nominally 240 gr., mine run to 250 gr.
PJ