Punch Bullet

The Punch Bullet, better than cast?? No harm to bore of the gun?

I have no actual experience with the Punch bullet but I have a lot of experience with cast so I'm a bit prejudice but the truth is no cast bullet can stand up to solid metal when the going gets tough. If you are shooting "really" big stuff the Punch is better.
As far as wear on your barrel you could only wish to be lucky enough to wear one out shooting Punch bullets, that would take a whole lot of shooting!
Other's will come on board with actual experience using the Punch bullet that will back this up. Hard cast bullets are very good but again, going head to head against really big game spend a little extra money & leave out the guess work.

Dick

Yes. They maintain their integrity seemingly no matter what they hit. No harm to the bore that I have witnessed or heard of.

I AM HOLDING A 452 PUNCH BULLET IN MY HAND THAT I RECOVERED FROM THE LAST CAPE BUFFALO I SHOT, OTHER THAN SOME RIFLING MARKS THE BULLET IS LIKE NEW. I WAS USING IT IN 454 CASES OUT OF A 12 INCH FREEDOM ARMS REVOLVER, AND VELOCITY WAS IN THE 1,625 fps RANGE. IT IS ALSO A VERY ACCURATE LOAD. SINCE I DO NOT PLINK WITH THESE BULLETS I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT BORE WEAR.

from my experience it is the best penetrating solid handgun bullet there is.... As Sixshot says above "it would take a whole lot of shooting" to wear out the barrel.... A REAL lot of shooting....

To those of you that have used Punch bullets, at what point would you choose to switch to them over hardcasts?

Ha! Now you're going to get me & Max in an argument.....Max, you go first! Actually I can't argue this one because I haven't used the Punch bullets but I know several experienced handgunners that have & I also know the guy that invented them, the bullet stands on it's own. Where the cut off is, I don't think there's a real answer other than where ever you feel comfortable. If you hunt something that's big & can hurt you, pick your poison.

Dick

THERE IS A RELATED THREAD UNDER "THE ORIGIN OF FLAT POINT FMJ BULLETS" WITH A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. ABOVE IS A PICTURE OF A .452 320 gr. PUNCH BULLET RECOVERED OUT OF A CAPE BUFFALO. THE MV WAS 1,625 fps, EXCEPT FOR THE RIFLING MARKS THE BULLET IS LIKE NEW WITH NO WEIGHT LOSS. THE OTHER BULLET, WHICH SHOWS NOSE DEFORMATION, IS A 325 gr. .452 WFN RECOVERED FROM AN ASIATIC (WATER) BUFFALO, AS BIG OR BIGGER THAN THE CAPE BUFFALO. ITS MV WAS AROUND 1,300 fps. FOR BIG GAME AND DANGEROUS GAME IN MY CASULLS I ABANDONED NON FMJ's LONG AGO.

Amen brother!

Casts are for bigger thin skinned game, like elk, moose.
Punch bullets are for really big stuff like elephants, hippo, buff.
I have taken groundhogs and deer with Punch bullets, but I'm sort of weird like that(really for testing purposes).

What needs to be said has been except before i get to the punch bullet level i run barnes and aframes from my casull's and 460's. That said cast is something i would feel comfortable on elk on down if its a really good cast bullet but in those weight and bone structure range im still using those expandables i listed.

Haha! Nah, you can go first!

I'm a huge believer in cast bullets but would no doubt choose the Punch bullet for any dangerous game. Except the cats, of course. I would use hardcasts on Cape buffalo but nothing bigger and they would not be my first choice.

What would your choice be for cats? I am talking about cats in the lower 48, not Africa. JHP?

Read about a recent hunt here,
http://www.handgunhunt.com/forum/ubbthre...true#Post177795


http://www.handgunhunt.com/forum/ubbthre...true#Post177547

I'd use a jacketed bullet for cats, just as they use expanding bullets on lions and leopards. Probably a standard weight (~240gr/.44, 325gr/.475) bonded JHP for mountain lions. Something stouter for those with manes.

If I were hunting dangerous game in Africa I would use cast & so have many other people but I'm speaking for myself. I will also say again that for Elephant, Rhino, Hippo & Cape Buffalo the Punch would be a better choice, I don't think anyone can deny there's a noticeable difference.
It's not even worth arguing about, it's a fact. For lion in the lower 48, about any good bullet will work. I took my lion with a cast bullet, just like every thing else, in a 357 magnum from long range (about 4-5 feet)

Dick