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Just an Opinion #165610 11/06/2015 4:00 PM
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TM Offline OP
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Just an opinion and worth all the money that was sent to me for it. After questioning others, AND myself about heavy for caliber bullets I kinda think that if I need a bigger bullet than
240-255 grain in my .44s I'll just go to a bigger gun, as in my
.454. Not that I'll ever need bigger than the 255 gr. (hardcast) in a .44, it seems as though it would be more than enough for whatever I may encounter/hunt, especially in KS and MO. Going out west to the mountains may be a different story, I would gladly pack a little bit bigger gun knowing the most likely I have enough, both gun and bullet. Maybe I'm wrong, just an opinion. Thanks for the money

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: TM] #165611 11/06/2015 4:14 PM
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s4s4u Offline
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I have always been of the opinion that one should match bullet weight to bore diameter. When you go too heavy for caliber, pressure rises as case capacity decreases. It is better to move up in caliber, IMO


Rod, too.

Short cuts often lead to long recoveries.
Re: Just an Opinion [Re: s4s4u] #165612 11/06/2015 5:08 PM
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 Originally Posted By: s4s4u
I have always been of the opinion that one should match bullet weight to bore diameter. When you go too heavy for caliber, pressure rises as case capacity decreases. It is better to move up in caliber, IMO


Does that mean using the bullet weight that was designed for the specific caliber, 240 for .44, 158 for .357 etc??

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: TM] #165614 11/06/2015 5:46 PM
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s4s4u Offline
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 Originally Posted By: TM
 Originally Posted By: s4s4u
I have always been of the opinion that one should match bullet weight to bore diameter. When you go too heavy for caliber, pressure rises as case capacity decreases. It is better to move up in caliber, IMO


Does that mean using the bullet weight that was designed for the specific caliber, 240 for .44, 158 for .357 etc??


More or less, those are proven weights for caliber. I'm not saying you can't go heavier and I do it myself, but I will generally stay within 15 - 20 percent of those numbers, much more and I am moving up in diameter. JMHO


Rod, too.

Short cuts often lead to long recoveries.
Re: Just an Opinion [Re: s4s4u] #165617 11/06/2015 8:09 PM
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Your opinion / conclusion is sound. I've been operating that way for years. if I want heavier I go to a larger caliber. Example for my loadings:
.44 mag 240 -260 gr.
.45 colt 300-325 gr.
.454 300-360 gr.
.475 375- 400 gr.
If you don't have it then you should get it, Max Prasac's book "Big Bore Revolvers" in it he discusses heavy for caliber bullets.


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Re: Just an Opinion [Re: FAH] #165624 11/06/2015 9:24 PM
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Nothing wrong at all with a 300 gr 44 bullet. I dont find them excessive but ive never had a 265 beartooth fail on anything this far

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: tradmark] #165629 11/06/2015 10:25 PM
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Craig44 Offline
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Fact is, they're ALL more efficient with heavier bullets. No reason to constrain them to "standard" weights. The stanard weights work fine on deer or similarly sized critters but there's no doubt that the heavier bullets work better on the bigger ones. For those one gun/one load guys, the heavy bullets work perfectly fine for everything.

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Craig44] #165653 11/07/2015 1:25 PM
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dhom Offline
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I load a lot of hardcast flat nose bullets. What I generally strive for is the most accurate bullet/weight I can achieve in the 1100-1200 fps range. Most of the time it is not the heaviest bullet for caliber. Sometimes the load I settle on depends on powder availability.

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: dhom] #165730 11/10/2015 12:01 AM
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I'm in the heavy for caliber camp myself. I flat out LOVE the accuracy I get out of the 335gr 45 Colt. Same with the 440gr 500JRH. Not sure if that one would be considered "heavy for caliber", but I like it!


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Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Raptortrapper] #165740 11/10/2015 1:20 AM
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Chance Weldon Offline
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Guess I'm the oddball here. I use 240 grain bullets out of my 460, 150 grain bullets out of my 300 Win Mag Encore, and 58 grain bullets out of my 243 Encore. Haven't developed a load for my 270 Encore barrel yet, but it will probably follow that trend.


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Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Chance Weldon] #165747 11/10/2015 2:12 AM
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blanket statements without some additional consideration will get you down a path that may not yeild great results.

Heavy long bullets need to be driven hard in slow twist barrels or shot from guns with a faster twist. The 44 Magnum comes to mind think about the variety of rate of twists offered in different guns.

Light for caliber at higher velocities from handguns have proven to be just as effective as heavy for caliber it really depends on the task and the gun it's being shot from.

I will say this placed properly either type of bullet category will harvest game quickly and cleanly.

I think about the many deer I have taken with a 220 swift 52 grain X Bullet at 3950 FPS all deer shot in the boiler room DRT.

Then on the other end is my 475 355 grain WFN CG at 1100 FPS all animals dropped within sight.

Last edited by Ramjet-SS; 11/10/2015 2:14 AM.

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Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Ramjet-SS] #165764 11/10/2015 1:29 PM
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Whitworth Offline
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 Originally Posted By: Ramjet-SS
blanket statements without some additional consideration will get you down a path that may not yeild great results.

Heavy long bullets need to be driven hard in slow twist barrels or shot from guns with a faster twist. The 44 Magnum comes to mind think about the variety of rate of twists offered in different guns.

Light for caliber at higher velocities from handguns have proven to be just as effective as heavy for caliber it really depends on the task and the gun it's being shot from.

I will say this placed properly either type of bullet category will harvest game quickly and cleanly.



I have to respectfully disagree. Light and fast works fine on deer as does heavy and slow. Deer aren't particularly hard to kill as they are narrowly and lightly constructed. Fast and light, however, is a recipe for disaster on big game, where penetration is at a premium.


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Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Ramjet-SS] #165769 11/10/2015 2:57 PM
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 Originally Posted By: Ramjet-SS
Light for caliber at higher velocities from handguns have proven to be just as effective as heavy for caliber it really depends on the task and the gun it's being shot from.

When did this happen and by whom was it proven?

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Ramjet-SS] #165773 11/10/2015 3:46 PM
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 Originally Posted By: Ramjet-SS
blanket statements without some additional consideration will get you down a path that may not yeild great results.

Heavy long bullets need to be driven hard in slow twist barrels or shot from guns with a faster twist. The 44 Magnum comes to mind think about the variety of rate of twists offered in different guns.

Light for caliber at higher velocities from handguns have proven to be just as effective as heavy for caliber it really depends on the task and the gun it's being shot from.

I will say this placed properly either type of bullet category will harvest game quickly and cleanly.

I think about the many deer I have taken with a 220 swift 52 grain X Bullet at 3950 FPS all deer shot in the boiler room DRT.

Then on the other end is my 475 355 grain WFN CG at 1100 FPS all animals dropped within sight.


I'm not a ballistics expert and I don't play one on TV either, but even I know that a light and fast bullet won't be as effective on big game as a big, heavy bullet moving at the appropriate velocity. I don't think a 180 gr .44 Magnum bullet moving fast would have much effect on a grizzly bear, except to piss him off and add you to his dinner menu. There are exceptions to the rule however, like shooting him through the eye before he licks your remains off of his lips.

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: TM] #165774 11/10/2015 3:55 PM
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Whitworth Offline
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Exactly.....


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Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Whitworth] #165781 11/10/2015 7:17 PM
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The 180gr in the 357mag will work on grizz but is a different critter in 44mag, not so great


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Re: Just an Opinion [Re: SEAK] #165787 11/10/2015 10:32 PM
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dhom Offline
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Who is doing the testing with the light bullets? Please include pictures.

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: dhom] #165830 11/12/2015 1:28 AM
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Depends on the bullet. A light ceb solid going fast works on about anything. But yes whitworth covered this well in his book i believe. A 325 out of a 475 imho is t as good as a 360 out of a 454. Just my opinion though. Same way a 370 out of a 500 isnt is good as a 400 out of a 475. But a generalization. Highly dependent on bullet type

Re: Just an Opinion [Re: Chance Weldon] #165833 11/12/2015 2:08 AM
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Nothing wrong with them and I have them for the .44 and still have some for the colt, even though I have about sold all of my colt guns and don't shoot the ones that I have left. I just don't really have a need to use them as there is really nothing around that requires the penetration, to justify messing with them.

However, I do shoot a few in the .454...mostly at paper.

But, if ya like'em...choot'em.

Last edited by jwarren; 11/12/2015 2:09 AM.

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