Would a 325 gr. hard cast at 1350-1400 fps out of a .454 Casull be plenty for anything one may encounter in the lower 48, including grizzly??

Most definitely yes.

I killed a large bison with that load.

uuuuh yeah, in spades, i shot through a bison at 75 yards years ago and the bullet could be seen skipping down the field hundreds of yards down in the dirt from the bison. complete overpenetration overkill. for something like a bison, bc they are not on the same level as a waterbuff or even remotely on the toughness level of a cape buff despite similiar weights i would opt for something with expansion like a barnes or a frame for bison. hell i got good penetration on a bison with a 41 mag a frame 210gr bullet.

Would it work if the setting was moved to Alaska??

Absolutely. Why do you ask? Planning an upcoming adventure?!!

I hope to return to Alaska next year and I plan to use my 6" Freedom Arms 454 Casull loaded with 325 grain Swift A-frames and Barnes Busters. Primary species will be moose; caribou and grizzly will be targets of opportunity.

I used 325 grain busters from a 454 last summer on an Australian water buffalo and I was very pleased with their performance.

I suspect a 325 grain cast would yield similar results on large game.

the busters will hold their nose shape no matter what ya hit, the cast, well it depends. i love the busters, could have a bigger meplat but run good with the 325 a frames.

Mark,

Have you ever recovered a Barnes Buster from an animal or penetration test media? I would like to actually see a recovered bullet but I haven't taken the time to actually perform a test and try to recover one. From product photos though it seems that Barnes Busters do deform slightly upon impact. If that is the case it would seem that the small meplat might not be an issue?



Thanks in advance for your insight...

i recovered one from the cape buff shooting thru the head into the rocks in the ground. i'll post a pic. i can deform it shooting into cinder blocks.

btw, darrel, nice write ups and pics in max's book.

haha, they must be pretty tough then! Looking forward to the pic...

I'm also looking forward to obtaining a copy of Max's new book!

it's a really great book. a few steps up from all the other books out there. just alot of great pics and hunt write ups. good tests and just really well done. it would not be out of place on a coffee table in a 2 million dollar home!

yes.....

With proper placement Yes.
There are no magic bullets that work every time, no matter where you shoot them, cast or jacketed no matter the caliber.
There is still no replacement for proper shot placement!