Anyone prefer to hunt with a lead bullet vs jacketed bullet?

I do when I'm carrying my .44 mag for moose or black bear.
With the black bear it's mostly in case I run into a brown bear in my area. Other wise I'd use the Speer 270gr GoldDot soft point.
For moose with the .44 I'm looking for penetration. I figure I'll shoot for the off shoulder quatering away or tight to the shoulders broadside on moose & try & break both shoulders on bear.
Haven't had a chance to try either theory.
By the way, I generaly use a 320gr hardcast.

I use them for a good bit of hunting. Usually with a cast bullet, you can eat up to the hole; meaning there tends to be less bloodshot meat. I have a fox squirrel on my wall I shot with a .44 Mag using a cast SWC. Didn't tear him up, but my taxidermist looked at me funny.

These days I use .475 and .500 Linebaughs mostly and I have no need for expansion, so most of my shooting with these calibers is with cast bullets.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

That would be JD Jones and Larry Kelly of mag-na-port fame. Their classic tome "Hunting for Handgunners" should be in every library if one is a serious hunter.

D'Keyman

I use the Beartooth Cast w/gas check in the 300grn WFNGC and H110 for my 45LC Ruger Blackhawk Hunter. It shoots a 4" group at 100yds w/sand bags. I haven't taken anything with it myself but I loaned it to a friend for a back up on a Elk hunt and he ended up shooting a 500lb cow elk with it.
He was setting in some brush over a wallow when a cow elk walked right up beside him and with no way to move his rifle he waited until she looked away and drew, cocked and fired. It has a 2x scope but he said all he did was point at 8 yds.
Complete pass through, double lung and out the off side shoulder. He said she crow hopped a couple of times and fell into some brush. He did say he forgot to take the electronic ear muffs I loaned with the pistol. He said his hearing came back about two days later.
I also shoot cast in my 444 Encore but the only thing I have used it on is paper targets.
I use the 405grn Cast in my Sharps and it has taken several deer. The are also Beartooth but no gas check.

Mike

You'll notice that everyone that has replied is using a big bore handgun. In your question, you did not specify what caliber you are shooting or thinking of shooting. Anything less than a .357" bore diameter I always use an expanding bullet. But over that I prefer to use cast in my revolvers and mostly jacketed in the T/C's. Why not cast in the T/C's you ask...not real sure I guess! I do shoot a few (.357 Max comes to mind first) but just always thought of cast slugs in the wheelguns.

Anyhoo...the bigger bore handguns really do not need expansion...most are starting at a .44 caliber hole...which equates good expasion of a sub .308" caliber rifle style bullet.

In the .357" I like 180gr Penn. The .41 sees 210gr Penn. All the .44's are fed a diet of 240 and mostly 320gr Penn. Then the .45's swallow down some "lightweight" 240 and 270gr but when I am serious I love to shoot the 340gr Penn from my LC's.

I agree with Dan on the big bore point but personally I will often use a jacketed bullet on deer sized game when a JHP is sufficient because I do think they typically leave a better blood trail depending a little on where you hit the animal. Even for slightly larger or tougher game, like average size black bear, a JSP is a good choice because you do get expansion. Like someone said,"with a cast bullet you can eat right up to the hole." The biggest drawback to a cast bullet is the small exit hole which can easily become a problem if you have to follow something very far. I shot a wildebeest (about 6-700 lbs) from about 50 yards with a 44 Mag and 300 grain cast bullet. The shot entered in the crease behind the onside shoulder and exited in the center of the offside shoulder. There was a .44 caliber exit hole - he ran 100 yards and we never did find any blood. There was no blood from the mouth. Would I use a cast bullet again on wildebeest? Yes, because I don't know of a jacketed bullet that will provide the penetration needed for game in that category. Randy Garrett (Garrett Cartridges) says you need to shoot for the shoulders on game to get the most from a cast bullet and I agree 100%. Go for broken bones whenever you can. I nearly always use cast bullets from Cast Performance but there are a number of good ones out there. Factory loads for the 44 don't get much better than Garrett's or Federal Cast Core, in that order.

I agree with Randy regarding his statement on going for the shoulders wehen shooting cast bullets. Diagonal body shots are also very effective as a cast bullet usually gives the necessary penetration to get through the vitals and to the opposite femur or shoulder depending on shot presentation.