how many people use cast bullets for deer hunting, if so what kind and what caliber?

I do. I use either a Keith or Keith "style" and LBT LFN or a variant thereof. I use or have used these bullets in everything from what seems too small by the "experts" up to my .500 Linebaugh. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, bullets which are .430 caliber or larger do not need to be expanding bullets. With a starting diameter of nearly one-half inch, further increases in bullet diameter just really aren't necessary.

Probably more than what you asked for, but with the devaluation of the dollar, it takes more to give one's "two cents" worth.

I use cast bullets for hunting in my revolvers. (45 colt Ruger BH and Bisley, and my FA 454) Through the years I shot everything from 255 gr up to 335 gr. bullets. I've settled in on the 280 gr and 300 gr for all my hunting.

My molds are Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Mountain mold, and LBT. I like a bullet with a wide meplat

I've used the cast bullets on everything from antelope to a shiras moose. I see no reason to shoot jacketed for my use.

I used 300 grain Federal Castcores for quite a while. Always got complete penetration in big whitetails, just the way I like it. I now favor the Speer 270 grain jacketed softpoint only because it shoots better in my Blackhawk than the Castcore. The Speer comes the closest in terminal performance to my old fav the Castcore, and my gun likes it. If yours likes the hardcast bullets, by all means use 'em. They're thumpers!

Hunlee never shoot cast bullit befour butt Hunlee read book from Veral Smith LBT an Hunlee beleave what Veral have to say!!!!!!!Maybee hunlee get mold for 375 Windchester an try them out!!!!!

hunlee

thanks for the input i was just checking to see what everyone else shoots. i luv cast bullets have been shooting them for 18 years. after reading elmer keith my frist mold was a lyman 245gr for my 44. i now like the 310gr lee in my 44 the lee 400gr in my 480 and i use the lee 300gr 452 mold in my 45 colt and my 460. i have even taken deer with a 150gr lee hollow point out of my gp100 357 at 40yards run 30 yards and fell over dead.

Please keep in mind that handling lead can be hazardous, especially to children. Wash your hands and drink some milk when your done loading and more the next day.
Not trying to be a mother hen here, but I have many hours of haz-mat training and learned that even small amounts of lead in your system can make you sick.

I have been loading the Beery Hard cast bullets in my 44 mag and 45 colt for some time. I have a 250 cast load worked up for my 625 S&W that I think I may try to take a deer with next year. It is pushing the Lead 250gr about 1000fps. The 44 mags are 240 SWC's and I push them about 1250fps. They seem to shoot as well as the XTP's I load and are a bit less $$$

Almost all the practace ammo is loaded with these

Hunlee reed in Veral Smith book that cast bullit with large flat meplat have best killin power on game animal!!!!!Veral Smith say you must work up formula with certian calliber for best result!!!!!say for exampal you shootin 44mag with 250 grainer bullit with big flat meplat at 1400fps and this give best killin power than one at 900!!!!!!!Some bullit give better at righer rate than some with lees rate of speed!!!!!!!Veral Smith teach Hunlee about cast bullit in said book!!!!!!!!Hunlee call and talk to this Veral Smith on tellaphone but price for Veral Smith bullit mold are high dollar butt very good quality!!!!!!

hunlee

My exact sentiments! I stopped using jacketed expanding bullets in my handguns a number of years ago after experiencing an absolute failure of a bullet to exit on a smallish hog. .430 diameter and up and you need no expansion, but you need penetration and a good flat-nosed-hardcast bullet will give it to you in spades........

Oh, and I use them in my .44s, .454, and .475 Linebaugh......

There is no need in running cast bullets up to 1,400 fps in a straight wall revolver cartridge. Anything over 1,200 fps gives little but extra noise and recoil.

Again, more words of wisdom!

Hunlee was not evin figureing 44mag shot for revolver!!!!!Hunlee was thinkin out of Contender or encore where speed is better!!!!!Contender an ENcore produce speed an hitting power over revolver any day,,,,Hunlee like revolver butt never shoot or own one!!!!!!Hunlee just shoot deer an other game animal with one shot,,,,never was one to blast away six shot butt that is just Hunlee!!!!!!!

hunlee

Go back and read carefully what I wrote Hunlee. Same applies for a straight wall revolver cartridge in a T/C.

I practiced with cast out of my 41's but shot jacketed to hunt. I couldnt get the xtp to shoot through a hog over about 125 lbs. I got a little better performance with the Speer 220 soft points. I tried come Cast Performance 250 gr WFNGC's and like em. They'll plow right through a deer or pig reguardless of the shot angle.

Exactly!!

this is only opinion of MS Hitman butt opinion of Hunlee say differant!!!!!!!More speed from long barrel Contender or encore mean more killing power for Hunlee and for those shooting them!!!!

hunlee

Hunlee -- more speed = more recoil.......

to each his own Hunlee. You just keep on chugging away buddy.

well im still waiting on my sbh hunter 44 magnum to get here but this has been a eye opener! i figured i would get some 240 gr. xtp's and call it good but after reading this post...ive been looking at 300 and 320gr. cast performance lead!(gas checked of course)
ive connected on deer several years ago with a encore but never used a straight walled cartridge in a six gun to get a deer. this will be my hunting gun this year for general firearms season.im figuring the 300's will be plenty enough for bullwinkle when he stumbles by my ambush site :D!

There is not one person here that I know of that "blast away six shot" with a revolver at any game animal. Nobody I know hunts with a revolver for the ability to spray bullets at game. I enjoy and appreciate the revolver's design and function especially the single action. And every deer I've shot with a 44 revolver has been killed with 1 shot. Your distorted perception of revolver hunters definitely shows your lack of knowledge and first hand experience with them. You may want to try one before you run down anybody who uses one.

With the same cartdrdge and load yes, but with today's high performance revolver cartridges, (e.g. .460 S&W) there are few calibers that an Encore/Contender chamber that exceed the .460's velocity (PC revolver w/ a 12" tube) with same weight bullets.


Just because there are five or six cartridges loaded in a man's revolver while he is hunting, does not mean that that man will discharge all five or six cartridges at an animal with reckless abandon. If you've hunted with someone who has done this, I would suggest finding a new hunting buddy.

Hunlee was not insinuateing that fello member here are from the spray and pray croud butt Hunlee must tell you this from experiance!!!!!!!Opening day of firearm deer seeson an from what Hunlee has seen at the shootin range befor seeson opener most that carry a repeater will shoot all they have in the magozine!!!!!BOOM<BOOM<BOOM<BOOM<BOOM!!!!!!!Hunlee has seen this and has hurd this every year on and befor deer seesun!!!!!!Hunlee hunt where shotgun hunter are so they are shootin pump gun and auto loader and you hearBOOM>BOOM>BOOM>BOOM>BOOM!!!!!Hunlee was just generalizeing the revolver shooter into this group aswell!!!!!!Hunlee has ben corrected!!!!!!

hunlee

I use both single shots and revolvers to hunt with and what you stated Hunlee did not bother me. I hunt the same regardless of which handgun I am using. I know the gun's distance limitations as well as my own and I treat every shot as if it were the only one I had. I have witnessed what Hunlee has witnessed while hunting. This post states cast bullets for deer hunting. More speed and power is needed for bigger critters but there is a point of diminishing returns. I still say you can't be overgunned. That is my motto! Stay clear of calibers that intimidate you.

Recoil

no problem hunlee i think we all have heard the same thing on opening day of the season. i handgun hunt like i bow hunt. try to get close and make the first cast bullet count.


p.s i do love my xp-100, striker, encore, and contenders as will as the the big bore revolvers.

LOL... I haven’t done 6… have done 10 out of my H&K USP Tactical 45 and 5 out of my SBH 44 Mag when dealing with pigs. Both have dropped a charging pig. That is the reason I carry them when hunting with my single shots. Whether I am hunting with my TC’s or Black Powder firearms.

what lead are you all using to build your hard cast bullets, ive heard that adding some wheel weights will get it alittle harder i want to start rolling my own for the bog bores but dont know anything about it Ron

I mainly use water dropped wheelweights. I use different lubes depending on how fast I plan to drive the bullet.

what is water dropped wheelweights ROn

When Hunlee read book of Veral Smith there was something about wheel weight lead drop in water to make bullit harder!!!!!!Veral allso say hard bullit when lube up with LBT blue bullit greese no sign of lead in bore after the shot!!!!!This is good acording to Veral Smith!!!!!!

hunlee

Many of us make our bullets from old wheel weights and drop them out of their molds into cold water. It hardens them.

bullets cast from wheelweights that are dropped from the mold into water to harden them.

Rob

thanks Ron

Hey, didn't I just say that? LOL!!

You did, I just responded before I saw what you had posted and said it one sentence.

I cast hunting bullets for my .45 Colt Contender. I use the LEE 300 grain mold to cast water quenched bullets made from wheelweights. Finished bullet weighs 305 grains. These bullets are used without the gas checks. I use a Lil' Gun load that pushes the 305 grain rfn at 1000 to 1100 f.p.s.

I feel this makes a very good load for deer, hogs, and other medium sized game at ranges of 100 yards or less.

Mike

Hello to all! Im new here but not to handgun hunting. I use cast bullets in almost all of my handguns and find that a 325grn. LBT at 1350f.p.s. just flat out hammers game.These are out of a 5.5in. ruger bisely in the fine 45 colt caliber!! Just my two cents. Great site by the way.

Welcome casey. Pleasure to meet another shooter that appreciates the .45 Colt for what it is.

Mike

casey, where are you at in NW PA? I'm in Clarion county.

Toby