wildcatter
Beginner
- Jan 11, 2025
- 53
- 187
CAST, one word answer! But cast is not a one description answer! For over 50 years of my 70 years I have been hunting with handguns, from varmints to deer sized game. I started with the belief a copper plated lead HP was a hunting bullet? Over the years I have learned how that thought was a very poor choice.
I cut my teeth on Elmer Keith's 429244 240 grain cast semi wadcutter in a hardened wheel weight alloy, and it served me well. I also used a 357 Security Six for a short time on varmints. The 357 was a poor choose with the 358429 for this purpose. But over the years I have evolved to much better designs, alloys and cannot help but think just how happy Elmer would be today with these modern choices.
The only time I would consider a plated bullet was be a solid Monolithic style bullet, and only then for the most dangerous and largest animals in the world, and only in a 45 cal or larger bore revolver. But anything on the North American continent I would use a cast bullet of my prefered alloy and style for the job at hand.
But several things I have proven myself over these decades, is how Superior, cast bullets are to jackets for 90% of handgun hunting with any revolver! More speed, with heavier bullets, and less pressure. I can also shoot even tighter groups at these speed with better accuracy. But one thing that I really like, is I never clean my barrels!! I have cleaned my barrel after 5000 or more loads, and find I need to shoot several cylinders to get back to the guns best accuracy.
I also have moved to the WFN bullets, and HP bullets, depending on the type of game I am hunting, and how I am hunting them. I have different alloys I use, but most hunting big game I use a wheel weight alloy, for protection or the biggest game, I will add 10% Linotype to them with 2.5% pure tin bullion. The linotype adds hardness for penetration, and the tin adds lubricity and toughness, plus makes the lead flow to form perfectly cast bullets, and consistent weight, when proper temperature is attained.
I use standard 50-50 wheelweight pure lead mix for most hunting deer sized game or smaller. For varmint I use this alloy with a HP WFN design, and for M/L use with sabots as well.
But when properly sized to my cylinder, I can shoot thousands of rounds and never clean a barrel. I use a alox beeswax lube from Whitelable lubes for all these except the M/L, which I run unsized and dry. But Elmer would be the height of his glory had he had the new designs and tools to work with! His SWC is still excellent, as all round use but thankfully today we can fine tune cast bullets for hunting with other designs to accommodate different scenario's.
The Mihec 180 Carbine bullet in my 357 Ruger Blackhawk, a rare gun and seldom seen, but factory, with the scroll engraving removed.
My SD Bond derringer with pure lead 270 grain HP, a one shot wonder, but it carries 2.
480 Ruger with hard cast NOE 395 grain WFN, for anything in NA, put 475 brass in it for Monolithics if you decide to go for rhino or elephant.
My whitail revolver with 350 grain WFN on top target and the same custom bullet in a shortened 250 grain version on the bottom target, deer to big bear beware!
Even lead shot in my 45 colt, using 460 S&W brass forming them in 44 mag and 41 mag to achieve a cartridge that fits the full length of the cylinder and gives me 5/8 oz of #12 shot. Patterns very well from the 5 1/2 barrel at 35 yards.
I have never found a jacketed bullet to exceed any of the performance in each of these different recipes for these firearms, and the shot load is great for snake loads. If I want extreme performance in any revolver from 32 cal to 500 cal, I will always use a self cast bullet and know I have the best bullet for whatever job I cast it for.
I cut my teeth on Elmer Keith's 429244 240 grain cast semi wadcutter in a hardened wheel weight alloy, and it served me well. I also used a 357 Security Six for a short time on varmints. The 357 was a poor choose with the 358429 for this purpose. But over the years I have evolved to much better designs, alloys and cannot help but think just how happy Elmer would be today with these modern choices.
The only time I would consider a plated bullet was be a solid Monolithic style bullet, and only then for the most dangerous and largest animals in the world, and only in a 45 cal or larger bore revolver. But anything on the North American continent I would use a cast bullet of my prefered alloy and style for the job at hand.
But several things I have proven myself over these decades, is how Superior, cast bullets are to jackets for 90% of handgun hunting with any revolver! More speed, with heavier bullets, and less pressure. I can also shoot even tighter groups at these speed with better accuracy. But one thing that I really like, is I never clean my barrels!! I have cleaned my barrel after 5000 or more loads, and find I need to shoot several cylinders to get back to the guns best accuracy.
I also have moved to the WFN bullets, and HP bullets, depending on the type of game I am hunting, and how I am hunting them. I have different alloys I use, but most hunting big game I use a wheel weight alloy, for protection or the biggest game, I will add 10% Linotype to them with 2.5% pure tin bullion. The linotype adds hardness for penetration, and the tin adds lubricity and toughness, plus makes the lead flow to form perfectly cast bullets, and consistent weight, when proper temperature is attained.
I use standard 50-50 wheelweight pure lead mix for most hunting deer sized game or smaller. For varmint I use this alloy with a HP WFN design, and for M/L use with sabots as well.
But when properly sized to my cylinder, I can shoot thousands of rounds and never clean a barrel. I use a alox beeswax lube from Whitelable lubes for all these except the M/L, which I run unsized and dry. But Elmer would be the height of his glory had he had the new designs and tools to work with! His SWC is still excellent, as all round use but thankfully today we can fine tune cast bullets for hunting with other designs to accommodate different scenario's.
The Mihec 180 Carbine bullet in my 357 Ruger Blackhawk, a rare gun and seldom seen, but factory, with the scroll engraving removed.
My SD Bond derringer with pure lead 270 grain HP, a one shot wonder, but it carries 2.
480 Ruger with hard cast NOE 395 grain WFN, for anything in NA, put 475 brass in it for Monolithics if you decide to go for rhino or elephant.
My whitail revolver with 350 grain WFN on top target and the same custom bullet in a shortened 250 grain version on the bottom target, deer to big bear beware!
Even lead shot in my 45 colt, using 460 S&W brass forming them in 44 mag and 41 mag to achieve a cartridge that fits the full length of the cylinder and gives me 5/8 oz of #12 shot. Patterns very well from the 5 1/2 barrel at 35 yards.
I have never found a jacketed bullet to exceed any of the performance in each of these different recipes for these firearms, and the shot load is great for snake loads. If I want extreme performance in any revolver from 32 cal to 500 cal, I will always use a self cast bullet and know I have the best bullet for whatever job I cast it for.
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