What 30 cal bullet do you hunt with

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Scott Merchant posted this 22 November 2006

Let me start by saying that I hunt Deer with cast bullets. I was wondering what moulds and velocity are being using in the 30 cal to take Deer with. I would also like to know how far the deer went, What the wound channel was like, and did it leave a good blood trail. Other information such as alloy, and how far the shot was would be good.                                                           Thanks Scott

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Duplex posted this 22 November 2006

31141 for years until I went to .38, .45 & .50 caliber in cartridges.  It always exited the body, I would wait for my favorite shot with hard cast (which was with the near leg forward and shooting through the lung area and the off shoulder.  Never lost a deer.

Ooooops, almost forgot... cast wheel weights (old mix) and my own lube of peanut oil and beeswax.

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Scott Merchant posted this 22 November 2006

Duplex          The Lyman 311041 is one of my favorite bullets for hunting along with the Saeco 305. On the 30 cal bullets I believe the flat meplat will deliver a quicker kill, and a better wound channel. I run my hunting loads around 1900fps. I have never had a bullet stay in a deer yet. They go down fairly quick.                                                Scott

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Mnshooter posted this 29 November 2006

I shot a medium deer with a Lee 200 grain 30 cal out of a .303 British at about 2000 fps.  The alloy was similar to electrotype, about 3% antimony and 3% tin which is softer than #2.  Shot was at 70 yards. I did not need to track as the deer went down in sight after about 25 yards.  The bullet went through diagonally behind shoulder and out midsection with a large exit hole that did not hit a rib on entrance.  The backtrail demonstrated an excellant blood trail had I needed it.  I am also interested in feedback on 30 cal, 8mm and 35 cal rifle loads for deer.

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Ed Harris posted this 08 December 2006

Hunting deer with .30 cal. cast bullets you end up in most cases with ballistics like the .32-40 or .30-30, maybe closer to the .303 Savage or .30-40 Krag if you can use the heavier bullets and get decent velocity.

I've killed maybe a dozen deer with cast loads in .30 cals., and they will do the job OK if you place shots well, but you should use a bullet with as large a meplat as will feed, keep the alloy hardness about BHN13 or less, and the velocity 1700 f.p.s. or more.  Within 50 yards they work really well, but the farthest shots I've taken with cast, around 150, required some trailing, as they didn't go down right away.  Not alot of meat destruction at 1800 f.p.s.

If you need a harder bullet which remains ductile so that it will expand and stay together, you can do some tricks with the metallurgy.   I use ONE part of wheelweights to SEVEN parts of plumber's lead and then heat treat the bullets at 475 degs. F for six hours to ensure all the antimony is in solution, then immediately water quench, put the bullets in a ziplock bag and move them to the freezer to cold soak for 14 days.  They will harden to about 16-18 BHN to enable decent velocity, but they will expand and hold together at velocities from 1800-2000 f.p.s.

The flatnosed version of the bullet shown in the photo is our preferred hunting bullet.  Veral Smith made the original “beer can meplat” bullet for Nick Croyle.  This leaves a nice exit hole like a .44 Mag. SWC and lets the air out of Bambi just fine.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Lon posted this 12 December 2006

” I use ONE part of wheelweights to SEVEN parts of plumber's lead “ Mr. Harris, is this correct? I thought plumber's lead was about 50/50 lead/tin?

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Idaho Sharpshooter posted this 14 December 2006

311284 from some salvaged linotype and lead 65/35% mix. About 2300fps from my Krag rifle, 130fps slower from the carbine. I shoot them in the ribs, usually breaks one going in, scrambles the heart and lungs, and goes out the other side. Never found one out of six mule deer, and two elk. 75 to nearly 200yds. It just kills them...

Rich DRSS NRA Life Member

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454PB posted this 16 December 2006

Plumbers lead is usually considered “pure” lead.

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Max Baglimit posted this 16 April 2007

In my .308 I use a 170 gn Lyman 311291 (75/25 - WW/Lino HT) propelled by 30 grains of IMR 3031. This gives me about 2000 fps with excellent accuracy. Does a number on hogs and deer. Just try and busted em through the shoulders.

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CB posted this 27 November 2007

I am planning on Elk Hunting with a 300 Win Mag and using the Lyman 311284 bullet. Anyone had any experience with cast bullet in 300 win mag and how heavy a bullet would you use for Elk?

Jerry

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Ed Harris posted this 27 November 2007

” I use ONE part of wheelweights to SEVEN parts of plumber's lead “

Mr. Harris, is this correct? I thought plumber's lead was about 50/50 lead/tin?"

The “plumber's lead” I am referring to is ordinary commercial 'pig' lead, which is nominally “pure” but not of nuclear reactor shielding or laboratory grade. Ordinary pig lead is generally about 5 BHN and usually contains no more than 1% total combined of other alloy content, which may include traces of antimony, tin and arsenic, with calcium, copper and zinc hopefully below the detection limit by xray diffraction.

"Plumber's solder” used to be 50-50 tin-lead, back in the days when water pipes were mostly lead. Since lead pipe and lead-bearing solders were banned by EPA for use in potable water supplies plumber's solder used these days for joining copper pipe is 95 percent tin and 5% antimony, usually found in one pound wire reels, rather than bars. You can still find bar solder used in wave soldering machines for electronic circuit boards, but it will be 63-37 to provide lowest melting point, minimum drossing and maximum fluidity, see

http://www.action-electronics.com/kester.htm>http://www.action-electronics.com/kester.htm

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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CB posted this 18 December 2007

I have a Spanish FR8 in 308 and it works great for hunting, I use a 200 gr cast RN GC bullet. It's a Lyman #311299 mold

The sights are a little on the basic side, but they work.

Merry Christmas,

Jerry

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cbshtr posted this 26 December 2007

I used the Ideal 311413 for taking my last deer in 2002. I wrote an article about it (TFS Nov/Dec 2007) which describes what I did to it to make a pointed bullet into a flat point. The bullet performed very well with the deer going probably less that 25 yards. I just bought a Savage 10 Whitetail Hunter in 308 and once I get the barrel broke in I plan on working on target and hunting CB loads. Although the Ideal bullet did work well I'm going to try the SAECO 305 and RCBS 200 SIL. I believe the extra weight will help with penetration if the impact veleocity is down a little.

Robert Homan

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44 Flattop posted this 31 March 2008

miestro_jerry wrote: I am planning on Elk Hunting with a 300 Win Mag and using the Lyman 311284 bullet. Anyone had any experience with cast bullet in 300 win mag and how heavy a bullet would you use for Elk?

Jerry

Did you get an elk with your .300?  I've taken a lot of elk with cast and I hesitate to say I wouldn't use a .30 caliber.  I use the RCBS 180 gr FN in the 30-06, .308 and .30-30 all moving along at around 1900fps and I wouldn't feel comfortable with even this bullet that weighs around 190grs for me.  For elk I draw the line at .348 and larger.  That sure doesn't mean you can't kill one with a .30 caliber :D  Shucks, I killed a small bull once with just a 4 3/4” .44 special using an RCBS 255 gr SWC at about 950fps with a single shot through the ribs at 40 yards! 

Back to the original subject, in the .30 caliber I use the RCBS 180gr exclusively.  3 parts WW's, 1 part pure lead.  1900fps is a good deer killing velocity out to about 150 yards or a little more.  I"ve taken quite a few deer with it and a few friends also who I provide the cast bullets for.  Not many have went more than just a few yards, all the time you can eat right up to the bullet hole.  I've been trying to think, but I can't remember a single time we ever recovered a single bullet.    Blood trails aren't quite as good as the larger calibers, 44 or 45, but it sure get the job done!

44

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CB posted this 01 April 2008

44,

On many hunting trips that I have gone with, I have seen people use the 303 British round for moose. Several people have used medium caliber rounds in T/C Contenders. When out Grizzly hunting with a friend he was using a 7mm, but required many round to finish the bear off.

I do understand the idea of a bigger round, but I also remember that the U.S. Army went from a 30 06 to a 223 in about 25 years, with still a good kill ratio.

My 300 Mag is a 300 Remington Ultra Mag. I haven't found a lead bullet yet that I would use at the velocity this rifle can achieve, with a factory bullet of 200 gr you can push the bullet up to 3,000 FPS.

I shoot a 'yote with a 150 gr Ballistic tipped jacketed bullet, one of those super duper hunting bullet that can be pushed to 3.500 FPS in this rifle. I thought it would go thru the 'yote, it did sort of. Think about shooting a human being with 105mm Howitzer.

You would not believe the bruise that I got on my shoulder and the rifle has a factory installed sissy pade.

Ground Hog season is now upon us out here in Eastern Ohio, so I am thinking 35 Remington or 45-70 for the G Hogs. CBs of course. Or maybe I will just use my 10/22T instead.

Jerry

 

 

 

 

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44 Flattop posted this 02 April 2008

miestro_jerry, I was just curious if you had taken an elk with a cast bullet out of your .300!  I don't doubt the capabilities of the various 300's and such on big game, I've killed a few elk with a .300 H&H and 7mm Rems using jacketed bullets.  I was most interested in the cast aspect of elk with your .300.

I shoot a 'yote with a 150 gr Ballistic tipped jacketed bullet, one of those super duper hunting bullet that can be pushed to 3.500 FPS in this rifle. I thought it would go thru the 'yote, it did sort of. Think about shooting a human being with 105mm Howitzer.

Now that would be COOL!  I oughta load some of those up in MY 300 H&H and smoke a few brush pups myself!

44

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CB posted this 02 April 2008

44,

I am getting ready for next season. I am casting lino in to 200 gr bullets, then hardening them. Even then I may not be able to push them as fast the rifle is capable of. The CBs may break up in flight. I was thinking of a tall gas check with a soft CB for elk if the lino ones don't work that well.

 

Jerry

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Scott Merchant posted this 02 April 2008

Jerry

I think Bullets cast of lino at the velocity you are trying to achieve will more then likely break up on impact. Trying to get cast bullets to work at jacketed velocity's in a 300 mag and perform well for hunting does not work in my experience. 44 Flattop recommendation of at least 35 calibre is good advice, and I would add use a flat point bullet of sufficient weight. Scott

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CB posted this 02 April 2008

Scott,

I am currently experimenting with different type of casting, but you are right hard cast or lino bullets turn into frangible ammo.

 

Jerry

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Lefty posted this 02 April 2008

Scott

Have you ever tried to make 30 cal hollow points using a drill press?  It seems like it should not be too difficult.  I was thinking of using a counter sink and just put a shallow cone shaped indentation in the nose.

Jim

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jhalcott posted this 06 April 2008

I have used quite a few .30 molds for hunting deer and ground hogs. Most were in the 150 to 200 grain range. Velocity was almost always around 2200 fps. I have tried flat nosing the pointy and round nosed ones with a lot of success. I tried hollow pointing them with a drill press, but had much better results when I used a lathe to turn the bullets and kept the drill stationary in the tail stock. Accuracy was MUCH better and weight was held to a closer tolerance.The 31141 and 311291 are my favorites I guess, working in every thing from the 30 Herret to the 30-06.

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