Hollow point design advice, please

I too have learned over the years through trial and error about the hollow point bullet and the mystique surrounding it with its ability to absolutely devastate the intended target Oh well - we learn.

As mentioned already, my FP cast bullets in the 30-30 or 32 WSP cast in Lyman #2 alloy and run to about 2000 fps perform exceptionally well on deer sized game and pigs IF, and I emphasize IF, the shot placement is good. A hole through the heart or lungs on a game animal is always fatal. The "shock" of the bullet usually drops them in their tracks if the shot was a surprise and the animal was not pumped full of adrenaline.

As for the hollow points, I tried my first trial with the 44 Mag for boar hunting. Now when I say boar, I mean large, big, aggressive Russian boar. Having hunted with J.D. and Handgun Hunters International for many years, I saw boar absorb multiple 44 Mag hits and keep running. I purchased the Lyman 429640H and cast them in Lyman #2 alloy because I knew, against all advise in the literature, that MY bullets would perform perfectly. From this photo, you can see the results of my arrogance! The bullets at 1300fps completely shattered.

After swallowing my pride or eating crow, if you prefer, I began to cast them in 20:1 alloy and the results were immediate and impressive. Velocity used was about 1200 fps on average. Would this bullet have killed a boar any better than a 30-30 if it had gone through the heart? That's another whole debate but this bullet did, in fact, drop the hog in its tracks. Below is the image of the 20:1 alloy recovered bullet.

I have also played with 38 caliber bullets for the 38 Special, 357 Mag, 35 Rem, and others. My experience there has been that large flat meplats have more of a killing effect on game than any HP designed bullet. Here you can see a Lyman 358439 bullet cast in Lyman #2 and fired at 1100 fps out of a 38 Special. Velocity had to remain lower to keep the bullet from shattering but the velocity was not enough to initiate mushrooming. Casting in 20:1 or 30:1 alloy and adjusting the velocity would have accomplished this but I have seen the results of a large flat meplat on game. Below is the image of the Lyman 358439 Fired directly into a barrel of water. The tip opened up some just prior to the bullet fragmenting. It ran out of steam before ripping itself apart.

Next year I plan on hunting the boar with my Winchester 1886 in 45-90. I may actually fire the rifle rather than whacking the boar on the head with it - a sure killer. I chose the Lyman 457122 "Gould Express Bullet" that was a favorite in the day. I have cast these in 20:1 alloy and will be using Black Powder to push these along at 1600fps. This alloy and speed, with this bullet, has proven to be a solid performer. Heck - even if it doesn't expand, the meplat alone is large enough to stop a rhino. Initial test have shown positive expansion but I did not take photos yet. That is a project for this summer.

I wish you all the best on your specific quest. While we all reply like we know everything about the matter, I remind myself I learn something new every day. If I have missed a specific detail on your initial post, my apologies for this long-winded reply! Please keep us informed with what you determine and find to work best in your situation with your unique parameters.