Author Topic: hard cast bullet expansion (Read 1137 times)

Gallahad · « **on:** July 16, 2004, 05:02:28 AM »

I dont have much experience with cast bullets, and was wondering about brinell hardness. Is a cast bullet with a hardness of 22 suitable for hunting? Oh yeah, 480 ruger, 370 gr. bullet. Will a hardness of 22 give enuf expansion? I realize velocity plays a big role, so any info is very appreciated! Thanks!

Tom W. · « **Reply #1 on:** July 16, 2004, 09:08:36 AM »

I cast my bullets hard enough so there's very little expansion, hoe much bigger do you want the exit hole ? In my .480 I cast a 400 gr bullet from an rcbs mold, and it's kinda hard to slow it down. I load a 325 gr. jsp for my son, and those will go sideways through a big feral hog, but not lengthwise, from between the eyes to the tail...

Castaway · « **Reply #2 on:** July 16, 2004, 10:33:42 AM »

With a BH of 22, you could shoot the bullet into the sand, recover it and almost reload it again. There will be virtually no expansion. As stated above, you're aleady expanded as much as a 30 could ever hope to get to and your hole starts at that size. If it shoots well from your pistol, You'll have nothing to worry about.

haroldclark · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2004, 07:13:01 PM »

The only improvement that could be expected in your bullet size is to get one of Veral Smith's Lead Bullet Technology designs with a wide nose.

22 hardness on the BH scale is as hard as Linotype metal. As castaway says, it is hard.

I have had lno experience shooting Hogs with anything, but I do know that linotype has a propensity to shatter when it hits something hard. If it shatters, your potential penetration may be wanting. Pure lead will stay together better than linotype. A hardness level of 12 to 14 BH may give you the both of best worlds.

Do you know that a Jacketed Hollow Point bullet will close up on the nose and become like a round nose bullet when it hits a hard object. I have witnessed this fact many times. I will not elaborate on the gory details of those findings.

Harold Clark

Gallahad · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2004, 04:34:21 PM »

Harold, I have seen that happen with 44 mags and 22 mags, and the hollow cavity was filled so tight with hard matter it never expanded. Do you think a .475 bullet weighing 370 grains with a bh of 22 going 1300 fps would pass through a whitetail shoulderblade? Not that thats where I want to hit it, but if it did? I can buy 100 of thease bullets for $11. They have a big metplate, but wont expand well according to the replies. Its a large diameter bullet, but lets say I got a gut shot or something? will that bullet do enuf damage to retreive the animal? Dont get me wrong, I practice intently with my huntin' tools, and am a very good shot, but responible hunters take every consideration right!

fffffg · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2004, 08:00:34 PM »

1300 fps, 22 brinell, 350 ggrain bullet will go thru two or three deer. on one discussion about the long range shooters with 45-70 and the billy dixon legeond one shooter had a long range scenario about the possibilites of the 45-70 and long range. with 45 cal 500 grain bullet about 1200-1300 fps at 1500 yards the bullet whent thru the 2x6 target with a 1x6 backing and 8 inches into the sand below.. my 45 70 with 500 grain bullet at about 1250 feet per second with 25-1 lead tin ratio will go completely thru a 6-8 inch live tree!!! it can take 10-30 minutes to chop down such a tree with a sharp axe.. as the bullet gets heavier the power escalates very fast. and this is more than book power, the energy tables do not show the power of heavy bullets, they tend to escelate power of fast bullets.. fast bullets have hydrolic shock which is very good for killing, but bad on like a heavy shoulder or deep pennetration with bigger animals... good bullet placement, with your gun with a medium hardness like mentioned in other posts above will drop them like a brick.. watch bullet length, velocity, and twist when loading cast bullets. cast bullets should not be pointed for hunting but have a flat nose if possible. dave....

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2004, 12:37:45 AM »

a bullet cast out of lynotype at that size and weight will kill almost anything on earth. We done alot of penetration tests. Lynotype will shatter or shed it nose but usually only at rifle velocites 1800fps or greater. Like was said youll have more of a problem with overpenetration then under. Make sure you know whats on the other side of the animal. Only thing ill tell you is that if your casting your own your wasting alot of good lynotype. Its getting real hard to find. For deer and bear hunting a bullet cast out of wheel weight is plenty hard. For bigger game i like 5050 ww and lyno. There plenty hard and i get no leading up to even 2000 fps in my 4570 and 444 and they do amazing things on penetration tests out of the linebaughs. If it were me and i was hunting just dear id cast it out of ww and run it at about 900fps and never look back.