beemanbeme, I too have shot hundreds of cast bullets both in pistol and rifle. I have a 170 grain mold with a gas check for my 3030 and a hard cast will almost always out penetrate a jacketed. It does not expand, and even on bone usually only slightly deforms, but will break the bone it hits. It kills in a slightly different manner than an expanding jacketed and exactly like a full metal jacket, only usually cheaper, and more enjoyable as you actually made the bullet you hunted with.
Another interesting side effect is, a 170 grain jacketed can be loaded to about 2200fps, in a 3030, whereas a hardcast with a gas check of the same weight can be loaded up to 2400fps safely, which puts it in the same velocity range as the 150 grain jacketed. Making a quartering shot that powderman described STILL allows for good penetration with such a bullet, and getting to the vitals.