Hard cast 405 grn bullets.

[BCTRUCKER]

Hi Guys
Having just owned my Marlin 1895 45/70 XLR for 3 months now, and just
got into using cast bullets. I am using 405 grn hard cast (25 bn ) with gas check.
40.0 grns - IMR-4198  Winchester cases and primers. Accuracy is good. Having
not shot anything with hard cast bullets before, I want to hunt Black bear and Deer
with this load. Should I shoot for the shoulder or just behind. I don,t no what to expect with
the hard cast bullet. expansion - no expansion. Could you help me out .

Thanks MIKE

[Castaway]

A hard cast bullet will act like a solid with no expansion.  On the bright side, a 30 caliber bullet hopes to get to a diameter of 0.458" and you are starting out that big

[BBF]

Not all 405 cast bullets have the same size moplat. That alone will make a difference in the size of the wound channel.  There will be no expansion, the difference comes from the "bluntness" of the bullet. Of course impact velocity plays a role as well.

I presume you won't eat the bear so shoot through the shoulder, that should anchor the bear. I'd go for ribcage on the deer

[Lloyd Smale]

when shooting cast bullet, which is about all i shoot, i usually try to break the front shoulder and anchor the animal. With something as powerful as your 4570 load its not all that critical to break the shoulder. A lung shot will take an animal in short order too. It may run a 100 yards at most but a lung shot with any projectile is a dead animal.

[BBF]

Loyd
 I can tell you from my own expierence to having an animal go 100 yards in parts of the coast northwest or the interior of parts of British Columbia pretty much means you will not recover the animal.

[jhalcott]

  I've had "hunters" claim a deer that I saw fall after running less than 100 yards. Now I try to anchor them at the shot and as little running as possible. This incident happened on public land before I could afford to join a club!

[BCTRUCKER]

Hi Guys
Thank you for your replys.
Here on Vancouver Island, you have
to drop the animal in its tracks, the under brush is
so thick.  Thank again  MIKE

[Lloyd Smale]

theres no bullet designed that is so majical that it will insure drop in there tracks results unless the central nervous system is shut down which for the most part means brain or spine shots. Ive had deer with the hearts blown to mush go a 100 yards before dropping.

[Larry Gibson]

Break one or both shoulders (actually the front legs or "arms") while putting the bullet through the heart (1/3 up) if the bear is on all fours.  If sitting up then again attempt to break at least one shoulder while putting the bullet through the chest.  If facing or looking away from you when sitting then put the bullet centered between the shoulders (should break spine).  As mentioned in one of the other posts, with hardcast cast bullets you'll want a bullet with the largest meplat (flat point) that you can use in the Marlin.

In my 45-70 (Siamese Mauser) I prefer a softcast (BHN 10-12) GC'd cast bullet with a large meplat.  This affords some measure of expansion and increased terminal ballistics.  However, a hard cast bullet with a large meplat will do the trick on BBs out of your Marlin.  BTW;  Work that lever fast an shoot again if you can.  A BB in the brush of the NW can be very hard to find as mentioned.  I am constantly amazed that hese type of discussions all center around one shot and wait for the deer/elk/bear to die.  In thick brush country (I was raised in the Coastal Mountains of Oregon and learned the hard way) I will shoot the animal as many times as I can as I do not depend on "one shot" stops.

Larry Gibson

[BBF]

Having a dog available is a very good way of finding a wounded animal. Even untrained dogs will go ballistic when smelling a bear.

[jhalcott]

 You best check the LOCAL laws on taking a dog on your hunt! Some states require a permit to use a tracking hound to find wounded or lost game.

[BBF]

jhalcott:
That is a new one on me.
 I never even thought that this would possibly be illegal. The only reason that I can think of that would make a State  outlaw that would be that there is concern of running game with dogs.