75% + 25%

[Cheesehead]

I was wondering if a blend of 75% WW and 25% pure lead would create a bullet at 44 Magnum velocities, capable of expanding on deer size game.

Cheese

[D Crockett]

I have mixed 60% ww with 40% pure lead and killed hogs with a 44 mag  so 75%ww With 25% pure I see no problem with it killing deer D Crockett

[Cheesehead]

Do they expand at the 60-40 ratio?

Cheese

[D Crockett]

when I shoot hogs with my bullets I have never recovered any of the bullets all I know is they do the job for me in one side and out the other D Crockett

[retmech]

IMO the only way you are going to get expansion in deer size game is at least 50/50 ww/lead AND a hollow point.  A plain old SWC or RNFP in a .44 with a decent size meplat should work just fine with good placement and no expansion!

[Lloyd Smale]

using a 5050 mix you will get expansion without a hp if you hit bone but slip one through the ribs and i doubt it would expand. If i want a flat nosed bullet that expands i pour a pure nose and a ww body

[Cheesehead]

Is there more leading issues with a 50/50 blend?

Cheese

[nicholst55]

Is there more leading issues with a 50/50 blend?

Cheese

Match the hardness of your alloy to the pressure of your load, the diameter of your bullets to your cylinder throats (as long as they're larger than your groove diameter), and your lube to the velocities you're shooting, and you shouldn't have any appreciable leading.

If you shoot too soft (or too hard, for that matter) bullets at the wrong velocity, and they're smaller than groove diameter, you're going to have leading.  If your lube fails before the bullet leaves the muzzle, ditto.

[IDMoose]

 I water drop my ww boolits, then the ones I want to expand I place in a pan of water just above the driving band and heat them up and let the tops cool. This gives a nice hard cast boolit for shooting and a soft nose to help expand.  This has done a great job on sound dogs, deer, elk bear and moose.

 For me it just keeps thing simple.

 idmoose

[kbstenberg]

  Cheesehead i haven't had a prob. with leading. Ive been testing 20to1, 50/50, 75/25, strait WW. So long as the bullets fit the gun.
  Kevin

[Cheesehead]

Thank you for your replys

Cheese

[Lloyd Smale]

i dont have leading problems but then if my guns lead i find the problem and correct it.

[kbstenberg]

C H you could do your own testing of your bullets. A lot also depends on the bullet weight- bullet style - alloy - velocity that it is shot at.
  I use wet newspaper that I shoot into at 25y.
  You could send me a PM if you want more inf.
  Kevin

[pourboy]

Cast bullets "kill" by virtue of the bullet design, not by expanding. As Lloyd said, you want a flat point with a wide meplat. FWIW, many jacketed bullets don't expand well, it at all on lung shots. Lung shots require a faily fragine bullet to expand/fragment on such soft tissue.

[Lloyd Smale]

pourboy i to am a true believer in a good flat point cast bullet. They kill very well but there is some advantage to a hp or soft point bullet when the animals are deer sized. they dont kill any deader but do put down animals quicker. I too have seen jacketed hp and soft point ammo fail and when they dont expand they usually have a metplat that is a little on the small side. With a cast hp or soft point you have the ability to vary alloy hardness to insure expansion to match the size of the game at the velocity your using. Take a typical 45 cal jackted hp. It is used anywhere from 900 fps in a 45 colt to near 2000 in a 454 or 460. Its impossible for a manufacture to make a bullet that will cover that big of a spread and still expand without out over expanding.