Hi Guys:

I am thinking of picking up a S&W 500 to play around with. I noticed these Cast Performance Bullets 50 cal for sale a Midway.

Does anybody have any experience, good or bad with these bullets? Are they hard cast?

Regards... Jim P.

I purchased a box of .459 dia. 405 gr. from them last year till my new moulds came in and found them to be an excellent bullet, hardness was 18 -20 bhn, my measurement.

If I was not casting my own, C/P bullets would certainly be one of my choices. PA Hunter hope this sheds some light for you......Bob

They are among the best you'll find. I use 'em in a .44 Magnum, and from the 9.5" Ruger SRH, 2" groups at 100 yards are the norm -- and occasionally, measurements dip below that mark.

They penetrate extremely well, so much so that you'd better take extra cautions in checking out the background. Exits are the norm, and I've even laced some large hogs from stem to stern -- and had the bullet exit. The wide, flat meplat cuts a generous wound channel, too.

Another bonus is that they are heat-treated and don't lead the barrel. I am shooting them at 1400 fps and have no problems with keeping the bore clean.

I've shot a lot of the CP bullets in .458 in a 45-70 and 45-120, they shoot excellent and from what I've read and been told by hunter friends that have taken game with them, they perform excellent too!!

http://www.castperformance.com/?uid=170&page=1656

I shoot the 440 grain .510's out of my 500 BPE. They do fine at 1900 fps. I'm hoping to find out how they do on muleys this fall! Anyone hunted with them?

ACRecurve-I hunt with a couple of the weights in .44 caliber but mainly shoot the 320 grainers. I have no experience with the bullet you are using. However, if the design is the same, that wide, flat meplat cuts a heck of a channel all the way through and will provide 2 wounds for a blood trail should you need to track the game. It is most effective when you place the bullet so that it breaks one or both shoulders and then almost always puts the animals down in its tracks.

A broadside presentation on deer or a hog will not stop this bullet, so keep a close eye on the background.

I use CPB's in their .460gr. gas check in .459" in my .45-70. On African plains game (Zebra, Kudu, Wildebeest) they passed right through, .45 in, .45 out. Left a good blood trail except on the Kudu but he only travelled 100 yards. Accuracy is great with minute of angle easily obtainable in my Marlin 1895CB.

quote:

Originally posted by PAHunter:
Hi Guys:

I am thinking of picking up a S&W 500 to play around with. I noticed these Cast Performance Bullets 50 cal for sale a Midway.

Does anybody have any experience, good or bad with these bullets? Are they hard cast?

Regards... Jim P.

I use their 265-grain gascheck LBT flatnose in my .454 Casull- it is a very good bullet. I only load mine to 1550 FPS in order to try to keep the scope in one piece as long as possible. I get no leading, and I think the bullets are hard enough!

Hi Guys:

Thank you very much for the come back on the Cast performance bullets, I will give them a try.

How about brass.... Hornady or Starline..... I never used Starline Brass... is it as good as Hornady?

Regards... Jim P.

PAHunter,

CP bullets are great and if you have any problems at all or need help with load data you can call CP and talk with the owner Kelly Brost. I know him well and he will help you in any way possible.

As far as brass goes either brand will work but there is one thing you need to be aware of. The inital run of 500 brass used pistol primers. Then SW finalized the brass to use rifle primers. The difference is the rifle primer pockets are silghtly deeper. If you seat pistol primers in them they will go too deep and may not go off. Or you will crush rifle primers attempting to get them to bottom out in pistol brass.

Now the way to stay on track is all the current brass is headstamped " SW 500 Magnum R ". The R in the headstamp indicates a rifle primer is to be used. When you order your brass make sure you get the new current " R " marked headstamp and life will be simple and good. I learned this the hard way and had to sort 1000 ct of 500 brass once. I ended up throwing out my initial pile of 500 brass because it was the old pistol primer pocket type and I kept getting it mixed up with the new rifle primer brass.................................JJ

Hi JJ:

Thanks for that info, I was all ready aware of the primer change. I checked and the Hornady Brass it is stamped (R) for rifle primers.

But a good reminder, I have to check the Starline on Midway to make sure they are set up for rifle primers.

Thanks again... Jim P.