quote:

Originally posted by Tyler Kemp:

As far as bullets what about cheap hunting bullets? Will the Laser Cast work? They are so cheap I would love to use them, but would they just plow straight through since they are so hard? What about the Meister cast bullets? What grain of the Oregon Trail Laser Cast should I try?

They will work and they will plow straight through but they punch a .45 cal hole and they are deadly. I shoot tons of the Laser Cast bullets in my .45 Colt and .44 Mag revolvers, they are great bullets. I killed the bear in Newfoundland with a Cast Performance 405gr gas-checked hardcast over 50.0gr H322 at 1,800fps and it went through the bear like a hot knife through butter. He flipped in the air when hit and then only crawled a few feet. The lungs looked like they'd been hit with a bomb.

Somehow, the thoughts of having a thumb sized hole all the way thru a critter has never been a problem with me. Let's a lot of fluid and air out of both sides really fast.

I've heard to avoid lungshots with a non-expanding bullet, but I guess a .243 bullet that is expanded doesn't leave much more of a wound cavity. If I use hard bullets should I aim for shoulder bones or just behind the shoulder like I've been taught?

i've always been one to shoot for the shoulder - if it goes a little back you are still ok.

busting bone has a way of slowing critters down.

I found a Ruger No. 1 Stainless at the local shop. The lever latch is missing and so waiting for Ruger to send a mailer for factory repair.

Anyway -- mint cond. and $550. Looks like maybe some whimp shot it once and traded it in for something in rimfire. *LMAO*

I bought a Leupold VXIII 1.75 - 6x 32mm, heavy duplex for it. Low mount Leupold rings. Waiting, waiting for Ruger repair.


Coming back from the scope purchase at "Bobs" -- the ONLY large sporting goods in a 50 mi. radius -- I stuck my head in the door of the local pawn shop, "All Guns 20% Off."

Weatherby Vanguard, 30-06, Leupold VXII, 3 - 9x 40mm, duplex in about 95%, $350 out the door.

-- And, Sporty's on the way home had a Marlin 1895S stainless, 45/70, long bbl.

My policy is "one gun purchase per day."

Loaded some Win. brass, 350 Speer FP, 58 gr. 4895. Waiting, waiting --

Sporty's is open 6 days a week.

Waiting, waiting on the Ruger. But the Weatherby shoots great!

Anyway -- mint cond. and $550. Looks like maybe some whimp shot it once and traded it in for something in rimfire. *LMAO*

I cannot wait to shoot this thing with full house loads. I shot my 7mma couple times without earmuffs or plugs (PLEASE NO LECTURING, I KNOW BAD DECISION) and I really think that is what makes you anticipate the recoil. After some nice earplugs, the 45-70 seems tame with the 300 grain loads, maybe I'll ask my grandma and grandpa for some 540 grain Garret loads for Christmas, oughta be good.

Tyler,

One thought: expansion AND penetration with cast bullets are a variable with two inputs...Bhn and velocity. I shot a 2100lb bull bison in 2005 at 217yds with the LaserCast 500gr RFN bullet at 1475fps MV. Smeared the nose, weighed 450.8gr (av 495-496gr lubed), recovered from the opposite shoulder under the skin. Bull went down, staggered up and went about thirty feet into a wallow. Gave the death bawl and died. The year before, I shot a 1500lb bull at 147yds with the same load. Broke a rib going in, trashed the lungs and heart, and exited, breaking a rib on the off side as it exited. I do not think you can do much better with any bullet in any caliber Tyler.
Brian Pearce killed TWO!! Cape Buffalo with one 400gr 45-70 (IIRC) load four years ago. Classic heart/lung shot at about 60yds. Did not see the cow stadnding behind a nice 44" bull and got a "twofor".
You just keep on practicing and trust the LaserCast 430gr hard cast.

Rich