I'm looking for some .444 Marlin loads for a double rifle to use on pigs and possibly water buffalo in Australia.

The companies I'm looking at for now are Beartooth and Castperformance with the;

Castperformance 320gr. WLNGC/DC .430 dia

All the slugs between the; Beartooth 325gn LCMN .429 dia - Beartooth 405gn WLN DCG .429 dia

Any reccomendations?
Also, how do these cast slugs stack up against say a 300gn Uni-core or other jacketed pistol bullet?
Thanks.

Can't speak to their use in a 444 rifle but I've had fine results with bullets from both makers in my 44 magnum and 45 Colt pistols. I'd start with the widest nose that feeds and chambers reliably and probably choose a gaschecked bullet for rifle work.

As far as I am concerned, lead is for practice and Jacket is for hunting. The unicore would be my choice for game.

I shoot cast out of my 470NE,they have worked well on boar,for buffalo though,I would use premium bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
As far as I am concerned, lead is for practice and Jacket is for hunting.

Why's that?

I much prefer expansion in a bullet to one that just pencils through. I don't like the leading that can occur with faster loads also.

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
I much prefer expansion in a bullet to one that just pencils through. I don't like the leading that can occur with faster loads also.

Interesting. Have you seen the wound path that results from an LBT WFN slapping big game? "Penciled through" is not the phrase that comes to mind. Leading might be an issue but I haven't encountered it, at least in pistols at up to ~1400 fps or the 45/70 at ~ 1600 fps. As I mentioned earlier I have not worked in the velocity regime possible with the 444 though...

There is a formula that gives an approximation of the wound cavitation caused by a hard cast bullet with a wide meplat. A hardcast bullet with a 0.360" meplat and a relatively modest impact velocity of 1600 fps will create approximately one and three-quarter inches of wound cavitation.

Consider that following:
"Assuming that a bullet creates at least a 3/4 to 1 inch (19 to 25 mm) diameter hole through the vitals (a well placed shot), penetration is the more important of the two functions of a bullet for the big game hunter. A 3/4 inch (19 mm) hole which severs major arteries or passes through blood bearing vital organs will cause a rapid loss of blood pressure and will drop most targets within 50 yards. This is not to suggest that extreme cavitation will not cause an animal to succumb more rapidly. It could. However, bullets which cause extreme cavitation generally do not penetrate deeply and may not be suitable for some aspect angles due to the depth of penetration required to reach vital organs or the presence of interposing heavy bones. On the other hand, if only broadside body shots are taken, extreme cavitation may deliver the highest proportion of rapid kills."

I use both Beartooth and C/P bullets in my 45 Colts, 454 Casulls and 45-70.

It is hard to tell the difference between them...

Now that C/P has been sold off I mostly buy from Beartooth I prefer to deal with the smaller company if I have a question I ask the man himself.

While I still have stocks of CP and BT cast bullets on the shelves of my reloading room, I am now using Montana Bullet Works stuff. It's a little cheaper and they use USPS flat rate. Quality is excellent. Check them out.

I like beartooth bullets out of my 86 winchester in 33 WCF. I like the way he writes on his forum. You have no question about his loyalties. God Bless. Packy