Alloy mix ??
- Thread starter johnnyjr
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JonB
Halcyon member
I would recommend 20-1
that's my 2¢
You will get lots of opinions. I took a texas heart shot on a hog, 40sw 160gr PB TC (`950 fps) at 20 yds. Went all the way through, broke front leg and destroyed the lower jaw. Still ran 50 yds, slight blood trail. It was a really hard alloy. Took a shot to the head of a downed hog to get him to stop looking at me. Cast will work. I grew up on beef, pork and chicken, don't like venison that much so I don't hunt deer. That said, XTP is claimed to be a good hunting round. I won't get into the expanding/non-expanding issue. Even the jacketed hunting guys have different opinions. That is still a TERMINAL velocity issue. Too fast or too slow, they don't work right.
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RBHarter
West Central AR
My goal is always a solid hunting load within the abilities of the arm and cartridge.
I lived my whole life on 1000 ftlb @ 100 yd . After killing a few hogs that basically just dropped in a heap out to 50 yd with 300 ftlb ME 45 Colts I was able to re-evaluate my standards.
I still look for the 1000@100 but if I can get 21-2200 fps MV 30 cal down to 25 I'm fairly certain that will do the job if I can get a 150% hole . From 32 up it's pretty much just just making a hole where it needs to be . I was pleased when the 358 Win with a 35-250 ran 2100 fps MV it's also going to make a huge exit hole even if it is pretty hard .
With only a couple of exceptions I'm basically just running a 75/25 WW/tamper seals . I don't know exactly what's in the seals but it bhns like 20-1 and carries a little copper . I haven't used this on game except a 1900 fps paper patch 200 gr custom which in terms of exit damage may as well have been a 2700 fps MV JSP out of the same 06'.
I lived my whole life on 1000 ftlb @ 100 yd . After killing a few hogs that basically just dropped in a heap out to 50 yd with 300 ftlb ME 45 Colts I was able to re-evaluate my standards.
I still look for the 1000@100 but if I can get 21-2200 fps MV 30 cal down to 25 I'm fairly certain that will do the job if I can get a 150% hole . From 32 up it's pretty much just just making a hole where it needs to be . I was pleased when the 358 Win with a 35-250 ran 2100 fps MV it's also going to make a huge exit hole even if it is pretty hard .
With only a couple of exceptions I'm basically just running a 75/25 WW/tamper seals . I don't know exactly what's in the seals but it bhns like 20-1 and carries a little copper . I haven't used this on game except a 1900 fps paper patch 200 gr custom which in terms of exit damage may as well have been a 2700 fps MV JSP out of the same 06'.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I thought you were good with the 358429, but the 156 will work too. I'd take either before any jacketed bullet for shooting deer sized game unless you're going to loads it to absolute max velocity and even then the cast will be more reliable IMO.
As far as an alloy goes you've been handed several ideas. If it were me, I'd take whatever isn't hard enough so you can't mar it with a thumbnail, load it up a see if it shoots. Then I'd go get my deer. There are probably a dozen "best" alloys that all measure within a point or 2 on the Bhn scale. To be blunt, you can over think this way too much and never actually get out hunting!
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fiver
Well-Known Member
you want penetration or expansion?
i like 2 holes, and i like a little mush in-between.
that means i run as soft of an alloy as i can get away with,,, or around 10 BHN in my lever rifles at around 1400 fps.... which is weird since that's pretty much right around where my big batch of alloy happens to sit.
if you want to penetrate from butt hole to the neck use the design and alloy to your advantage.
if you want mush and don't care about penetration so much use a hollow point and as soft of an alloy as you can get away with.
who cares if you get a little leading your not dove hunting.
now you just gotta balance that alloy with your velocity and the meplat diameter.
got a tiny little meplat?
you better speed things up.
too much speed with a flat nose and a hollow point,, hope you like hamburger.
don't over think things, ride down the middle of the street and your gonna have the same results they had for 500 years before we come along with a bunch of free time and made it hard.
i like 2 holes, and i like a little mush in-between.
that means i run as soft of an alloy as i can get away with,,, or around 10 BHN in my lever rifles at around 1400 fps.... which is weird since that's pretty much right around where my big batch of alloy happens to sit.
if you want to penetrate from butt hole to the neck use the design and alloy to your advantage.
if you want mush and don't care about penetration so much use a hollow point and as soft of an alloy as you can get away with.
who cares if you get a little leading your not dove hunting.
now you just gotta balance that alloy with your velocity and the meplat diameter.
got a tiny little meplat?
you better speed things up.
too much speed with a flat nose and a hollow point,, hope you like hamburger.
don't over think things, ride down the middle of the street and your gonna have the same results they had for 500 years before we come along with a bunch of free time and made it hard.
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RBHarter
West Central AR
I'd like to point out a couple "well duh" moments said to my while I was passionately over thinking things .
1 . Elmer Kieth developed what became the 44 mag with 16-1 lead tin .
2 . Well of course that PRB 45 got there in a hurry . It was basically a 45-70 with a 130 gr ball and a full case .
I don't think I've ever heard anyone say a patched round ball of dead soft was a poor killer of deer . Nobody has ever complained about the 44 mag being inadequate.
Your alloy only needs to hold the lands long enough to clear the muzzle and avoid the heavy shoulder bones going in with a .180+ nose flat .
I think many of us forget this when we get busy seeking fast,flat,and little groups.
1 . Elmer Kieth developed what became the 44 mag with 16-1 lead tin .
2 . Well of course that PRB 45 got there in a hurry . It was basically a 45-70 with a 130 gr ball and a full case .
I don't think I've ever heard anyone say a patched round ball of dead soft was a poor killer of deer . Nobody has ever complained about the 44 mag being inadequate.
Your alloy only needs to hold the lands long enough to clear the muzzle and avoid the heavy shoulder bones going in with a .180+ nose flat .
I think many of us forget this when we get busy seeking fast,flat,and little groups.