41 Swiss Deer Bullet?

[Trout211]

I picked up a sporterized m81 vetterli this summer. The barrel had been cut to 23 inches and the mag tube also shortened from 13 to 8 round capacity. I did some work to the gun (fit a receiver sight,recoil pad, and fixed a loose front sight post). I also got the bolt converted to centerfire and worked up some ammo with buffalo arms brass and a 330 grain hard cast bullet in front of 29 grains of IMR 3031. This load with the receiver sight shot well my first time out putting 4 rounds in a little under 2 inches at 50 yards.

I recently moved to indiana and was thinking about using the gun for deer hunting since it meets the criteria for public land deer cartridges (case less than 1.8 inches / .357 or larger bullet). I have never hunted with a slow moving large bore rifle and have a few questions. What should I be looking for in a deer bullet for the gun? Will the current bullet I am using work? Can this old gun handle jacketed bullets?
Here is a link to the bullet I am currently using http://www.hunters-supply.com/430-cal-330-p-174.html?osCsid=r2daqbchl9hkv19qr6k6v68v31

and pics of the rifle

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'd say you need to ensure you use the gas check. Gas check bullets used without the gas check itself tend to be less accurate. There are several online articles of folks doing what you've done that have had success getting the bullet up to about 1300+ fps, and in one case with as heavy a bullet as a 405 grain. So if you can get the MV consistent and thus good groups with that powder (another article favored S 4759) it should hammer deer.

LD

 

[Sunray]

You don't need a jacketed bullet to hunt deer. A cast will do just fine. What's your load do at 100? Where'd you get the load data?
Anyway, the bullet used makes no difference to the rifle. It's the load used and the condition of your rifle that matters. The original RF load went to about 20,000 PSI with a 313 grain cast bullet and BP at 1427 FPS.
There's an old discussion about loading the Swiss here that might help.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums/41-swiss-loading-t27728.html

 

[Trout211]

I haven't shot yet at 100 but plan to soon. On my initial range trip I only had 15 rounds made up and used them zeroing the new sight and shooting a group. I based my initial load on a starting load for the 45/70 trapdoor with a 322 grain bullet i found in the lyman 46 edition.

Thanks for pointing me to that thread Sunray. Based on that discussion I might try some accurate 5744 powder. I had a small amount of unburnt powder left in the case/barrel after firing some of the rounds with 3031. I'll experiment with the gas checks as well.

I don't have a lot of experience choosing a cast bullet for hunting deer hunting. Is a solid flatpoint preferred versus a hollow point at these velocities? I don't plan on shooting past 80 yards or so the way I hunt.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I don't have a lot of experience choosing a cast bullet for hunting deer hunting. Is a solid flatpoint preferred versus a hollow point at these velocities? I don't plan on shooting past 80 yards or so the way I hunt

You're basically going to duplicate what thousands of fellows will shoot from their traditional muzzle loading rifles this year as they harvest white tails and mule deer and even elk or moose or even black bear. Except you will be launching your bullet from a cartridge rifle. That alloy bullet is plenty, and will give you excellent penetration which is why it will do well on the larger big game like elk or moose, at 100 yards or less (you mentioned 80 yards) you will have no worries so long as your chosen load groups well. I would expect with a broadside shot on the heart/lung area that your round will pass through a white tail, thus giving you a quick, humane harvest, and a good blood trail if you need to track it. I predict you will not need to track very far if at all.

LD