I have a CVA wolf 50 cal and an abundance of 240 gr 44 mag Missouri bullet company bullets as well as the 44 cal green sabots. I get pretty good accuracy with these and cost me next to nothing to shoot. My question is has anyone had any experience on deer size game with a comparable bullet? This last weekend, the weather was teetering around -20 Fahrenheit and I had several water jugs in the garage that froze solid. I decided they needed to be shot so got out the wolf and shot them at 75 yards. Completely turned them into tiny ice chips. I thought that these could make a fine game bullet with proper shot placement. Anyone shoot deer with harcast at muzzzleloader velocities? I was shooting 110 grains pyrodex ff.
Hardcast 240 gr SWC for deer hunting sabot inline
- Thread starter ldlfh7
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ColtPythonElite
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All I used for years was a cast Lyman 250 gr. .45 Colt bullet in a bulk packaged sabot. I never lost a deer.
Charliefrank
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I've shot many deer and hogs using 240 gr hard cast swc's from 44 mags and hot 44 specials. Never had any problems recovering game.
J-Bar
Member
Some states require an “expanding” type of bullet. You might check with the authorities to make sure it’s ok.
J-Bar
Member
Great! Hope to see photo of you and your gun and your trophy! 
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
The bullets will be more than adequate for deer.
I have the same rifle.
With green sabots and 240 grain 44 mag bullets it shoots 4 to 5 inch groups at 100 yards.
With 250 grain .452 bullets and black sabots and it shoots 1 to 2 inch 100 yard groups.
Loyalist Dave
Member
That's a pretty stout load. I can put a 225 grain soft lead .530 ball through a deer at 100 yards with 70 grains of powder, and you're using more than 50% greater volume of powder..., and a bullet that's a bit better on ballistic coefficient than my sphere, so doesn't bleed as much energy in flight as mine does, so yeah..., should "hammer" you some venison.
LD
LD
Stubert
Member
The last deer I shot with my 44 mag. using a 240 gr. swc that I cast worked great. I hit the deer in the bottom of his neck as he was walking away and had 14" of straight penetration from the base of his neck out his throat at 1250 fps. You'll be just fine.
Patocazador
Member
If they're accurate in your gun, go for it.
Loyalist Dave
Member
No worries, as long as the load is accurate, though I hope your shoulder is OK With 110 grains of powder you're going to get more than 1250 fps at the muzzle.
LD
With 110 grains of powder you're going to get more than 1250 fps at the muzzle. LD
Patocazador
Member
Is the blood trail from the deer or from you? (Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm a wimp when it comes to stiff recoil.)
I loaded the stock and forearm with epoxy to make it balance better. This makes it weigh almost 9lbs.
Patocazador
Member
A 300 gr. SWC isn't much different than using a maxi-ball except for the diameter. Maxi-balls drop a deer with no problems so I expect a SWC would too. Elmer Keith sure liked them.
I'd like to know about the use of pure lead cast bullets for what he's asking. It seems most people who mention alloys often say they use a harder than pure cast bullet for this. I'm wondering how a pure lead bullet will behave at high velocity and at short range.
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
I'm betting they would work just fine. I ordered a .452 - 255 grain mold to cast bullets for my inline. Received the wrong mold yesterday but as soon as I get it exchanged I'll be casting will see how the shoot.
1- 25 tin / lead bullets work great in 45-70 at similar velocity.
I've been using recycled lead piping for my casting but as I've moved to a small town which is outside of Austin I cannot seem to find a place to buy reclaimed lead. Once I get back to casting and run dry of the ingots I still have I'll likely order from Rotometal and possibly get the ingots with 2% tin to possibly help with fillout, which would also harden it just a tad anyway.
I've had no reservations of how pure lead would work in my REALs but then they wouldn't be traveling as fast as a bullet, and I do have some 285 grn bullets I've considered resizing and trying in sabots in my muzzleloader.
I've had no reservations of how pure lead would work in my REALs but then they wouldn't be traveling as fast as a bullet, and I do have some 285 grn bullets I've considered resizing and trying in sabots in my muzzleloader.
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