Need opinions on cast v. jacketed for this deer season

[Sergeant Sabre]

Alright, so I have a SRH in .454 Casull. I have two favorite loads for it:

RCBS 300gr cast SWC over 22.0gr of IMR-4227

Shoots pretty light. Feels like a moderately heavy .44 mag load. Groups well with the open sights. Can put them into a 1-2" circle at 25yds from the standing position.

or

Speer 300gr Gold Dot HP over ~30gr (havn't really dialed the powder charge in yet) of H110

Uh, not light by any sense of the word. Recoil like a sledgehammer. Still groups alright, but not quite like the cast.


I'm not sure which one I want to use for deer season this fall. I know the cast load is plenty adequate. Thing is, a complete pass-through seems almost guaranteed with either bullet. As long as I'm gonna pass all the way through, I feel like I'd might as well use an expanding bullet to do extra damage and make a bigger hole that will leak more blood. But I kinda like the idea of hunting with the bullets that I myself have made. I know either one will do the trick just fine, so I thought I might as well post a poll and get some opinions.

 

[formerflyer]

There's no way for any of us to give a meaningful answer to your poll question. Both bullets will pass through the deer equally well, with similar tissue damage, and no significant difference in results. In Africa this summer, I took a nice Impala at just over 100 yards with my .458 Lott, and I whispered to the PH just before I set up for the shot that I had a soft point loaded first up, but should I quietly cycle the soft out for a solid. He looked at me like I had a horn growing out of the middle of my forehead, and snapped back, "What makes you think it would make any difference?" That's the situation you are in.

The only difference is how well YOU shoot each bullet. There are minor differences in the recoil pattern of cast vs. jacketed bullets, and minor differences in the pressure wave (blast/noise) between them. The only question, in my mind, is which one can you shoot most consistently from field positions with utter reliability. Which is more comfortable for you to shoot, and which can you be most likely to place in the vitals of your deer?

Please note that this question, too, is not one we can answer. Sorry, but it's still up to you.

 

[dakotasin]

for my handgun hunt this year w/ my 480, i'm going to be using a cast bullet, and have absolute confidence that it will get the job done just fine.

you should use whatever load inspires more confidence in you.

 

[Art Eatman]

Like the folks above say, go with the load you, yourself, hit best with.

Either load will do the job, right? If you're at Ground Zero, does it matter whether it's a hand grenade or a nuke?

Art

 

[critter]

You are getting good advise. If you hit solid bone with either one, you get knockdown and DRT deer! If you hit ONLY soft tissue, you get a big hole in AND out-little difference.

I would doubt (in the soft tissue hit) that you get a LOT of expansion out of anything. The expanded bullet will have to expand MORE than the diameter of the square cutting shoulder of the SWC to improve performance. Some think the sharp shoulder on the SWC's provide more shock, splatter, temp wound cavity, tissue distruction than any other type bullet.

Again, your choice. If you shoot the LSWC well, go with it. EXPECT the deer to run off with TWO nice blood trails (one on each side) and expect to find it within 50 yds or so. (It MAY not, but that is likely.) IF you get a solid bone structure hit and it is DRT, so much the better. You can opt for that with a solid double shoulder hit if you wish.

Go with it. Hunting with a handgun is a great challence and a TON of fun! Belive me, handgun rounds are VERY effective within YOUR range of CONSISTANT game accuracy and if you use and understand them correctly.

 

[Sergeant Sabre]

You're right, I'm probably being silly. It won't make any appreciable difference. So, for the accuracy factor and for the satisfaction of hunting with a bullet I made, I'm using the cast.

Thanks for the opinions...

 

[mohican]

For cast bullets I like the LBT styles (Wide flat nose & long flat nose) better than I like semi wad cutters. The metplat (flat area on the front of the bullet) will have more area than the semi wadcutter, and will "chew" a larger wound channel. With 44 cal and larger pistols, the need for expanding bullets diminishes somewhat because you are starting with a larger hole to begin with.