.45 buffalo bullet or great plains?

[Wes/Tex]

Just remember that not all commercial swaged balls are 100% lead, in spite of what the box says.

 

[Idaho Ron]

All the ones I have tested were soft. Ron

 

[Wes/Tex]

Not me...which is why I went to using only what I cast so I'd know for sure.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I cast my own as well but I do have a Cabine Tree hardness tester. I have tested many Speer and Hornady and they are all soft. Ron

 

[necchi]

One thing I know for sure Wes is Ron knows lead! :wink:
If folks have a question about lead hardness or casting hardness Ron has a lot of experience.
Here's an issue he helped me with a few years ago. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/250958/post/906543/hl//fromsearch/1/

He's really answered a lot of questions for folks here and across the nation.

 

[Wes/Tex]

No doubt. My experience is some years old now and since then I've cast my own because the ones I got then were way too hard.

 

[nkbj]

This fall I shot a 4 pt buck on a special primitive muzzleloader hunt here in Indiana. Side hammer, black powder or bp sub, PRB or conical and open sights, no optics were the rules.

The shot was 50 yards broadside using my T/C Hawken.45, PRB and 55grains of 3fff. The deer ran at the shot and I couldnt see were it went because of the trees and smoke. Deer went 60 yards or so and I had very little blood trail to follow, just small drops.

When I butchered the buck the holes in and out were .45 diameter and broke ribs in both holes but showed no evidence of flattening out. The ball was a Speer.

I didnt like the damage results at all and decided then to change the load to Maxi-ball. Maybe not what is needed but makes me more confident went i pull the trigger.

If southeast Texas had moose they would probably look like the corn fed does around Indiana. :haha:
Is there a heavy thick skirted .45 hollow base that could be paper patched and that would stabilize in the 48" twist? If I had a .45 TC Hawken like yours I be real tempted to tinker with a second hand Lyman #445599, cut the lube grooves out of the mold blocks and patch it.

Another possible alternative is to use available off the shelf molds such as this RCBS design that looks more like a short maxi-ball than a .45 revolver bullet.

 

[bpd303]

One of the most accurate conicals I have found for my .45 caliber rifles is the RCBS .455 Webley hollow base 260 gr pistol bullet. I size them to .450 and lube with bees wax/jojoba oil mixed stiff or SPG bullet lube. Great accuracy and penetration.

Here is a shot of the .455 Webley. Cast from Lyman #2 alloy.

 

[meaux308]

Thank you guys and the round ball track with the cur dog was not myself but my hunting partner. Soft lead does flatten out think of soft buckshot it usually don't go through the other side. Like I said it is all about preference and I was wanting something other than maxi-ball style luckily I found someone who had 12 boxes of buffalo bullets and sold them less than what I could buy 12 boxes of maxi-balls for so I am Happy, Happy, Happy! I usually practice with the RB (so allot of you guys should be happy since you have round ball on the mind) Also probably most of you guys shoot larger than .45. I was just looking for my options and hopes of finding something close to the buffalo or great plains.. Allot are pushing the REAL, Maxi and PRB. After at least 150 deer are down I have no worries. But I don't have no aspiration to target shoot with the buffalo bullet. But I must say some of the molds and sizing do offer allot of promise. Happy Trails safe shooting and drop the hammer and enjoy the smoke.