Different lead for rb for elk

[mnbearbaiter]

I'm sure its been addressed before and in all honesty I just buy plain 'ol Hornady rb for my 54. They work fine for deer, actually really like their performance but I have an elk hunt scheduled next year and was wondering if casting my own out of wheel weights makes for a harder ball that may penetrate better? Is their any maker of balls that may be harder than another? Never shot Speer or any hand cast balls before. I'm assuming a ball loses a lil weight when hardened and then again I'm not even sure I need to be exploring this endeavor but any help would be great.

 

[Vaino]

Have shot a few elk using Hornady swaged RBs and they've always "done the job". My elk rifle is a .54 Hawken that I built and the .54 has proven to me to be the best caliber when both energy and trajectory are considered.....having shot both deer and elk. Of course being a meat hunter my only shot is through the ribs {I don't eat ribs} and also don't like the taste of prolonged wounded animals. Also have shot Speer RBs w/ the same results.....Fred

 

[mnbearbaiter]

I'm sure my load is stout enough...I'm shooting a TVM 54cal leman. 36" Dehaas barrel w/ 110gr ffg T7, over powder cushion, TOTW mink tallow lubed .010 cotton patch and .530 Hornady rb

 

[azmntman]

I have shot many elk with PRB (all store bought no wayyy could I recall the brand!). Per above I always attempt to shoot through the ribs just behind the shoulder. 80 grains has never failed to pass through and all trailing was short and sweet. If you are overly concerned about it I suggest trying a hornady great plains hollow base hollow point. My pop blew through a buffalo shoulder and we recovered on the other side. This was a .58 and 80 grains. Good luck in the fall! Elk be tasty...mmmmm :grin:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You are correct, you could use simple, modern lead bullet alloy and have a harder projectile, or wheel weights, and have an even harder projectile. It would penetrate farther in that it would resist deformation and thus would not increase it's surface friction after impact as much as a pure lead projectile...and due to the very stout load that you're using, you might consider such.

However...you will also end up with a bullet that is slightly larger than the Hornady bullet you are now using, and thus will need to change the patch thickness and test that new combination for accuracy. Do you have the time to do that?

LD

 

[William O.]

However...you will also end up with a bullet that is slightly larger than the Hornady bullet you are now using, and thus will need to change the patch thickness and test that new combination for accuracy. Do you have the time to do that?

My thoughts exactly; if you've practiced with a pure lead RB then hunt with it too. Now is not the time to change a formula that is working well. My personal opinion is that I want the ball to deform and offer as much frontal area when it gets to vital organs and major arteries as possible in order to make the largest wound cavity possible, even if it looses all it's velocity and stops under the hide opposite the entry side. A harder RB might shoot straight through but might not deform as much as a pure lead ball would. That's my two cents.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Yeah I guess I am shooting a fairly hot load but I spent a couple really long shooting sessions to find the most potent load without sacrificing accuracy yet still remaining safe for my firearm. On deer I commonly get full passthroughs with a nasty and rather large exit wound. On an elk I'd suppose inside of 50yds I wouldn't have an exit wound but would expend a lot of energy into the elk. Beyond 50yds its a crapshoot. If I cast a ball out of a .530 mold it would be same diameter but any idea of how much lighter it would be if melting wheel weights?

 

[galamb]

Just put the ball through the lungs. There isn't an elk on the planet that can breath "blood" and get very far.

And whether your ball weighs 230 grains, 225 or 235 probably won't make much of a difference.

Place the shot badly and it really won't matter what the metal analysis shows.

 

[William O.]

That's the point, a lead alloy won't be the same diameter as when you use pure lead. You patch thickness may not be right to give you the same accuracy as when you used pure lead is you switch to wheel weight alloy.

 

[azmntman]

On an elk I'd suppose inside of 50yds I wouldn't have an exit wound but would expend a lot of energy into the elk. Beyond 50yds its a crapshoot.


80 gr PRB and allmost all (or all?) elk have been over 50 yds with a complete pass through. (did not hit shoulder bone, did eat most of the ribs)

 

[William O.]

That's the point, a lead alloy won't be the same diameter as when you use pure lead. Your patch thickness may not be the best to give you the same accuracy as when you used pure lead as opposed to using wheel weight alloy.

Cleaned that up a little, grammatically speaking.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

Wheel weights will be a bit harder. Roughly 5% or so of the wheel weight alloy is not lead. So, you're talking a loss of something along the line of 5 grains or less.

However, casting from wheel weights can cause problems from time to time with purity. Especially if a zinc weight get tossed in here n there. More chances of the ball having problems than with the pure lead. Having casting impurities, porosity, or stratification of the molten mix.

I suggest you buy a proper alloy of known quantity and quality if making a more durable roundball. Lyman sells these mixes.

Lyman also sells a lead hardness tester.

I probably wouldn't bother myself.

I would much rather build a plywood shilouette of an elk and practice putting a good shot in with primitive sights such as we like to and legally have to use in most elk hunting states. That will make much more of a difference.

 

[Ken Cormier]

All good advice I.HO I would USE what you have. It is shot placement that counts. Old time poachers around here used 22 mag for white tails for hears

 

[Dphar]

Just stay away from the large front leg bones. This would be my only caveat. Lots or elk killed with a 54 RB and even 50s so far as that goes. Shot placement is the thing.

Dan

 

[Scota4570]

Pure lead has high cohesion for itself. It resists breaking up. Pure lead balls that don't encounter bones expand out into a silver dollar shape. They do maximum damage. Balls that don't expand do less damage. Hardened lead may tend to break on impact, depending on alloy. I see no advantage to hard lead balls for hunting.