BrowhBear: That shot through the neck vertebrae went through much more bone than you would expect to go through in anyother part of the body. A leg bone is not that strong, thick, or hard, as those vertebrae> Did you by any chance count how many vertebrae were penetrated by your .530 RB? And, I am sure it did flatten out to more than the size of a quarter going through all that bone! You took the shot that presented itself to you, and it was a killing shot. You should not be concerned beyond that fact. Mission Accomplished.
That 230 grain RB you are shooting will smash thorugh the leg bones, and ribs of any deer on this continent. It does a fair job on large Elk, too. If you are concerned about hitting heavy bones, on Elk, Moose, and Caribou, then by all means try shooting Hard Alloy balls. They do stay together for longer penetration, but they also shatter, split, and tear on impact, rather than flowing like your Pure lead ball does. An alloy ball will give you star like points, but not that even mushroom appearance in the spent ball that you get with a pure lead ball.
Do penetration tests on both kinds of balls. You will quickly see the little difference between the two, and get a better idea about how much more penetration you will get from a hard alloy ball.
If you continue to be concerned about the adequacy o using a .54 round ball on big game, then get a .58, or 62 caliber rifle and have at them. Both throw much more lead, and smash bones better, and drive deeper into flesh. Personally, I think the .54 is adequate for just about anything that walks on the continent.
Jim Bridger's .54 Hawken and possibles bag is in a museum out in Wyoming. His powder measure threw 50 grains of FFFg powder. He claimed, in his later years, after he had gone blind, that he used one measure ( 50 grains) of powder to shoot antelope, wolves, and whitetail deer; two measures( 100 grains) to shoot Elk, Moose, cougars, and black bear, and three measures when hunting grizzly Bear. Now, Old Gabe was known as a storyteller, and spun lots of " yarns " for reporters just to make money to support himself in his old age. You can believe what you want about how he hunted game. The measure has been examined and does throw 50 grains of FFFg, however.
Bridger was an excellent tracker, and spending a year or two in the mountains when the nearest supply source for more lead and powder was back in St. Joseph, Missouri, required him to be very careful with his powder and lead. He tried to recover his lead ball from animals as often as possible. So, his choice of loads may sound a bit light. He could track down a bear, or elk he shot and recover that ball, which he then could remelt and use again. Going back almost 1500 miles to get some more lead was just out of the question.
