Cast Performance Bullets

[mikewriter]

These are two Cast Performance Hard Cast .480 Ruger bullets I recovered from my target backstop this past weekend. They started as 375 gr, then were fired 50 yards into the backstop - which is made of stacked truck tires. To get where I found them, they had to completely penetrate the sidewall of one tire, after passing through a piece of wooden siding. After recovery, one weighed 356 gr, the other 359 gr. One had black rubber from the tire embedded in the side of the bullet near the nose. Both were "sized" correctly to easily slide inside a new .480 case, and I plan to load them and shoot them again.

I think this is pretty acceptable performance?

Mike

 

[mikewriter]

Forgot to mention, I load these bullets for hog hunting at 1000 fps.

Mike

 

[tsubaki]

At 1000fps and 375gr there is no question about the ability of that booger!

However I would not reload them and shoot them again.
They are damaged simply from the rifling but also lack bullet lube, the gas check and the weight is off regarding your already established loads.

 

[mikewriter]

If I do load them again, of course, I will size and lube them just for grins. I don't always use gas checks, and would not be planning to be real critical of the bullet weight vs the load. Would just do it to show that it could be done, and t satisfy my curiosity. No thinking I could catch and reuse all my bullets, of course.

The tires I use in the backstop are fairly large truck tires. Had a chance to get a tractor tire or two, but did not have my truck, and couldn't fit one in the wife's Highlander! Not sure if the .480 at 1000 fps could shoot through a tractor tire?

I looked at a property for sale last year that had a 1000 yard rifle range on it - sellers were competition shooters. His backstop was largely made of truck tires that had been filled with dirt, then banded together. made for a very impressive bullet stop, gave me ideas.

 

[contender]

Many years ago,,, I started building some of my berm walls using dirt filled tires. Since I didn't have a tractor or any mechanical means of filling them,,, it got old quickly. Plus, I found that as the dirt settled,,, the stacks of tires were not as stable as when I started. I still have a few places on my range where they are still there. But we removed a bunch a long time ago. If you can get them filled, allow the dirt to settle, and finish filling them, (by packing under the sidewalls if they are on their sides,) tires do make an excellent bullet stop. By filling them, you also remove any potential standing water issues.

Now, I also enjoy seeing your bullets & how they appear to be able to be re-used. I recently did a similar test of my 480 Ruger SBH. I used water jugs. My first attempt, the slug veered off, and exited before it stopped. I had to gather more & larger jugs. I finally managed to catch a 480 slug, using 2 gallon (approximately) cat litter jugs, filled with water. It took 15 of these jugs to stop my cast slug. Only a little nose flattening occurred. I posted a video & pics here, in the Gallery. I've put that slug on my shelf.
I'd say NO problem using it on ANY critter in north America.

 

[sixshot]

I used a Cast Performance 375 gr. bullet in my 475 FA in South Africa & those Wart Hogs hated them! Of course I never recovered one, I think they ended up in Mozambique! One big one I hammered through both front shoulders & they were absolutely mush, it had to be quite a train wreck. Great bullets.

Dick

 

[mikewriter]

I use 335 gr hard cast from Montana Bullet works in my suppressed .44 magnum. "shooting" for 1050 - 1100 fps, I have twice killed two hogs with one shot. I only recovered one of those bullets, and I found it on the ground some weeks later - not in the second hog!

I am a believer in heavy-for-caliber, low velocity hard cast in everything .44 and larger.

 

[contender]

"I am a believer in heavy-for-caliber, low velocity hard cast in everything .44 and larger."

Words of wisdom.

 

[pruger45]

Really? You're going to reload them? Stupidity!

 

[SweetWilliam]

Really? You're going to reload them? Stupidity!

Yea I don't think that would be a good idea.

 

[DGW1949]

Really? You're going to reload them? Stupidity!

Well, call me stupid...but I've done it with hard cast 250/45LC bullets AND with 230FMJ's "just to see"...

....and what I saw was that it worked purty-good :lol: :lol: :lol: .

DGW

 

[LAH]

Really? You're going to reload them? Stupidity!

The riflings are already cut in the bullet so they should do better the second time & who knows how well the third.

 

[427mach1]

Really? You're going to reload them? Stupidity!

The riflings are already cut in the bullet so they should do better the second time & who knows how well the third.

Do you have to index the bullets so the rifling cuts line up with the rifling in the barrel?

 

[mikld]

Really? You're going to reload them? Stupidity!

Now that's a snarky, uncalled for post. A real stupid reply...

Thanks for the report. I didn't see any rifling marks on the bullet on the scale, is it just the pic?

 

[LAH]

Really? You're going to reload them? Stupidity!

The riflings are already cut in the bullet so they should do better the second time & who knows how well the third.

Do you have to index the bullets so the rifling cuts line up with the rifling in the barrel?

I use a special self indexing flux & alloy which seems to do the trick.

 

[sixshot]

Read an article a number of years back in Precision Shooting magazine where the author, who was a very good writer went to visit an Indian friend of his not far from his home in Alaska. The old Indian would climb up on the roof of his log home & shoot his annual moose. He used an old, weather beaten 30/30 Winchester & the very same cast bullet that had been used on 3 other moose.

He punched the primer out with a nail, filled the case with 4831 (true story) I think seated the bullet with pliers & shot a moose each fall, then he would dig the bullet out of the moose, plop the bullet in his mouth & clean it up & save it. Some of you will have this old back issue, I have it some where, it's worth reading!

Dick

 

[LAH]

Thanks Dick. My collection of PS doesn't go back that far. I didn't know of this magazine till I began IBS LR shooting & it folded shortly there after.

 

[sixshot]

Lynn, the author of that article was one of their regular writers & I think he was a retired highway patrolman from Alaska, always added a little humor to his write ups & they were very good. Hopefully someone will dig it up, I know I have it somewhere but most of mine are boxed up from a flood we had a few years back.

Dick

 

[contender]

I have some of those magazines,,, but I don't seem to recall that moose story. I'd like to read that one myself!

 

[chefrob1]

been looking for the .375gr but everyone is OOS.............