All lead bullets for elk??

C

creepingdeath

Active Member
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I've been shooting 295 gr Powerbelts. I thought I'd switch to 348's for elk. but I hear they act the same as the 295's. Both expand to about a quarter and rest against the hide on the far side.

I am lookin for total penetration.

Any suggestions?
 
Here is a TC maxi Hunter.
505598.jpg


I bought a box of 50 cal maxi hunter and maxi ball. I measured them with a micrometer and weighed them. TC's quality control is the shits. I had terrible luck with them. They are up to 30 gr different per bullet like the picture shows.
I would recommend Hornady Great plains bullets. If you want total penetration, you need to pour your own with hard lead. I made some Lyman great plains bullets out of lead shot. I know they would push through. After I pour mine I weigh them and grade them. My QC is + or - 1/2 grain. This allows for better accuracy. The Hornadys in my gun shoot better then my own bullets do. Good luck Ron
 
Horse #####, that is the first complaint that I have ever heard about TC. They are a solid company and are quality minded. I have heard that they have changed hands but the old stuff is world class.
 
Ya that bullet looks like world class. All I can say is don't believe me, try it your self. Clean some up and weigh them and measure them with a Micrometer. They won't be selling me any more. Ron
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-22-07 AT 11:07PM (MST)[p]I did one better I melted them and shot them.
TC is a good company. I also think they have great CS, but look at the picture. This not only happened but was lubed and sent out. This was not the only bullet to be wrong. Both boxes I bought were bad. I probably should have sent them to tc. I would have had to pay shipping on them and they would have sent me more bullets I would not have wanted. NO THANKS.
I have three TC rifles all Renegades. They are a solid gun and I like them. They also all have Green Mountain barrels for accuracy. Ron
 
I've tried T/C's maxi ball's and Buffalo Bullets. they didn't shoot as good as I prefer. So far the blackbelts, powerbelts, and 385 hornady greatplains bullets are the most accurate for me.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
 
How about the 444 grain flat point powerbelt. It should have better penetration. I bet it won't pancake like the others. I've never tried it, but I have thought about it.
 
In my Knight ,the Powerbelts are far more accurate than any lead bullets that I have tried.We have taken 4 bull elk with them and they have preformed excellent.
 
I am shooting 460 great plains,they shoot great out of my Black Diamond with 100 gr of triple 7
 
I haven't killed an Elk with my Hawken .50 but I've killed 5 Bucks using the Buffalo Bullets and they get the job done. It probably depends the type of rifle you are using. I'm am going to hunt this year with my traditional muzzleloader and see if I can kill an Elk with it.
 
the 348 grain all lead powerbelt is an awesome bullet! I was sighting in one day with them and i accidently hit a foot low and hit the railroad tie my target was mounted to and the bullet expanded to the size of a silver dollar and weighed exactly the same weight it did even after it expanded.
 
>You say all lead, but I'm
>not sure if you would
>consider an all lead bullet
>in a sabot? If
>so, there are a few
>other options too.
>
>Harvester bullets. http://www.harvesterbullets.com/hardcast.htm
>
>Or buffalo bullets (SSB 375 grain)
>comes to mind.


I've tried Sabots in my gun and I just don't like the way they load. way to hard to gettem down the tube. In my gun for instance 310 grain knight bullets won't even go 10 inches after the first shot.

I have shot at the range with 405 grain Powerbelts. They pretty much don't even mushroom. But i suppose that means they would penetrate well.

I'd really like to chrony the 385 great plains by Horndy. This has been a very accurate bullet in my gun. I original went with 295 powerbelts to keep it as flat as possible for deer and elk.

I really need to get back into shooting more again. And messin around with the Chrony and checkin POI at l50 yds . I'd like to keep it as flat as possible but get more penetration with a heavier bullet.

I'll check that Harvester Link. Thanks
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-07 AT 00:12AM (MST)[p]All lead bullets for elk work just fine. I've shot a couple with the jacketed 348 gr. powerbelt and had good results, but when I sent them a picture of a big bull I shot and they offered to send me some bullets, I asked for the all-lead 444 grain powerbelts. That's what I'll shoot next time.

I just returned from an Arizona muzzleloader elk hunt, where a buddy had a tag. He killed a nice 6 pt. bull with a 495 grain all lead bullet in his .45 caliber whitworth. His bull collapsed in it's tracks like it was hit by a freight train. When boning it out, we found a jacketed "pistol" type bullet under the scapula, that had caused very little damage. Personally, for elk, I'll stick with good bullets that tend toward the heavier end of the spectrum.

We leave for Nevada for elk in two weeks. He'll be shooting his same .45 with the 495 grain all lead bullet.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-03-07 AT 11:09AM (MST)[p]Well, we got back from Nevada about a week ago, and he shot another nice 6 pt. with the same .45 caliber all lead bullet. One shot, the bull folded up in his tracks. He hit the bull in the shoulder, and we found the slug on the other side while skinning the bull. It mushroomed well, held together well and that bull never took a step after getting hit with that 495 grain all-lead slug.
 
Was he using a 45 cal gun or a sabot? Also what was his bullet? What was the gun and rate of twist? Thanks Ron
 
OOPS, I didn't see he was shooting a whitworth. What bullets was he using? My 45 is not legal for elk here but my Whitworth bullets are 475 gr. I know they would do the job.
What was his load? Thanks ron
 
I killed a cow elk this year at about 110 yards with the 375gr Buffalo SSB. It was a double lung shot that only hit one rib and left about a .50 cal hole through both lungs. She went about 40 yards after the shot. I'm pleased with the performance of the bullet........although I think just about any bullet would have worked when hitting the animal behind the shoulder on a broadside shot.
 
I agree. I have double lung shot a couple of cow elk and with either powerbelts or jacketed bullets they just punch through. I have had less than quick kills that way however. Some elk seem to be able to continue on for some time with double lung shots if the bullets do not mushroom. I had one cow go close to 1/2 mile before stopping. She was still standing when I got there. Depends on the adrenaline I think. She had seen me and was running on the second lung shot. with three lung holes and part of the liver hit she was still up and going. I am considering going with big conicals and trying to shoot closer to the shoulder if I can get another draw ticket. None this year. I now have three Whites and a Knight Rolling block so I should be able to throw heavy lead.
 
Just wondering, why is full penetration a must?

I'd say "most" ML bullets do not exit a bull elk hit in the shoulder overall due to speed, bullet design, and size of the slug. Just because a bullet doesn't exit, does not indicate a failure in preformance. I'd guess even the 400+gr slugs often don't exit.

Question for everyone, are we asking more from our ML's bullets here than they are intended to do?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Both expand to about a quarter and rest against the hide on the far side.
I am lookin for total penetration.
 
This bull I took this year shooting a 460 gr Hornady great plains, he went 50 yards before piling up.Shot head on at 50 yards the bullet hit the wind pipe the top of the heart and 1 lung,never found the bullet,but there was a massive hole through the heart.
60581.jpg
 

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