- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
If you're going to be shooting at black powder velocities, a pure lead bullet can work quite well, and is very effective on game.
When target shooting pure lead, the number of shots CAN result in leading, and poor accuracy. If velocity goes beyond BP levels leading will go up, and it will go up fast. Hardening with wheel weights, will improve performance on target (via less leading), your ability to use more velocity, and improve your casting results, but expansion on game will be limited, or none. Not that it matters a lot with a 45 cal hole.
The old 'eat right up to the hole' saying, works well with the 45-70, in fact, you can eat the hole! If you use reasonable loads. High end light bullet loads can make a mess out of a shoulder.
Lots of game have fallen to mine, at all pressure levels. Today, I no longer use the thumper loads. 1600fps, with a mix of soft lead and wheel weight works fine. I use an alox lube, that's all.
When target shooting pure lead, the number of shots CAN result in leading, and poor accuracy. If velocity goes beyond BP levels leading will go up, and it will go up fast. Hardening with wheel weights, will improve performance on target (via less leading), your ability to use more velocity, and improve your casting results, but expansion on game will be limited, or none. Not that it matters a lot with a 45 cal hole.
The old 'eat right up to the hole' saying, works well with the 45-70, in fact, you can eat the hole! If you use reasonable loads. High end light bullet loads can make a mess out of a shoulder.
Lots of game have fallen to mine, at all pressure levels. Today, I no longer use the thumper loads. 1600fps, with a mix of soft lead and wheel weight works fine. I use an alox lube, that's all.