Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Conducted my little experiement with the 470 Nitro Express and my cast bullets tonight. After the phone books were soaked overnight, I ended up with 40 inches of material. Behind that I had about 80 inches of water in lined boxes. Turns out I wouldn't have needed the water boxes at all. The first shot penetrated right at 30 inches of the phone books. The bullets shed a little more weight than I expected they would. They were 490 gr. naked. After being stopped by the wet phone books, the lube and gas checks were of course gone, and the remaining lead weighs 304 gr. A second shot proved to be identical in penetration and bullet upset. It weighs 307 gr.
I wonder if my penetration would go up if I had less velocity, and maybe less weight loss from smearing off the nose? It doesn't really matter because this is the velocity (2150fps) that I have to run these to keep the barrels regulated.
These bullets are cast from an alloy that approximates Lyman #2, and have proven to be very accurate in this rifle. I know these bullets would obviously easily handle any creature I'm likely to encounter, but I don't think I'd use one on an elephant or an angry buffalo where more penetration would be needed.
Here's a link to a video I shot with a camera on a tripod right in front of the books.
Loved the video, but I would like to see the rifle. I've always wanted one of those big Brit double rifles. But I've never had that kind of cash laying around. Post a pic if you have one. I would love to see it.
buckeyeshooter wrote:Wow. I thought you would get alot farther than 40 inches!! I have gotten 76 inches out of my 470 capstick using Barnes solids at about 2300fps.
Well we must remember these cast bullets are a wide flat nose, and are nowhere near as tough as a Barnes solid. They performed about like I was expecting from similar experiments using similar bullets in the 45-70 and 45 Colt.
Kansas Ed, here's the rifle and another video from last year when I had to stop a couple charging milk jugs.
Awwww, now that is just unbelievably beautiful!!! I loved the vid, especially where you dropped the cartridges into the rifle and they had that sound of a 5/8 wrench falling on the garage floor....way cool! What make is the rifle?
Ed,
It's a Krieghoff Classic Big Five. For those of you that don't know the story, I'm not a wealthy individual and would never be able to justify the purchase of such a firearm. I won this rifle along with a fitted case and a Schmidt & Bender Dangerous Game scope in the 2007 NRA African Safari Sweepstakes. It ended up costing me about $3300 in income tax that I had to pay on the prize, but that's a small fraction of it's value.
Great report, I remember when You Won that Rifle. I was and am Glad a Levergunner got it. Years ago My Brother picked up a Model 70 .458mag and a bunch of reloading/ammo with it.
Of course We had to test it on everything. The "wound channel" the big bores leave really tells the story. Thanks for the video.
I'll admit I'm surprised at the lack of penetration. Then again, I was basing my opinion of FMJ or even steel jacketed bullets rather than cast bullets.
Even so, that is rather impressive performance.
BTW, that is one gorgeous rifle.
Doc Hudson, OOF, IOFA, CSA, F&AM, SCV, NRA LIFE MEMBER, IDJRS #002, IDCT, King of Typoists
It might have made a difference if you removed the covers from the phone books as that paper is pretty heavy. Still nice test and not aweful results though!
-Tutt
"It ain't dead! As long as there's ONE COWBOY taking care of ONE COW, it ain't dead!!!" (the Cowboy Way)
-Monte Walsh (Selleck version)
"These battered wings still kick up dust." -Peter Gabriel
Very nice, neat video. I'm afraid I'd flinch and blow a hole in the trailer.....
"If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men
shall possess the highest seats in Government,
our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots
to prevent its ruin." Samuel Adams
Ooops! My bad. I saw the binding on the sides and assumed the covers were still on, but after closer inspection they are not. Hmmm. I thought it would have penetrated further too.
-Tutt
"It ain't dead! As long as there's ONE COWBOY taking care of ONE COW, it ain't dead!!!" (the Cowboy Way)
-Monte Walsh (Selleck version)
"These battered wings still kick up dust." -Peter Gabriel
I remember when you won that rifle. What a thrill that must have been. I still have a mother-in-law that can be donated for future tests. Thanks, 1886.
Slick wrote:I love "tests" and greatly appreciate the time folks take to conducts them and further-more post results. Thanks for sharing.
I like doing these kinds of bullet tests too. I saved the remaining books that were usable and plan to do some more cast bullet tests with 357 and 44 mags.
