I finally got around to shooting my cast bullet load into something to see if it expands. Test was conducted today with temps around 62 degrees. "Media" was six one gallon milk jugs filled with water, backed by an old ballistic vest, backed by a five gallon bucket filled with water. I shoot at 20 feet.
Load consists of a bullet cast in an NOE mold of straight wheel weights dropped into a bucket of water, then sized .401" and lubed with White Label Lube's BAC. This bullet weighs 196gr and is loaded in new Starline brass over 7.2gr of BE-86 using a CCI standard pistol primer. My ancient Chrony says they are at @ 1,200fps but it may be a twitch optimistic.
WARNING! This load is safe in my gun but not in yours! If you try my loads without working up safely we will all come to your funeral, laugh and make comments as to how stoopid you were. You have been warned.
One shot fired and it shattered the first jug, split the next two, drilled thru the next three, embeded in the vest and backface deformation knocked a 1 1/2" hole in the bucket. :o
(https://i.imgur.com/arKFUWm_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium)
I believe this will work for deer hunting. :D
Gotta love those cast bullets~~~~~~>> Rick, What gun and barrel length was your test?
Sorry, Ruger SR1911 10mm 5" barrel.
Yes, it will work for deer hunting.
And I could have predicted this.
I shot a similar cast 200 grain 10mm from my Witness Match into a row of 11 milk jugs on a table, and didn't recover the bullet. All I got for my trouble was eleven jugs of spilt water.
That all said, WFN bullets don't behave the same in tissue as they do in water. They will expand more and penetrate less in an actual deer, but you will still have plenty of penetration.
Thanks Rick for the update... ;D One thing is for sure bones will easily be broken through in and out and the bullet will more than likely to exit and two holes leak faster. Blood loss will likely take 4 to 6 minutes for total incapacitation as the body is starved of oxygen and vital other stuff!
SQLBULLET,
I really didn't figure on any expansion. A better term might have been seeing how the load behaves. Straight penetration so the bullet is stable. I've never had a bullet actually stick in the vest before. Usually by the time they've penetrated to it they are so spent and expanded they bounce off. The 10mm seems to be a lot of punch in a small package.
I may have to buy a hollowpoint version of the same mold for S&G.
Just an FYI...NOE has a year end sale from now to next friday, 12/08. 20% off all inventory with the code a641ebe4.
I have this mold and it casts great bullets:
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=39_226&products_id=1336&osCsid=f9itiah9khshc8mbdapjdaagq5