Author Topic: Hard vs Soft cast bullets  (Read 8126 times)

Offline Cody Bill

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Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« on: July 16, 2019, 09:58:35 PM »
I am switching from soft cast .45 bullets to hard cast because I can get them at cheaper prices. The thing I would like to know is will the hard be more likely to ricocheted than the soft. Also for anyone who shoots the colts with oversized cylinder throats (mine are .456) how much if any will the accuracy suffer going from a soft cast in .454 to a hard cast in .452.

Offline Dave T

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2019, 11:37:38 PM »
Your accuracy is likely to stink. And expect considerable leading as well. Sometimes saving a few bucks just isn't worth it.

YMMV,
Dave

Offline Kent Shootwell

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2019, 09:59:42 AM »
When I started cas I was useing hard cast bullets with mild loads. LOTS of leading! Switching to 1/20 alloy with the same loads the leading stopped in all three of the pistols.
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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #3 on: Today at 10:17:13 AM »

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2019, 10:16:54 AM »

Accuracy may or may not suffer.  You will get more leading though.  The oversize cylinder throats will have little if any effect.  Undersize throats are the bugaboo.  Bullet jump from cartridge mouth to forcing cone isn't enough for the bullets to badly upset.

I don't quite understand your question about "ricochet" though??  What are you going to be shooting at??  If your thinking about odd ball targets like rocks or car windows, car doors, something floating inna pond ...... NO.  If your talking about CAS steel targets and "splatter," your bullet alloy won't make an appreciable difference.  CAS splatter is a product of physics and poor target design/set up.

Offline Cody Bill

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2019, 11:16:58 AM »
Thanks for the feedback. The bullets I am going to be shooting are the badman. I have been shooting desperado for a few years and really like them but like I said was trying to save a few dollars. I guess if I dont like them I will switch back. Coffinmaker I mostly shoot at store bought steel targets designed to be shot at. I was not for sure if the harder alloy would be more likely to bounce back or stay at the target.

Offline River City John

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2019, 11:20:49 AM »
You can all but eliminate danger in ricochet if you move your targets back farther.



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Offline Cody Bill

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2019, 11:38:05 AM »
Very true. But then I might miss 😃. I usually try to keep my pistol targets from 7 to 20 yards away. Sometimes things will happen though that?s hard to explain. One time I was shooting a flintlock rifle at a tree stump about 50 yards away. The ball ( which was pure lead) came back and landed about 15 feet to the right of me. Never made sense to me seeing I was shooting in to a soft target.

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2019, 09:32:01 AM »

OK.  Allow me to provide.  Back Splatter or Ricochet IS NOT a product of target distance.  Splatter is a product of the alignment of the target face.  A target set up at a right angle to the axis of the bullet flight path WILL cause bullets fired at it to bounce back.  Targets sit up with the target base angled toward the shooter WILL cause bounce back.  A target set up with the target base at a negative angle to the shooter will deflect the bounce back DOWN to the ground.  It doesn't matter how far away the target is.  If the bullet has sufficient retained energy, it WILL come back at you from a poorly set up target or a poor target stand.  It is not a case of bullet material nor target material.  It is all PHYSICS.

The was on You Boob a vid at one time of some clown with a high-power rifle shooting at a steel plate.  The Plate was leaned up against a rock about 100 yards away.  The plate was at a positive angel.  The round he fired came back and took his headset off.

The Ball cam back because it hit a more solid part of the tree on a rounded surface and PHYSICS deflected the ball where it landed.  Oh, also, a tree stump, once dried out, is no longer "soft"

Offline 1961MJS

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Re: Hard vs Soft cast bullets
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2019, 12:56:39 PM »
Hi Coffinmaker

If memory serves, that was a 50 BMG and it was a little too close (in my opinion) to the shooter.  It was under 100 yards.

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Mike
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