Serious Lead Poisoning

[243SuperRC]

Around 1999, I read Paul Matthew’s book “40 years with the 45-70.” The book inspired me to purchase 1895 Marlin in 45-70 and pour my own bullets. Mounted a 4x scope on the Marlin and it produced acceptable accuracy with 405 gr. paper patched bullets. However, stout hand loads and a few close calls with the scope, I decided to remove the scope a few years ago. I finally got around to installing a Williams peep sight. After getting the rifle sighted in with the peep sights, I decided to dig around in the clay bank to recover one of the bullets. The recovered bullet weighed 386 gr. and mushroomed to 1 3/16” at it’s widest. This bullet was soft lead with about 3% tin. Muzzle velocity was 1900 ft/sec and impact was at 100 yds. Took a large doe with this round the first year I hunted with it. Bang/flop with a large exit wound.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

I think Im using about 10% pewter. It has all the metals I want for a hard bullet to taste.
Kinda obvious when you don’t use enough pewter or too much if you wait and check it for color and bending a few days later.
I’ve never recovered my own bullet from a deer so I’m slowing them down till I do.

 

[frankwright]

Year before last I bought a Marlin 1865 in 45-70, mainly to use as a pig hunting gun but deer season tempted me so I took it.
I was in a ladder stand on a narrow food plot. Handloaded 405 grlead bullet.
Big wide 8 point we had been seeing on trail cam cam walking down the field acting really nervous.
I put the Red Dot on his shoulder and fired. Bang Flop! Never moved.
I watched him for a minute and then was texting my buddy to tell him I had killed the wide 8 when it jumped up and ran off like it was reborn.
Small pool of blood under him and I followed a steady drip drip drip of blood for two hours.
Never found or saw that deer again. I searched all year in the swamp to find remains but never found anything.
Really wondering where I hit with that giant chunk of lead.
Killed two deer the following year with the gummy tip bullets and neither took a step!

 

[jerkthetrigger]

Betcha hit him above the spine. I killed a deer in a power line once that went down like a rock. I was going to sit for another 30 minutes anyway, so, few minutes later up he gets and I shoot him again as he's running off. Third shot lucky put him down. First shot had hit above the spine and went through. 30-06 with 180 grain bullet sighted 2.5" high at 100 yards. Deer was shot at about 160 yards. When I went to the range and put up a target at 160 my rounds were hitting almost 8" high.

I had a Ruger #1 in 45-70 and I loved it. But the trajectory of those rounds is almost like archery equipment! Easy to get a hit a little too high...

 

[jerkthetrigger]

243Super, love the Marlin with the peep sight! There's something about working the action and ejecting that big case like an empty artillery shell!

 

[Anvil Head]

One of the old venerable writer/shootist guys - Keith or O'Conner always said big bullets let the air in and the blood out. What's not to like about that? Never had one get up and walk away from my .45 Colt, but then I usually don't take a shot over 50yds., usually much closer. I like to hear them breathing when I bust the cap.