I had more cast bullet rounds that have been tested for expansion yet. I had a down day one Sunday and decided to test them all and make a video for it. Testing would include 45 colt 200 grain FNRP bullet, 30-30 185 grain flat point bullet, 30.06 172 grain spire tip bullet and a 50 caliber muzzleloader with a 45 caliber, 255 grain, pure lead bullet in a sabot.

First was the 45 colt in shooting out of Pietta 1858 with a conversion cylinder. I love this gun and round. With the 8″ barrel I can hit a pie plate at 40 yards. It is probably more over 800 fps and I figured it would expand pretty good with the flat point bullet. I was surprise how much it did not expand. I’ll assume there is not enough velocity and I need a .452 hollow point mold now to try.

Next the 30-30 with a 185 grain flat point bullet sitting on 29 grains of IMR 3031 and should be moving at over 2000 fps barely. GRT said it would be 2009, but I do not have a chronograph. The bullets fragmented heavily which surprised me. I’ll have to assume water testing it more stress that a deer’s rib cage and see if I ever recover one from a deer or thy just pass through. Each bullet lost about 42 grains in the bucket some where. Maybe dust too small for me to see.

Next 30.06 which is my main gun hunting rifle and I have to still test this out to 200 yards, but I like what it does at 100 yards already. This is a 172 grain spire tipped bullet and sitting on 37.5 grains of IMR 4198 and GRT rates it as 2403 fps. This bullet also fragmented and the bottom rolled over nice, but it seems as it rolls over it drops fragments. We shall have to see what deer testing in November turns up. In the piece 32 grains of lead remained unaccounted for.

Last and the best result was the CVA Accura shooting a 255 grain lee 45 FNRP bullet in a sabot. I tried these bullets direct from the mold and they did not shoot well until I sized them to .452 and then they shot much better. This bullet flattened right out because it is pure lead and going almost 1800 fps. This bullet was almost 1″ wide and I am really looking forward to using this coming year.

Below is a video covering all the testing and measurements. Enjoy!