Thread: 44 mag AP70 loads

Hey @The bomb.

You will find those 280 grain flat point cast bullets will pass straight through a deer with next to no deformation at all. If it’s a lung shot the deer is going to run like hell. The only way I would hunt with them is to shoot for CNS, so head or neck. Early on I shot two big pigs with this bullet and had it pass straight through the shield and both shoulders in a narrow wound channel resulting in slow deaths, albeit with dogs hanging off them until I got there. After that it was very close range head shots only with the flat point.

For general purposes the hollow point is a much better bet if CNS can’t be guaranteed. We use the hollow point for bailed pigs and various other applications, goats, occasional deer, plus farm culling. It opens up reasonably well and in doing so the cavitation is much better and heart/lung bleeds are noticeably bigger & death faster. That can translate to the animal making a good deal less distance.

Might stick with the 240g xtp for the deer then,the cast can be for the smaller stuff.were you shooting the 280g at subsonic speed or full power?

Both subs and full power, for each of the 240 grain XTP, Robert’s 270gr cast HP and his 280gr cast FN.

My favourite is the cast hollow point in both subs and full power. Deals an almighty blow and is very cost-effective.

The XTP will expand minimally at subsonic speed, but expands pretty well at full power. I’ve got a photo of a full power XTP I recovered out of a heavy pig shot from above, downwards into the front of the head, bullet travelled down the neck through the spine and was recovered out of the shield. I might be able to find it when I get home. Still got the bullet somewhere now I think about it.

I’ve never recovered a hollow point cast bullet from an animal as they’ve always passed through, but just by field dressing animals I can see that they make a decent hole on initial expansion and a reasonable sized shock cavity. What I like about them is that it doesn’t matter what you hit at the front end, humerus / scapula / pig shield / vertebrae, it’s going to push on through.

Originally Posted by The bomb

What have you hunted with the cast and AP70?how well did they perform?

I've shot reds in the bush, and pigs in the open - also more than a few wallabies just for a change from my regular calibres.

I have often had pass thrus with the cast flat points, which doesn't worry me as most animals didn't go far (as the Yanks say.... Dropped Right There!!!)
I use the same lead cast with a hollow point which i thought worked better 25% of the time.

Have loaded up a batch with 7 g AP70 ,280g cast ,1 full turn on crimp die,1.64 col and another batch with 8g .bloody calving on the farm I test out my loads at though!!

Got a chance to shoot finally,funny thing the flat point loads with 8g AP70 shot 3 ft higher and 6in left of my full power xtp loads @ 50m???the trail boss subsonics With same cast 270g bullet shot 4in lower than the full power xtp loads..didn’t think there Would be so much of a change in poi just using different powder!!that sound right?

3feet!!!!!!! hells bells that is a long way out.... never had load go more 6" at most away from other loads....other than solids from U/O at thats diferent kettle of fish completely.trailboss load sounds easier to work with....

Yea didn’t even hit the 3ft high target board!!!could see the chunks of dirt flying high from the bank behind it.accuracy was good though all hit together..shooting with a red dot not scope but I’m not that bad!!!