Reeder Custom Guns - Monolithc vs. Hard Cast

Anyone have an opinion one way or the other regarding the use of monolithic bullets vs. hard cast for dangerous game,
mostly bear defense or hunting big dangerous game?

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It's not really direct comparisons. Hard cast can be plenty effective but since it's possible to distort them with heavy bone (I'd not think a monolithic would distort much if at all) but even then still get it done.

I'd feel pretty well covered with either. Like the guy said "what's my favorite gun? The one I actually have with me!"

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any solid I used and for whatever reason Grizzly Ammo (they bought the Punch from Kyle) no longer loads them. Sent them an email asking what happened and they never replied.... [image]

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are the ones from Buffalo Bore, I think they are a solid brass & copper alloy. Never shot any just was wondering what others thought of the concept.

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the better of the 2, hard cast or one of the "monolithic" bullets?

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if you are going against dangerous game, ask your PH. When I went after my Cape Buffalo I asked John, the head honcho, which bullet should I use in my 15" Encore and 450 GNR barrel, a solid or soft point. He said use the soft point, which I did. It was the 500 grain Hornady DGX, or Dangerous Game Expanding. I also had some of the 500 grain DGS, Dangerous Game Solid loaded up but didn't need them. One round of the DGX put the Cape Buffalo down. I hit him just a bit off to one side and just over the point of shoulder. In the picture you can see the hole where the bullet hit at a slight angle. The range was around 30 yards.
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The one shot put the buffalo down. A second shot wasn't needed but we put one in him just in case. At the time it turned out to be the largest Cape Buffalo ever taken with a handgun and since then has dropped down to #2 or maybe even #3.
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and cape walked out the door late one night. So now some rich dude has a trophy Cape Buffalo on his wall that he never shot. But the taxidermist did the right thing. There was no way they could replace the original mount so they are paying for me to hunt another buffalo in April. I can't beat that.

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Africa in 6 weeks or so, this pissed off fellow is 2 years older and much bigger and he is waiting for you. I shot his buddy and he still remembers that. Just think of him as a 2000 lb black freight train coming at you at 40 miles per hour.
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I'm disappointed that Grizzly Cartridge stopped loading these, I get no response from them either.

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of hardcast breaking up on heavy bone and not working. Bullets from reputable companies. May be rare but has happened.

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revolver and Larry Kovach, who was doing the loading of all the GNR cartridges at that time, had loaded up some 445 grain .510 caliber LBT bullets at max velocities to test them on big game. I shot a bear who was trying to dance with me at a distance of maybe 3 feet with one round. It rolled him over at my feet and I hit him again on the opposite shoulder. He screamed, called me some nasty names, and said bad things about my Mother and ran off. Both bullets had exited and the bear ran off into the alders and I had to tip toe in after him. Both bullets had gone all the way thru the bear shoulder to off side rib cage and exited so there was a X shaped wound cavity in him, yet he ran off for about 50 yards into the brush.

The next day Larry shot his bear using the same load and on the video in slow motion you can see the bullet hit the bear just behind the shoulder and exit and hit the water behind the bear. Again he ran off and we never found him.

Talking to George Faerber, our guide and outfitter later and he said he had had lots of problems like that with the big heavy flat nose bullets. He said they seemed to push a column of air in front of the bullet thru the animal, pushing the internals aside and not doing any real damage. Since then he has banned those big heavy flat nose LBT bullets in his camps.

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He told me he didn't care if I used them in my back up guns but he'd sure prefer that I did not use them as my primary shooting cartridge. George likes high velocity rifle type bullets. He has an XP100 in 7mmBR that he loans hunters and it has proven very effective on Black Bear with the 120-140 gr. factory ammo. Plus it's easy to shoot and hit with even for a beginner. It sounds small but is basically a 7x57/.275 Rigby with lighter bullets. Put one in the right spot and you are done. HE shot some stuff at the Y-O with it too.

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