Mark Conner
Does it really matter?
Tuesday, November 01, 2022, 14:32

This is a little bit of a continuation on what WB was mentioning on flat nose bullets and the percent of meplat in Jim's post below. And I do it for no other reason than self amusement.

I have not shot many animals at all with handguns, but the few that I have, have all been with cast flat nosed bullets, and they all died pretty fast except for one mule deer doe that was my fault on the bullet placement. I did get her but it took a couple minutes longer than I would have liked.

What this rambling was supposed to do was show the different percent of meplat diameters in a few of the cast bullets that I cast and shoot.

These bullets are all .45 cal. From left to right: Elmer's 454424 with the rounded lube groove. Meplat is .340 for 75%. Next is a Ray Thompson design (I really like this bullet) 452490, .320 for 70%. A LBT LFN at .330 and 73%. Another LBT in a WFN, .370 for 82%. and if you are still reading a RCBS 45-300 SWC, .320 for 70% again.

Accuracy wise they all are good shooters for me, except the RCBS SWC, I just can not make it shoot, and everything I've read says it's a great bullet, I just can't do it.

They all will maintain accuracy as far as you want to shoot except the WFN and it's 82% nose. I get a little past 100 yards then it's any ones guess.

So in all of this, if you stay within about 100 yards any are great. If you want to play way out there, you may want to leave the WFN at home. This is just what I have seen with the little bit that I have done.