jaw3

Here is your pic...

Jaw3,

I believe your 90 gr. charge is right were you ought to be. Economical, accurate and deadly,

tell us about your deer and hog, how did you hit them (where, and what angle), and how far did they threy travel if they moved at all, and was there a blood trail?

Nice Photo, of course I am prejudiced, I have the mold to make the same Boolit and believe in them a lot. I love the cut hair on the hide. That deer must have been DRT?

Screwbolts,
When I first got the in-line I thought wow up to 150 gr. Now I know don't need no stinking 150 gr.
As you can see deer was broad side, with head down feeding. It's was 60 yds range finder reading and
the spine was hit so it was a bang with no flop. It was Dead Right There.
I went to a South FL outfitter for the hog. Ladder stand near a feeder. I had taken a few range finder readings. Saw a bigg sow at 200 yds but didn't want a shot so far. Wind was not in my favor so some piggies winded me. The one I took came from another direction at 85 yds he turned to retreat and hit
him broadside slight angle so 330gr went in behind left shoulder and exited thru right. It was close to dark
so I waited for guide and his light. No blood trail, but saw the front leg was dragging. Hog went about 20 yds, from the field to just into the palmettos. On saw a few drops of blood just before it laid down.
Guide had explained don't expect a deer type blood trail, hog fat and meat will plug up the hole(s) When
he raised back at the gutting rack the pressure change popped the plug.

As Screwbolts say, and I know you know, since you chose that bullet, the large meplat hard casts are very effective killers, and the Garrett Hammerhead is in the same family as large meplat hard cast, see this bullet and especially about speed of the 45/70:

http://www.garrettcartridges.com/reviews2.asp

Chap

Sometimes I try to listen and learn. Couple ML hunters I know seem to buy bullets on a whim or what's new
at the outdoor show. Then they complain of, "...no pass through, fragmentation, no blood trail...". I'm lucky I have some time for the research. I ask about their loads and find out they just stuff more and more powder, with a light bullet and shoot a deer at 20 yrs. I was thinking lighter faster flatter in the beginning,
but MHO is heavier slower and know your drop. When I hunt I might get a change at <100 or >100 lbs of
deer or hog. I want to know I am, and that my choices are up to the task. The Harvester so far is my choice.
Thanks again for all the input.
Regards,
John

Correct, when you come from a CF world, which most do, that is what they think---flatter,more powder shooting high BC bullets, long barrels, light bullets with high charges. That is why there is so much focus on Speed in MLers, however those that are "into MLing" KNOW most shot in the east are under 100 and big bulllets going slowly are deadly under 100 yards and very effective out to 150 no problem. I agree out west your gotta have a longer range gun, but MLer season in Colorado is effectively an under 150 yard game.
Chap

Chap - I couldn't agree more. My bullets of choice for my 50 cals are no less than 300 grain and for the 45s its 200 gr. I play with the powders and the charges until I find the right combination of speed and accuracy with accuracy being the first priority. But I ML hunt in the east and about 95% of the time usually with an open sighted sidelock with shots under 100 yds. (usually closer to 50). Those bullets punch nice big holes in deer.