Which Gold Dots/DeepCurls work best?
 

I'm thinking about ordering some DeepCurls and sabots. Which ones are people having the most luck with? I'm thinking either .44 cal 270 gr. or .45 cal 300 gr. Which would be better and with what sabot? I'm probably going to order from Grafs if that makes a difference. I wanted to try the PT Golds but I can't justify the shipping they want. I'm shooting these out of a Pro Hunter with BH209 of that makes a difference. I'm looking for something I can hunt with and practice with.

SuperKirby

I do not now if you can go wrong... but I myself really prefer to be as close to bare diameter as I can get so I use the .452... I have never had consistently good luck shoot a 44 from a 50, but I have not tried in several years....

I have shot the .250 and the .300 gr versions. if your average shots are not long ones, say 0-150 yds the .250 is plenty of bullet and accurate. i haven't been able to get the 300 gr D/C to group very well yet.i shoot them in a CR sabot from my Triumph and i am sure your pro hunter will require the same sabot.. Ray

Wow..............Grafs finally has the Deep Curls in stock.
Throw a pack of the PT's in your cart too. :D Its still $4.95 shipping or FREE if you order 4 items...expires Monday.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...productId/5459

Deep Curls are .452 and the PT's are .451

The one you and your gun shoots best. I prefer heavier expanding bullets only because i prefer the best chance of a pass through at more angles. Plus BH209 gets it biggest ballistics advantage with heavier bullets.

Omega45

Yeah but they are still out of the 40-180gr GD for short barrels. That means mine are still on back order too. :(

The bottom 3 holes punched by 270g Deep Curl at 200 yard when aiming at the middle target.


Bullet is a 300g Deep Curl, found after it blew up 3 one gallon jugs which were at 200 yard, and filled with water.






Myself, i can't have a favorite between these bullet. However, i probably spend more hours afield with the 300g Deep Curl in my rifle.

Looking at that DC. I'd say the Barnes would do more damage.

Here is a series of pictures of bullet impact on juice jugs filled with water. They were shot at 30 frames/second. The 290g TEZ impacted the jugs on the left. The 270g Deep Curl impacted the jugs on the right. The range, powder charge, and rifle were all the same. The TEZ ended up in the bottom of the 5th jug. The Deep Curl ended up in the bottom of the 4th jug.

The side by side comparison is quite impressive. Thanks for putting that together. I personally prefer heavier bullets, but I hate buying 50 at a time to find out they don't work nearly as well as I'd hoped, and most people are getting better groups with different size. Figured I'd ask first. I think I will throw in a box of PT's also. Thanks everyone, I appreciate your help.

Which bullet works best, as always, depends on what your gun likes. All things being equal, for deer sized game, I like the .44 cal, 240gr bullets. They are pretty much the little brother of the 50 cal 300gr. And for whatever reason, the 240gr bullets are much cheaper than all the others, about $25 for 100.

I would totally agree on marginal shoots that the Barnes offerings or any other premium bullet could provide addition insurance for a succesful harvest. I am not sure about the more damage statement and myself I do not want more damage, I want instant system shock to the animal to shut the animal down.

But in the case of price, the Speer Gold Dot/Deep Curl might be the bullet that would achieve close to same benefits at about half the price or if you were to go to the .40/180 grain Gold Dot/Deep Curl (for deer class animals) maybe even a 1/3 of the price. Yet with any of the Gold Dit/Deep Curls have a bonded copper/lead bullet that will stay together in most difficult situation while offering controlled expansion for deeper penetration (will not pancake in the normal hunting situation)

These Gold Dot/Deep Curls were tested and recovered from the worst conditions. They were shot with a hunting load into a wet clay soil water bar in a road and the dug back out to see thier condition. The soil medium is a much more difficult medium for a bullet to stay together in than a normal big game harvest.



YES! I believe the Barnes, Nosler, and the Lehigh would have done the same thing and survived equally as well, but I would have to think a little bit about shooting a buck a bullet into dirt....

For a lead plated bullet, the DC is pretty darn close in toughness.at half the price..

I think you guys miss what i'm talking about. The Barnes doesn't flatten out like the DC. It's petals are exposed more. They are razor sharp. With the bullet spinning they cut going through the flesh. The rear of the bullet stays intact to penetrate all the way through.

So, you have spinning razor blades that drive through the animal to destroy flesh and exit leaving a huge blood trail.

A bullet that squashes down into a blob can't do that kind of damage.

An added benefit is no lead in an animal i'm going to eat.

A little extra cost is well worth it.

Again as i stated, real close for 1/2 the price.and i am not or never have been worried about a little lead. it's a non issue as far as any health concern.the only area where the Barnes really out shines the gold dot, is major bones hits. for most hunting situations the gold dot is a excellent bullet.Ray

We're all different, and have different needs for bullets. I've already stated that the Omega is just my deer/elk rifle. Two animals. Two bullets. Even if the bullets were $10 ea. I can handle $20 a year. :)

I have no experience with the Gold Dot. It might be a great bullet. It might also shoot lousy in my gun. So far. Sabots haven't shot well in my gun.

i'm happy that the Thors work for me. Terry is a nice guy and has bent over backwards to help me get a bullet to work in my gun. He's a small operation and I like supporting him.

Plus I can shoot the ML season here in Colorado if I want with the Thor. I know the Thors are expensive, but I believe in them and will continue to push them. Hunting bullet expense shouldn't be an issue if they're just used for hunting. With some imagination a plinking bullet can be used with your hunting bullet with minimum change to the gun.

Shoot away my friend. the bullet you chose is a excellent one indeed.but there are others that fit different peoples individual needs, that do a great job also.. Ray

If you look at the recovered bullet that Ron shows - there really is not much difference in the size of the expansion and it cut equally well. My expanded bullets were shot in non-relalistic medium... it was ment to destroy and or separate them they didn't and even retained a good deal of their weight...

Pretty tough to discuss anything on that point... and now you know why the do-gooders are trying to get rid of all lead in bullets.... but past history really does not show a lead poisining problem from game harvest.

Agreed... that is why I now use the Lehigh only becuase it adds extra insurance to a quick humane shot in a marginal condition.

Great! that is what really counts...

Very good points and I totally agree, I choose to do the same thing you are suggesting here but in my case I use a Lehigh sabotless in my MK-85 and somebody else will choose something completely different - nothing wrong with that...

The bullet far left it 300g Deep Curl, next is 270g Deep Curl, next is 290g Barnes TEZ, and far right is 300g Nosler Partition. They are all recovered after being shot at the 6 juice jugs filled with water. They were all shot from the same rifle at the same distance with the same load. The Nosler is the only one that knocked over all 6 jugs, and the bundle of phone books.

Oops, i just realized the 300g Deep Curl is one i recovered from jugs blasted at 200 yard.

Please note that the Deep Curl bullets did not 'squash down into a blob'.



In the picture below, which was taken on November 18, 2010, the 300g Deep Curl dropped the deer on the spot, hitting no bone, except for rib. The in and out holes are 2". There was no blood trail.

ronlaughlin

Wow! Ron pictures are always so good and positive!

Ron,

Ok, it does show that water jugs and phone books are not a good indication of what a bullet will look like in an animal. I have to admit the DC may look better in an animal, because I know the Barnes does.

I'll use this example that i'm sure FG has posted here. This is what sold my on the Thors.

http://frontiermuzzleloadin.powergui...-ballistic-tip

Can't find the 300g Deep Curl bullet that was recovered from the juice jugs, but after a little hunt, managed to find a picture of it. This is the 300g Deep Curl that was shot with the same load from the same distance into them 6 juice jug as the Barnes, Nosler, and 270g Deep Curl.

Well, that will leave a mark.

I can't say anything bad about a DC, because I haven't tried them. I guess I need to do that, or shut my pie hole.

For what it might be worth... for you folks in Colorado I really do believe the Thor might be the best available lighter weight bullet for that country. Here in Idaho I am stuck with the full bore conical rule - so for me during ML season it is a .503-460 grain Bull Shop - which aint a bad projectile at all... If you could not shoot a Thor - then it would be my next choice in a heart beat....

I'm confused. We both have the same law for ML season. Full bore conicals.

We do both have the same basic rule(s)

We have to shoot a full bore and it must be all lead...
We can not use primers at all - must be cap or flint lock
We must have an open breech - so the Omega is out
We must use loose powder - no pellets

I wish Colorado was like that. I'd love a more primitive season, and I wouldn't have to worry about some yahoo shooting at an animal i'm stalking from 300 yds away.

I'd be content to hunt my Hawken/Renegade for the rest of my life with a PRB and BP. No crud ring and $.20 a shot. I'd love it.