385 gr Hornady Great Plains
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It's my go to bullet in my TC 50 cal Hawken rifle. 90 grains of Tripple Seven 2F with a felt wad under the bullt. Works very well on all the deer I've shot with it too.
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I used them for years in my first Knight. I usually shot 90 or 100 grains of Pyrodex in those days. I recall that I always got excellent accuracy with that load even though I was using open sights. Generally that combination grouped about 4" at 100 yards.
While I am sure many a animal has been taken with this bullet, like the PowerBelt, I am not a fan of the hollow point/hollow base bullets with the exception of one, the Hornady FPB. Most HP/HB bullets lack integrity to stand up to the worst case scenario. I have an unconventional torture test that any bullet must pass before I will hunt big game with it. Just me.
While these bullets may work well on whitetail deer sized animals, if placed behind the shoulder, I would never consider hunting truely big game like elk, moose, or bison with them. Not to mention dangerous game, like any of the bears. The ball and socket of an elk shoulder has about 4-5 times the mass of a whitetails shoulder. I want a solid bullet that is capable of penetrating on through to the vitals on a called in bull elk that is all pumped up. I do this torture test with any bullet that I hunt big game with. All loads are only 80 grains of powder at 50 yards.
The 385 gr Hornady Great Plains, after going through my test. Failed.
I will post pics of other bullets that went through this same test, so you can make a comparison.
348 gr PowerBelt. Failed.
350 gr Hornady FPB.
300 gr Hornady SST.
300 gr Hornady XTP/MAG.
This will be a better comparison, as I am sure you want a full bore conical? Some of the bullets I have tested early on I haven't taken pictures of, like the No Excuses and some of the White Bullets. I do have one picture of a 430 gr White Super Slug that passed this test, as well as the REAL test through the shoulder knuckle of a called in young 5x5 bull elk at 46 yards. This is the test bullet, the bullet used to take this elk is still out in Colorado mountains.
If you look close you can see where the bullet entered. It went through the bulls shoulder knuckle, took out the lungs and plumbing to the heart. I would say the bullet passed BOTH tests. 430 gr White Super Slug, vegetable fiber gasket wad, 80 gr Triple Se7en FFFG, CCI SRP in .25 ACP case.
Why hunt with higher priced inferior bullets like the Great Plains and PowerBelts, when you can get much better performance for less money? No Excuses, Bullshop, White, and other solid lead FP/FB conicals are less money well spent. To be honest, I never could get the kind of accuracy I desired out of the Great Plains or Buffalo Bullet conicals either. I prefer a bullet 0.001" over bore diameter, such as a .503" bullet in a .502" bore. This gives me light engraving, but also keeps the bullet on the charge whilst navigating the terrain of the mountains. Here are a couple pictures of some groups with a couple different powders, both through peep sights and scoped out of a $200 NEF Huntsman 1:28 twist.
Good, proven conicals, in both my torture test and on live animals. L-R; 350 gr Hornady FPB, 430 gr White Super Slug, 440 gr White Power Punch, 460 gr No Excuses, 480 gr White Super Slug. These bullets shoot well in 1:24 to 1:28 twist rifles.
Hornady makes some great bullets, but IMO the hollow point/hollow based Great Plains is not one of them. Now if you can find some old flat point Great Plains, it gets a little better, but they can not hold a candle to a good flat point/flat based conical. An all lead bullet does not need a hollow point, or hollow base for that matter. This may be TMI, but my 2 cents. :wink:
Edited to change the PowerBelt to 348 gr. I incorrectly listed it as the 295 gr earlier.
While these bullets may work well on whitetail deer sized animals, if placed behind the shoulder, I would never consider hunting truely big game like elk, moose, or bison with them. Not to mention dangerous game, like any of the bears. The ball and socket of an elk shoulder has about 4-5 times the mass of a whitetails shoulder. I want a solid bullet that is capable of penetrating on through to the vitals on a called in bull elk that is all pumped up. I do this torture test with any bullet that I hunt big game with. All loads are only 80 grains of powder at 50 yards.
The 385 gr Hornady Great Plains, after going through my test. Failed.
I will post pics of other bullets that went through this same test, so you can make a comparison.
348 gr PowerBelt. Failed.
350 gr Hornady FPB.
300 gr Hornady SST.
300 gr Hornady XTP/MAG.
This will be a better comparison, as I am sure you want a full bore conical? Some of the bullets I have tested early on I haven't taken pictures of, like the No Excuses and some of the White Bullets. I do have one picture of a 430 gr White Super Slug that passed this test, as well as the REAL test through the shoulder knuckle of a called in young 5x5 bull elk at 46 yards. This is the test bullet, the bullet used to take this elk is still out in Colorado mountains.
If you look close you can see where the bullet entered. It went through the bulls shoulder knuckle, took out the lungs and plumbing to the heart. I would say the bullet passed BOTH tests. 430 gr White Super Slug, vegetable fiber gasket wad, 80 gr Triple Se7en FFFG, CCI SRP in .25 ACP case.
Why hunt with higher priced inferior bullets like the Great Plains and PowerBelts, when you can get much better performance for less money? No Excuses, Bullshop, White, and other solid lead FP/FB conicals are less money well spent. To be honest, I never could get the kind of accuracy I desired out of the Great Plains or Buffalo Bullet conicals either. I prefer a bullet 0.001" over bore diameter, such as a .503" bullet in a .502" bore. This gives me light engraving, but also keeps the bullet on the charge whilst navigating the terrain of the mountains. Here are a couple pictures of some groups with a couple different powders, both through peep sights and scoped out of a $200 NEF Huntsman 1:28 twist.
Good, proven conicals, in both my torture test and on live animals. L-R; 350 gr Hornady FPB, 430 gr White Super Slug, 440 gr White Power Punch, 460 gr No Excuses, 480 gr White Super Slug. These bullets shoot well in 1:24 to 1:28 twist rifles.
Hornady makes some great bullets, but IMO the hollow point/hollow based Great Plains is not one of them. Now if you can find some old flat point Great Plains, it gets a little better, but they can not hold a candle to a good flat point/flat based conical. An all lead bullet does not need a hollow point, or hollow base for that matter. This may be TMI, but my 2 cents. :wink:
Edited to change the PowerBelt to 348 gr. I incorrectly listed it as the 295 gr earlier.
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Busta nailed it. 8) Even cheaper when ya cast yer own... :wink:
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I would have to agree with Busta also even though i have killed deer with the 385gr GP. The older 410gr or the 460gr that are discontinued are much better choices.
Luckily i found a supply of the older heavier flat points and stocked up for only $6/20. Some even came without lube?
Luckily i found a supply of the older heavier flat points and stocked up for only $6/20. Some even came without lube?
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Pure lead and hollow points don't do well together,there known to come apart. if you want to shoot big lead, stick with slip fit metplate type bullets IMHO.Jaman_24 said:
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