Quote:
Originally Posted by nate-dogg
I know you specified hand loads, but I can say that I use the factory Barnes solid copper in 30-06 and 500 Magnum with great expansion and weight retention. I'm sure if you could find the Barnes solid copper projectiles and loaded your own they would have similar results to the factory loads.
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Be careful comparing rifle bullets to handgun bullets though.
Rifles kill with velocity and shock, and something like the 30-06 has plenty of velocity to get reliable expansion.
For handguns, you should figure on never having expansion. They are too low in velocity to count on it, and that's why people choose solids for handgun hunting. A good cast bullet with sharp shoulder maximizes frontal area (Elmer Keith school of thought), and THAT's what handguns kill with. Punching a 44 or 45 caliber hole clean through.
I'm sure a copper solid would work fine but you're going to be encroaching into the boiler room more than with a lead slug, therefore you'd need to adjust your powder charge and likely get lower velocity per the same pressure.
I think after hundreds and hundreds of years of people shooting animals with all-lead projectiles, eating them, and living to tell their story, you're probably going to be fine.