most used cast bullet and caliber for game

In North America the most usual game has always been deer.

So, traditionally, at least in the smokeless powder era, the .30 calibers and “near. 30s", (including the. 32-40, 8mm Mauser, .303 British) as well as the popular.30-30, .30-40 and. 30-'06 rounds were the ones most often used, regardless of ammo type.

During the Great Depression and in wartime, when factory sporting ammunition was either scarce or expensive, or both, those who reloaded cast bullets for the rifles they already had and “made do."

While any .30, .303, .32 or 8mm rifle will do the job, we've known since blackpowder days that larger calibers are more effective when using cast bullets. When blackpowder was the only option, “bigger was better,” and .32s (including the .32-20) were considered the minimum for deer. The .38-55 was popular in the East, and the .40 cal. and up blackpowder rounds out west.  Today, with lead supplies becoming more scarce and expensive, and the cost of gaschecks soaring, a “medium” bore such as a .35, .375, or perhaps up to a .44 caliber, is the ideal range to work within. I say this because if using common scrap alloys, soft enough to expand at velocities not requiring a gascheck, you want at least a 200-grain bullet, and probably something bigger than an 8mm.   But, larger calibers, requiring bullets weighing over 300 grains are simply ” too hungry” of powder and lead.  Throwing an ounce of lead pushed by more than 50 grains of expensive powder is a needless expense unless hunting elk, moose or the big bears..

My solution was to build a .35/.30-30.  Brass is plentiful and inexpensive. Plainbased bullets of 200 to 250 grains or so can be driven to 1400 fps or more using minimal charges of magnum pistol (#2400) or any fast-burning shotgun powder so that you can get from 500-800 rounds per pound.   Its ballistics approximate the. 38-55 Winchester, which is well proven as a game round in our Eastern woods.  I do not need to shoot past 150 yards, or at anything larger than black bear, so this solution is nearly ideal.  A .44 Magnum or .444 rifle will give similar performance without going the wildcat route.

My two cents.