Cross-Country Cast Bullet Cross-Off

Without question, the humble cast bullet is my obsession in the shooting world. Molten lead alloy, poured into a particular mold, forming the shape we desire, giving us all the control we could possibly want. Cast bullets have been very good to me. Besides allowing me to hunt with a bullet of my own making, they’ve allowed me to participate in hunts I didn’t know about. Huh? How’s that Tank?

The handgun hunt I’m going to share was a year in the making, unbeknownst to me — but involves everything I love involving guns, leather, bullets and a good hunt. 

An Introduction

Jim Wall is the VP of an outfit called Milt Sparks Holsters, Inc. If you know anything about Elmer Keith, you know who and what Milt Sparks Holsters is and what they meant to our favorite cowpuncher.

Right away I knew I liked Jim. While talking about a Bruce Nelson holster for an upcoming article, naturally we started talking about shooting, guns and eventually cast bullets.

Whenever someone knows the significance of the numbers, 358429, 429421, 454423 and 454424, I know we have an instant bond. Jim did, and to me, proved his legitimacy of knowing the roots of revolver-dom (by the way, those are bullet mold numbers for bullets designed by Elmer.)

Sore Throats 

Jim told me he had a S&W 1917 with large cylinder throats. I mentioned I have a 454423 mold made by MP-Molds.com, offering to send a couple hundred his way, powder coated and sized .454″. They seem to be the ticket and Jim reports they shoot well in his ol’ Smith’.

Proxy Hunt?

Fast-forward a year later and Jim tells me he was successful taking a cow elk with the old gun, using some of my bullets I sent him. I’m happy for anyone taking a cow elk with a handgun, especially a vintage iron-sighted classic, but when it’s with some of your bullets, well — I was ecstatic for Jim! How cool is that? Participating in a hunt you had no idea of?

That Feeling We All Know…And Hate

“Doubt sets in, as there had not been any reaction to the shots, except to run off, out of sight,” Jim worried. “A few seconds passed and suddenly, there was a loud crash about 75 yards away. At this point I believed the elk was down and after a short distance I saw the elk, down in the brush below me,” he said, relieved.

“The big slug had hit the back of both lungs and passed out the other side, but more importantly had struck the liver and the large meplat and cutting shoulders of the Keith-style bullets caused rapid blood loss. I was very pleased I had taken an elk with my nearly 100 year old Smith and Wesson and loads assembled by hand.

“The gun and the bullets worked just as they were supposed to. I guess I can mark one off the bucket- list!”

Tying It All Together

So there we have it! A classic hunt using vintage-styled bullets and holster with an original classic vintage gun by a man who builds holsters from the same company Elmer preferred. I think that’s as poetic an experience as it gets. I feel privileged to be able to have participated, be it ever so meager, as providing the bullets, but hey, I’ll take that.

Thank you Jim for sharing your hunt! I’m sure a lot of like-minded guys will enjoy it as much as I did!