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Thanks fellas. Do I need to worry about leading if I use a hardcast lead bullet? I originally planned on using a hard cast bullet, but I thought a jacketed soft tip would be better so I wouldn't have to worry about leading.
Would a jacketed hollow point or soft point act like a hard cast bullet if it does not expand or would it not penetrate as far? The state I live in does not allow a fully jacketed or even fully plated bullet for hunting so my options are hard cast or JHP/JSP.
Thanks again for your help.
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I'm not one of the bullet and hunting experts, I can only present to you my own limited experiences, which are these: with regard to leading, if you use a correctly-sized bullet for your gun, you've already defeated most of the leading problem. The other part of that problem is usually people who purchase cast bullets, which are usually far too hard for their intended purpose.
I push my Keith ~260 grain bullets to over 1300 fps, and as low as 750 fps. The only time leading is an issue for me is with the powder-puff loads. My bullets are too hard for this purpose. I just cast some the other day, softer for these softer loads, and the leading issue should again be nil.
To address your other question: most JSPs and JHPs have a rounded frontal profile, which tends to "push" muscle and tissue out of the way (unless the bullet is expanding, for these purposes, let's say it isn't). This "pushing" effect is similar to the that of the old .38 Special LRN bullets. The bullets would actually create a smaller hole than their caliber, due to tissue stretching. This was the reason the LRN bullets were considered very poor performers for human and animal targets. The flat, wide meplat (nose) and sharp shoulders of the traditional Keith SWCs and LBT-type bullets instead cuts a hole clean through, the size of the bullet. Penetration with these rounds is excellent. Though we have fairly small deer here in Florida, I know that my .44 bullet, even at 1000 fps, will punch clear through a deer, no matter the angle of the shot, even lengthwise.