Muzzle loader slugs

[S.T.Fanatic]

Just curious what some of you more experienced shooters are using.

I have only shot one doe with mine and wasn't impressed with the blood trail or the distance it went after the shot (good placement).

My uncle shot a buck this weekend that I could bitch on and on about but anyway that deer also ran a lot further than it should have with a dbl lung shot.

In both cases shockwaves were used. I love how accurate these things are but they must not expand worth a crap. His exit hole was the same as the entrance hole.

Lets hear it!

 

[H20fwler]

I like the Powerbelts, haven't had any go far if hit well with them.

 

[j-bird]

Not that I am a guru on the matter.....far from it. But I too use powerbelts. They simply load easier in my gun and as long as I put it where it needs to be they do the job. most deer either drop or don't go 50 yards.I shhot a 45 caliber 223 grain poly tipped bullet

 

[chickenlittle]

I shoot big lead conicals out of my old White inlines. Usually 460gr with 65 to 75gr of powder. I buy from No Excuses
http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com. In my .451, i get nice groups out to 200 yards but the drop is considerable beyond 125 yards.

 

[cornfedkiller]

I've used Shockwaves and Hornady SSTs (same bullet), and had the same issues as you. Awesome accuracy, no expansion, little blood trail.

Switched to Barnes Expander T-EZs a couple years ago and havent looked back. Only shot 1 that the blood trail wasnt great, but could've hit him high (didnt find him until shed season), but all the others that I've shot with them (I think 5 or 6 others) have had good blood trails and big exit holes.

 

[Mista Paacha]

Depends on if you are shooting sabotless or not.

If shooting a 50 saboted I really like the 275 or 300gr Fury Star Tip and the Harvester crushed rib sabots. With BH209

If shooting a 45 sabotless I still like the Fury bullet but there are other that shoot well. 310 Arrowhead Performance Bullet, Parker BE or MH, Kinetic Perfomance 302 Bomb, 275 - 300gr Pittman accumax are all real good bullets.

You should really look into smooth sizing with a Swinglock die as well if you don't already.

Of course going to a smokeless Muzzy is the best route altogether. My smokeless muzzy pushes a 328gr Fury Bullet at over 3000fps and is sub MOA accurate at 500 yards

 

[Peeps]

Barnes expanders T-EZ. Shoot 1 inch groups out of my TC. Muzzleloaders can be finicky on what they want to eat. Experiment with different charges and sabots. Try Blackhorn 209 for your powder. I love that stuff.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Depends on if you are shooting sabotless or not.

If shooting a 50 saboted I really like the 275 or 300gr Fury Star Tip and the Harvester crushed rib sabots. With BH209

If shooting a 45 sabotless I still like the Fury bullet but there are other that shoot well. 310 Arrowhead Performance Bullet, Parker BE or MH, Kinetic Perfomance 302 Bomb, 275 - 300gr Pittman accumax are all real good bullets.

You should really look into smooth sizing with a Swinglock die as well if you don't already.

Of course going to a smokeless Muzzy is the best route altogether. My smokeless muzzy pushes a 328gr Fury Bullet at over 3000fps and is sub MOA accurate at 500 yards

They are in sabots.

Forgive my lac of knowledge here but what the heck is smooth sizing and swinglock dies?

 

[Mista Paacha]

Are you shooting a 45 or 50cal?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

50 cal ML so 45 cal. bullet in sabot.

 

[Mista Paacha]

When shooting a 45cal you can run the bullets thru a die to perfectly fit the bullet to the bore of the rifle. This fit greatly improves accuracy and you can ditch the sabots.
Sabots blow when it gets warm and if you push them to fast.
With a perfectly sized bullet you also get better velocity and range.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

50 cal tc triumph bone collector


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[Mista Paacha]

50 cal tc triumph bone collector


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Nice rifle. Does your state allow you to shoot 40cal bullets in sabots? If so that's another option. Shoots much better than trying to lob those 50cal rocks

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I guess I have no idea


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[Buckly]

I have always used power belts in hollow point. Easy to load and accurate out of my gun a CVA optima. It puts holes in the deer like a shotgun , not the expansion shock like a center fire rifle so I aim for the lungs just like a bow shot. They never go far.

 

[swat1018]

Depends on if you are shooting sabotless or not.

If shooting a 50 saboted I really like the 275 or 300gr Fury Star Tip and the Harvester crushed rib sabots. With BH209

If shooting a 45 sabotless I still like the Fury bullet but there are other that shoot well. 310 Arrowhead Performance Bullet, Parker BE or MH, Kinetic Perfomance 302 Bomb, 275 - 300gr Pittman accumax are all real good bullets.

You should really look into smooth sizing with a Swinglock die as well if you don't already.

Of course going to a smokeless Muzzy is the best route altogether. My smokeless muzzy pushes a 328gr Fury Bullet at over 3000fps and is sub MOA accurate at 500 yards

What's your smokeless load. I love my Savage 10ML.

 

[Mista Paacha]

104gr of H4895 and a 328gr Fury Aluminum Tip 3030fps
82gr of H322 and 310APB 2840fps

 

[yoderjac]

I've been shooting 250gr shockwaves from my TC 50 cal with no issues. I'm always concerned about blood trails from a pass-thru shot if not taken at a downward angle at close range. A small exit wound high in the chest usually means a dead deer but most of the blood pools in the chest making the bloodtrail very spotty at best. I do love the accuracy. I compensate for this by going for scapula shots. Contact with bone ensures expansion and often there is not exit wound but no need to bloodtrail as the deer drops in its tracks. The down side is that you loose a little shoulder meat.

One thing I find interesting is how the particular muzzleloader, powder, bullet combination can affect accuracy. My old TC Omega had a pretty wide dispersion with 100 grains of pyrodex but if it settled down when I dropped it to 80 grains.

I got a new Encore in 50 cal last year. I got it setup late and got an acceptable dispersion with 100 gr of whitehot pellets with the same bullet. This year I had time before the season to play with it. I found that it pounds nails on the range with 150 grains of whitehot pellets and the same bullets.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Diesel5610]

Barnes Expanders. Awesome muzzleloader bullet.

 

[Mista Paacha]

Barnes Originals are also good bullets.

I'm surprised more of you aren't using BH209. It's a far better substitute than any of the pellets.