I can shoot Barnes :)

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ENCORE50A

Long Range Shooter
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Earlier I had tried shooting the 290gr Barnes T-EZ bullets from the Ultimate, with little success. Not satisfied with my results and knowing my first session wasn't with the Timney trigger, I found a 24pk locally. This time I knurled a dozen, which isn't that easy on solid copper but, I only needed the slightest amount that I hoped would grab hold the sabot better.

Drove to the range and put up a couple targets at 200yds. I'll just shorten up the story by saying that the old adage of "its not if, but when" happened. I'd been working with accessories and when I seated the bullet, it went BEYOND my witness mark. :d'oh!: I knew immediately that I hadn't used the propellant. Next dumb ask move, was no bullet puller in box :( So I pack everything back in the truck and headed back home, where I pulled the bullet and used a primer to push out the sabot. Took the whole sum of about 2 minutes. Well that hasn't happened since shooting side hammers...... :oops: It was still early so I headed BACK to the range, maybe a little ornery with myself too.

The knurling worked. I shot them using the H5045LB sabot, the same sabot used with the supplied bullets which are .452", with the Barnes being .451". Just that slightest knurl took my all over group down to a 2" group at 200yds. They actually may shoot better, but being perturbed with myself over my mistake and two 40 mile round trips to the range may have made a slight difference :wink:

I'll let all the working folks have the range over the weekend and then try them at 300yds next week. And yes, I'll have TWO bullet pullers in the box.
 
Persistence pays. :lol: And the lessons you learn the hard way are usually well remembered. The problem with my range bag is that its so full I cant even zip it anymore. :d'oh!:
 
Sounds like you have a handle on the Barnes bullets now. Good shooting. Seems like we all have been a "little perturbed" with ourselves at times over the same simple mistakes. Good luck.
 
Two questions.

That gun doesn't have a removable breech plug?

What sort of puller works on the plastic tipped hard copper Barnes bullet?
 
Glad you were able to figure the problem out. That should be a great bullet to hunt with. As for a dry hole... well even old timers have that happen once in a while. I have been lucky for a while but I am sure mine is around the corner some day.

200 and 300 yards with a muzzleloader... WOW!! that just boggles my mind. I can remember when all we hunted with were roundball and we thought hitting the target well at 100 yards was some real Daniel Boone stuff.
 
Muley Hunter said:
Two questions.

That gun doesn't have a removable breech plug?

What sort of puller works on the plastic tipped hard copper Barnes bullet?

No, the Ultimate breech plug isn't supposed to be removed, however it can be with a 5/16" thin wall socket.
I just used a common bullet puller, actually made by CVA. Its very easy to pull a bullet out of a plastic sabot.
 
Knurling has helped me at times both sabotted and sabotless. Many of the Barnes bullets are real deer stoppers.
 
Muley Hunter , The tool I keep in my bag an cleaning boxes is a TC Pro Hunter Bullet Puller for the Shockwave bullet Part #9009 , We have had to use it a few times at camp.
 
wesley396 said:
Muley Hunter , The tool I keep in my bag an cleaning boxes is a TC Pro Hunter Bullet Puller for the Shockwave bullet Part #9009 , We have had to use it a few times at camp.

Wouldn't removing the breech plug, and pushing out the load be easier?
 
fishhawk2700 said:
ENCORE50A,the primer alone will push the projo about 30-50 yards. I tried it, it works.

Before I left the range, I tried with 5 or 6 to get the bullet and sabot to move. I checked it after each primer with the ramrod and it didn't budge. Once back home and after I pulled the bullet, I fired a primer and that sabot went FLYING. Amazed me how far it went.
 
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