Monoflex 250 not performing well on game?

[BigBoresmokepole]

Not trying to be offensive but this sounds more like shot placement..especially after seeing the white hair clumps, it’s always best to “sight in the rifle” off a bench with a good rest…but you also need to sight in the hunter…get familiar with off hand shooting..odd tree stand/saddle positions..and most importantly when a deer comes in and of it’s not alert and you have the time…watch them..take deep breathes..calm yourself..then prepare for the shot..the Monoflex is one of hornady best bullet in my opinion and I rank it right with the Barnes..the monoflex will actually open up at lower velocities than most of the Barnes lineup..84 grains is a thump
To shoulder as well. Make sure you aren’t getting recoil shy when taking a shot..good luck and keep up posted if you take another shot on an animal.

I practice shooting at a 6 in. Paper plate at 100 yards. Off bench no rest . Shoot 3 times and see we're you are at. This will tell you what's wrong. Gripping the gun standing is different than bench bags. I even practice with a 22 rim bolt at 75yrds it will make you a better shot

 

[JIMYJAC]

Not offended by the truth.

Sounds like bad shots all around. Need to do some shot practice from the tree I guess.

Thanks for your input everyone!

Zach, A lot of good info here. Relax, have fun. I hope to see you post your success!

 

[Dennis Stankovitz]

White hair is either brisket or belly

 

[10gaugemag]

You say you are resting some part of the rifle on your saddle rope?

I wonder if recoil on that tight rope is causing some sort of issue?

 

[zach.trumble]

Really appreciate the feedback here. Thank you.

I'm 100% willing to accept that I need to practice, but here's the thing...

I missed another deer yesterday. Complete miss at 90yds.

Now, I'm not a fly by the seat of the pants guy. I've tested seven or eight different bullets with three or four powder combinations for each one over the last 5 years of owning this gun.

With my settled upon load of the Hornady monoflex 250 and 84 grains by weight of Blackhorn 209 I consistently shoot sub 1.5 MOA groups at 100 yards throughout the year INCLUDING a zero confirmation of three shots into a group at 120 yds on Nov 11 THIS YEAR to make sure everything was tight for the season.

After missing yesterday morning I went back to the house and shot these two shots, not off of a bench, just resting elbows on the backseat of the golf cart similar to resting elbows on the shooting bar from the tree stand where I missed. At 50 yards, I am almost 4 in off in both directions. (shooting at the middle)




The scope may have been bumped. I checked all the screws everything was tight.

I have found in testing with this gun that a clean Barrel is about an inch or two off from a dirty barrel. I have shot as many as 10 to 12 shots using Blackhorn 209 with no cleaning and never had any problem with anything being outside the group except for the first one on a clean barrel. I have always hunted on a dirty barrel.

However yesterday for some reason I could only make the shots go roughly where I wanted if the barrel was clean. I also noticed when cleaning that there were a little bits of unburned powder on the patches. Not something I have noticed before.

Then I remembered, a few weeks ago I opened a new can of BH 209.

Could I have a bad batch that isn't burning completely? In attempting to resight the rifle yesterday I was chasing myself all over the paper. Again, not usually a problem I have. Usually with just a couple of shots I'm dialed right in.

You know how BH is those little hollow tubes? Well when I clean the gun actually get some of those little particles on the patch. I've never noticed that before. In the past it's just dirty Barrel fouling, no little flecks left.

This is now the fourth terrible shot on an animal at under 100 yards I've had this year. I've never had anything like this before. I'm a better shot than that and this gun is better than that. Something is wrong.

 

[jsteurrys]

I would try a different scope that has a proven history.

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

Go up in powder to see if groups get better clean your flash hole in breach

 

[Steelheader323]

On your last outing how did the breech plug look? Clean?

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

Go with a hollow point like xtp 250 and push them the fastest you can while holding a group they will expand like crazy I push my gun to the maximum charge. 3 whitehots and a 240 sabot xtp and it makes big holes out the exit side I will always use these they will stop any animal if shot in the vitals. You will have tranny fluid squirting out both sides

 

[hawki]

I agree from the pics it looks like a brisket hit. It’s real easy to over think and over compensate at close or long range. 2 or 3 inches high or low is still a dead deer with a center hold from point blank to over 100 with that load setup. Also practice/ sight in just as you will hunt. If you use a rest sighting in but when hunting have to improvise and use a tree put a glove or other pad between that and the stock. Duplicate, to the best of your ability, the conditions that were used when sighting in.

 

[MrTom]

84 weighed grains of BH209 is a very stout load. I've never found any accuracy in my Accura when shooting that heavy a load. I top out at 77 grains weighed regardless of bullet weight. Excellent accuracy. Much easier on the shoulder too.

Steelheader mentioned your breech plug and how clean it looks. Have you measured the fire hole on the powder end of the plug? Those plugs don't last long with those heavy charges and the heavier the bullet the faster the erosion happens. My first steps would be to get rid of the notion you need to load an Optima like a howitzer, and then replace the plug. The first point of misery with heavy loads is burning out the flame hole on factory plugs from CVA unless one has been converted to use a vent liner.

I'd drop the charge size down at least 7 full grains weighed as nothing heavier is required to take deer and then I'd pick up a new plug.

 

[ENCORE50A]

I would try a different scope that has a proven history.

THAT, or test the scope you're currently using. What brand of scope are you using???

Get a perfect solid rest and shoot a couple rounds. Then move the scope up 2moa and shoot. Move it right 2moa and shoot. Down 2moa and shoot. Then left 2moa and shoot. If the scope tracks properly, that would rule it being bad out.

 

[Seuss]

Fwiw, 3 of the last 4 buck I took w my Omega using 250gr SST’s on top of 2 triple 7 pellets had extremely minimal to no sign of a hit at POI. Only determined searching by my part bloodhound son found 2 of them, the third was kind enough to run toward me before piling up.

 

[10gaugemag]

Fwiw, 3 of the last 4 buck I took w my Omega using 250gr SST’s on top of 2 triple 7 pellets had extremely minimal to no sign of a hit at POI. Only determined searching by my part bloodhound son found 2 of them, the third was kind enough to run toward me before piling up.

Give up on the bullet because of poor blood trails yet?

Was the 4th an instant kill or did it actually leave a decent blood trail?

 

[10gaugemag]

Not that this has anything to do with you missing deer but are you using a BH 209 compatible breech plug?

I didn't go back to original post and see what rifle set up you are shooting.

 

[Seuss]

Give up on the bullet because of poor blood trails yet?

Was the 4th an instant kill or did it actually leave a decent blood trail?

I tried the Barnes Spitfire TMZ but 110 honest it took the strength of 10 men to get the damn things down the barrel. The 4th deer left a good chunk of blood at POI and didn’t go far. I’m open to any options but the TMZ is no bueno.

 

[MrTom]

Which sabot did you use with that TMZ?

 

[jsteurrys]

I tried the Barnes Spitfire TMZ but 110 honest it took the strength of 10 men to get the damn things down the barrel. The 4th deer left a good chunk of blood at POI and didn’t go far. I’m open to any options but the TMZ is no bueno.

Go with the Barnes T-EZs.

 

[Seuss]

Which sabot did you use with that TMZ?

Which sabot did you use with that TMZ?

 

[MrTom]

I'd try a black crush rib sabot even though it's a boat tail bullet.