Results Are In!

[alaska viking]

FINALLY got the Impact out to the range today! Before I go further, I would like to thank all of my mentors here. You all helped me understand a subject that was totally foreign to me. While I have extensive experience with center fires, rim-fires, vertical and cross bows, a front-stuffer was intimidating. You walked me through it well.
I also want to thank Sqezer for so generously sending me, (FREE), so many different bullets and sabots, as well as ideas and instruction. Today wouldn't have gone that well with-out what you sent me.

O.K. The T/C Impact has a very tight bore, and I elected to start with 80 grains of Bh209 at 25 yards to get the scope and rifle on the same page. Decided on 250 grain Shock-Waves. Incredibly, after 3 shots, it was dialed in, and proceeded to produce a clover leaf.
Out o 100 yards we go, and bump to 100 grains. I set up two new targets, and decided to try the 290 TMZ. Man, that factory yellow sabot would BARLEY go down the tube. Well, I let it rip, and BOOM!! I was not ready for that! Understand, I have fired hundreds, many hundreds of .338 Mag rounds. This sucker was far more violent. Oh, and surprisingly, high and to the right. Scope adjustment, and repeat, to the tune of 10 times.
I had to clean the barrel after 6 shots to get the TMZ's down the tube. Well, it then dawned on me that Sqezer had sent me multiple different sabots, and I remembered reading on the Barnes site that the yellows are for the slightly over-bored barrels. AH-HA!
Switched to the MMP-HPH24, and Wa-La! Piece of cake, and WOW! The groups tightened up to 1" at 100.
Shoulder experiencing a bit of pain now, (25 loads later), but heck, I want to try a few more varieties. I will say that my particular Impact does NOT like Bor-Locks. 6" pattern, anyone?
One last variety before I go to the doctor to have my shoulder re-attached...260 grain Nosler Partition with the same MMP-HPH24 sabot. What the heck. I am assuming it will fly so far over the Barnes 290's that it may not even hit the board. BOOM! OW!!! WHAT? Punched out the center of a three shot Barnes group.
Fluke, try again, fresh target. No scope adjustment. Proceed to shoot a 1" 3-shot group. EXACT same P.O.I. as the TMZ's. I can't explain it, and defies everything center fires taught me. How do I go from a poly-tipped, boat-tailed 290 grain slug to a 260 grain partition with what amounts to a semi-hollow point and have essentially the exact same POI?

Anyway, I am certain I have found the two loads this particular gun loves.
My next question is, how do you all think the Nosler would perform on deer-sized game with the 100 grains of Bh209? Again, I am quite familiar with the center fire version, and am aware of it's limitations, but no idea as to the HG variety in a MZ.
One last thing: My hat is off to those that shoot the B 290 TMZ with a full 120 gr. charge! :shock:

Now I need to order up a thousand MMP-HPH24 sabots. Suggestions on where?

 

[sqezer]

The owner and maker of MMP is Del Ramsey, great guy to deal with, here is his phone number. 870-741-5019, I'm glad that I was able to help.

 

[Squeeze]

http://mmpsabots.com/ they work well for me also, I sometimes interchange the hph24 with a harvester crush rib and get similar results. Either the barnes, or nosler are great hunting bullets. Congrats on a satisfying range day, and welcome to the front stuffer addiction. Have fun

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Sounds like a great range session :yeah:

Yes, the lighter muzzleloaders kick like a mule with a stout load :shock: still not as bad as sighting in a 12ga turkey load but close :mrgreen:

When you switched sabots for the 290gr TMZ, was the HPH 24 a boat tailed sabot? If not, some have reported not so good accuracy with a b-t bullet and non-bt sabot, but if that was your combo, your clearly not one of them.

These may also work for you
https://www.harvestermuzzleloading.com/ ... ail-bullet

 

[WV Hunter]

Nice job! Sounds like a great maiden voyage for sure And I second sqezer being a great guy :yeah:

100gr with the Nosler will make short work of any deer sized game, that is for sure.

 

[cayuga]

It sounds like you had a great time. You got the bug now. Only more rifles in your future.

100 grains of Black Horn 209 will flatten any deer. For that matter a moose too. Caribou, and well placed, a bear would be in trouble. Jim Shockey, know hunter, TV hunting personality, author, etc ... for year hunting big game all over the world with 100 grains of powder (not even Black Horn) and a Nosler bullet. He then started pushing powder and different rifles, bullets, and now I don't know what he uses or endorses. I do like his Jim Shockey Gold 3f powder in my black powder revolver.

 

[ronald horne]

Sounds like you have two great loads. Either should be great on deer, or anything else.

 

[ShawnT]

Great report and sounds like a great first range trip with your new ML. As stated I'll bet the addiction has just set in! :lol: Mls are like Lays tater chips, cant stop at just one! :lol:

Like Cayuga said Jim Shockey did use that Nosler bullet on about everything. I would not hesitate to use that load on any deer sized game and even though I never took one..I bet it would be just fine on Caribou.

 

[alaska viking]

Now I just have to order some! NONE here. Hornaday this, and Hornaday that, blah, blah. Have a buddy that works at Sportsman's Warehouse in Anchorage. Will try that, or once again, simply go on-line.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Sounds great!

We've settled on 120gr equivalent with the Barnes 290 T-EZ for our upcoming elk hunt. You are definitely correct that it can give quite the recoil.
However, it also gave us the best accuracy in our particular rifles so we will stick with it.

I wasn't able to get the 290 T-MZ to be easy enough to put down the bore that I wanted to continue to use them. This is in both a TC Triumph and an Impact. However, when I could get them down they were accurate. I tried the Harvester sabots made for the boattail bullets like the TMZ, and it was still very difficult to load.