Sabotless Bullets

[Blacksheep]

I have about 300 Winchester .50 cal bullets in there purple sabot for .54 cal rifles.  Now I tried these in my hawken and fired about 10 and the sabots looked really weird going down one petal would always be stretched so I miked them today and at their smallest point the bullet and sabot miked out at .549 which explains a few things.  

So I took the bullets out and checked them the ones I checked were right around .5015 to .502 the base has exposed lead as opposed to say a shockwave which is fully enclosed by the jacket.

Does anybody who shoots sabotless think these 400 gr pills might work in a suitable barrel ?

 

[GregK1]

As long as you can reach required velocities for proper terminal performance, then they will be fine. You can expect an increase in felt recoil with a 400 grain bullet.

 

[MeatMachine]

I read on another forum where a guy claimed that the 1:28 twist was to slow for anything over 250gr lol. I shoot 300,335,350 and 400gr .500 bullets sabotless out of two different 50cal 1:28 barrels and they are very accurate. Just the other day I had a 3 shot group with my H&R SideKick shooting Hornady 350gr .5 bullets where you could barely tell two bullets passed thru the same hole never mind three. I was only shooting at 50yrds due to being snowed in and only plowed for a 50yrd shot but that still tells you that those bullets can shoot well.

 

[Muley Hunter]

He must have been a CF shooter, or knows nothing about muzzleloaders.

Ideal full bore conical for a 1-28 twist is 400-450gr.

Even a 1-48 twist is 300-325g

 

[Blacksheep]

On the 400 grain bullets I have for sabotless use would you guys recommend knurling them ?  I was thnking of doing it but then I thought with the exposed lead at the base the heat and pressure should expand them a some  or am I wrong in that assumption ?

 

[GregK1]

If it's a hollow or open bottom base you may be ok. If flat base then I would use a wad or a card & then knurl them to fit snugly on top of the charge.

 

[Blacksheep]

Thats exactly what they are a HP with a completely exposed lead base