Too much thinking...short range bullet.

[10gaugemag]

Been thinking too much lately. I am currently shooting the all copper Federal Bor Lok bullet in my .50 Optima V2.

Accuracy is fine and no game killed yet but I have been wanting to tinker some.

My shots are very short, mainly under 50 yards with most under 25-35 yards.

Mature whitetails.

Cannot decide if I switch or decide to play around whether to start with a full bore conical or a bullet sabot combo.

Anybody else hunting similar situations/scenarios?

Hawken and a PRB when I want to go full traditional and play Jeremiah Johnson.

 

[iablackpowder]

I have a MK85 that is sighted in for short range(50yds) that I shoot saboted 250gr barnes expanders in and accuracy and performance is excellent

 

[eekjellander]

Been thinking too much lately. I am currently shooting the all copper Federal Bor Lok bullet in my .50 Optima V2.

Accuracy is fine and no game killed yet but I have been wanting to tinker some.Doesn’t matter at that range , shoot what you like/ kill stuff and grill! That’s why the off season (any time) you’re not hunting is for, not now

My shots are very short, mainly under 50 yards with most under 25-35 yards.

Mature whitetails.

Cannot decide if I switch or decide to play around whether to start with a full bore conical or a bullet sabot combo.

Anybody else hunting similar situations/scenarios?

Hawken and a PRB when I want to go full traditional and play Jeremiah Johnson.

 

[eekjellander]

Stay with what works now, that’s for off season when you’re tinkering! Now focus on killing an grilling at your yardage other wise you might be a starving pilgrim / Ed

 

[MrTom]

When is your hunting season? If you're in the midst of or it's coming up soon, I'd stick with the boreloc as long as the accuracy is good at your hunting range. Do your searching in the off-season so you are well prepared and have settled on a good load when the next season rolls around.

 

[deermanok]

I'm more of a bow hunter than anything else so close shots are normal for me.
Even though I can reach out farther with the muzzleloader, I still tend to keep my shots close.
Choices in modern muzzleloader bullets seem to be endless.
For me, reading bullet reviews are what I consider when trying something new.
Cost is also something I consider too. I can't afford to pay big money for muzzleloader bullets. Some of them can get pricey.
Affordable and easy to use are what I tend to look for.

 

[edmehlig]

I’d go with full bore conicals

 

[rugerbh103]

If you decide to stay with a saboted bullet, you can't beat a Barnes Expander for on game performance.

 

[10gaugemag]

Season is now. Not going to switch in the middle of season.

The reason I am asking now is so I can start looking for whats in stock and can begun playing with different bullets in 6 weeks.

 

[vaguru]

For your distances, a saboted Hornady 240 gr XTP is hard to beat, both accuracy and cost wise. Have been using that setup since XTP's came out, pleased with results on paper and deer.

 

[toytruck]

I’d go with full bore conicals

They sure put the smack down on a deer!

 

[10gaugemag]

.430 or .452 on the 240 XTP?

 

[vaguru]

.430 or .452 on the 240 XTP?

I have been using the .430 240 XTP

 

[10gaugemag]

I have been using the .430 240 XTP

 

[firedawg60]

8 of my last 10 deer have been taken with the .430 240 xtp, all less than 80 yard shots. Short to no tracking on all.

 

[jdg20tr]

10 Gauge,
For what it's worth, I own an original Rem 700 ML. I upgraded my rig to the Badger Ridge bolt/breech plug system and I started shooting the Hornady .452 45cal bullets with the original black MMP sabot.

My groups never got better than 1.75in even after trying different loads of BH 209 from 80-100gr by volume.

By chance, I was watching an older show on the Pursuit Channel. A gentleman who used to work for Rem talked about conical bullets and how well Rem ML's shot with their "Game Master" and other conical. Well, my TC Renegade loved the Hornady Great Plains bullets so I decided to give them a try in my Rem 700.

I loaded 85grV of BH 209 followed by a .50cal bore button then my 385gr Hornady Great Plains bullet. I started at 50yds for testing. What I received in a 3-shot group was 1 ragged hole and one very happy person!

Also, for $15 for 20rds and widely available they have accounted for 2 deer for me so far including this 10pt I shot yesterday morning.

Shadowfox64

 

[Confederate rifleman]

250 grain .45 XTP with Harvester crush ribs, your rifle may need a different sabot for best results, and whatever powder you prefer to get it moving about 1600 fps. I use 70 grains of 3f Swiss.
Fast enough for chest soup, not fast enough to impede full penetration.
14 late deer don't lie.
Another SURPRISINGLY good load is a T/C Cheap Shot and 40 grains ( volume) of 3f T7, 1350 fps. Think .44 magnum revolver power.
Baby Girl uses this load, I have too, and 4 deer with 4 shots from 85 to 125 yards. One heart shot ran maybe 70 yards. The 125 yard shot took one BIG jump and basically died in mid air. Got that bullet back, all others were pass throughs.
Baby Girl, the Cheap Shot and her 125 yard plump tasty.

 

[Miker557]

A good warrior does not change weapons or ammunition in the middle of a battle, unless it is absolutely necessary; having said that, when I hunted with BP, using a CVA Missouri Rifle (don't bother looking on CVA's website, they have no mention of this particular gun) that has a 1:48 twist, I shot T/C "Maxiballs" (345 grain) in front of 85 grains of powder, and figured it was more than enough to drop any deer I could see through my sights. As I had a mold for this projo, having an adequate supply was a simply matter of scrounging the lead (dead-soft) and casting them. Half of a 25-pound pot of lead would produce enough projos for two or three season of hunting, plus all the practicing I cared to do.

 

[10gaugemag]

8 of my last 10 deer have been taken with the .430 240 xtp, all less than 80 yard shots. Short to no tracking on all.

Powder charge?

 

[firedawg60]

Powder charge?

My apologies, 80 grains of BH209.