Conicals for Colorado Elk

[DocBob]

I drew my Colorado ML elk tag (1st time hunting elk with a smokepole)and thought I'd ask the pros here what choices they prefer...CO regs say no sabots, no pellets, no smokeless, no scopes, and max bullet length = 2 x the diameter. I'll be shooting a 50 cal. 1:28 twist barrel

To see what my gun prefers, I was planning to try:
385gr Hornady Great Plains Hollow Point
410gr Hornady Great Plains Spire Point
460gr No Excuses Bullets http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com/index.html

I'm also planning on using 777 powder, although the new BH209 might be a choice if I can find any info on using it with these larger (>350gr) conicals.

Anything else I might want to try? Other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance...great site!!!

 

[frontier gander]

460 no excuse if your rifle shoots them well. I used the 385g great plains once for deer and i decided that it was not what i would call a good elk bullet. On a small deer at 20 yards, the bullet only made it through one shoulder and i had to use a sidearm to put it out of its misery.

Every time i go elk hunting "once" :lol: with a muzzle loader i usually take the 348g aerotip powerbelt and 80g pyrodex.

so far it looks like the 444g flat point is under an inch and legal.

I'd stay clear of the maxiballs/ great plains conicals.

 

[Anonymous]

What rifle??

 

[DocBob]

Thanks Gander...good info.
I also see some recommendations for the Bull-Shop (BS) bullets
http://bullshop.gunloads.com/index.html

Maybe I'll go with some of those and the No Excuses and see what works.

I'm thinking of trying the:
BS 400 gn LPG
BS 445 gn UC Short & the
BS 460 gn MT NEx

Gander, it sounds like you're having great luck with the PB's..there is sure a lot of bad press out there. Have you tried the 350 gn Hornady FPB's? Evidently with the tip removed these are also legal.

 

[DocBob]

My rifle is a Knight Magnum Bighorn 50 cal. 1:28 twist barrel with a rear peep sight installed.

 

[Anonymous]

Slug the barrel and let us know what it measures. I might have some bullets you could try. For free..... 8)

 

[frontier gander]

No i havent tried the new hornady conical. every place i go to order, trys charging me an arm and leg for shipping. $9.50shipping the last time i checked at a website that had them and that was for only box!

i do have excellent luck with with PB's. I have always stuck with them due to the hunting places i go to only have very small gun shops and they seem to stock them very well.

Dont like changing my stuff unless i have to. Same goes with underwear when hunting :lol:

 

[big6x6]

Slug the barrel and let us know what it measures. I might have some bullets you could try. For free..... 8)

Hey Bat...I have some BULLETS that measure 0.503... Do you have a MUZZLELOADER I could try for free? :lol:

 

[DocBob]

Thanks chief!!!

Since I'm relatively new to ML's but rather astute!!! :lol: I assumed slugging the barrel meant to measure it with a lead "slug".

I don't think I have anything to do this with but let me look through a box of old lead egg weights I have, I bet I'll have something soft that I can make work.

I'll see what I can come up with and get back to you.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Bat...I have some BULLETS that measure 0.503... Do you have a MUZZLELOADER I could try for free?

Nope. I sold that one.... :wink:


I think.... :lol:

 

[txhunter58]

I have not heard of any bad reports from guys actually using maxiballs on elk. I have heard of guys using them on deer and not having them open up, but not on elk. Even the ones your recovered recently were pretty flattened, but look to have retained most of their weight. What are you basing your thoughts on?

That said, I am going to give the new Hornady PRB's a good looking at. At 350 grains, it is big enough and according to Bustas torture test, they held together pretty well. However DOCBOB, they are too long to be legal with the plastic tip in place. I will either shoot them as a hollowpoint, or cut off the plastic tip flush with the front of the bullet.

Whatever bullet you pick, look at the amount of powder stated so far in this thread. You won't see one that is over 100 grains. That is all you need to kill an elk, and lead conicals work better at lower velocities. They blow up and come apart at really high velocities.

All that said, the no excuses size conicals can't be beat for elk.

If you try powerbelts, I would recommed the 338 platinum or the 405 aerotip.

 

[greatbasin]

In my Knights, Maxiballs would be my first choice.

 

[frontier gander]

Tx, im sure you've read my experience with the 240g maxiball and my first year of deer hunting right?

 

[DocBob]

Gander, what happenend with the Maxi-balls?

 

[frontier gander]

typed it here,
http://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/phpBB ... php?t=9410

 

[txhunter58]

I missed that write up the first time. Not sure what happened on your deer, but I am wondering if the bullet did exit without expanding since you didn't find the bullet or any part of it? Without expanding, the 0.5 inch hole may have just been hard to find. Otherwise, I think you would have found some fragments of a blown up bullet. Maxiballs aren't really marketed for deer, the maxihunters are what they recommend. If a maxiball was shot at a deer and it didn't hit a bone, I would expect it to simply pass through.

I even shot a bull elk with a 444 flat point powerbelt at 30 yards. Went through the chest and right through the heart. Didn't hit a rib, and the exit hole was the same size as the entrance. Not sure he would have gone down quick if it hadn't gone straight through the heart. I think it can happen with any bullet .

Did you measure the weight on the bullets you have been shooting after recpvery? If they mushroomed like you showed and retained most of their weight, that would have produced a quick kill on an animal.

 

[gwmican]

I am shooting 2" groups at 100 yards with 460 grain NEX Bullshop bullets over 85 grains of 777 and a wad with my Knight KRB7. They mushroom out very nicely, I think they are going to do well on a Elk in September!

 

[DocBob]

gwmican, thanks for the load...460 grain NEX Bullshop bullets over 85 grains of 777 sounds like a good one, I'll definitely include that in my testing. What kind of wad are you using, and it that necessary with a hollow based conical?

Is it safe to assume that the load data is on volume measurments and not actual weight? I have a full set of the Lee Powder Measures, is there a conversion factor used for converting grains volume to cc's? Unfortunately, 777 isn't listed in there data table, only Pyrodex and black powder.

 

[txhunter58]

unfortunately, you can't order Bullshop conicals this time of year (until October) can you?

 

[DocBob]

I fired an email off to Bull-Shop to see if that is the case...if so, that sort of throws a wrench in my plans for a September hunt now doesn't it!?!?