Polymer Tipped vs Hollowpointed Sabot Bullets???

[LFM]

I am new to all thi and wondering if the hollowpoint bullets I have for my ML equal in possible performance as the Polymer Tipped ones like the T/C Shockwave Sabot Bullets?

A friend who is a Poice Officer says that the hollowpoints when shot get filled up with air and once filled they perform as a pointed bullet would is this true or is there more involved? Does it matter how fast the bullet travels to get the best from a hollowpoint bullet especially in an inline muzzleloader?

Any information would be welcome I have some old hollowpoints in my supplies and wondering how they will work compared to some PR QT's and Dead Centers and some Shockwaves???

I also have some discontinued Speer Sabots in 270 grain flat nose sabot bullets... Anyone once shoot these were they any good... Only have about 18 left just wondering if I can use them for hunting once I sight the rifle in for these to use them up???

Thanks...

LFM

 

[Grouse]

If you do your job, both bullets will do there job. I prefer the pretty tipped bullets over hollow points.

 

[Hunt 4 Bucks]

I agree with your policeman friend. I think the whole aerodynamic hype of the polymer tipped bullets is blown way out portion. IMO

What I do believe makes a difference is the better BC?s of the polymer tipped bullets.

 

[Wolf_River_Mike]

LFM, I am new to modern muzzleloaders also. I have shot patched roundballs since the late 70's. In a hunting situation, I think the question that needs to be raised is what does the bullet do after it hits the animal. I've been shooting the 250 grn XTP's, a hollow pointed pistol bullet, and have been able to get 1" groups or a little better when I do my part. But yesterday I found some copper skins laying on top of the ground where the bullets were hitting... they had blown apart. Now, I know a deers vitals are not near as hard as that clay bank I'm shooting into, but still, can a pistol bullet hold up to the velocities we are shooting them out of our modern inlines? I will continue to shoot the XTP's because they are accurate out of my rifle and are as cheap a bullet as I've found, but I will be looking around for another bullet to hunt with. JMO

 

[LFM]

Are you saying Ballistic Coefficient when you say BC? I don't know what that means truly...

When I first started MLing, I had a Traditions Lightning Bolt Rifle and just bought what I found at the local Gander Mountain or Dicks Sporting Goods but never took Muzzleloading that serious. Then the polymer tipped bullets came along which were the Precision Rifle that Cabela's puts their name on and sells. I saw a show with a staff shooter of Bass Pro take a deer with and he stated he never uses anything bigger that a 265 grain bullet in his MLer. On this day he was using a 180 grain bullet. Not a polymer tipped one but when I would check bullets / Sbaots out most you could find were in the 270, 300, 350 grain sizes and most were hollowpoints or flat nosed. When I came across the PR QT's I had to try some and bought 180. 215 and 235... I still some of these as well as some of the Dead Centers and I also have many hollowpoints but they did not have any info what size they were. I weight them yesterday after buying a scale and they were 250 & 265. Which now I also have some Shockwaves in 200 and 250 since now I am getting more into this and also bought a Knight Disc Elite so I want to get it sighted in and will do some testing on which of these will be the best for it with charges ranging 80, 90, 100 and 110 grains of T-7 since I found some of the pellets in the 30 grain size to figure what load will work in the Knight...

So what is BC can you give a brief idea since I am a Novice when it comes to understanding... all of this???

Thanks for the post!!!

LFM

 

[big6x6]

It depends....

The polymer tip is there PRIMARILY to increase the bullets BC or ballistic coefficient. The BC is simply friction or drag that air has on the bullet or its aerodynamics. The larger the number the more aerodynamic and less friction/drag the bullet has. The reason BC matters is so a bullet will retain more of its velocity over distance. The more retained velocity the more retained ENERGY and a flatter TRAJECTORY or less drop over distance.

The PROBLEM is there isn't much one can do to a 250gr .452 cal saboted muzzleloader projectile to help its BC all that much. Basically ALL 250gr .452cal bullets have a BC from .150 to .200 and that's it, polymer tip or not. If using a charge of 100gr ffg Triple Se7en, you'll get about 1850fps muzzle velocity with your 250gr bullet. Using that velocity the bullet with the .150 BC(250gr Barnes Expander) will only be 2.6 inches low at 160yds when sighted in at 140yds(2.7 inches high at 100yds). Using the same MV and a .200 BC bullet(250gr TMZ) using the same sighting in parameters, you really get only about 6 yds more effective range! So we have 160yds effective range with the Barnes Expander(or 250gr XTP for that matter!) and 166yds effective range with the 250gr TMZ(or SST). That's all the real world difference.

Now when you consider the VAST majority of whitetail are shot inside of 100yds...the difference between polymer-tipped vs. NON polymer-tipped goes to nothing. BC DOES play more of a role as velocity and range increases BUT.. for the shooter using 100gr to 110gr of Triple Se7en and a 250gr bullet..it really doesn't matter. What DOES matter is that you use the bullet that shoots good groups in your rifle and that you can put that bullet where it needs to go when the time comes.....

 

[LFM]

6X6,

Great Information thanks... Memorial Weekend I hope to get out and do some sighting in and shooting if I get up north and the weather is good...

Appreciate your information...

LFM

 

[Hunt 4 Bucks]

Thanks Chuck, perfect explanation.

 

[LFM]

Okay, I was just wondering since most have a flat rear section would a tapered like a boattail make any difference in a bullet's BC?

Since I noticed a few of the slightly heavier bullets have this?

Does it make any difference :?:

Thanks again for the great information...

LFM