Sabot / bullet question

[UPtrapper]

I see lots of people shooting a harvester sabot with a 250 or 300 gr sst bullet. Im not seeing where you can buy these bullets. Do you buy them with the hornady sabots, and just throw the hornady sabots away and use the harvesters or am I missing something?

Thanks

Mike.

 

[GM54-120]

Hornady used to sell both in bulk. Now they only sell the 250gr FTX in bulk packs for 450 BushMaster.
https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/45-cal-452-250-gr-ftx-450-bushmaster#!/

You can buy bulk SST/FTXs (no sabots) from Luke at Arrowhead Sporting Goods. Then buy the sabots separately too. If you want them in 300gr you will need to track down some old stock or move up to the 458-325gr FTX.

 

[toytruck]

Most hunting supply Web sites have them. https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=crush+rib+sabots&userItemsPerPage=48
I get mine from midway, there is also natchez and many others, they also carry many bullets including Hornady, just have to do a search.

 

[UPtrapper]

Thanks GM, that helps, I'll get hold of Luke. I did see the FTX for the bushy, I assume they must be pretty similar to the sst. Seems strange that as popular as they are you cant buy them in bulk any more. For my cartridge guns I like to keep a good supply of components because, powder, primers, bullets arent available locally and I hate paying $15 in shipping for a box of bullets if im out, I'd like to do the same for my muzzleloader once I find the right load. Seems goofey to buy bullets 20 at a time throw away the sabots and put different ones on. I my try out the XTP's, just saw so many people using the sst's that I figured I should try them.

 

[Doccbst1]

I've been traveling this road, trying to find the best "budget" ML bullet. Marketing aside the 300gr sst (ftx) is only available as A ML bullet including the red sabots. Depending on your use there are other options for a 300gr .452-.451
Berry offers the 305gr 25pk blue diamond w/sabots same as traditions smackdown
Harvester pt gold 300gr 50pk no sabots
And get the crush rib separate
Many use the 300gr Speer deep curl
Research reloading bullets gives a lol of options Google +Midway, graft, natches.
Barnes, Parker are most expensive and possibly the best.
Speer, berry, Ranier probably cheapest.
I'm stuck between berry blue diamond, harvester white lightning (.44 cal.) Speer deep curl in .44 or .45. or Barnes.
Of course the classic Hornady XTP in 300gr with crush rib will get the job done.

 

[ShawnT]

What ranges are you shooting? If you shooting something like Deer in the 150 or less range then the 300gn XTP or the 300gn Speer Deep Curl with do all you need and not break the bank. I have shot the Deep curl out to 206 yards on a Deer with no issues and my Nephew has taken deer out to 175 with the XTP.

 

[Jackalope]

I'm a Deep Curl guy myself. I could never get the XTP's to shoot well in my gun for some reason, but I have been wanting to try the 265gr FTX's.

 

[GM54-120]

Thanks GM, that helps, I'll get hold of Luke. I did see the FTX for the bushy, I assume they must be pretty similar to the sst. Seems strange that as popular as they are you cant buy them in bulk any more. For my cartridge guns I like to keep a good supply of components because, powder, primers, bullets arent available locally and I hate paying $15 in shipping for a box of bullets if im out, I'd like to do the same for my muzzleloader once I find the right load. Seems goofey to buy bullets 20 at a time throw away the sabots and put different ones on. I my try out the XTP's, just saw so many people using the sst's that I figured I should try them.

Grafs probably has them and they got great sabot pricing....Best part is the $7.95 flat rate shipping

 

[Doccbst1]

I'm a Deep Curl guy myself. I could never get the XTP's to shoot well in my gun for some reason, but I have been wanting to try the 265gr FTX's.

I've also looked at the Hornady FTX 265gr .44 so Acadamy made my decision.
On clearance for $19.99 / 50 + $4.00 shipping
Add the Harvester or MMP sabots about 60¢ per round.
That's a start for me anyway.

 

[Far Sighted]

I see lots of people shooting a harvester sabot with a 250 or 300 gr sst bullet. Im not seeing where you can buy these bullets. Do you buy them with the hornady sabots, and just throw the hornady sabots away and use the harvesters or am I missing something?

Thanks

Mike.

Big Country Sporting Goods online offers best prices on many of these with stock on hand. I don't think you need to switch sabots. Use the ones that come with it unless you have compression issues.

 

[UPtrapper]

Thanks for all the replies. Ive ordered some of the 250 and 300 gr XTP's and some harvester sabots. Guess ill see if I can get them to shoot. Ill be shooting out to 200 yards for fun maybe more if I can, but for hunting I wont have any need to shoot over 100 yards. The XTP's are pretty cheap expecially the 250 gr, so I'm hoping they shoot well, if not I'll have to try sst or ftx

 

[Chick]

You might watch for the Hornady SST to go on sale. They are more aerodynamically designed, for longer shots, and come with their own sabots, that work very well. I ordered a number of different Sabots, form MMP, to try with the bullet. None of them improved anything better than the red sabots that came with the bullets. The group you see to the left, was shot with the SSTs. The SST is like the Nosler Ballistic tip, in that it does lose about half the bullet, once it hits the game, but, I have never lost an animal that I shot with one, and I have never not had a complete pass through shot. By the way,, MMP is the supplier to Hornady, for the sabots included with the SST bullets.

 

[GM54-120]

The newer Nosler BT 300gr for 458s and MLs is a tougher bullet than the SSTs. The jacket is very thick. One of the guys on the SML boards did a cross section and measured the jacket. Seems to me it was something like .040 or .045.

 

[user 20307]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/797314828

Found these on Gunbroker.

 

[GM54-120]

That price on the 225gr FTX is pretty common. I shoot them in my NULA just for plinkers.

 

[LarryBud]

I've been traveling this road, trying to find the best "budget" ML bullet. Marketing aside the 300gr sst (ftx) is only available as A ML bullet including the red sabots. Depending on your use there are other options for a 300gr .452-.451
Berry offers the 305gr 25pk blue diamond w/sabots same as traditions smackdown
Harvester pt gold 300gr 50pk no sabots
And get the crush rib separate
Many use the 300gr Speer deep curl
Research reloading bullets gives a lol of options Google +Midway, graft, natches.
Barnes, Parker are most expensive and possibly the best.
Speer, berry, Ranier probably cheapest.
I'm stuck between berry blue diamond, harvester white lightning (.44 cal.) Speer deep curl in .44 or .45. or Barnes.
Of course the classic Hornady XTP in 300gr with crush rib will get the job done.

Nice Post! Pretty much sums up the pathway I walked many years ago. Now, I shoot cheap bullets for fun and practice but move to a Lehigh for hunting.

 

[mnoland30]

I shot Precision Rifle QTs and Dead Centers for deer for many years. My first try with those was 200 yards. I've never shot a deer with them that didn't just give up on the spot. I switched to Hornady FPBs because I got them on closeout at Walmart. They shoot very accurately, and drop a deer in its tracks. I know lighter bullets are fun to shoot, but heavy bullets smash a deer or elk, and have better B.C.s. I've played around with cast bullets, looking for cheaper, but a 400 gr. hardcast bullet went from front shoulder out the rear ham on an elk this year, and she ran for 200 yards. The pure lead bullets will expand to about an inch, so stick to those. I like high B.C. bullets because I take a lot of 200 meter shots, but for 100 yards, any soft bullet will do. I switched to .458 bullets designed for the .45-70, because there is a better selection, and they are cheaper. I read years ago that thinner sabots work better. It may not be true now, but they work for me. Missour Bullet company sells a box of 200 .459 300 gr. cast for$38.50. They made mine in a 12 bhn when I asked, which is what I think (hope) is going to be just right for elk, with good expansion, and superior penetration. I had to buy two boxes to get a special pour, but the cost was the same. If you're not using pure lead, you'll want a flat fronted bullet. They hit much harder, and don't need as much expansion.

 

[LFM]

I doubt I will use anything over 250 Grain Bullet more like maybe 200 as my shots are never more than 100 yards and most are waiting for a Deer to Stop and with a CF Rifle 15 of 18 dropped where they were Standing! But I see not reason to need a 300 Grain Bullet when my CF uses a 165 BT cartridge and does all I need. Never Use my ML Yet for actual Deer Hunting maybe this year when I can dial it in with Powder Load. If less grain Bullets are on the Market there must be a reason and I never just Shoot and waster ammo once any Rifle is Dialed in and ready I just confirm it is Good with a few shots each fall to be sure the Scope has not been Jarred off. Other than that have Several packs of QT Dead Centers, Shockwaves with Different MMP Sabots to test out... Never seen a Reason for Heavy Bullets. Guess I am in the Minority HERE!
LFM

 

[Okie Hog]

Several years ago i bought a bunch of Barnes .429 225 grain XPB bullets on clearance. Used with the green crush rib sabot the bullet is accurate. It expands well and knocks 300 pound hogs dead.

 

[NatureNick]

BLUF: MidwayUSA seems to be the Factory Seconds liquidator for Hornady and whoever makes Shockwaves for T/C (seem identical to SSTs except for different colored tip, but I haven't cut any open to compare gizzards). If you like SSTs and/or Shockwaves, I recommend signing up for MidwayUSA emails. If you have an account with them, go to your "My Account" page and select Hunting/Big Game/Muzzleloader, and Reloading, so Factory Seconds bullets will go into your "Custom Shopping Experience" emails. I've seen 250 grain Factory Seconds bullets matching Hornady SST-ML and FTX bullets in my email as recently as this past fall.

Background: In 2011, MidwayUSA offered "Factory Second Muzzleloading Bullets, 45 Caliber (452 Diameter), 250 Grain Polymer Tip Spitzer, for use with 50 Caliber Sabot, Box of 50 (Bulk Packaged)" for $4.41. I bought 32 boxes (1,600 bullets) for about $170 with shipping. They are definitely Shockwaves; yellow tips and same geometry as 250 Shockwaves I'd previously bought in T/C packaging. I have no idea what the defect is that made them Factory Seconds, other than some discoloration of jackets. A year or so later, I ordered a similarly described Factory Seconds shipment of 10 boxes, 50 bullets each, $7.00/box that were red-tipped Hornady 250 SST-MLs when I got the package opened. Again, no visually-detectable functional defects found. Shortly after that, they had 50 packs of Harvester black Crush Ribs for $3.99 and I ordered 40 packs. I've seen that same SST-type bullet in Factory Seconds sale emails several times since then, though I haven't paid much attention to them since I'm still sitting on about 1,200 "Second" Shockwaves and about 350 "Second" 250 grain SST-MLs. I got about 200 Factory Seconds 300 grain SST-MLs as well, $3/20 count. All of those Factory Seconds bullets from MidwayUSA came in sturdy blue plastic bullet tubs with MidwayUSA labeling. That's probably my lifetime supply, for inline muzzleloaders at least. 77 grains (by weight) of BH209 and CCI Magnum primers in my Frankenrifle will group 3 of either of those bullets at or under an inch at 100 yards if I'm doing my part on a calm day, same POI/POA for both at 100 and 200 yards. In other words, I haven't shopped for inline bullets/sabots in about 7-1/2 years and might never need to do so again in the future.