Sabots - what factors help convince you you’ve got the right one?

[RoJo]

Seriously, just when I think all possible new muzzleloader terms are in my bucket I see something else in these forums. I hate to think how ineffective a muzzleloader I’d be without all of this knowledge. I’ve told people for years that I had no time in my life or room in my brain to learn something new. Well, here I am. Today, Encore introduced me to “loading force.”

Fast forward a couple of hours. Barnes T-EZ is one of the combos I’ve been focused on. I understand why they named it T-EZ. My question is, how do you know that it’s just “easier” and not risky “too easy?” Is your loading force at all relevant? Do you compare the measure of your sabot/bullet with your bore measure - if bore measure even matters?

Last week I got a sample packet of black HPH12 and HPH24 sabots. She said to use 12’s first. If they didn’t feel better then try the 24’s. If I’m able seat both of them using the necessary force, how do I know which is best? I found a 10 year-old thread today on MM where members offered meanings of different levels of force when searing a combo, like too easy, easy, . . . Any members used one or more differ3nt sabots to replace the blue T-EZ?

 

[MSalyards]

I like to try different loads and sabots but I let the gun and target tell me what is best. Is it comfortable to load and shoot? Does it group well? For a hunting load does it shoot and reload and be consistent?

 

[Widude]

I’m particular about ‘Bore fit’, not to tight, or to loose. I normally use the Harvester ‘crush-rib’ sabot in my Knights.

My load on a clean barrel is just a tad snug, then I can load a handful more without cleaning that shoot well too. I do nothing between shots besides reloading.

Anyhow, one should experiment to get the right combination, well before any hunting.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I think you try both and stick with the one that is most accurate

 

[sabotloader]

Rojo, I am pretty sure the blue T-EZ is a HPH-24

 

[GM54-120]

It is a HPH-24 just dyed blue. That info came straight from Del

 

[Far Sighted]

Seriously, just when I think all possible new muzzleloader terms are in my bucket I see something else in these forums. I hate to think how ineffective a muzzleloader I’d be without all of this knowledge. I’ve told people for years that I had no time in my life or room in my brain to learn something new. Well, here I am. Today, Encore introduced me to “loading force.”

Fast forward a couple of hours. Barnes T-EZ is one of the combos I’ve been focused on. I understand why they named it T-EZ. My question is, how do you know that it’s just “easier” and not risky “too easy?” Is your loading force at all relevant? Do you compare the measure of your sabot/bullet with your bore measure - if bore measure even matters?

Last week I got a sample packet of black HPH12 and HPH24 sabots. She said to use 12’s first. If they didn’t feel better then try the 24’s. If I’m able seat both of them using the necessary force, how do I know which is best? I found a 10 year-old thread today on MM where members offered meanings of different levels of force when searing a combo, like too easy, easy, . . . Any members used one or more differ3nt sabots to replace the blue T-EZ?

The results out of the barrel are the factors or data. If I get grouping that satisfy my needs then that is it. Having a very good weapon helps but the right combination of loads is the other element.

Here is my recently trial with loose powder. The two high ones where first out from over correction for lower ones on a different target. There are 4 shoots grouped where I wanted just below the 2" dotted line at 50 yards.

 

[Neumonic]

How do the T-EZ’s load with the supplied sabots?

They are tolerable for the first shot in my ML then I switch to a Harvester black for the follow up shots. I have tried some different sabots with that bullet and that is all I have hunted with for the last 7 years iirc.

This is the first year I will be hunting with something else as I found a bullet sabot combo that shoots better than ever out of my Traditions Persuit UL, the Harvester Scorpion 260 grain combo! First one loads nice as do as many following shots I take.

 

[Widude]

I once saw a guy pushing his ramrod against a tree to get the bullet/sabot combo down his barrel. I said what the heck are you doing over there?

I ended up giving him some crush-rib sabots that fit his barrel much better. He ended up getting his own supply later.

The good thing is, once you experiment & get the right fit, you are mostly set.