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OXN

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Figured I'd pass on some of the info from ballistic testing I've done over the past few weeks. I wanted to give my western legal muzzleloader a full system op test, so it got the nod for a late season Whitetail hunt. It's a CVA Optima with EABCO peep and stock front fiber optic sight shooting 250 grain Thors, currently over a modest charge of 85 grains by volume Triple Seven. Chronograph shows MV around 1650. Here is the result of the olde water jug test.

9F690246-8713-4769-9A89-9447F85C4DF6.jpeg

Excellent expansion, although I'll probably add a few grains if I take it out west for elk. In any case, it's quite adequate for whitetail in VA. Shot a doe at about 25 yards, and this was the blood trail.

20201123_212335.jpg

And, the recovered bullet, found about 4" into the divot in the ground. This is why I have gone to shooting all copper. The shot was quartering, and hit a rib. You can definitely tell that it started tumbling when it hit the bone, but the bullet still passed through completely and caused a pretty devastating wound cavity. Weight retention was over 98% (minus the little plastic tip). Anyway, hope this helps anyone considering bullet choices!

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Good report, congrats on the doe. I don't think I could shoot a lead core bullet while hunting, I like my copper bullets too much. :cool:

Me too. What really inspired me to pull the thread on this a little bit was watching Meateater Steve's blackpowder CO elk encounter. Basically, he drops a nice bull at about 120 yards, which then proceeds to get up and run off, never to be heard from again. My takeaway is that I'll be going to probably 95 grains of propellant, seeing how that groups and then running it over a chrono a few times before I shoot at anything bigger than a deer. Gotta give that copper the energy it needs to expand.
 
Many here suggest a wad under a full bore bullet. Are you using one under yours?
 
Many here suggest a wad under a full bore bullet. Are you using one under yours?

Nope. Thor makes a sizing pack in diameters of .500, .501, .502 and .503". Basically, order that, determine which is snug but not difficult to seat, and the gas skirt of said diameter bullets expands just enough to positively engage the rifling. I have not introduced a wad as a variable in my load development for this, because I haven't seen any need to- the velocity indicates I'm getting a good seal, and the accuracy has been solid. I'll post some pictures of groups next range I run. During the range that involved that water jug test, I had several pairs of shots touching at 50 yards.
 
With that low of a load there is no reason to spend the extra coin on the tipped version No tip will expand even easier. I can tell by your pic the bullet did not expand correctly and that is why it tumbled. The side that folded IN created less "drag" than the side with normal expansion so the bullet tumbled.
 
With that low of a load there is no reason to spend the extra coin on the tipped version No tip will expand even easier. I can tell by your pic the bullet did not expand correctly and that is why it tumbled. The side that folded IN created less "drag" than the side with normal expansion so the bullet tumbled.

Is there a non-tipped version? I looked on there website and didn't see one. Impact velocity was also about 1600 FPS, which is well above their minimum recommended velocity for expansion.
 
JK, found the open-tipped ones. Same price on both the Thor website and third party vendors, though
 
great bullets those coppers, and I would also look at the new fury's with the poly wad disc permanently fixed to the bottom of the bullet. 285 and 325 gr.
I've got some 325gr universal Furys in the mail right now...I wonder if I should use a base wad with them for sealing insurance? (BH209)
 
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