What Bullet is everyone using ?

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
When ive shot XTPs and SSTs/FTXs side by side, the XTP always gave be better accuracy out to 100 yards. The base is flatter on XTPs. Compare a 40cal 200gr XTP next to a 40cal SST sometime. The XTP is almost completely flat. Very little rounding in the transition from base to side.

Jacket is thinner too accept for the 240gr XTP MAG. Even the 300gr XTP MAG's jacket appears to be thinner than all the SSTs. Only the 225gr FTX is about as thin as the XTPs. Oddly the 325gr FTX looks like the jacket is slightly thinner than the SSTs. At least most of it. The base area is till pretty thick
 
I personally use the Lehigh .452 230 grain controlled fracture bullet (performs well at lower fps, needed since I'm shooting at ~1600 fps mv)
My son uses 250 grain Barnes expander.
Both do BAD things to the vitals of whitetails
 
In my 45 Black Diamond 180 and 200 grain .40 caliber XTP's. Absolutely NASTY on deer.
In my .50 Firehawk the230, 250 and 300 grain, non magnum, XTP's are amazing in accuracy and the 250's make a good batch of chest soup.
The 240 and 300 grain 44 XTP's shot and killed well out of my old Omega.
You can't go wrong with an XTP. Truth in advertising! Accurate, deadly, dependable.
 
250 grain .45 Barnes TMZ. Great bullet. Shot two deer this year, both dead under 25 yards. Massive lung damage, great blood trails.
 
Anyway load will be 90gr vol. BH209 and a 44cal 270gr Deep Curl.
Killed several deer with the bullet. Always used 105g Blackhorn. Deer went down quickly...... One year switched to 90g Blackhorn, and shot a deer out 155 yard through both lung. Deer ran away up hill, and ran, and ran. Blood spray was scant. Finally it died. If not for snow, it wouldn't have been found. Autopsy revealed a small round hole through both lung. Obviously the bullet didn't expand.

If you are shooting beyond 100 yard, recommend you use more than 90g of Blackhorn, if using the bullet.

If you wish to use 90g Blackhorn, recommend you use the 250g Deep Curl bullet. It has a deep hollow, and will work out a ways. Last year we killed deer with the 250 Deep Curl at 55 yard, 60 yard, and 140 yard using 90g Blackhorn. This bullet is devastating at all those ranges.
 
I know the general consensus is to use the Harvester crush rib sabot ( green or black depending on 44 or 45).............
Ummm.............just cannot agree with your statement. Seems forum members are too smart to use one sabot in all rifles. Each rifle needs a sabot that fits. Speaking for myself; in Omega rifles the crush ribs are indeed used. However, in Knight rifles a crush rib sabot is never ever used; they are too loose.
 
Just found the Speer deep curl .429 270 gr at one heck of a price, green harvester sabot, any one ever use these ?
 
Ummm.............just cannot agree with your statement. Seems forum members are too smart to use one sabot in all rifles. Each rifle needs a sabot that fits. Speaking for myself; in Omega rifles the crush ribs are indeed used. However, in Knight rifles a crush rib sabot is never ever used; they are too loose.
Sorry I'm using a T/C Impact, probably should have stated that, just been told by most to use the crucs rib in the T/C
 
Killed several deer with the bullet. Always used 105g Blackhorn. Deer went down quickly...... One year switched to 90g Blackhorn, and shot a deer out 155 yard through both lung. Deer ran away up hill, and ran, and ran. Blood spray was scant. Finally it died. If not for snow, it wouldn't have been found. Autopsy revealed a small round hole through both lung. Obviously the bullet didn't expand.

If you are shooting beyond 100 yard, recommend you use more than 90g of Blackhorn, if using the bullet.

If you wish to use 90g Blackhorn, recommend you use the 250g Deep Curl bullet. It has a deep hollow, and will work out a ways. Last year we killed deer with the 250 Deep Curl at 55 yard, 60 yard, and 140 yard using 90g Blackhorn. This bullet is devastating at all those ranges.

Good information ronlaughlin. Most of my shot will be 60yrds or less with a 100-125yrd being a long shot for me. But in general I like to let them get close. Longest shot for me in 14yrs of using a muzzleloader is approximately 65yrds.
 
Well I have umpteen muzzleloaders, both sidelock and inline. This year I'm going to use up the last of the 250 gr T/C Shockwaves in the Traditions Canyon. These are otherwise known as Hornady SSTs. They will be in the supplied sabots, seated on 2 fifty gr Pyrodex Pellets set off by a T7 primer. In all honesty, I've found that it doesn't really matter much with whitetails as long as you don't go to one extreme or the next. SSTs kill just as well as XTPs, as do Sierras, as do Barnes TMZs, as do PRBs. Put the bullet in both of the lungs and they die within 100 yards. I also limit myself to 125 yards or so as I am an open sight and/or peep shooter. You fellas with the scopes for 200 yard or farther shots likely need more powder and different bullets to do the job.
 
325 GR FTX 110gr bh209 in my .52 Disc Extreme or a 385 gr conical 95 gr bh209 w/silver sabot,
knight Disc pistol .458 300 gr Hornady H.P w/orange mmp sabot 80 gr bh209,
Knight Master Hunter .50 300 gr Speer Deep Curl mmp ez sabot90gr bh209,
T/C Renegade .54 Bobby Hoyt barrel 535 gr no-excuse 85 gr goex 2f,
White .451 460gr bullshop 80 gr goex2f,
Knight Disc Extreme.45 eds 350 gr gould conical 70 gr bh209 and thick veg wad..
T/C Firehawk Eds 350 gr conical in orange mmp sabot and 80 gr 7773f. have more but tired of typing:)
I have to admire anyone that spends the time and resources to learn so many weapons and what they like to make a good shot.
 
In my 45 Black Diamond 180 and 200 grain .40 caliber XTP's. Absolutely NASTY on deer.
In my .50 Firehawk the230, 250 and 300 grain, non magnum, XTP's are amazing in accuracy and the 250's make a good batch of chest soup.
The 240 and 300 grain 44 XTP's shot and killed well out of my old Omega.
You can't go wrong with an XTP. Truth in advertising! Accurate, deadly, dependable.
I tried XTP but I never got the accuracy that I desired. It could be a few things such as sabot to bullet match up or powder load and fit to the barrel. I tried with 100 gr of Pyrodex pellets. I have a Optima Pro that I trying with. Since I also got a Optima V2 it does well with SST 250 gr. low drag and was fair with the XTPs.
 
I have noticed one thing about what everyone is using in bullets. There is very little coping what the next guy uses. We all have a bunch of non standard weapons.LOl!!
 
Ummm.............just cannot agree with your statement. Seems forum members are too smart to use one sabot in all rifles. Each rifle needs a sabot that fits. Speaking for myself; in Omega rifles the crush ribs are indeed used. However, in Knight rifles a crush rib sabot is never ever used; they are too loose.
I guess all rifles are different Ron, my Knight Bighorn holds the crushribs tight. I tried the smooth black and had a heck of a time with it. This was using a .452 Deep Curl.
 
Same here, black crush ribs in the disc extreme and .452 deep curl, bh209.
 
My daughter will be hunting with 200 grain xtp’s pushes by 80 grains 777. I will be hunting with 275 Pittman Accumax out of my Encore/Brux. She gets the first crack at one then it’s my turn!
 
My savage loves these guys. Not supposed to be good in a savage but, they shoot.
44 grains 5744 TC Shockwave 250 grain. My Accura likes the Remington 250’s the best out of anything I’ve shot out of it. Haven’t found it’s happy place yet though 1.5” at 100 is about the best I can get with what I’ve tried. Neither of those guns have done well with the Hornady stuff, but I haven’t ran the gauntlet on powder yet just tried 90 and 100 grain charges of BH in the Accura and 41-44 grains of 5744, in 1 grain increments in the savage. Shot a yearling cow elk last year with the shockwaves at close to 200 yards and got a clean pass with major internal damage. She went 50 yards.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    88.5 KB · Views: 4

Latest posts

Back
Top