which thor

[Metalshaper03]

I'm in Colorado, so full bore. loose powder, and no scope for me---- right now I'm getting decent accuracy results from 300 grain FPB with 110 gr BH209 in my CVA optima V2 (stainless)

I'm wanting to try the thor bullets this year but I was wondering if anyone has the same rifle---are you getting better accuracy with the 250 grain BT or the 300 grain BT thor's?

the MRD/energy/drop are very similar inside of 200 yards so I'm not worried about which one will work (I know they both will)--- I'm just interested in which one seems to be more accurate--- my limiting factor is going to be accuracy and my vision!! :suspect:

I know each gun is different, but I was hoping to see an accuracy pattern with the CVA optima rifles that might help me choose which weight I should try


Thanks for the help in advance :sunny:

 

[exMember]

Both weights have always shot excellent groups, which was tighter? That's impossible to say because they shot the same group lol. With 200 yards in mind, some would say to use the 300gr, but me personally, I'd use the 250 as it opens easier and has a large hollow point.

Use which ever you feel best with and which ever offers the best accuracy.

I shot a lot of them over the years with the CVA rifles and always had best accuracy with 100gr blackhorn209.

 

[Metalshaper03]

thanks, I saw that the average velocity with 100gr of BH209 was about 1830 for the 300 grain ones--- any idea of average speed from the 250's

200 yards would really be pushing it for me with open sights, but it could be possible if all the conditions lined up---more like 150 or less---both would have plenty of energy out to 200 and with the darn near 100% weight retention I'm sure either one will work just fine--- wish I could get 1/2 a dozen of each just to give them a quick try for accuracy potential --- but I'm probably just going to go for a 50 pack once they are available again this year

 

[Muley Hunter]

I'd use the 300gr if you're hunting for elk. One guy on this forum shot an elk with the 250gr and it killed it ok, but had a long tracking job to find it. He was going to the 300gr the next year.

 

[Metalshaper03]

seems that most guys are liking the 100 grain charge level---currently my 300fpb is with 110 gr @ 1950fps

seems like the energy and drop are all very similar, I guess I just comes down to what my barrel likes

wish there was a way to test them with out paying out the wazoo, Thor needs an "accuracy pack" (10 of the 250 and 10 of the 300 grain to test in your barrel)---I don't mind spending $1.50 per for hunting, but for practice it hurts--- guess I just gotta buck up and do it, gonna buy 1-15 pack of each once they are available again, and see what speeds and accuracy I can get from each one in my rifle

thanks for our info guys


If I am lucky enough to get both, I have put in for the draw for deer and elk up on deer peak--- gotta wait to see what the draw results are though---If I don't get any tags on the draw then I'll just get an OTC bull tag

 

[exMember]

The 250 will be in the range of around 1,950. I can probably find that info on here from all the testing Ive done with them since 2008, just limited on time right now!

250gr is plenty for elk. Shot placement is everything. I hunt with round balls these days, but anytime we hunt, its always wait for the right shot and then take it. If 50+ grains makes a huge difference, damned if I've ever seen it once I squeezed the trigger. Now if it were a LEAD bullet, we certainly would be arguing over that extra 50 grains lol.

For practice, I'll use what ever shoots good and come hunting season, switch to Thors or Powerbelts, etc.

Make sure you mention Frontier MuzzleLoading, he'll knock 10% off your order in the end.

Make sure you check this out as well! Muley mentioned this to me and so I did a write up, explaining how to go about this custom sizing process,
https://www.frontiermuzzleloading.com/t6272-my-thors-are-to-small

 

[Metalshaper03]

yup, already spoke with thor--- and mentioned the discount--- I was on the wait list for a sizing kit for 4 months

also have been reading other posts and I already saw your post on the custom sizing ---I'm a mechanic so I already have the right matco socket   I'll check my thors for actual size once I get them to make sure none are too loose, if they are- I will adjust with said socket

I also ordered the shim kit from CVA and have shimmed my firing pin retainer bushing for correct "headspace" as I was getting black soot before

lots of good info here

I started with the 338 platinum when I bought this rifle--- they shoot accurate and fast for me, BUT I'm so weary about weight retention, I've been practicing with the 300FPB cause I found them on sale/closeout last year for 50cents each---I'd rather just shoot the thors as long as they are accurate for me so I don't have to worry. Hopefully I will find a BH209/thor combo that is accurate for me

 

[Muley Hunter]

300gr Thor.

 

[exMember]

Found the FPS on the 250gr thor with 100gr bh209!

1,989 FPS
https://www.frontiermuzzleloading.com/t5828-powerbelt-aerolite-vs-thor-velocity-tests

 

[Metalshaper03]

well, tried both the 250 and 300's , the 300gr with 100gr of bh209 gave me a 3 shot group just under an inch @ 100 yards--- the 250 was best with 90 gr of bh209, but I would get 2 touching, then a flyer (happened 3 times), so I'm gonna go with the 300's

here are my speeds---6500' above SL and at 50 degrees with a 15mph head wind

250thor with 90 gr bh209 gave me 1847fps, and with 100 grains it gave me 1961
300 thor with 90gr gave me 1759fps, with 100gr it gave me 1855, and with 105gr it gave me 1970 (the cci mag primers were pretty hard to remove with this charge weight and it kicked like a mule plus it wasn't too accurate anyway)

I tried the thor sizing bullets at home with a clean, lightly oiled barrel and found the .501 to fit the best so that's what I tried for my "practice" rounds-----BUT once I was at the range and I fired the 1st bullet and got a little barrel fouling going from the BH209 powder, I was having a heck of a time getting the .501's down the bore--- I ended up putting pressure on the skirt with my fingers and rolling them on the wooden shooting bench to "adjust" the diameter slightly smaller to get them down the bore----I'm going to order the 300's in .500" and try those, if they don't group quite as well as the tight .501's then I'll just size up to .5005" with the matco socket trick

Thanks for all the advise and help (and the cva shim kit does wonders to stop the fouling)

 

[exMember]

:Red tup: