Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders New Federal Muzzy bullet

Well, if you don't shoot 'em at anything, it's a good bet you'll avoid failure.

oh ive shot plenty of game with them, but as time goes on and new & better things come along, its hard to look back and go, man those were some awesome bullets! I can shoot what ever charge i want with the thor ( until accuracy sucks) shoot any game this state offers, get higher velocity than a powerbelt, get the beautiful flower of death shape when that bullet expands, and all for the same price as the limited bullet.

This year though, my 58cal hawken is getting the play time.

Can and do are two different things.

100gr bh209 is pretty standard for me with the 250 thor. Only 8" of drop at 200 yards and thats all I need.

Well, at 56 and having hunted Colorado since my mid 20s, I have killed a number of elk with a muzzleloader. At least 3 with powerbelts, but the last 4 with Hornady FPBs. I did lose one with a powerbelt, and I will never know why because I didn't recover him. I can tell you that I am more confident with a 350 gr FPB bullet that is a lead alloy than I was with the 348 aerotip. One of those FPB kills was at a steep uphill angle and busted through the upper leg bone (humerus) at the elbow and took out the heart. That is probably the heaviest bone in the body. There is no way that would have happened with a powerbelt. The FPB flies accurately, is a tougher constructed bullet that mushrooms well, and is cheaper than powerbelts. What is not to love?

However, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, so your set up is a great one for you.

Ya know, if someone would just make a bullet that's perfect with all guns this discussion would be over.....LOL


Until then, I'll give these new bullets a chance.

Here is the response I got from The Colorado DOW:

David-


Since this is a new muzzleloading technology, our Regulations and Law Enforcement personnel are looking into the legalities of the bullet for Colorado muzzleloading seasons. We will be in touch with you regarding our decision on this new bullet.


Thanks,
Ryan

I'd be willing to bet that they outlaw it for the ML season. Since it's not a bore-sized conical without the sleeve.

like a powerbelt or a harvester sabertooth?

True, but they don't have sleeves for the bearing surface.

How much do you want to bet that they ban it?

who knows. The fools were stupid enough to tell us before the bullet length could not exceed twice the bores diameter.

Can someone please answer a question for me? Why in gods name even bring the projectile up in conversation with the DNR, I mean let em figure this stuff out right. They get paid to do this kind of work just for us tax payers to do their job for them and let them know the latest and greatest things?

Empowering them simply is not helping us. I'm going off the rules and regulations and nothing in there says anything about this type of bullet period.

my thoughts as well, always gotta be someone that goes to tattle and ask the wrong person lol.

I don't see it that way at all. If you read Tx's post, it says CP&W was already looking at these, and you can bet there are lots of ML hunters in CO who don't even like the idea of in-lines that already brought it to their attention, hoping these would be banned.

I will be interested to hear the answer. I only hunt with a muzzleloader in CO. I might give 'em a try but I would not waste my time and money on 'em until I was sure they'd be legal.

It'd be a waste to buy 'em, shoot 'em, work up good loads and such, and then hear they'd been banned.

considering they are not even out on the market yet, i dont think anyone will be spending money on them for a few months.

True. But even so, some people are quoting prices for them on the internet.

Hydra: You could make a case (and they might) that this is a modified sabot) You don't really think that they aren't on top of new products/bullets?? Sorry, but I am not going to take a questionable bullet/powder/gun into the field without knowing if they are legal. Like Smoke, I am guessing they will not allow them due to the plastic sleeve being the rifling contact point. I am unclear if the bullet obturates and engages the rifling or if just the plastic. If just the plastic, it will probably not be allowed. If the bullet itself also enlarges and egages the rifling, them maybe. That said, you would think that the manufacturers of the bullet would be doing some research and visit with states to try and grease the skids for legality.

That said, if legal, I will give them a looksee and consider using them. Also, I don't want to invest considerable time and money into trying them and get them sighted in just to have them declared not legal just before I go. I only hunt with conicals, so before I go with something new like this, I want to know if it will be legal.

Bigb: Tattling?? Every time I think you might have grown up some.........

Their website makes it sound like the copper part of the bullet doesn't engage the rifling. And even if some states outlaw it, they'll still have plenty of others to market it in so I doubt they're worried about that. Just look at how many different sabots are on the market.

I thought I might try these, but at 270 grains, I'm not so sure. I kind of like heavier bullets.

No what I'm saying is let them figure it out. I understand that you and a few people including myself want to know, but I'm not going to email the DNR if I see something. Yea, working up a load is a PITA but it still is fun regardless and you'll most likely use it in another state anyway.

I'm sure their inbox is bursting at the seams of all the emails regarding a bullet that isn't even out yet. Seriously, it's not like they get emailed on the newest things out there before they put the idea into a machine. Seeing that we are just catching on I'm sure we are some of the first to know.

I know the reason behind the ML regulation here in CO and I'm sorry IMHO a sabot isn't going to kill the hunt, in fact it will help place humane
shots and it's legal for use in the general season anyway. I like the loose powder and iron sites, but sabots come on!

What are the actual hard book regulations? Where does this idea of "bullet engage rifling" provision come in?



Edit<-- I can only find this:

MUZZLELOA DING RIFLES & SMOOTH BORE MUSKETS

a. Only legal muzzleloaders allowed in muzzleloading
seasons.
b. In-line muzzleloaders are legal.
c. Must be a single barrel that fires a single round ball or
conical projectile.
d. To hunt deer, pronghorn or bear, they must be minimum
of .40 caliber.
e. To hunt elk or moose, they must be minimum of .50
caliber.
f. From .40 caliber to .50 caliber, bullets must weigh a minimum 170 grains.
g. If greater than .50 caliber, bullets must weigh a minimum 210 grains.
h. Shotshell primers are legal.
i. Pelletized powder systems prohibited in muzzleloading seasons.
j. Cannot be loaded from the breech in muzzleloading seasons.
k. Only open or iron sights allowed in muzzleloading seasons. Fiber optics
and fluorescent paint incorporated into or on open or iron sights are
legal. Scopes or any sighting device using artificial light, batteries and
electronic gear are prohibited during muzzleloading seasons.
l. Sabots are prohibited in muzzleloading seasons. Cloth patches are not
sabots.
m. Smokeless powder prohibited in muzzleloading seasons. Black powder
and black-powder substitutes are legal.
n. Electronic or battery-powered devices cannot be incorporated into or
attached to muzzleloader during muzzleloading seasons.