Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado Muzzleloader Elk Load

I know this has been discussed before but I figured why not bring it up again. What is your GO TO load for Colorado muzzleloader elk hunting?

Father in law sprung it on me that he would like to go again. Usually he can get a line on land owner vouchers without much trouble. We both would have a 50/50 shot in the draw. Either way, it is probable that we will be elk hunting near Cotopaxi come September. Last time around he it a bull broadside at 100yards with a powerbelt over 90 grains of 777. We did not recover his bull. That gun shoots the PBs well but I am contemplating trying out some other bullets at the range. Perhaps something a little harder or heavier. I was not present when he shot said bull last year so I do not know whether it was a “good hit” or not. In my opinion, if it were a good hit he would have more elk in the freezer than he currently does.

Not saying it wasn't a good hit, but a lot of bullet failures are blamed on the bullet and not the shooter.

I have killed more than a few elk,bulls and cows with the Powerbelts, using both 295 gr and 348,but I do prefer the 348's .I have used 777, Black Powder (90 gr each) and BH209.I was using 100 gr of theBH 209 , but cut back to 90.

I have also killed elk with the Maxiball in a side lock using BP, Pyrodex, and 777. The Powerbelt is just a fancy Maxiball.ie, pure lead.Push it too fast and it will expand to much just like a C&C bulletin a center fire rifle.

I am sure others will chime in about the Powerbelt being not adequate though

I'd go heavy conical, whatever one your rifle shoots best. I never had penetration issues with maxiballs.

I use the 348 grain Powerbelt ahead of 80 grains Blackhorn 209 because it's an accurate load. Haven't lost one yet. I wouldn't go smaller for elk and like SS said, they don't need to be pushed hard.

In my experience maxiballs do penetrate but don’t expand much and kind of pencil through. The cow I shot this fall with a 370 grain maxiball lived for ~1.5 hours after I shot her through the lungs. I’m switching to Parker Hydra-con ( https://parker-productions-llc.myshopify.com/collections/hydra-con ). A friend has been shooting them for a few years with better success. For a state that restricts to all lead there aren’t a lot of bullet options that result in quick kills. The only one I’ve seen shot with a powerbelt was hit behind the ear. He didn’t go anywhere but down.

Colorado does not restrict to all lead bullets, bullets just have to be bore-sized, (no sabots) which eliminates a lot of solid copper bullets (but not all as in Thor). The PBs I shoot are copper plated.

Thanks for the correction. I was mistaken and thought CO had similar laws to ID

You're welcome nimrod.

My go-to load for everything nowadays is the Thor 250 gr. bullet, ahead of 120 gr. of Blackhorn 209 powder and ignited with 209M primers. Rifle is a TC Omega .50 cal. This all-copper bullet simply takes problems of lead bullets out of play.

How does the Thor shoot for you and was it much of a chore to find the right diameter?

Also, how easy are they to load, resistance-wise? Thanks.

I am going to be experimenting with the Federal BOR Lock https://federalpremium.com/muzzlelo...loader-bullet-with-b-o-r-lock-mz-system/ and the Hornady FPB https://www.hornady.com/muzzleloading/fpb-muzzleloading

I noticed in the literature it depicts a deer in the use column for both. I wonder if they are saying they are not suitable for elk. Also have you run the bor-lock bullet past CPW( Colorado ) to see if they are acceptable for use? They may interpret it as a sabot

The Power Belts have a very poor reputation- just look at the reviews for them. Your dad's story is typical of the powerbelt reviews. They are an extremely soft bullet that will flatten out like a pancake and not create an exit. Try something besides a Powerbelt.

No different than pure lead bullets. As I mentioned earlier, most that complain push them too fast.

Never been a problem for the dozen or so I've seen killed with PBs.

Legal with DOW

I shoot Thor and Blackhorn too. You can get a sizing pack of bullets for free to figure out what fits your gun. I use the .502 in my Vortek.

Thanks. How hard are they to ram down the bore? Never messed with solid copper ML bullets.

I read somewhere that they are coming out with a one size fits all bullet.I have not seen or heard of it since though

i've killed several colorado elk with a 50 cal muzzle loader and 348gr powerbelts. i've used hollow points for all but one elk. 777 powder in 90 or 100grs has been deadly for me, as has pyrodex. i think powerbelts have a long record for killing elk. they've always worked for myself and a couple buds i hunt with. thor bullets are equally good. hope you find a combo that works for you.

I just my Colorado 2018 brochure. 50 Caliber round balls are now illegal for elk. .54 caliber round balls in now the minimum for elk. 50 caliber conical are still legal for elk. It's on page 13. Bob

That'll piss some people off.

The .502 goes down better than the Powerbelts I was shooting.

Never used a round ball for elk. I've taken 9 of them with a muzzle loader. In the 50's I used a sabot with a 45 cal Hornady 250 gr hollow point XTP and in the 54, a 600 grain maxiball. Talk about a thumper !

For those that are the traditional mountain man types, this will surely put a cramp in their style.

Gracias.

I have an Omega also. I've never been able to get any consistency out of it with full bore lead bullets. What diameter Thors are you shooting?

Maxiballs are a lead alloy. They're harder than some other lead bullets. Too hard for deer in my opinion but I shot a 5x5 in Colorado in 2006 with them. Quartering towards me at 70 yards it went through the shoulder and lungs and ended up under the hide at the back of the rib cage. Bull went 60 yards and was down. I was shooting a T/C Firehawk 110 gr load of 777 with a fiber wad under the bullet.

[quote=Bill
Maxiballs are a lead alloy. [/quote]

HUH!!!!. Everyone I ever cast and bought has been pure lead.Instructions on most old Sidelocks which they were mostly used in were always to use pure lead.I would think a lead alloy would be very hard to load since you have to engage/cut the rifling into the maxiball as it is loaded

I am on my third barrel of my TC Hawkin and has never shot a lead alloy

Are use the federal BOR like 350 lead. I’m not a fan of the 270 copper after some issues with deer

HUH!!!!. Everyone I ever cast and bought has been pure lead.Instructions on most old Sidelocks which they were mostly used in were always to use pure lead.I would think a lead alloy would be very hard to load since you have to engage/cut the rifling into the maxiball as it is loaded

I am on my third barrel of my TC Hawkin and has never shot a lead alloy
[/quote]

Not trying to start an argument here but how are they harder than Maxi-Hunters if there isn't something added to the lead?
If you cast your own they are whatever you poured.

For whatever reason they are also the most accurate bullet I've found for my Firehawk. Maybe because they are sized for T/C barrels but there is also the rate of twist factor. My Firehawk is 1-38" and my Omega is 1-20 or 1-28" (I forget which) but it seems too fast for the Maxi-balls or any other lead based bullet.

Well, I plan to start testing in a couple weeks. I’ll let you guys know what I decide.

What make and model is your gun? You might get some input from others with the same gun. I would look into an aperture sight also.

As an ML elk hunter I cast my own conical's. 50% lead,50% scrap wheel weights. .Pure lead some times is just to soft at around a Brn 6. Mix 50,50 lead,WW( Brn 11.5 ) & you get about Brn.8.to 9. Still soft enough to ram down the barrel but considerably tougher to deliver deeper penetration. Some times complete. Holds the rifling better in my :Lyman Great Plains 54 giving better accuracy than pure lead. Just a thought for what it's worth.

I have a TON of different muzzleloaders but my favorites are the T/C Omegas. I do like how light the Triumphs are as well. So either way I would be carrying a T/C and so would my father in law.

I have an Omega and a Firehawk. I tried most of the lead conicals out there in it and couldn't get much better than a 3" group at 100 yds and that was with Maxi-balls. I've heard that Hornady FPB's shoot well out of an Omega. I like the looks of the Thor bullets. I think I'd start with those two if I were using my Omega. I put a Williams peep sight on it but the stock front sight is too high for that sight. I'd look at other options for a peep on the Omega.

The Firehawk loves the Maxi-balls. I shot some cloverleaf groups at 100 with it and had shot it out to 200 yds with the T/C peep sight.

To fix that problem I bought a higher FO sight. Removed the FO fiber and then filed the remaining blade down to the correct heigth and width.Wasn't much of a problem

I'll second the 120 grains of Blackhorn 209 and a 250 grain Thor copper bullet. Pretty much a Barnes Triple Shock. I spoke to the owner and I think he works with Barnes for muzzle loaders. I also put a Williams Peep Sight on mine with a fiberoptic front sight and it makes a world of diffence over iron sights. Killed a pretty good bull at 140 yards last year with this combo from my TC Bone Collector 50. Whole different ball game than the old 54 Renegade and the 435 grain Buffalo bullets and 90 or 100 grains of Pyrodex.

Hornady FPB 350’s shoot well out of my Omega, my best groups came with 90 grains of blackhorn 209.

I have an old FireHawk that shoots the Maxi Balls just fine also. I would like to put a peep sight on it but presently it has a scope on it. I need to pull it out and clean it again like I do every year. For my hunting in Texas I have gone with green sabots, a 300 grain Nosler JHP in .429 diameter on top of 90 grains of 3F Black. Seems to work every time on deer and the spring black powder feral hog hunts we have on the WMA's. I never bought any MaxiBalls, just cast my own from pure lead. Tried Wheel weights once, yep hard to load!

I've shot a half dozen or so elk with a 295gr powerbelt. None went more than 20 yards. I don;t like recoil so I chose the 295 over the 348. Can't argue my results. I know several men that pile them up with the 348.

Thought about this over the weekend and recalled a discussion on another board about using peep sights on the Omega. It seems TC made a shorter barrel Omega for awhile that had a lower front sight for use with a Williams sight. You may be able to get one directly from TC rather than modifying what you have.

The Williams peep will work fine, The only better option for the Omega that I'm aware of is the XS which is a good rugged sight but it's at least 2x the price of a Williams. It comes with a front sight blade though.

TC made a really nice peep sight for the Thunderhawk/Firehawk. I have one on my Firehawk and it has screw type adjustments on it. I don't see anything like it available from TC now. It seems like they recognize that most inlines are scoped.

I tried a peep on mine, didn't like it. Its great in good light but not good (for me) in poor light. And yes, during legal shooting hours when I can see and identify game.

I use a ghost ring peep and helps with lower light shooting. I had more difficulty seeing my German silver blade and buckhorns. In good light, I can draw a finer bead though with the silver blade. Probably need to draw another muzzleloader tag this year for something.

I put a Ghost Ring sight on my CVA Optima which is my spare muzzy. That rifle likes the Platinum Power Belts better than the Thors. I haven't killed anything with it yet but it is good to have a spare when you are out in the middle of nowhere. In 2016 used the TC Triumph with the Thors up in Wyo on an antelope at 125 yds. Pretty darn flat for a muzzle loader and hits hard. I have killed 6 or 8 bulls with the TC Renegade 54 with the 435 grain Buffalo Bullets which sure kills hell out of em. Kind of like hitting them with a big rock. But for me with iron sights 100 yards was pushing it. The inline Triumph with the Thors and Blackhorn 209 is a game changer for sure. Certainly not a traditional muzzle loader.

Like anything else they're not for everyone. When I started using one at the range I thought the aperture was too restrictive to my vision of the target. After I got used to it I took the aperture out of the sight expecting my group size would open up but that didn't happen. I find it easy to look over the sight to watch an animal or wait for a shot.

I have a TC Renegade with a 50 and a 54 caliber barrel for it that I use as my iron sight rifles and if I ever go to Colorado on a muzzleloader elk hunt that rifle would probably get the nod. I shoot it with the 50 cal. barrel at muzzleloader shoots and sometimes hunt with the 54 cal. barrel. I like round balls but also have a mini ball mold for the 54. I would be more tempted to put a reciever sight on the 54 caliber barrel. I think though I would have no problem hitting an elk in the right place with it as is to 125 yards.

A couple of Maxi-balls that came out of the bull I shot in Colorado. He was down after the first shot but was trying to get up on a steep slope and we didn't want him going any further downhill.

Smokepole, is that the silver bullet with blue plastic base and will it penetrate through a bulls shoulder? Thanks.

No, it's copper coated. I've shot one through a bulls's scapula, but nothing thicker.

Thanks. I had used some of the silver ones years ago on deer and had heard they were a bit soft for elk. If i go for elk i will take your findings into account. Thanks again and take care and good fortune in your hunting endeavours. Jag

I have a t c omega and tried the Thor bullets with no success. One was too large to ram down the bore and the others werent tight enough to get decent groups with.

Thanks Jag. They are soft, so don't use a ot of powder behind them. Have you tried the Hornady FPBs? They shoot pretty well in my Triumph.

250 Thor. One Shot One Kill.

OK, I got Thor bullets to send me a sizing pack. Kind of confused as to what size is correct. Obviously the .500 are too small as I can shake the barrel and get the bullet to fall through. But the .501 through .503 all feel exactly the same while pushing through with my range rod....VERY TIGHT!

Looking for suggestions.

T/C Omega

I'd start a thread in the muzzleloader forum on this. You should get some input from guys that use them. There was a long thread there a year or so ago. Maybe you can search for it.

Dunno. I have only shot the .500's in my Triumph somebody gave me to try. It doesn't fall down the barrel even with a clean barrel. Seats good against the powder with the ramrod. Shots after the first one are tighter to ram down obviously as the barrel gets dirty but can shoot several with Blackhorn 209 without cleaning.

It seems strange that the .500 is so loose and the .501-.503 are so tight.

Agreed. Are you lubing the bullets at all? I went on the website and noticed they make a "one size fits all" bullet now. It has slots in the skirt to make loading easier.

No I am not lubing them. But seriously, if I drop a .500 in the barrel and bounce the butt pad on my floor the bullet will fall all the way to the breech. Then the .501-.503 are super tight and require much force.

E.A. Brown makes a scope base with a peep sight, so that you can use a scope where allowed and the peep in Colorado. When I mounted one on my Omega (the old stainless laminate version, but not the short one) it worked fine. Hint: Adjust the peep using the rear fiber optic, before removing the fiber optic.
I've always been nearsighted but age has crept up on me and i should be using bifocals. Rear fiber optics tend to overpower the front sight. I really like the rear peep with a front fiber optic.

Mark, I'd try the .501's based on what I've read about these bullets. I would call the company and ask about the one size fits all bullets too. No harm in putting some bore butter on the bullets unless the instructions say not to.