Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Shooting Thor bullets

I got a sample (4 bullets) in an assortment of sizes to figure out which size my rifle wanted. It ended up taking the .500" Thor Bullet.

These are Solid copper conicals with a hollow base that flares out and grips the rifling. The head of the bullet is also hollow and of course, The plastic tip is shoved into that hole.





The blue color in the base of the bullet is just color coding for the size of the bullet. This one for instance is .503" Dia. Much to big for any of my rifles.


.500" Thor started into the muzzle of my CVA Mountain Stalker .50cal Loaded with 90gr 3f Goex.


First shot @ 20 yards, off hand into my sand trap.


Thor plowed through this cement like sand mixture. This is only half of the actual sand that was in the bucket. The Thor blew that other half into chucks and exited my bucket.
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm53/thepowerbeltforum/Thor%20Bullets/250grThor003.jpg[/img]


My next test was with the .501" Thor and it was a Super Tight fit. So tight, i had to use a small hammer and pound it down onto the powder. This rifle wants only the .500" Thor!!

Now i figured a nice seasoned 9" log of cedar would catch it as its caught every other bullet ive shot into. This was at 5 yards with the same load.
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm53/thepowerbeltforum/Thor%20Bullets/250grThor005.jpg[/img]

Exit,
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm53/thepowerbeltforum/Thor%20Bullets/250grThor004.jpg[/img]

Internal,
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm53/thepowerbeltforum/Thor%20Bullets/250grThor006.jpg[/img]

Two Shots, Two Exits through tough material :shock:

I plan on building a new sand trap thats 24" long and 12" Square to see if i can catch them the next time i get some to test out.

This bullet does seem to be an execellent bullet and left me in shock after only 2 shots.

BB, is this Thor bullet manufactured by Powerbelt Mfg?
I am very interested in it for my T/C Greyhawk.

I got my bullets today so i took a Cabelas Sporterized Hawken .50cal out to my 100 yard range. My first shot was at my sand bucket so i could recover the bullet ( I did!!) and my next 3 shots were at the target.

I ordered the .500" 247gr Colorado Thor and on a clean bore, they will lift off the charge but once you foul it, they stay in place tight. This rifle will be using a fouled bore during hunting season.




Accuracy - My first outing i was pretty over heated with firing 3 rifles and getting everything on.

First 3 shot group @ 100 yards.
I was damn happy with this group because this rifle has a 1:48 twist and supposedly wasnt supposed to do to great with these bullets. My guess is due to the length but im a believer in the words "You'll never know, Until you try"


After the 4 shots, i took it home and swabbed the barrel clean and took a rest to settle the nerves and measure out more powder charges and to weigh the bullets on my scale.

I used (94 grains by weight) Goex 3f in this rifle and the fouling was very acceptable.

Accuracy again, Pretty darn awesome! I blew shot #3 probably due to running up and down the range after each shot but thats okay, thats what you do when you're in the field hunting.

Shot #1 left a big smile on my face ear to ear.


I do plan on swabbing between shots just to see if accuracy will get even better or if it will do the opposite.

It was an awesome day and the rifle is now ready for hunting season after just 7 shots!

BB,

Where did you get yours from? Their website only list .501, .502, and 503.

HaYen

The website has not yet been updated. Barnes actually produces these under contract i believe, for Thor bullets. If you email thor and ask for their sample pack, they'll send you all 4 sizes so you can find the one that fits your barrel. A couple sheets of info and what bullets are available are also included.

I think the TC Greyhawk would do pretty well with these. My first time out with them i was pretty impressed.

Thanks BB, I will do that.

90gr 3f goex, 247gr colorado thor @100 yards. Same cabelas hawken. Only thing different was that my ol pappy was doing the shooting.


Tested the colorado thor @ 50 yards into a water jug / damp sand.
90gr pyrodex RS.





[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/...ts/247gr%20Colorado/247Thor-Test2006.jpg[/img]

soooo perrrdy. I tried to order some but the guy insisted he send me a sample pack ... ok.

yes! be sure you get the sample pack (free) so you can figure out what diameter bullet you need. If you go one size to big, they wont load.

Got the sample pack today and made a bee line to the range. I started with the .500 in a clean barrel. It went down a little tight (about 20-30PSI). Very accurate!!! I did pull a knuckle head move though. I wanted to shoot it with 110grs of BH209, but instead put APP down the pipe. Oh well no worries.

Thanks BigBlock for the info. I'll be ordering me some.

20-30lbs is perfect, exactly what they call for.

Heres how the .500 247gr Colorado Thor shoots in my CVA Accura with 110gr Pyrodex RS @ 100 yards.

Installed the Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40 on the Accura and sighted in with 90gr pyrodex RS and the 250gr Harvester Sabertooth bullets. I wanted to save the thors as i only have 19 left out of 82

The sabertooths and Thors shoot the same POI so thats a great thing.

My first 3 shots with the Thors at 100 yards ( 110gr RS/ W209 Primer) I allowed a 4 minute cool down and shot a Quarter size hole. Shots #2 and #3 are basically in the same hole, but as you can see from shot #1 the difference in the size of the hole.

Im impressed! When my brother in law and i go for his new mexico deer/elk hunt we will be sighting in with the 250gr Ballistic Tip Thor. He has a deer hunt in Sept - 4 days after my hunt ends in colorado ( Be nice and tired for his hunt) . He also has a cow elk hunt in mid/late December.

Im all finished shooting the Accura until hunting season is here! My open sights were adjusted in a way so i could mount the scope without removing them and having to resight in.






Now the 2 shots in the black were my final 2 shots, i didnt give them any time to cool down. Just shot and reloaded as fast as possible. Also note the taped up hole above the 3 shot group. That is were the 250gr Sabertooth conicals impact with 90gr RS.

My deer hunt is on Oct 30th in Unit 9 (next door to the Grand Canyon). Some members of the Game and Fish Department have asked that we not use lead bullets in that area. There are some portions of the unit that are very thick and you won't get off a 100 yard shot. For those area's I'll be taking the ML with Thor bullets and for the longer shots, the 30-06 with a 130gr TSX.

Just out of curiosity, why did they ask that no lead bullets be used?

California Condors nest there. Its actually a funny situation. There is a difference of option among the G&F employees. A letter goes out to everyone that got drawn in and around that area asking to use non-leaded ammo. When I mentioned to a couple of G&F educators, that I was scrambling to load some non-L's the last time I hunted that unit, they actually got upset at me. They felt that I was "giving in to pressure" and people like me would contribute to a total ban of leaded ammunition. I'd gotten some PM's from people on the CampFire that felt the same. And here I was thinking I was doing a responsible thing. :-)

I still hunt with leaded ammo, just not up there.

Hayen, what rifle are you going to shoot them out of?

Also, theres not a damn thing wrong with switching to a copper bullet. If you want to respect the land around you and the wildlife, i give you 2 thumbs up for that + another 2 thumbs up for putting up with those who talk down on you for just wanting to help out in your hunting area. Its obviously not a law in your area to shoot strictly copper/brass, but you chose to do so to help out a little with the wildlife, i respect you for that.

IMO i dont care what anyone else shoots as long as its legal. I'll shoot what i want to shoot & i expect everyone else to do as they wish.

Well, the reason I asked the question is because finding non-leaded bullets for muzzleloaders, finding the right size, and getting them to shoot ain't quite as easy as it is for centerfires so the request might seem a little unreasonable to someone shooting a muzzleloader. Thor bullets shoot well in your rifle and that's great, but maybe they don't shoot well in others--what then if you can't use sabots?

Plus, the one knock I've heard on all copper bullets used in centerfires is the tendency to fail to open at low velocities. Muzzleloaders = low velocities, so it's reasonable to ask if bullet upset (or lack thereof) will be an issue with muzzleloaders. It'll be interesting to see how the all-copper ML bullets perform on game as opposed to sand.

Add to that the fact that with a bore-sized conical, nothing you can do will make it go fast so you're banking on a heavy, slow-moving projectile to do the job, and many times, heavier=better because a heavy slug has more momentum, and more momentum = more penetration. So using a lighter (copper) projectile seems to be possibly moving in the wrong direction as far as effectiveness goes.

Killing the animal as quickly and humanely as possible with a clean, one-shot kill is the goal, and using a bullet that performs (and has been demonstrated to perform) is respecting the animal every bit as much as anything else written here.

120gr RS with the 250gr thor gets you 2031 fps. Thats plenty to open them up. Heck, they open up with 90gr rs @ 100 yards.

The Thor is made by Barnes. Its going to open up!!

Well, when you recover some from animals, you'll know whether they open up. I just re-read HaYen's post and realized he can use a centerfire so it's not such a big deal but if he was just shooting a muzzleloader, it would be.

Thor has a hard time recovering these bullets. The owner shot a 1900lb buffalo and it went in and out. I'll be shooting them this season so we will find out how much damage they cause!!

smokepole if you were in Oregon and hunting during ML
you can only use round lead or mini ball(can't be more than twice as long as dia.) no glass only open or a basic peep sight and
cap must be exposed to the weather at all times and no 209
caps. Is truly primitive hunting. Cheers NC

That's what I'm talikng about. I'll be shooting FPBs that are Colorado-legal with the hollow point filled with lead, we'll do a side-by-side comparison.

Thanks BigBlock for the compliment.

I just emailed them today for my free sample packet.

Was anyone tryed these in a White muzzleloader yet??? I have called 3 times and just get a recording! John

Got my sample pak today and look forward to playing w/ them. I will probly stay w/ the No-Excusses this yr since it's all dialed in. Thanks for the heads up!!!! --Allen--

John, i know they make the Thor in .503" but im not sure if that would be enough for the white. I never called them before, i only emailed so far. They answer my email within 1 day. I'd send them an email and request the free sample pack so you can figure out if the .503" thor will work.

I still have my .501, .502, and .503 if you want them.

HaYen

BB, I got my sample pack today...not sure when I will be able to go out and try it but hopefully soon.....thanks for posting about these.

Good luck tom, Find which one fits!

They are scary accurate once you find the right load!

110gr Pyrodex RS (75.8gn by Weight), Winchester 777 Primers, 250gr Ballistic Tip Thor @ 100 yards, 3 shot group.



Tested the 250 BT Thor @ 50 yards today into a water jug / Sand.
Zero Weight loss.




[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/...ullets/250gr%20Ballistic%20Tip/face4.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/...ullets/250gr%20Ballistic%20Tip/face5.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/...ullets/250gr%20Ballistic%20Tip/face7.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/...ullets/250gr%20Ballistic%20Tip/face9.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/...ullets/250gr%20Ballistic%20Tip/face8.jpg[/img]

Man they shoot good for you.
I love how they open up to a mushroomed thing of beauty....deer are going to die.

Finally got to try these out for size.
My muzzleloader is a T/C Greyhawk and it wanted the .502's
I only used 90 Grains of Pyrodex and at 75 yds was a hair left to where my other bullets would hit....not bad. (course thats only 1 bullet)
Velocity wise I got 1394 fps.
I think while shooting these I need to bump up the velo.
Now I need to order a bunch of .502's
Thanks for the lead on these Bigblock.

Tom, great looking rifle!! Im surprised it used the .502!! i wish my sidelocks would have a bore in that range so i could shoot the thors.

If thats a 1:48 twist, look for a charge in the 100-110gr area to get them to fly tight.

Thanks BigBlock when I get my bullets I will definately be pushing up the powder.
It is a 1-48 too.

bigblock,

Those really are impressive looking bullets. Thanks for sharing that info and now to get my sample pack.!!!

Also, what is that gadget on the end of your ram rod? I like that idea. Homemade? or did you buy it.

Chris

Thats actually a Powerbelt Aerotip bullet loader attachment. It helps hold the bullet and doesnt mess up the tip of the Aerotip. Thor has their own, i have 2 of them but they are a little to big for my bore size. I plan on using some sand paper and turning them down a couple thousandths. Cabelas sells something that looks like it, its called the Spinjag.

bigblock, thanks for that information. I'll add to the post after I do some shootin with these bullets. Good thread!

Chris

I shoot a bullet similar to the Thor, its Hornady�s 350gr FPB. But I like how Thor offers the size increments, I�ll have to try them. I found this tool that helps me load the FPB. Maybe it will work with the Thor bullets, I'll get back to ya when I get the Thor bullets. I haven�t found any spinjag products at cabelas or walmart. Try here

Bump
Any new info on the Thor M L bullets ?

Thanks

I ordered the free sample pack two days ago for my 50 cal. they told me they would be sending me 4 bullets in 250g cause thats what they have the most of. sizes I would be getting are .500",.501",.502" and .503"

http://thorbullets.com/Home_Page.html

Wait till the Thor II comes out. Its a one size fits most kind of deal.

A graphite coating on a .500" bullet and the lower section of the bullet has a final coating thickness of .5045"

All you need it just a light wrap on a bullet starter and shes down and ready.

thats good news...wish I would have know about that a couple days ago...I spoke to the owner, I would have ask.
Super nice folks over at thor by the way.

Thanks for the tip on the new bullet.

Heres the Thor II

I'm liking the looks of those.

Range report needed ...........

BigBlock could I ask what powder you hunt with? Do you use the pellets just for the ease during practice. I use BH 209 for everything. Hadn't thought about using the pellets for practice......Thanks

Blackhorn209 as of last year. 43 cans of it actually LOL. I pre measure my loads and put them into lanes powder tubes.

Pellets suck! I seriously hate the having to swab between shots.

Thor II look really nice.

I will give them a call on Monday.

So the Thor 2's are avl. now??

Blackhorn209....Will this work with musket caps in an inline??seems I read 209's were best/needed. I plan on getting away from pellets just hand two boxes giving to me so I am going to burn them up anmd the make a move back to loose

No, it needs a sealed breech plug and 209 primers.

Thor II's are not available yet, i will have to check and see when they will be.

Thanks for the help BB

Same here..

samples arrived today..
.500-to small
.501-fit and went down the barrel without alot of force,groves cut into skirt
.502-snug, had to work at it some
.503-nogo

any thoughts BB??

any word on the Thor2's?

.501" is the way to go! Light grooves in the bullet and not having to pull your nuts out of your boot after its seated = perfect!

Emailing Terry right now about the Thor II

Sounds good BB..

Would you run the 300g or 250g for Elk/Deer(Elk being your #1)

I run the 250gr for elk. I feel it will do everything that the 300gr will do, only with less recoil. Both shoot excellent so i shoot to use the lighter weigh thor as im skinny lol.

good deal...welp as soon as I hear back about the thor 2's I will be placing an order for some 250's.
you been a lot of help, many thx

No trouble at all. I will let you know what terry says.

BB, are the thor plastic tips legal in colorado? Also, how much BH powder would you rec. in a 50 tc omega with the 250 thor. Does anyone else have experience with Thor sizes in a Omega? thanks

90-110 grains for starters.

Yes they are legal in colorado. We finally got rid of that bullet length restriction!

TC bore sizes are all over the place so make sure you get that sizing sample, extremely important!

thanks for the timely info.

I had a nice chat with Terry's wife today on the phone, nice Lady. I have ordered my sample pack, be in the Mail soon.

They should shoot just fine, I hope.

odered some 250g .501's today. I ask about the thor 2's and was told it would be fall before they are avl. in limited #'s to a few people. also the stuff they offer now would still be avl. down the road

got my order in of 100 250gr .500 Thors so i will be trying them in my new optima. Apparently Thor is refining the Thor II again so this should be interesting to see what comes out next.

got my 501's today, headed to the range on thursday...yee ha

Anybody shoot these beyond 100yds? I'd like to know what the trajectory is like, if this is a 200yd bullet @ ~ 1,700fps.

email Thor and let him know what kind of velocity you're shooting, he should be able to run those numbers.

I know that with a weak 105gr pyrodex rs charge, i was 18" low at 200 yards with a dead on sight in at 100.

hay big block igot the .500 to fit in my kodak the other bullets are way to tight do you have any experince with lyman barrels does anyone knowwhat size bore they havethe .500 and .501 i used so i am going to order some .500 and hope for the best

i have one cabelas hawken " same company that makes lyman barrels" and we had to use the .501 BUT it fit a bit loose down towards the plug due to the barrel being inconsistent in bore size from point A to point B. So you may have a little trouble in that department.

Thats great news they will work in your kodiak!

I did some shooting a couple days ago at 150 yards and will be sure to post a range report when i get the pics uploaded.

Ok this bullet looks awesome, but where are the .45s? I shoot mostly the .45 now, seems they would be a great seller. A 200-220 grainer would be nice.

Thanks,

Don

Question, I have a friend, he would like to know if the Thor bullets will shoot out of a 1-28 barrel.?

I have yet to shoot any Thor bullets yet.

Thanks for the 411

You need to PM bigblock 455 above. He knows all about shooting them in his CVA and they are 1:28.

Yes the Thors will do great in the 1:28 twists as well as in the 1:48 twist barrels.

The .45cal thors are not available yet, they are having a heck of a time making them due to all the different bore sizes the .45cal brands are made in.

Any guestimate on when they will be available?

Thanks,

Don

Ive tried TC SHOCKWAVES and they shot good but they werent very good on the deer once they hit, I lost several due to no expansion, just pass throughs and little or no blood. I really like XTP bullets though. How do the Thors compare to XTP as far as performance after they actually hit the deer. Are the better or at least as good as an XTP bullet?

The Thor is actually a barnes and the holes they leave behind are huge. We've only shot one buck so far but he dropped on the spot.

I have some pictures and will post them as soon as i finish up shooting.

Ok heres the animal we took with the 250gr Ballistic Tip Thor at 175 yards shooting a light load of 105gr Pyrodex RS, Winchester 777 primer. This load dropped 18" at 200 yards which basically meant, aim 2 or 3" high on the back and its going down. We now shoot blackhorn209 which is a lot hotter and they will shoot flatter now. Around 8 or 9" low @ 200 yards. I still have to check on the range to be certain.

Bullet entered high forward shoulder


Busted spine and broke the upper shoulder blade on the opposite " exit side" in half. Deer dropped in his shadow.


Recovered bullet under the skin. Bullet put ALL of its energy into that animal where its needed.




My brother in law that shot the deer on opening day. We still make fun of him for shooting a fork horn on morning one LOL.

btt for pretty informative thread