Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders pistol bullets for muzzleloaders?

Hey guys I asked this question awhile back in here but cant find the thread so please refresh my memory. I was told you can use pistol bullets and plastic sabots in 50cal muzzleloaders. Are any of you guys doing this and if so what do you use/prefer? Thanks

I use Hornady 45 cal. 451 or 452 dia. XTP hp (240---300 gr ) pistol bullets with a black sabot for deer. Work great. Hope to try them on black bear this fall.My shoots are mostly under a 100 yards.Rifle used in TC black diamond,,Night, and Tc Impact, Impact is new this year but it shoots great.

I use a Hornady XTP 45 cal 300gr. I also really like the 44cal 300gr XTP but it does not shoot well in my current Muzzle loader. I use a harvaster sabot 54 cal and shoot 45 cal bullets. I shoot triple 777, 105grs for loose powder. This load give me about 1 1/2 groups at 100 yds. At 150 yds I can hold on the top of the deers back and drop it in the vitals.

Speer 454 Casull 300g Deep Curl is a great ML bullet...give it a try! You got my word,you will not be disappointed

Coyotewalace, does that the deep curl expand for you at max range? I tried the Hornady 50cal 350gr XTP magnum bullet. It shot well but did not expand on deer I shot at 157yards. I recovered the bullet in pristine condiction for the bank behind the deer.I am guessing that it was not going fast enough to expand. I am going to try th Hornady flex tip 458,325gr next. I want to see if t will dd a bit to effective range. I am shoting th 45 cal 300 xtp. It shoots well but I am still looking for something better.

I've run a few 250 grain SWCs out of my .58 cal TC. It didn't shoot well enough on paper to be interesting. I still have one box of old Speer 200 grain "flying ashtrays" to try. I don't plan to use 'em on game, I just think around 2000 fps they ought to really ruin a possum's day. In other words, nothin' serious, just something to [bleep] with when I'm bored.

Looks like Hornady has caught on to this out by packaging the XPT bullets and sabots together at a price point that's hard to beat by buying components separately in bulk.

Where do you buy the black sabots for a 50 cal from? I am tired of paying $25 bucks for 15 TC bullets with sabots included in the nice plastic pack, its a rip off.

I buy my sabots from mmpsabots.. in 50 packs. Shipping is included in the price. I found them doing a google search.

On critters all I have first hand is out to 80 yards and it pass from the front left shoulder to the right rear ham on a whitetail doe with full expansion from being pushed with 100g(vol) of T-7

while I see the advantages in lower recoil and slightly flatter trajectory, I,ll point out that a sub caliber pistol bullet in some ways reduces the effectiveness of the rifle,because it lighter in weight , has less mass and has a jacket, (yeah! I hear the screaming already) but before you assume Im insane try a few penetration tests , I have, and while the difference is unlikely to cost you an elk or deer, it could, and Ive found its hard to fault the results youll get IF your rifle shoots the heavier maxi balls accurately.
theres little doubt that if your hunting deer, or even elk, it makes little or no difference, even a patched round ball penetrates far enough to prove effective,if you just use heart/lung shots
but its been my experience that a maxi ball will out penetrate, and sometimes out expand a sabot pistol bullet when both are properly loaded



if you really want to see what a maxi ball can do step up to a 58 caliber and select the 600 grain maxi,and use a long barrel hawken or similar rifle that allows you to pack a decent charge weight of propellant that allows you to push it 1200 plus fps


http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ...RIDGER-HAWKEN-RIFLE-PARTS-LIST/KIT-JB-18

What kind of sabots do you use?

Used Hornady XTP 250 grainers with breakaway sabots with the felt patch on the back end. Shot lights out. I liked the sabots, didn't like the bullet performance on deer. I quit using them. Have alot around here including an unopened box. They will be used for target shooting only, not hunting...I'll use shockwaves for hunting.

+2 I love this bullet. I get great expansion on all shots I've had up to 100 yards or so, and they have always been a pass through. I've been really impressed with the performance of this bullet, not to mention the price. About 100x the performance of the Power Belts I used to use.

I use Harvester Crush Ribbed sabots with this bullet, but I've also used the Harvester smooth black sabots as well. They shot great in both guns I have tried them in, but they were super hard to load in one of the guns so I switched to the crushed ribbed sabots.

Try shopping online at;

www.MidwayUSA.com
www.Cheaperthandirt.com
www.Cabelas
www.Midsouthshooterssupply ...... and others!

I load Harvester Crusher sabots with Speer's 270 grain bullet (.429). Excellent accuracy and penetration with 105 grains of 777 powder.

TR

I actually got them at Walmart - 240 grains if memory serves - now is the season they should have them. They are very accurate in my Omega and the price is excellent.