Anyone run em? Gotta buck hunt planned in Oregon this year, no sabots or plastic can be attached to the bullet. Any others I should be looking at? Thanks

Love em. As close to a black powder lightning bolt as you can get. Accurate and the best terminal performance of any conical. I shoot real black powder in my T/C Hawkens 54, 50 and Seneca 45. The BP greatly increased my accuracy over Pyrodex Select.

Just right thanks Hank

Anytime

Shoot them out of my white. Good bullets

Full bore sized bullets are soft, so they swell up (obturate) when the powder lights off, and engages the rifling. I've found that pushing them hard, is what makes them accurate. Same thing is not so good for bullet performance.

I drive the no excuses 54 caliber/525 grain bullet with 110 gr/vol or 87 gr/weight of pyrodex P powder....along with a .58 cal wool felt over the powder. The gun shoots sub 2" groups at 100 yards, with peep sights.....sometimes better, depending on me (sight picture, and 61 year old eyes).

This load works great at 100 yards and better, on deer and elk. But, up close, the bullet won't hold together. I shot a cow elk this year, at 14 yards, as it ran past me. Caught the leading edge of the near shoulder blade, shattering about 6" of its neck vertebrae, and did not exit. The 2 pieces of bullet, that I recovered, weighed a total of 468 grains.

Did it work? Sure, the elk died instantly, in an impressive wreck! But, with a bullet that heavy, I would prefer it held together and exited.

Same bullet at 100 yards and beyond will typically exit, and if not, will have a perfect flat top mushroom pushed back almost half way down the length of the bullet....depending of if it hit big bone(s) or not.

In the past, I used the hornady great plains bullet, in 54 ca/425 grain. Only difference, they have the hollow base, so...no need for the over powder felt. They were just as accurate, and performed the same on big game. But, they quit making them in 54 cal., and that's why I switched to the no excuses bullets.

Sooooo.....if all your shots are close, you may want to slow them down (if you don't lose accuracy)....or, if you load it up, you may want to keep your close shots in the ribcage, and off the big bones. That's what I've found, here in Idaho, in the past 25 years of ML hunting, with similar regulations, that you have in Oregon.

Andy3

Great info, thanks Andy. 👍

I use them in 50. I've handed out a bunch to buddies and they have always shot better than powerbelts. My pards Remington shoots them to bench accuracy.

[quote=Andy3
Sooooo.....if all your shots are close, you may want to slow them down (if you don't lose accuracy)....or, if you load it up, you may want to keep your close shots in the ribcage, and off the big bones. That's what I've found, here in Idaho, in the past 25 years of ML hunting, with similar regulations, that you have in Oregon.Andy[/quote]

Spot on.That seems to be the hardest thing many muzzle loaders can't grasp

I wouldn't be afraid of a patched ball either

Take a look at the 300gr. Thor bullets. To make them legal for Idaho they remove the plastic tip and it weighs 297gr.

I spent a lot of time shooting that bullet a couple years ago out of 2 different T/C rifles. I couldn't get consistent accuracy with them. I used the sizing pack to settle on my size which loaded easily with a clean bore. After one shot using BH 209 the next bullet was difficult to load. Maybe I should've tried swabbing the bore between shots but the guy I talked to at Thor didn't think it was necessary, so I went down a size. I still didn't get good accuracy, so I went to another bullet but that one has a plastic cup. I measured some with a caliper and they seem inconsistent, but I can't recall the variation. The skirts come out of the box dinged up also and since the copper is hard I don't think they grip the rifling very well.

I would stick with a lead bullet. T/C Maxi-Balls have been the most accurate for me but Hornady Great Plains bullets might be worth trying.

https://muzzle-loaders.com/collections/bullets

+1


Been using them a while. Zero complaints at all. Boringly reliable.

I'd go with teh No excuses over either of the maxiball or great plains. YMMV

No copper, no plastic.

Got a sizing kit en-route, thinkin 460’s or 600’s….

I had some 490's that were fine, but settled on the 460 NE for my .45


Cool thing is, you barely need to push them and they just plow through anyway. Even cupcake 50 grain loads plow through. Its the nature of big heavy lead more than anything about the NE bullet.

Copy that. It’s shiity some states still make a guy “hunt” with a muzzleloader, 😎😅

What commie state isn't allowing copper?

I thought they had the HP version specifically for Oregon?

Idaho

Montana

In the wonderful state of Michigan, you can hunt with any gun you want-as long as is legal in the zone. So how is that a muzzle loader season???? What a bunch of azz wipes !!!

Feller at Thor may have his wires crossed. I emailed em a while back about hp vs. tipped version and this is part of his reply.

Phuu.ckers will.have you wearing buckskins before you know it!!

Thanks Brian I’ll give em a jingle. 👍