Looking for new bullets

[TeeBugg]

Ive shot powerbelts before and had good luck with them. But as someone else mentioned on another thread, there is cheaper and better performing loads out there. So im asking for your thoughts, maybe even some pics. Ill be shooting a cva kodiak pro using hogdon pellets and probably 100 or 150 grains of powder. Most shots will be less than 125 yards. Basically looking to find a load that is in the middle of the road. Then again im not opposed to heavy rounds either.

Edited November 24, 2013 by TeeBugg

[cdmckane]

I'm shooting Hornady .452 300 grain XTP in a black MMP sabot over 100 gr loose 777.

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[PREDATE]

T/C shockwave

[cdmckane]

TC Shockwaves are just Hornady SSTs repackaged as TC and marked up even more. I've also found the sabots in the pre packaged packs are MMPs. I buy my sabots directly from MMP and save there too.

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[bubba]

I switched ot hornady xtp 430  240 grain in  a green 50 cal harvestor crush rib sabot.  Deadly easy to load and cheap.  I buy the bullets in bulk 100 per box for 26 bucks and 100 sabots for 13. so for 40 bucks you have 100 shots.  I also mold a 430 lead round nose 240 grain I  use at the range and also for hunting.  Both work very well. 

[MACHINIST]

PRBULLET.COM They arent cheap and they dont sell them close but they have shot great out of all my muzzleloaders I have had.They shot just over a inch at 100 yards

[Terry]

TC Shockwaves are just Hornady SSTs repackaged as TC and marked up even more

Very useful info, thank you!

[Chromeslayer]

Barnes...

[CuseHunter]

I've read great things about the Barnes even though are are pricey. I'm not a big ML guy, I bought a box of the hornady FPB and they grouped decent with 100gr 777 pellets and I haven't played around with loads or bullets. For hunting purposes they would do the job just fine.

[WNYBuckHunter]

SSTs or Shockwaves are what I use. Same bullets. I have shot deer from 30 to 180 yards with 70gr by vol of BH209 with great results.

[ants]

300gr. Hornady XTP with 2 50gr. Pyrodex pellets fly great out of my rifle and they hit hard. They are priced pretty good too. 

[nys-buckstalker]

Hornady 240 grain XTP , MMP Black sabot ,fueled by 90 grains of Pryodex RS, ignited by a CCI 209M primer.

[dbHunterNY]

Muzzleloaders are funny it seems at times you get little to harder any blood despite where the deer is hit in the vitals.  I used Hornady SST low drag 250 grain sabots.  I've found that on a good day I've single holed shots at 100 yards out of my TC Prohunter.  They'll hold their accuracy out past 200 yards too with the right load.  sometimes I get great blood trails and others times hardly anything.  I know of others that like Barnes Expanders and Hornady XTP Mags.  The buck in my avatar I shot at 104 yards slightly quartering away.  no blood but deadly accurate, blowing right through the middle of the heart and out the other side of the deer.  I lost sight of the deer too.  it was fine though because of the accurate shot, it only went 40 yards at most.  we found it within minutes.  same if you punched it through both lungs.  it'll only go so far if you just give it time after a well placed shot.

[cdmckane]

Muzzleloaders are funny it seems at times you get little to harder any blood despite where the deer is hit in the vitals. I used Hornady SST low drag 250 grain sabots. I've found that on a good day I've single holed shots at 100 yards out of my TC Prohunter. They'll hold their accuracy out past 200 yards too with the right load. sometimes I get great blood trails and others times hardly anything.

It has nothing to do with it being a muzzleloader. It's all about shot placement and bullet construction. Same as any firearm.

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[phade]

I use the SSTs in my Vortek UL. They shoot great, but I will say the blood trails haven't been great. Granted not much tracking has been needed, but still. We recovered an SST from a 12 gauge from a buck this opener that my FIL shot and it was the first time I got to look at one shroomed out. I was pleasantly surprised at how uniform it was with decent expansion. I'm not sure why I don't get those blood trails from the SSTs out of my ML. I'm pushing similar speeds.

 

I am a big fan of Harvester - they have some great sabots and bullet options. I used to shoot their Scorpion line (cheap but similar to XTPs) with good results out of my CVA Wolf. I wish they were sold more commonly locally. When I go to Ohio to hunt, I load up from a store that carries their products. I plan to experiment more with them this summer. I do know that Barnes seem to just destroy deer, but they're expensive and delicate (needing special loading jags, etc.). SSTs and Harvesters are usually half the price.

 

 

[dbHunterNY]

I use the SSTs in my Vortek UL. They shoot great, but I will say the blood trails haven't been great. Granted not much tracking has been needed, but still. We recovered an SST from a 12 gauge from a buck this opener that my FIL shot and it was the first time I got to look at one shroomed out. I was pleasantly surprised at how uniform it was with decent expansion. I'm not sure why I don't get those blood trails from the SSTs out of my ML. I'm pushing similar speeds.

 

I am a big fan of Harvester - they have some great sabots and bullet options. I used to shoot their Scorpion line (cheap but similar to XTPs) with good results out of my CVA Wolf. I wish they were sold more commonly locally. When I go to Ohio to hunt, I load up from a store that carries their products. I plan to experiment more with them this summer. I do know that Barnes seem to just destroy deer, but they're expensive and delicate (needing special loading jags, etc.). SSTs and Harvesters are usually half the price.

 

your first paragraph is the point to my last post.  Hornady SST's are a great bullet.  I've had great blood trails with them at times but more so than not blood trails don't seem to be that great.  their accuracy within muzzleloader range though makes me not want to switch.  if you shoot enough deer and hang around enough who do, I've found you end up getting some strange results when shooting a deer at times.  it's like that with anything you use to shoot a deer though in my opinion.

I don't think it ALL has to do with bullet placement and construction though, despite what cdmckane said.  although I do agree bullet placement is the #1 consideration, a lot happens when and before the bullet impacts a deer.

[cdmckane]

I've never had a problem with SSTs not leaving a blood trail if I do my job and put it in the right spot, both out of my ML (both of them) and shotgun.

I switched to the 300gr XTP because I think they're a better bullet, but I still have about 100 SSTs that I won't hesitate to use.

If you put a half inch hole in their chest, through their heart and lungs, and out the other side, you'll get blood trails, weather or not you're using a ML

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[WNYBuckHunter]

I have the same experience as phade with the SSTs and Shockwaves. They do their job, but blood trails have not been great. Luckily, I havent had to do a whole lot of tracking. If it wasnt for the snow last week, my buck would have been a very hard track job. It went 100 yards with little blood except for the last 10 to 15 yards.

[phade]

I have the same experience as phade with the SSTs and Shockwaves. They do their job, but blood trails have not been great. Luckily, I havent had to do a whole lot of tracking. If it wasnt for the snow last week, my buck would have been a very hard track job. It went 100 yards with little blood except for the last 10 to 15 yards.

 

Waaaaaaaaaaait. You got a buck?

[WNYBuckHunter]

Shoot, Did I miss you on my texts? Sorry man. My bad.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I have never had a blood trail issue with shockwaves.

[vizslas]

Hornady 300grain fpb.deadly for deer

 

 

[Lawdwaz]

Hornady 300grain fpb.deadly for deer

 

165.jpg

 

 

How many have killed with that bullet?