Substitute for Maxi-hunters?

[stubborn1VT]

I don't have much experience with muzzleloaders.  Over the last few years I have been shooting a 245 grain Hornady bullet out of a sabot, but I'm thinking of switching to something like a Maxi-hunter.  Over a buck a piece?  Really?  I'm not looking for long distance shots out of my muzzleloader.  Is there a good bullet that folks would recommend?  I'll be shooting a CVA.  Anyone try the Hornady Great Plains bullets?  Any input would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[stubborn1VT]

Oh, I will probably be shooting Triple 7 pellets for powder.  I'm not against switching to another propellant, but that's what I have on hand now.

[Pygmy]

The Hornady Great plains is a fine bullet, and it shoots accurately in a number of  MZs  I have had experience with..They also don't cost an arm and a leg...Another excellent conical is the NoExcuses, if they still  make them..They are the easiest loading, most accurate bullet I have  shot in my old TC Hawken .50 cal.... last time  I bought them they were about 75 cents apiece, including shipping from Utah, but that was a few years ago...

[Jeremy K]

For what it's worth , myself and 3 others are all using the same load in 3 different CVAs and they all shoot great. 100g Blackhorn, 300g shockwave ,federal shot primer for ignition. 

[TACC]

For what it's worth , myself and 3 others are all using the same load in 3 different CVAs and they all shoot great. 100g Blackhorn, 300g shockwave ,federal shot primer for ignition. 

Just starting out trying to figure out MZ also, hoe did you come out with 100 g of blackhotn as opposed to triple 7 or some other powder?

 

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Also why 100 g not 120 g?

[Jeremy K]

I was doing a bunch of reading at the time and came across that recipe on a muzzloader website that a bunch of guys were using or really close to it . The Blackhorn is really an awesome powder, I tried some other stuff when I first got it and couldn't even go 2 shot in a row with pushing a brush between shots ,I've shot 6 times before using a brush with Blackhorn. 

[TACC]

I was doing a bunch of reading at the time and came across that recipe on a muzzloader website that a bunch of guys were using or really close to it . The Blackhorn is really an awesome powder, I tried some other stuff when I first got it and couldn't even go 2 shot in a row with pushing a brush between shots ,I've shot 6 times before using a brush with Blackhorn. 

Good deal,

Are the 300 grain shockwaves expanding like normal hollow points, or nosler partitions. That is a huge bullet

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[Dinsdale]

14 hours ago, Pygmy said:

The Hornady Great plains is a fine bullet, and it shoots accurately in a number of  MZs  I have had experience with..They also don't cost an arm and a leg...

Hunt with the Great Plains in a Remington 700 MZ with 100 grains of Pyrodex with good results. Taken more than a few deer as I retired the slug gun and hunted just with MZ for 10 years or so, don't always get great expansion.

[Jeremy K]

9 hours ago, TACC said:

Good deal,

Are the 300 grain shockwaves expanding like normal hollow points, or nosler partitions. That is a huge bullet

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I've only shot one deer with that load and it was a double lung pass through at 50 yards ,the deer went another 50 yards . Judging by the exit hole ,it didn't expand very much if any at that close distance.

[stubborn1VT]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I'm leaning toward the Great Plains bullets.  I looked up No Excuses bullets.  They are still selling for 75 cents each.  The price goes down the more boxes (50 in a box) that you buy.  I may try a few bullets.  Found some 250 grain Shockwaves with my black powder gear.  I'm expecting shots under 100 yards, so it probably isn't critical.  I would like to come up with a recipe that works & I can stick with.

[Pygmy]

FWIW,  I shoot the the 460 grain NE bullet ahead of 80 grains of loose 3F 777 in my old TC Hawken...Since I am using #11 caps instead of 209 primers, I feel I get  a little better ignition with the 3F rather than the 2F...Shoots plenty flat enough for 100 yard shots, which is farther than I have ever shot anything with my MZ..Sighted 2 inches high at 50 yards I am dead on at 100..

[sailinghudson25]

I shoot my entire bullet, sabot, primer, and powder for about 64 cents a shot.

Hornady XTP 240gr 44 mag bullets 27 bucks per 100

harvester sabot 7 bucks per 50.

remington STS primer, plain old shotgun primer $6 per 100

70grs goex FFFg,  real blackpowder,  $17 for 100 shots (7000grains/lb).

Techincally, pyrodex is more corrosive than real blackpowder, and is harder to remove the fouling.  I get the gun cleaned in well under 10 minutes.  The gun shoots cloverleafs at 100 yards.  I have harvested deer at 175 yards with 90grs FFFg blackpowder.  I went down to 70grs to keep recoil low for a lady shooter.

I use real blackpowder because I also hunt in PA's late flintlock season.  Blackpowder is the most reliable powder to use.  Actually the black piece on the pyrodex pellets is real blackpowder, to help it ignite reliably.

I sight in the gun annually and it's my loaner gun to others.  Last year In 6 days, the gun took 5 deer between a few friends of mine.   I exclusively hunt with my flintlock now.   I even use it during regular rifle season too on good weather days.

I've use hornady / TC shockwave before,  the hornady XTP hollowpoints expand much better than the 250gr shockwaves.   And they kick less than the 300gr shockwaves.  I have shot them with 100grs triple seven FFFg formulation.  It doesn't shoot too fast where you have problems with the handgun bullets falling apart, or keyholinh paper at 100 yards.

I have a 45long colt levergun I handload XTP's for and they work great too.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2017 by sailinghudson25

[Core]

For what it's worth out of my CVA wolf I am shooting

• remington 209 sts primers
• triple 7 pellets: 4 * 30 grain = 120
• Shockwave 250 grain spirepoint, which are the exact same as the SST hornadys. 99% sure they are also the same as the smackdown. Walmart sells the smackdown and shockwave next to each other with the latter more expensive, lol but they are the same

Today was my first time out since summer with it, sent two down to 100 yards and they were 1.5" off dead center, but to be fair I was a bit shaky and not really well rested. I have had a sub 1" group at 100 yards with 3 rounds with this setup. It is damn accurate, and I will be using MZ all gun season. I just love the gun. It is nicely weighted, virtually no moving parts, very accurate, hits very hard.

Only other bullets I've tried are the XTP hunter from walmart: $12 for 30 or thereabouts. They have a hollow tip without the plastic insert like the spire point. I found their groups on 100 yards were much worse than the spirepoints. Certainly capable of hunting at 75 or maybe 100 but definitely not beyond (maybe groups would tighten at 90 grain load?). I haven't tried more combos than the above because the triple7 plus spirepoint are so incredibly accurate and I got the triple7 at a bargain basement price last year so stocked up on multiple years' worth.

I exclusively hunt with my flintlock now.   I even use it during regular rifle season too on good weather days.

That is awesome. My list of things to do in life is actually not long, but one of the items is to get a deer with a kentucky rifle with flint lock. It needs to happen, and it will.

[BowmanMike]

I changed to white hot charges and love how much cleaner than pyrodex they are. Cut my cleaning time by 2/3. They have more power than the same weight of pyrodex as well.

Muzzleloader is my only hun for hunting deer,and I am very happy with the accuracy and weight of it.

[LET EM GROW]

Probably wont help but, I shoot the Shockwaves in 250gr. Very accurate, lots of damage done from entrance to exit hole. 

(3) 50gr Triple 7 pellets 

Winchester 209 Primers

Accurate out to 250yards

[stubborn1VT]

On 12/7/2017 at 10:46 AM, LET EM GROW said:

Probably wont help but, I shoot the Shockwaves in 250gr. Very accurate, lots of damage done from entrance to exit hole. 

(3) 50gr Triple 7 pellets 

Winchester 209 Primers

Accurate out to 250yards

Out what brand/model muzzleloader?  I have heard good things about Shockwaves, but I've never owned a ML that shot 3 pellets worth a dang.

[LET EM GROW]

18 hours ago, stubborn1VT said:

Out what brand/model muzzleloader?  I have heard good things about Shockwaves, but I've never owned a ML that shot 3 pellets worth a dang.

I shoot that setup out of my T/C Triumph and my T/C Omega both in 50.cal. Always shot well with (2) 50gr pellets also, but I let my old boss use them on a Colorado Mule deer hunt so I upped the powder charge. 

[Five Seasons]

i'm 3 for 3 with shockwaves out of my cva optima. Including a 60 yard shot through the shoulder of a nice buck, which i was happy to see as a former shotgun hunter, shoulder shots were not as preferable as they are with the rifle. 

triple 7 for me too. As far as cost I only shoot a few times a year so I put it in the same bucket with the rage broadhead costs.