50 cal knockdown power

[grunterhunter6574]

I have a 50 caliber inline muzzleloader, I am looking for the most accurate 300 grain bullet available. I now shoot Hornady sabots in 300 grain. I shot a buck on jan. 26th at 40 yards with 100 grain pyrodex pellets. The shot was well placed in the shoulder direct broadside. The buck flipped over on his back, stood up, and then slowly walked off. It was lightly raining and I pursued him after 30 minutes. There was no blood trail what-so-ever and therefore I wasn't able to find him. I am in search of the most devastating black powder bullet available. Any ideas???

[sjsfire]

I use the Barnes Expander MZ in 250 and 300 gr. Others will come in and tell you their favorites but Google the Barnes and read the articles. Thats why Iwent withthem. They are also sold under the Knight Red Hot.

[sabotloader]

grunterhunter6574

Without a doubt - the Nosler .458/300 grain Partion Protected Point in a MMP HPH-.457/.458x 50 Orange sabot or the the .451/300 grain Nosler - aboutthe same bullet. The .458 is a bullet manufactured for the 45-70 rifle. The draw back and I believe there are two...
1. expensive
2. at very close ranges can get it and out of a deer to quickly...

I use the Nosler .451/260 grain Partition HP on deer - devastating.

There is another another choice that is less expensive that can be used on deer or elk... .452/300 grain Speer Gold Dot. It is a bonded bullet and it has controlled exspansion down the dot in the the core. It really is a "poor man's" Nosler.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2520381&mpage=1&key=boom%2cflop% 2celk&#2520603

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2520381&mpage=1&key=boom%2cflop% 2celk&#2520603

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2528536&mpage=1&key=.458%2cNosle r%2celk&#2528536

Also as mentioned - if you find the right one and one that will fit in your bore - Barnes solid copper bullets are awfull hard to beat...

While there has been a lot of success stories posted using the new polymere tipped pointy bullets - it is awful hard to beat a Nosler over a wide range in distance and the wide range of velocities that it will work with.

Just my 2 cents....

[Chris W.]

If you want to stay around the 300 gr range, I'll second the barnes expanders and the Nosler partitions. Both are great bullets.

[frontier gander]

385 grain hornady great plains conical or a 348 grain powerbelt does some nasty damage on game.

[Arthur P]

I've gotnot somuch an idea as a thought...How do you knowthe shotwas well placed in the shoulder if you never found him? Just because that might have been where you were aiming doesn't necessarily mean that's where you hit. Maybe you need a more accurate bullet/load instead of a more 'devastating' one.

[cayugad]

Well it is a shame you lost the deer. Hard to say what happened since the deer was not recovered. I will say if you shot a 300 grain Hornady XTP, they are known for taking many deer in the past and will do so in the future. I shoot them out of a number of rifles. I have not had the chance to try them on a deer yet.

If I had to pick a real knock them flat bullet it would be a Barnes Expander in 300 grain or a Nosler Partition in 260 grain. I just can not picture a deer taking a direct hit through the boiler room and making it very far without a lot of blood loss.

[oldwun]

I am supposed to have some GD sometime later this week. I have a good supply of the Knight/Barnes Poly tipped bullets that I will use for hunting next year. I am working up a load for the Rwem 700 using the 260 Nosler an some T7 to use when I am using one of the shooting houses. My buddy in North Ala says he has saved me 2 (X18 ) more packs of the Knight 250 gr poly tipped bullets at $17.95. That will give me about 90 of them. Got them locked up in the safe.

[Nolehoe]

I'm a big fan of the Barnes, but I don't doubt any of the claims about Nosler and Speer GDHP.

I've shot one deer with a Barnes Expander and the results were awesome, by the truest sence of the word.

I currently shoot the Barnes Spitfire 245g and get clover leaf groups at 100yds. I took my two best bucks with this bullet.

The main thing is to find a proven bullet (nosler, gold dot or barnes) that gives you the accuracy you are looking for...all barrels are different.

here is another thread about the Spitfire 245g http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2458656

[danscott]

I use Powerbelt 295gr hollowpoints. They do their job.