Do anything special with the Barnes Expander?

[eureka77]

I'm wanting to swith to the Barnes expander ML 300 gr. from what I currently use 295gr. powerbelt. The 2 bucks I've got with powerbelts were magnum loads within 15 yards and they both dropped in their tracks. Bullets didn't exit. I dropped down to 2 pellets and the same bullet and shot a buck at 30 yards quarting to me. He ran 20 or so yards and piled up. I seen where he went down but I still looked were I hit 'em and follwed his exact track and not 1 spot of blood. While cleaning him out I found the bullet in the same cavity as the heart and lungs but it didn't go no further. So I reckon it only penetrated 6 to 8 inches. My arrow woulda went further. I've been lucky so far I guess and alot of the posts I've read about PBs are kinda true. I just don't really have confidence in the bullet nomore. Although they are easy to load and a 5 shot group at 50 yards all bullet holes are touching, just 1 big hole so they are accurate, but the terminal peformance is what I don't have confidence in.
Now I want to try the Barnes. I've never used a sabot before so anything special to do? Are they easy to load after the 1st shot and accurate? Just use my loading rod or do I need a bullet starter?
Just looking for some pointers. Thanks for any help.
Here's the pic of the bullet I recovered.
Also forgot to ask, how much do ya think my point of aim will be different switching to these, I should still be on paper at 50yd.s right?

[Big Z]

Let the gun do the talking, and you'll know all of those answers. I generally count on swabbing between shots and using a bullet starter.

[Rogo]

I use the Barnes Spitfire T-EZ 250gr bullets with the supplied sabot . I shoot BH209 and they load pretty good with a slight pressure. Shoot excellent, 1" at 100 yards.

[hometheaterman]

I've not used the Barnes bullets, but I recently switched from the same Powerbelt you are shooting to the Federal Fusions, and I sometimes shoot the Speer Gold Dots which shoot to the same POI as the Fusions. I had the exact same problem with the Powerbelt. I was finding the deer dead in most cases, but there was no blood trail going to them. I did get one with it that did leave a blood trail, but for some reason the entrance hole was about the size of a baseball. I think it must have hit the bone or something and broken apart going in. It left a blood trail, had it not, I'd never have found that deer even though he wasn't too far from me. I only got a pass through on one deer and it was a tiny doe. However, I hated to switch just because they were so accurate. I ended up losing a deer to them last year. When I shot, he went down right there and started flapping. Then he got up and ran off. I never found him. We finally found 2 specs of blood on a tree after searching for hours. That was it. That was the last straw for me and I went ahead and switched for this season.

Now with the sabots, I don't do anything different other than make sure the bullet is in the sabot before loading it. It's not any harder at all to use bullets in a sabot than a Powerbelt. I've also never used a bullet starter, so you most likely won't need one. I start them off just like I did with the Powerbelts, then I use my ram rod to push them down the bore. To my surprise the bullets in the sabots were just about as accurate as the Powerbelts. They shot great. I got to finally try out the Fusions on a deer this year, as well as a friend using them. They performed great. Left a great blood trail and expanded perfectly each time. They either passed through, or for a shot where it got hit in the neck and the bullet went back through the lungs, it had deep penetration and still almost exited. It did some serious damage and the deer dropped right there. We found the bullet lodged in the skin, but it had gone a long ways back. They just worked amazingly.

I also bought some Gold Dots to try and have shot them at the range, but I've yet to get to shoot any deer with them, and since it's rifle season here now, I doubt I will shoot at any deer with them this year.

[eureka77]

Thanks for the replies fellas,
and advice Hometheaterman, ya anwsered my questions. Guess ya been there too like ya said. I'm gonna head down tomorrow and try these sabots out.
Anymore input from folks is more than welcomed by me and good luck to everybody!

[oldsmellhound]

If you are wondering about POI, if you use the Barnes 300 grain expander, you should be fairly close to where your 295 PB's were hitting. If you use the 250 grainers, the POI might be off by more.

[LKNCHOPPERS]

If you have a TC, you will probably have to swab between shots. I have used the Barnes MZ Expanders and The Barnes TEZ Expanders. The TEZ sabot loads much easier and works the same, text book expansion into a bullet that looks like a daisy with sharp petals and excellent blood trails. I have used 100 grains of 777 and IMR White Hots with very good results. I get Excellent groups at 100 yards.

One thing that is nice to have on the end of your ramrod is a knurled cleaning jag that is also a bullet aligner. TC makes one for about $2.00 and it doesn't damage the plastic tip on the bullet.

[eureka77]

Thanks LKNCHPPOPERS. Hey your a hop and a skip from me. I live in Statesville. Do alot of work in Cornelius now that I'm out of the military. I'm a paint contractor now. Anyway hope ya have good luck this season, their running, seen a nice 8 point today just walking along the road at 3 in the afternoon.