ORIGINAL: RiverOtter
A while back I asked for some recommendations for other projectiles for my .50cal Lyman Great Plains Rifle (1:60" twist). I got several recommendations, but have only found the Maxi-hunters locally. At some point I'll try to pick up the others, perhaps by ordering online.
Anyway, I was out shooting this past weekend to resight in the gun with new sights on it, and gave the maxi-hunters a try once I had it centered back up with roundballs. I tried the maxi-hunters with 80gr of FFF, no wad...and they would hardly hit paper at 75 yards. They seemed far to easy to load, like they're undersized for my bore. It took just a little bit of pressure from the starter to get it in, but then it took almost no pressure whatsoever to push down with the ramrod. Also, when I would swab after a shot the patches were MUCH dirtier than when shooting roundball. I'm kinda wondering if the bullet is fitting too loosely and the powder is blowing past to some extent, and the bullet isn't ever filling into the rifling. Has anyone else had this problem with the maxi-hunter's, and is there a solution? For those of you who have used other short conicals (I've also had the ball-et and the PA Conical recommended to me), have you found that any of the others offer a tighter fit?
Hard to help without knowing what bullet grain size or what powder you used. Some powders push the bullet faster than others. Really, in 50-cal, anything over 270 gr Maxihunter is too much bullet for that twist. the 240/245 gr PA Conicals and Buffalo Ballets are better choices. If that was the 270 gr, back down to 70 grains & put a wonderwad behind the bullet.
No guaranteesless powder or a wad will work. Some of those new Great Plains barrelshave rifling burrs from the factory. You may need to shoot acouple hundred rounds of conicals to smooth it out/break it in.