Petals breaking off is no biggie -- I shoot a long of 1-in or slightly better groups at 100 (and MOA or so to 400 yds) with the 200gr SW in a .50 Omega and 110gr 777. I have full sabots, sabots miss 1 petal, and sabots missing 2 petals. Does not seem to affect accuracy in any way.

Two questions to consider:
1) Do you know that theGUN will shoot tighter groups with ANY load? My gun did not shoot 1-in groups with anything until I installed aluminum pillars, bedded the action, and floated the barrel.
2) Do you know that YOU can shoot tighter groups with any gun on that day? I know it sounds strange, but once I was about ready to use my ML as a fence post because it wouldn't behave. Then I pulled out my 300WM and couldn't shoot that well either. Practiced my trigger control for 1/2 hr with the 300 and then went back to the ML, and all of a sudden my groups were nice!