Tight fit
08-16-2005, 07:54 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 31
Tight fit
Just bought a CVA Kodiac. I went to the range to test fire and sight-in. I was using45 cal Hornady 250gr SST sabots, and can't get them down the barrel( the barrel was cleaned between each round fired). I tried some 232gr powerbelts and they slide down the barrel with almost no pressure. Does anybody out there have any suggestions as to the possible cause of the trouble I'm having?????[:@]
08-16-2005, 08:08 PM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location:
Posts: 878
RE: Tight fit
You may have got some of the oversized sabots that were shipped with a bunch of them. Call Tech support and see if they can help you. The bullets you speak of are the same as Shockwaves sold by T/C and they had some problems as well.
08-16-2005, 08:12 PM
#3
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Tight fit
I would guess that the sabot is not compatible to the bullet and your bore. All muzzleloader makers are not tied to a "bore size for each caliber." Some rifle makers have a very tight bore while others have a much more expanded bore in comparison. Now we are not talking inches, we are talking much finer tolerances then that. So each .50 caliber bore depending in the maker and the rifle it self are not the same. For that reason you might have to try some different brands of sabot to get the Hornady SST's to work. I can not shoot a Hornady SST and a harvester sabot in my rifles but the same bullet and a MMP sabot will be a tight fit but work just fine.
Your powerbelt on the other hand is a slip fit conical. They are meant to go down the bore with little or no effort. In fact when hunting, check them from time to time and make sure they have not crawled off the charge. This is especially true of Knight rifles for some reason (bigger bore tolerance I will guess).
Your powerbelt on the other hand is a slip fit conical. They are meant to go down the bore with little or no effort. In fact when hunting, check them from time to time and make sure they have not crawled off the charge. This is especially true of Knight rifles for some reason (bigger bore tolerance I will guess).
08-17-2005, 12:31 PM
#5
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Tight fit
ijimmy... I agree that powerbelts are a good projectile. The only thing that really gets me is their cost. When I first started shooting powerbelts in my Staghorn Magnum, it always made me upset that I was paying almost a $1.00 a shot to try to find which of their projectiles might shoot good in my rifle. After trying I lost count of how many different packs of their 295 grain, 348 grain, and finally the 245 grain, I'd hate to even figure what it costed me to find a load that I got the best accuracy out of. Granted some people luck out. They throw two pellets down the rifle and the first powerbelt and are shooting bulls at 100 yards. It's just a shame it does not work that way for all of us.
Also I read some posts about the effect of some of the different styles of powerbelts and their effect on different animals. People were telling how they hit a deer in the front shoulder with a pure lead 295 grain powerbelt hollow point and were not able to recover the deer. They talked about some of the powerbelts fragmenting and not doing the kind of damage they expected. Now I have worked up a 245 grain Aero Tip for the Staghorn and 100 grains of loose powder but have yet been able to try it on an animal...
What have been your experiences with powerbelts on animals?
Also I read some posts about the effect of some of the different styles of powerbelts and their effect on different animals. People were telling how they hit a deer in the front shoulder with a pure lead 295 grain powerbelt hollow point and were not able to recover the deer. They talked about some of the powerbelts fragmenting and not doing the kind of damage they expected. Now I have worked up a 245 grain Aero Tip for the Staghorn and 100 grains of loose powder but have yet been able to try it on an animal...
What have been your experiences with powerbelts on animals?
08-17-2005, 01:37 PM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: mississippi by way of Florida
Posts: 357
RE: Tight fit
Save the powerbelts for quick reloads and second shots. If you can get the SSTs to work in your rifle, you will be much better off. The difference is very impressive.
I started off with powerbelts, killed 4 deer with them. On the firsttwo, I was marginally impressed with their performance, on the last two (same load and about the same distance) I was witness to the "exploding bullet" experience. In both cases the bullet went about halfway through a broadside deer at 70 yards, penetrated about halfway and fragmented. Exit wounds consisted of several holes from chunks of broken bullets. Blood trail was poor. Yes, it did knock them down, but not for good and while the deer would have died (the placement of the shots was perfect) eventually, they should have been nearly instantly killed. I don't even try front shoulder shots unless that is all that is presented, I shoot a muzzle loader more like a bow for placement; looking for double lung shots and a large blood trail. Just behind the shoulder and the double lung with through and through penetration is my goal. Ballistics, I used the 295 grain aero tips, also left something to be desired. As far as accuracy is concerned, I was not impressed w/ the powerbelts. Inside 75 yards they were ok, but not great and even then had occaisional flyers and inconsistant performance.
The SST style bullets have much better ballistics and the 6 I have killed have had increadable performance. That very tight trip down the muzzle apparently translates to improved performance in accuracy as well.
Getting them down the muzzle can be tuff though. A different sabot, as already suggested, might solve the problem.
So, when I hunt, the load in the gun is behind a SST. Once fired, I reload w/ a 295 g powerbelt because it loads fast and easy andgoodenufffor a "finish off" shot (which I have not needed w/ the SSTs, unlike the last two powerbelt shots).
All that said, every gun is different and you may have fantastic luck w/ power belts.
Good luck
Hank
I started off with powerbelts, killed 4 deer with them. On the firsttwo, I was marginally impressed with their performance, on the last two (same load and about the same distance) I was witness to the "exploding bullet" experience. In both cases the bullet went about halfway through a broadside deer at 70 yards, penetrated about halfway and fragmented. Exit wounds consisted of several holes from chunks of broken bullets. Blood trail was poor. Yes, it did knock them down, but not for good and while the deer would have died (the placement of the shots was perfect) eventually, they should have been nearly instantly killed. I don't even try front shoulder shots unless that is all that is presented, I shoot a muzzle loader more like a bow for placement; looking for double lung shots and a large blood trail. Just behind the shoulder and the double lung with through and through penetration is my goal. Ballistics, I used the 295 grain aero tips, also left something to be desired. As far as accuracy is concerned, I was not impressed w/ the powerbelts. Inside 75 yards they were ok, but not great and even then had occaisional flyers and inconsistant performance.
The SST style bullets have much better ballistics and the 6 I have killed have had increadable performance. That very tight trip down the muzzle apparently translates to improved performance in accuracy as well.
Getting them down the muzzle can be tuff though. A different sabot, as already suggested, might solve the problem.
So, when I hunt, the load in the gun is behind a SST. Once fired, I reload w/ a 295 g powerbelt because it loads fast and easy andgoodenufffor a "finish off" shot (which I have not needed w/ the SSTs, unlike the last two powerbelt shots).
All that said, every gun is different and you may have fantastic luck w/ power belts.
Good luck
Hank
08-17-2005, 08:12 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 986
RE: Tight fit
I have an Omega with a real tight barrel and can only load SST bullets by throwing away the sabot that comes with them and replacing it with a short Harvester sabot. I also use the 295gr. aerotip powerbelt as a follow up shot to the 300gr. SST and find the point of impact within an inch at 100 yards using the same 90gr. load of Black Mag'3. I had to use the follow up shot this last year on a big elk cow and even though the SST would have put her down eventually I was not sure so I sent the second bullet which did stop her. I hunt alone and do not want the elk to run very far or get too far from an easy access place as I do not want to have to pack out pieces. So far I have been lucky on the three that I have shot. This last one was the worst and required dragging and towing about 200 yards to get to where I could get a rope on her from my Samurai. Elk do not drag well. (I was lucky and had another guy with me on this one).
08-21-2005, 12:28 PM
#10
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,052
RE: Tight fit
I simply can't add up all the Omega, Encore rifles we have sold that went out the door with our "pet recommendation loads" of SSTs and 777 and Pyrodex pellets. They ARE hard to load yes, especially compared too powerbelts. But the bottom line is powerbelts typically don't seal properly on heavy charges (over 130grns) so they are gonna load much easier than most other properly fitted sabots. Alot of guys complain about their rifles not shooting 150grn powder charges very well, typically it is because their bullets/sabots aren't properly sealing off.
My Savage is REALLY had to get a 300SST down, but the pressures of 45 grns of N110 make it paramount that a very tight seal is required for maximizing a magnum ML gun. A ball starter and an aluminum rod is ESSENTIAL!
RA
My Savage is REALLY had to get a 300SST down, but the pressures of 45 grns of N110 make it paramount that a very tight seal is required for maximizing a magnum ML gun. A ball starter and an aluminum rod is ESSENTIAL!
RA