200 yard shot?

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08-22-2005, 02:34 PM

#11

Roskoe

Join Date: Mar 2005

Location: Colorado

Posts: 4,127

RE: 200 yard shot?

Hogwild - if you are going to load 150 grains of powder, I think the pellets are the way to go. Having tried both 150 grains of loose Pyrodex and three fifty grain pellets, there seems to be considerably more unburned powder with the loose powder and the velocity is not as high. The pellets also have a narrower SD of velocity.They are expensive, but I think the hole up the middle makes for better burning efficiency.

Having said that, there are only a few bullets that I have gotten to shoot real well with 150 grains of pellets. The Barnes 250 grain Expander MZ is one of them. Also those Precision Rifle onesfrom Cabelas. Most other bullets shoot better with 130 grains of pellets (two fifties and a thirty) - particularly the Shockwave/SST's. The 250 grain Shockwave with 130 grains of pellets is probably the most accurate long range load I have used - will print under 4" at 200 yards consistently.

08-22-2005, 04:36 PM

#12

retrieverman

Nontypical Buck

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location:

Posts: 1,785

RE: 200 yard shot?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Roskoe

Retrieverman:

The 250 grain SST is supposed to be a great deer bullet. And after a thread from a few days back involving the use of it on moose, it may be tough enough for bigger stuff as well. So far, I have only used the 300 grain SST/Shockwave and it worked pretty well on a big bull elk last September (see photo in profile) - although I still think the Barnes 250 Expander makes a bigger wound channel and really puts them on the ground in a hurry.

One of the interesing things about using the more aerodynamic SST was that I dropped my powder charge from 150 grains (three pellets) with the 250 Barnes down to 130 grains of pellets with the 250 Shockwave and, although the muzzle velocity was about 150 fps less, the 200 yard impact velocity was about the same. This load is real accurate in my 26" Black Diamond as well as my Omega. Might be worth a try in your gun . . . but you are likely never going to get a better shooting or more lethal load that what you are using now.

BTW - really nice deer. Did you get it scored?

The buck in the picture grossed 178" with 14 scoreable points and field dressed 196 lbs. I downed him with a 250 gr Expander and 130 gr Pyrodex out of my Disc Extreme on Oct 23 2004. I haven't tried 150 gr of Pyrodex in a couple of years since I settled on the 130 gr load. I haven't shot the SST's at 200 yet, but at 100, they shoot almost identical to the Expanders. As far as dropping a deer, I killed two does with one shot last yearand neither even twitched. I have only been muzzleloader hunting about 5 years and killed 10 deer allwith the Expanders. All but one dropped in their tracks (the buck in the picture ran about 25 yards). I am going to keep trying the SST's at the range and may kill a doe or two with them, but I believe I will stick to the Expanders for "trophy" hunting.

08-22-2005, 05:15 PM

#13

Roskoe

Join Date: Mar 2005

Location: Colorado

Posts: 4,127

RE: 200 yard shot?

Retrieverman - are the 250 Barnes going clear through the deer? On elk, they are reliably found just under the hide on the off side of the ribs . . .

08-22-2005, 07:38 PM

#14

retrieverman

Nontypical Buck

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location:

Posts: 1,785

RE: 200 yard shot?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Roskoe

Retrieverman - are the 250 Barnes going clear through the deer? On elk, they are reliably found just under the hide on the off side of the ribs . . .

On the two for one shot that I mentioned above, the 250 gr Expander passed cleanly through BOTH deer.Actually, all the deer that I have shot with them have passed cleanly through.