The doe I hit at 5 feet was hit through both rib cages. The entry was roughly the size of the bullet and when I opened her up the first rib cage where the bullet entered was busted up greatly. The exit rib cage had bone missing and the exit hole was roughly the size of a coke can. I also had found the sabot inside and like I said before I think the close range had everything to do with it. These are made for bones she dropped right in front of me. If my barrel was longer I think I could have touched her nose. I know she got the smoke in the face, how awesome is that to be that close.

A.D.D. BOY wrote: Congrats i cant make up my mind on what bullets now.
T/C Shockwaves or Hornady SST?

I spoke to factory rep today at a local gun shopsale and he told me that these are the same bullets. I just bough the ones with the stem on the bottom of the sabotto keep it simple and one piece.This may help avoid the once in a whiledropped pellet for easier and fasted reloads. I will be shooting them in the morning to see how I like them.
- Ingoldx1

Roskoe-I did that with a box of 250gr,and it did make a difference.The 200gr come with a blue sabot made by MMP.I think MMP is the only company making 40/50 sabots.I shot a big doe Saturday with the 250 SST. She was only 30 yds from Posted land(owned by an anti-hunter who is a real Pr**K)I knew I had to drop her DRT and aimed for the neck on a broadside shot at 135yds.I figured it's kill her dead,or complete miss.She reared up on her hind legs,jumped straight up and dropped.Bullet cut the juglular and tore up muscle and tissue inside.She was'nt dead when I got to her,but had lost what seemed to be all her blood,and could'nt stand.I am very impressed with the terminal performance of this bullet.It seems to perform better for me than the XTP.

Charlie

As much fun as it is to experiment around with all the bullets floating around out there, I seriously think a person could just go with the Shockwave (probably the 250 grain) and call it good. It seems to be to .50 caliber muzzleloading what the 30/06 180 grain Remington CoreLokt is to CF ammunition.

Chalk up another person who now swears by the TC Shockwaves. I purchased my first ML last year (a .45 cal) and I started out with 195 gr Powerbelts. I couldn't get those things to group for the life of me, so I figured I would try something new. I went out and purchased the 200gr Shockwaves and after shooting my rifle at the local range this past week, I could't be more pleased with their accuracy. Now if only I had the chance to test them in the field. [8D]

about those powerbelts:
They designed powerbelts to fit cva's perfectly, they calibrated the bullet diameter to fit the inside diameter of the cva barrells perfectly, other than that most other guns don't shoot them to well.
About bullett penetration and expansion:
I believe one of the problems may because your bullet weights are 250-300 grns they may not be expanding cause they blowing through so hard. I think that 200 grn bullett of mine may have expanded so well and so rapidly due to the lower grn weight of the bullett. Just something to ponder.