Sabotloader
 

How's it been going? Been out some the last 2 weeks. Was sick some and my dad had some surgery. He is doing better.

Anyway, do not know if you have seen this link but it's interesting to me.

http://www.miragetechnologies.net/SPEER%20Gold%20Dot%20SB.htm

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

That is a real interesting site. I am impressed by the way the lead stayed with the copper. The expansion patter was impressive also. LOOK at the weight retention - great.

I would like to see the same testing done at much greater velocities, but if they expand that well @ 750 they should really expand well at the higher velocities if they do not blow up. But since they are bonded that should not happen....

RE: Sabotloader
 

My thoughts too. They should also expand well way down range when velocities decrease.

I'm thinking since they are bonded they should hold together at the higher velocities. I'm behind on getting up to my deer lease and testing some bullets on hogs. I think the Gold Dots will be one of the first tests.

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

I would really like to know the results of a Gold Dot into a hog... I have not got the courage to try them on an elk yet, I will stay with the Noslers, but I really hope to introducea whitetail to one this up comming season.

Hope you get to one of those hogs soon....

I was doing some sabot testing this past week end and in that testing I shot some Speer 300 grain .451 Jacketed Flat Point - got some amazing groups with them also. They are not advertised as bonded but they look a like the might be. I am shooting some Hornady 200 grain XTP's this weekend. I'm to cheap to buy SST's or Shockwaves....

RE: Sabotloader
 

As soon as I can get my dad healthy again I will be going. My plan is to use the 300 grain GD. The hollow point cavity is a lot diff between the 250 and the 300. Wonder if the 250's are a older design. The 250's look like as deep as the barnes!

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

The old .451 Gold Dot was a different HP, the new .452 GD was designed for added BC.

The 250's do remind me of the Barnes cavity, but they decrease the diameter of the cavity so they can lengthen the bullet + make up for the weight difference between copper and lead.

RE: Sabotloader
 

I wonder if they are going to update the 250's?

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

I am only guessing but I would say probably not. If they were going to do that I think they would have done it when the moved ot from a .451 to a .452.

Speer is just down the road from me in Lewiston, ID... I shouldstop in there and see what is going on. Ialso wonder if they have any plans for something like the SST/Shockwave and I forgot what Nosler call theirs?I am thinking there is more demand all the time for quality ML bullets.Hornady is now bonding the 250 SST, I just wish they would release it to reloaders.

Headed out this weekend to see what I can stuff down this new SS Green Mountain Hawkin barrel that came a few days ago. I hope it shoots as good as it looks. Don't ask I have no idea why I bought it, I blame it on cayugad.... you can not believe how many sidehamer guns I have now - I mean it is not a great number -but it is sort of dumb.

RE: Sabotloader
 

You guys up north have all the good stores. The Houston Area really lackes in the ML stuff. Everything here is high end stuff and I'm low end! [8D]

Looking at some bows too. Going to upgrade from my 1990 Pearson Spoiler.

Going to try and shoot some sunday. Where did you buy your crushed rib harvester sabots?

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

We do not have HOGS that you can hunt all year - unless you count squirrels and they are hard to find in the winter.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/

I thought you were shooting a Knight! Is your barrel that tight??? If it is that might help tie some information together for me I was going to call Green Mountain an asked them but I not made it that far yet. The literature that came with this new stainless barrel kept referring to Green Mountain and Knight all in the same sentence, I am wondering if Knight bought their way into Green Mountain or vice versa?????? This new barrel seems really tight also - tighter than any other barrels I have, but I will not know for sure until Saturday.

RE: Sabotloader
 

I liked the way the crushed rib sabots loaded and want to test for accuracy against the MMP.

Well, once the skeeters start coming out in full force I do not go into the woods to much. Start really getting serious about fishing then.

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur dog, they load easy in my Omega, maybe too easy? the group about twice to three times as big as my shock waves;every gun is different on top of that, their are no standards so it comes down to try them and find out.
So far the only one I know that had good results had a barrel so tight he had to pound a regular sabot down. Lee

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

Lee is correct, there is such a thing as to loose, if the sabot can not grip the lands you will not get the proper rotation, and he is also correct that every barrel is different so you reall nver know until you shoot it. For me I didn't notice a lose of accuracy but velocity went down about 200 fps. The grouped great.

I would not suggest any sabot you have to pound down the barrel, or even need to stand onthe ram rod to get down. I can normally stay with in 2" @ 100 with just about any sabot bullet combination I use from the crush rib to the 24, I can not use the12's because I do have to pound them down, and like I told you beforeI don't even carry a short starter. If you are loading the 24 or regular Harvester with moderate pressure but are getting enough fouling to cause the second shot to be difficult to load - then the "crush rib" might solve that problem.

Were you able to load those .458's that I sent you? Did I send you any .458 sabot/bullet combinations? getting old memory is traveling....

RE: Sabotloader
 

Thanks for the info guys. Like you said, will just need to shoot and find out. Having to pound the ram rod down or really struggle to load take a lot of the fun out of it. Never thought about loosing velocity withto loose of a sabot but that makes since.

You did send me 3 .458 sabots and bullets. I loaded them but did not shoot them. They were tight but notrange rod breaking tight.

They are on the list to shoot this weekend. Along with Yard work. We have 5 acres with 3 horses so it entailsa lot of different stuff.

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

Well, that answers another question - you should be able to load and shoot "crush ribs" quite effectivly + there may be another option in the near future. The other thing to remember, you have a brand new barrel it will break in and get a little looser as time goes by. A couple hundred rounds from now those same .458's will go down easier...

You need to load that 4-wheeler and come to North Idaho for somemountain hunting...

RE: Sabotloader
 

Another option? Dang, so many choices!

I shot that buck and doe this last season in Nov. About 45 minutes apart. I bought that thing used 4 years ago and it was 6 years old then. I have had 2 bucks,1 doe and my fat butt on there at the same time. It's a real work horse.

We might see about working something out for next year :)

Ever hunted on horse back? I have not on my gelding but I used to hog hunt off of my uncles mules. That was a blast. One time my dad shot at a hog and my mule decided I needed to come off of his back. He missed the hog but I did not miss the ground.

RE: Sabotloader
 

cur_dog

One thing you can be assured of when riding livestock, whether it be horse, mule, or bull, there will always be a piece of real estate down there some place to come down on when the livestock decides it time for you to leave.... I should have added a 4-wheeler's in that category also, mine has left mesitting on the ground a couple of times.

Never have hunted off horseback. The area(s) we hunt are so roaded we have never considered them, and back in the DAY when I was young and healthy, and not so smart, I was to macho... put that elk quarter on your back and pack it straight up and out to the truck, no big deal. I think about some of those packs I made then and now I am thinking you were really a dumb ---- back then weren't you.

RE: Sabotloader
 

Back when i used to have a 3 wheeler I hit the ground a few times. So far, so good on the 4 wheeler.

Living and hunting only in East Texas hauling deer out on foot is not to bad. Pretty flat unless you go down to the creeks and hunt.