Goodmorning Guys,..Especially for Omega shooters,but please,anyone chime in.Just returned from a little shooting.After reading here so much on Gold Dots,had to get some.Been loading 100gr.of pyro.pellets behind 300gr.XTP's/MMP long base sabots/w209PRIMERS.Clean each shot,windex/alcho.Let barrel cool,and all the other stuff you guys have made me somewhat anal about,thanks.Was very pleased,1 1/2 to 2" consistant groups,at 100yds.Then came Gold Dots,oh my!The first 3 shots... 1 1/8' group.And follow up groups stayed right there.I made3 changes to my process.Upped charge to 110gr.and changed sabot to harvester crush rib,and used a.452 250gr.GDot.Fairly new to MZL.The gun only has about 80-90 shots throuht it.Now a question for you more experienced shooters.Why,IMO,such a drastic change?And also ,would I see much change in using short base harvesters(black)and the MMP(black)long base.Ran out of time to test.Still confused as to the difference in long versus short sabots.And the intended use of each.Many thanks for past help and future knowledge you guys freely share.

HUNT4ME

One thing that really worked for me and it was an accidental change instigated by cayugad (he did not know it)... I moved my charge up from 100 grains of T7-2f to 110 grains - the group tightend very nicely. This was 300 grain GD's in a MMP HPH-24 from my A&H. I think the Gold dots like a little hotter charge... Randy Wakeman has indicated that GD's from a Savage with a hot smokeless charge do not hold their group. But if you find that right charge for your gun......

Sabots - the shorter sabots were somewhat originally intended for 240/250/260 grain bullets - they are shorter bullets... Their upper limits were suppose to be 300 grains...

I am able to load & shoot the 24, which is a long petal sabot, really comfortably from this new Omega I have and because of that I have not tried the "crush rib" in the Omega yet.

I started experimenting with the Gold Dot, both the 300 grain (for elk)because of the high BC and the 250 grain for deer,right after hunting season last year and from everything I can tell I am really sold on thislead bonded bullet.

As we hear so often each gun has it's own personality, well I believe that of bullets also. Look at the base of a Gold Dot versus the base of an XTP - Speer will tell you the little concaved dish makes a lot of difference in it's down range accuracy.

I know that this really does not answer all of your questions, but shooting an ML is such varible process...

Good luck in the future...