I order some Barnes bullets and just got it yesterday. I tried loading it into my gunbut it was really hard loading it. I've readanother post about harvester crush rib sabots and I thinkit might make my loading a little easier. I wanted to order somebut I don't know if the barnes bulletsare .44 or .45 cal. I look on the package and web sites and I they don't indicate if they are .44 0r .45 bullets. Any body used the barnes285gr bullets with the harvester? Which one do I order .44 or .45 cal harvester sabots? What about .430 and .451 sabots, what's the difference? I'm still a novice at muzzleloading so any help will be appreciated.

My muzzy is a CVA kodiak .50cal.

Wolf651

Got to tell you right off the bat I do not know much about Barns bullets... but I would speculate they are 45 cal. and probably .451 in diameter. Regular 45 caliber bullets can come .451 or .452 as regular 44's can come .429 - .430 in diameter.

At the bottom of this web page they list them as .451

http://www.barnesbullets.com/prodmuzzleloader.php

As I have read from other Kodiac owners and other CVA owners the barrel bores on these new barrels is tight. The "crush rib" might solve your problem. If that seems to loose then consider a MMP HPH-24 and/or Harvester Regular sabot. Later in the spring there may be one more alternative also.

Hope you find a combination that works for you...

That Barnes bullet is the copper version of the Buffalo 285 gr. S.S.Bs. For many years, Buffalo used the regular Harvesters with this bullet. You want the package for 451-452 (black) ... get the short ones for sub-300 grain bulletsif two lengths are offered. I don't recommend the crushed ribs for 150 gr. (three pellet) loads with any bullet. For roughlyevery shooter that has success with that magnumcharge using the crushed ribs-- roughly two shooterswill not have any success.... reason-being is the partial thin composition.

Wolf651

I would agree with what T7 has told you and add, some people find that the Harvester (regular or short 50/45) sabots load easily and other including myself feel that the HPH-24 loads easier - so it really comes down to each rifle.

On another note if your Kodiac is new you may have the newer barrel, they are or were originally made for the Optima but MAY be working their way over into the rest of the line,that BPI/CVA is starting to use and from all accounts theyare tight. So it might be that the "crush rib" will be your only option. It also fits into BPA/CVA's marketing of the PowerBelt bullets.

Again good luck....

Wolf651,
I used the 285gr. Barnes w/crush rib sabots last year to harvest 2 deer. I was using a T/C thumbhole Omega with 110grs. Triple 7 FFg.
I dropped the 1st deer in it's tracks and the 2nddeer ran approx. 50yds with a blood trail a blind man could follow.
My Omega loves this load and will give me close to 1" groups (5 shot @ 100yds.)consistantly if I do my part. This is a 45cal. bullet (.451") as sabotloader mentioned.
The crush rib sabots should make the loading easier for you, it did for me.

Thanks guys for the replies. I just ordera packof harvester crushribs in .451. I called barnes and ask them what cal the barnes 285 spitfire and they say it's a .45cal. I can't wait to go shoot my muzzy. It sucks when you bought everything you need and you can't load the bullets.

ENCOREMAN- great to hear that the barnesbullets did really good for your hunt. I hope this year when hunting season comes around I'll get good results like you have. I've heard nothing but good things about these bullets. It's just a little pricey for me.

Wolf651: That's what I'm planning on doing. I ordered some of the Barnes T MZ's in 250 gr and a package of .451 black crush rib sabots right along with them. All the Barnes bullets are on backorder, but I figure I'll be throwing the sabots away that come with them anyway, and putting them in the Crush Ribs. With so much variation in bore sizes with ML's, I guess we just have to figure out what wrks for each gun and go with the flow (that's what the Polar Bear said when his iceberg broke up - "I'll just go with the floe.")

jaybe

Yep I hope this works for you. I've got an Omega
with an extremely tight bore. I got an e-mail from
cabelas stating my Barnes 300gr. and the .451 black
Harvester sabots are on back order. Said I should
receive around the 20th of the month. And I hope
this works for me too. Good Shooting & God Bless
Danny