Did a little shooting tonight. Didn't have much time so there were a few things I wanted to try. First, I wanted to see if 60 grains 3f Goex would be comparable to 60 grains of Pyro P if I used a WW with the Goex. Just to see if it was sealing probrems causing 3f Goex to be inferior to the Pyro P when used with the 270 Ballet. Result. Almost the same. No improvement. The WW robbed a little bit of the velocity. It seems maybe Pyro P works better with projectiles of weight 270 grains, this corresponds to a sectional density of .196.

About 20 yards out were a bunch of tin cans, like gallon size, the kind school lunch rooms have. Since the soil is real sandy, I could not resist doing what Sharpshooter did the other day. I filled one with sand and shot it using 60 grains 3f Goex and 270 ballet. The chrony clocked 1303 fps (9 ft. out)and at 20 yards I recovered a bullet neatly mushroomed to a diameter of 13/16 of an inch.

The shadows were getting longer so I place a target at 75 yards. Loaded 80 grains 3f Goex and 385 Hornadyand Shot 2 shots and went to check on them. They were about 3" high and 3" left and separated by 1/2" so about 1" center to center at 75 yards, not sub moa but close. I adjusted windage and shot to more shot. These two landed 3" high and 1" right and were touching . Adjusted elevation one mark. Shot and landed 2" high and 1" right. Oh yeah, getting it close. Gonna spend my next outing just shooting 3 shot groups at 75 yards.

Sun was setting now and it was cloudy making the target hard to see.Thought I would try to get a nifty mushroom from the 385s. Filled a can with sand and shot it at 20 yards. It went right through the can. But on the back side it tore the can like it was moving slow. Next shot I placed another right behing the one I was shooting. This time the second can of sand prevented the bullet from exiting the first can. I could see a pronounced bulge on the can's backside. Lifted a very warmperfectly mushroomed bullet measuring 15/16" in diameter. Velocity for this round was 1328 fps 9 ft from muzzle, impact at 20 yards.

80 grains 3f Goex yielded velocities between 1324 and 1350, averaging 1335 fps. A 2.3 % increase in energy for a 6.67% increase in charge. I think I'll just back off to 75 grains no more than I'm getting from the 80 grain charge.

Happy Hunting, Phil

It sounds like you're getting excellent penetration and accuracy with that load. What more could a person ask for. Although some people might not believe the 80 grains of Goex 3f sounds all that impressive to their 120-150 grain loads, they could not be more mistaken. With a 385 grain Great Plains Conical being pushed, something down range is getting smacked.

Since I started loading and shooting my White Ultra Mag. I have learned that a simple 70 grain powder charge with these big conicals produced tremendous down range power. In fact I just got done nailing my bullet trap back together, since the constant pounding of the large conicals was basically driving the nails out of their place. These large spikes I used to nail the trap together, I kind of figured would hold the trap, but again, wrong. Not to mention even the ricochet of the conicals has cut one of the true ruff cut 2x6 in two. Looks like more repair is needed...

Nice shooting and as usual, a great report.

Those heavy conicals are hard on everything they touch. Repair will be something you'll be doing more of with the bullet trap. I think you are correct in saying 70 grains produces tremendous downrange power in a heavy conical. Simply doesn't take much powder with big conicals and adding powder doesn't give one a whole lot extra downrange.

With the Sidekick, I went from 1320 fps (1490 ft-lbs) to 1335 fps (1525 ft-lbs) by increasing from 75 to 80 grains. I literally put 6.67% more energy in and only got 2.3% more energy at the muzzle. The benefit downrange is even less than that. At 100 yards the velocity with 80 grains is 1069 fps (977 ft.lbs), whilewith 75 grains the velocity is 1061 fps (962 ft-lbs). It 100 yards, an increase in the charge of 6.67% only gives me a 1.6%extra energy.

Bygoing to 80 grains, the recoil increases from 31.3 ft-lbs to 33.5 ft-lbs, an increase of 7%. Its just not seem fair to spend 6.67% more on powder in order to get whacked 7% harder while only getting 1.6% more killing power at 100 yards.[&:]

The 270 ballet, also a very good projectile, and is overlooked by many. I think to 100 maybe 120 yards it would be a superb flat shooting deer killer with a modest charge of pyro p. There is about 8400 grains volume in a 1 1b. jar of pyro p. At 60 grains per charge, there is 140 loads in 1 lb. of powder. The cost at $14 per bottle is 10 cents. 3 cents for a primer and 20 cents for the ballet, you have a round which costs 33 cents.Twenty rounds cost $6.60. Compare that to a $12 box of 30-30 shells which, IMHO, won't beat the balletload in deer stopping power under 100 yards. 60 grains PyroPpropells the 270 ballet to an average of 1497 fps in my Sidekick.

Magnum charges kill deer very, verywell, but then, how can game be deader than dead? Heavy conicals get the job done well on modest charges of powder and have been doing thatsince they became thedesign to eliminate the vast bison herds of the Great Plains.

Happy Hunting, Phil

Post moved!

270 grain ball-ets in my Knight Wolverine LK-II shoot incredibly accurate. I only use 80 grains of Goex 3f and no wad, but out to 100 yards I have no doubt that these things would be an excellent hunting projectile. I've shot off my supply right now, and need to order more as I like playing with them. The 245 grain ball-et also shoot well, but not near as good as the 270 grain.

I was turned on to this load by a person I know. We got talking muzzleloaders one day and I was surprised that he hunted with one. He said he bought a Knight Wolverine many years ago and some 270 grain ball-ets. He said he shoots two deer almost every year with them and has never lost one or really had to track very far, as the ball-et goes right through and leaves an excellent blood trail.

I'm not surprised. I might hunt deer with them this year if I can get a left-over license or make it to Oklahoma to hunt with my dad. Definitely will be my nephews loadas its recoil is far more moderate. I don't know if the Pyro-P will perform the same in the Wolverine as it does in my Sidekick, but a smaller charge of Pyro P may increase velocity and flatten the trajectory. I have managed more than one clover-leaf at 50 yards with 60 grains of Pyro P, so on the ballet, the substitute didn't seem to have any ill effects on accuracy.

Happy Hunting, Phil

phil, you are right on.i wish people could see what a 370maxi-ball in a hawkins .50 cal,80 grs of 2f does to tree.i shoot into stump with those ,oh my.being i am ,ore on what works on deer not target shooting.all i can say is, for deer with flintlock.use medium loads,heavy conical.secret is,NO RECOIL.seen it, done it, been there for 36 years with muzz.

Works for me too. I was just thinking. . . I wouldn't feel very safe using a tree for cover if you were sighting the tree. I've heard of conical going through them, though I haven't ever done that. Guess I'm a little soft for trees, I used to runaround the countrysidegraftingthem for folks, fruit trees, pecans, and walnuts. It was a great way to make friends.

Happy Hunting, Phil

i had target in my yard at 30 yards.that maxi-ball 370 went through the target and hit a tree at 60 yards. the tree was about 8 inchs in dia.i could not believe the hole that was in that tree.my god.

That was why I had to put a bullet trap in my yard. I was not only cutting a road through the woods but there were trees with holes in them so far back in the woods it amazed me. Trouble with the road is many of the trees were four foot on the stump and you can't have that..