Just wanted to let you guys know that I took Cayugad's advice and bought a box of 320 gr maxiballs and took them out this weekend. I shot 2 targets each with 3 maxiballs and 3 maxi hunters at 50 yds. I used one of those sticky 3" orange dots for as good a sight picture as these old eyes could get. At the same time I tried using the Ox Yoke 50 cal. over the powder wads. And I cleaned the rifle after each 3 shots. Both bullets punched holes averaging about 1" above point of aim for the Maxiballs and an 1 1/2" for the hunters.The Maxiballs grouped about 1 1/2" and the hunters around 2". And justfor fun I fired 2 shots at a target I had at 100 yds for my (should I dare say in here) centerfire and both were still1" high one just left of the bull and one just right - about 2" apart. Not too bad.Oh BTW these were shot out of a TC Hawken percussion with a Green Mtn. LRH barrel and using 100 gr of 777.

FWIW, I've shot a handful of eastern deer with the maxi-hunter and they've been devastating...never shot one with a maxi-ball as they are supposed to be for deeper penetration, which doesn't seem to matter on a whitetail, no bigger than they are.

I've read a few posts over the years where it's been claimed that a maxi-ball, due to it's design with a large front end followed by a thin waist, can tile over if it hits bone causing the conical to veer off inside the game instead of taking a straight line on through the vitals...no personal knowledge of that, but I've seen it mentioned as though it's a problem.
However, my assumption is that they recovered the maxi-ball inside the animal in order to make that determinationwhich means the animal must havedied for them to be able to do that, so take it with a grain of salt.

Butfor sure, maxi-huntersserved me very well back when I used them.

I have never shot at game with either bullet but at the range the Maxi-ball has always been more accurate.

Well, I've taken several deer with the maxi hunters with no complaints but I thought I would give the maxi balls a try. Accuracy wise they do appear to have an edge over the hunters. These were the 275 grainers not the heavier ones. and the Maxiballs were the 320 grainers and not the 370 gr. ones. The difference in POI and accuracy although noticable is not enough to make me sway one way or another. And with about 7 boxes of hunters and a little more than 1/2 a box of maxiballs, I will probably stick with the hunters this year.

I have molds for both in .54 cal. I have shot deer with both and they both do a good job, both punch right through a deer, never been able to recover the bullet only the deer.I prefer to use the Maxi hunter as they are a little more accurate but the big thing is loadability. The maxi hunter is a lot harder to shove down my bore than the maxi hunter. I shoot a TC hawkin in .54 and a traditions inline in .54 both have 1/48 twist. Just my observations

Sounds like the performance you got from both types of Maxi's was acceptable. Since the Maxi-Hunters are doing well for you, I'd use them for deer-size game, and reserve the Maxi-Balls for elk and larger stuff where smashing heavy bone and deep penetration are required.

For some reason, my rifles shoot MaxiBalls very accurately, but spray the Maxi-Hunters all over the place!

maxi-hunters areterrible.maxi-balls are not.370 maxi-ball in 1-48 twist is what we use. been there tried that.want a shotgun looking target,SHOOT the maxi-hunters.

I have heard that some people can not get Maxi-hunters to fly at all but the Maxi-balls are great. A lot of people say that the Maxi-ball works well out of slow twists with the right charge.

those maxi-hunters dont stabilize very good.longer maxi-balls do.i seen it from so many guns on those maxi-hunters.i saw people at range go thru box after box of maxi-hunters.they could not get them to shoot well. then you will get flyer that freaks you out.some here said they could get them to shoot well. not anyone i have ever seen has had luck with them.

I think it depends of the powder, shooter, and barrel along with a lot of other things.