cwillard

I am going to try these in my CVA Optima and I was just wondering what luck everyone has had with them. I would also like info on the Hornady XTP sabot bullet.

cayugad

you understand that the lock and load sabots are for pellets and not loose powder. Also some people have good luck with them others claim they do not work at all. As for the XTP bullets, a lot of deer have fallen from them. They are normally a good accurate hard hitting bullet.

gleason.chapman

Cwillard,
See this for a good write-up of the XTP:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/underrated_hornady_XTP.htm

My son uses them and one of my buddies, they are excellent bullets. I have read where the jacket comes off when shooting hot loads (150g).Some like the 240g and 260g, I like the 300g since they go thru the deer, whereas the 240 don't. I live the price of them bulk, $14 for 100. Ishoot them all the time for practice instead of Nosler Partition (which are $1/bullet). I like themwith the Crushed rib sabot in my FL, my Knight Disc and my TC Omega. Most gun manuals have loads for the XTP, my FL does, my Omega does and the Savage does. So they are popular and good. If you buy this book on modern muzzleloading:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0873419510/qid=1114882877/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-8867395-7390420?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Chapter 9 is on Deadly bullets, and the author, his son and his buddies mostly use the XTP. Anyway it is a great read. I don't honestly see the purpose to the Lock and load with a speed loader and using pellets. Waste or time and more costly in my opinion, so why do it, you never need the 2nd shot anyway 'cause you boom flooped the first shot. Just my opinion ona bettermouse trap. Good hunting.
Chap Gleason

oldrookie

Don't know anything about the lock-n-loads but I have shot alot of xtps dialing in my new scope. I too have a CVA Optima and use both the 250g and 300g xtps. They are very consistant for me. So far, 100g of 777 pellets and 777 primer, I am an inch high at 100 yards with the 300g xtp. When shooting the 250g xtp, I have to back the charge down to 80g of 777 to hit the same spot.

I think when deer season comes, I will be using the 300g for hunting.

By the way, the best sabot for me has been the harvester crushed black in color.

Good luck....I love my Optima.

cwillard

i use 150 grains of the pellets.

gleason.chapman

Cwillard, This is what the Crushed Rib Sabot looks like. MidSouth Shooters supply has them for $5 and Cabelas has they for $8.
Chap Gleason

Fox72

cwillard, I like the SST bullet. I prefer buying the regular sabots for them because the LNL's seemed tight in both guns I have tried them. They made more than two shots difficult. (OPTIMA and OMEGA) These two guns liked the SST's better than other bullets with 3 pellets.

If the gun will shoot them use the XTP's. Much cheaper and very effective.

oldrookie

If your using 150g of pellets you might consider the 300g xtp as a minimum. 150g will send a 250g into the next county...lol. My Optima actually groups better with 100g or less. Let us know what you find out.

cwillard

I am going to play with a few different loads. I will let you all know how it goes. Thanks for all replies.

falcon

"I like the SST bullet. I prefer buying the regular sabots for them because the LNL's seemed tight in both guns I have tried them. They made more than two shots difficult. (OPTIMA and OMEGA) These two guns liked the SST's better than other bullets with 3 pellets."

iuse SST bullets formy pig and deer hunting with my Encore .50 caliber. They are very effective and deadly accurate.The ones i currently use have someones red sabots. They are hard to load but i do not worry about that when hunting.

"If the gun will shoot them use the XTP's. Much cheaper and very effective."

For many years all i used were 240 grain XTP bullets. They worked very well for me, killed a lot of hogs and deer with them. Still use them in my CVA guns.Bang flopped a boar that pegged a 350 pound scale when field dressed. Shot that hog through both shoulders with a 300 grain .44 caliber XTP and 100 grains of Pyrodex RS. The exit hole was well over one inch.