Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

And the results were not what I hoped for! [:@]
Picked up some T/C 250 grain shockwaves and some Jim Shockey's Gold powder to try in the Lyman Mustang. At 50 yards the combination gave about a 2" group using 100 grains powder. Moved to 100 yards and most of the shots were on paper (8.5 x 11" target) All over and no guess as to where the next one was going. I finally noticed one went through the target sideways! Backed down to 80 grains and still no accuracy. Moved back to 50 yards and switched to Pyrodex. About a 2" group. Dug through my bag and found one Barnes Expander MZ 250 grainbullet. Fired it with 100 grais Pyrodex (the load I'm sighted in with) and it was dead center & 1" high - right where it should be at 50 yards!
My conclusion - the Mustang don't like T/C shockwaves! Now I've got to try the new powder with Barnes Expanders.
Bought the Jim Shockey's gold because it was the best choice in the local store. The Goex Pinnacle was old and hard as a brick inside the bottle, they didn't have T-7 loose in stock, and I figured the Shockey's Gold was the premium AP powder. It was very clean & no crud ring, so if it will launch the Barnes bullets accurately I may switch to it. Seems like BP & Pyrodex are disappearing from the dealer's shelves here locally. :(

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

While most rifles like Shockwaves, not all rifles do. I have yet to shoot the Jim Shockey Gold powder. I shoot Pinnacle, and American Pioneer 2f & 3f with good results. Your results are very interesting to say the least.. Good range report.:D

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

How do those shockwaves go down the barrel? Do they go down real easy, snug or does it take a bit to get them down? How does it compare to the Barnes expander?Your rifle is the first I've heard of that didn't shot the SW's at least half way decent. I've got a pack of the 250 bonded SW'sI need totest out of the KRB next time I'm at the range. I need to look at my schedule and make that trip soon.So little time andso much to do.:D

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

I dont think you will miss the shockwaves. I was watching a hunting show the other night. Jim shockey actually and they were using encores with the 250 grain shockwaves and every mule deer they shot, those deer just took off and made the hunters track them. And i mean, every single deer they shot just took off and ran far before falling. I wouldnt even bother with a sabot, go back to the conical that gave you the best accuracy. I forget what you originally were shooting, but if it shot well, use that. or if you havent tried conicals, give them a try.

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

I have grouped shock waves out of my Optima. In fact, its the only 250g bullet my Optima will group. I used the sabot that comes with them. My pet load remains 300g hornady xtp and 90g of 777 with harvester crushed sabot. For some reason, my Optima likes to "spray" the 250g bullet.

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

That Barnes is a good bullet...The only thing you really gain with the Shockwaves is better aerodynamics for longer shots...Most deer are killed within 100 yards anyway, just set up so that's the longest shot you will have...

In all honesty, one range session with only one powder doesn't always get you dialed in with a particular combo...My Knight didn't like the sabots packaged with the Hornadys SST...But it loves the T/C sabot that came with them 2-3 years ago, so I bought several boxes of the T/Cs...The sabots can make a huge difference.

Frontier is right about the Shockwaves, a good hollow point is designed to open up quickly...While the SSTs will mushroom it's my opinion that the
polymer tip bullets will not expand as rapidly at most muzzle loader velocities...I "help" the SSTs expand by putting them through the shoulder blade, that way I don't need a blood trail...

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

I can agree with that. If the 250 gr. expander is shooting well, stick with it. IMO, it's a better bulletthan the shockwave. If you're wanting something with a little better B.C., try the Barnes spitfires or the TMZ.

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

My .50Encore shoots really well with JSG and Hornady SST sabots(same bullet as Shockwave). Bought that gun last September and have killed three deer and fourhogs with it. All were bang flops. All of the bullets expanded, including the one taken from a hog i shot at175 yards. My load is 90 grains of JSG, the 250 grain SST bulletand a Winchester 777 primer.

At 100 yards my gun easily makes two inch groups with the above load in my hands.One day at the range, a Marine SSG took myEncore and shot severalconsecutive groupsone inch and under with it.

Hornady SST sabots load very hard in my Encore. But that is a very small price for me to pay for their accuracy and consistency. JSG and SST sabots work well for me.

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

I've never shot either SSTs/Shockwaves or JSG. Then, this morning I'm browsing through the ML stuff at the local Acadamy Sports store and they had the 20 bullet packsof Hornady45-300 grainSSTs with sabotson sale for $2.88 a box. Bought all 6 boxes they had. Even if they don't shoot well for me, at that price they'll make good plinkers. They also had JSGFFG$16 a canister. Bought a pound of that to try also.

I now have so many bullet and powder combinations to play with that I'll be an old, old man before I've tried them all.

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

The shockwaves loaded very easy. The Barnes load easier in the Mustang than any rifle I've ever shot them in, but they still take a firm shove on the ramdod to seat them. I'm wondering if the Mustang might have a slightly oversize bore? As long as the Barnes group well they will be my hunting load anyway. I've shot a few deer with them, and seen several others shoot deer with them and as long as the hit was in the "boiler room" the deer dropped on the spot! That's the kind of tracking job Ilike - you have to move the dead deer to find it's last tracks! :D
As my hunting buddy says:
I spent $39,000 for a hunting truck, $600 for a Knight rifle, $350 for a scope, an unknown amount for hunting clothes & accessories, so why would I complain about bullets costing $1 each if they work?

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

Hey wabi, now's no time to be talking sense! I do believe that Barnes solid copper bullets are the most effective game bullets made. (I still hate paying a buck a bullet, especially when I know and XTP or Gold Dot will kill a whitetail as dead as they can get.)

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

The SW are VERY VERY accurate in my new Savage (5 out of 5 within an inch at 100 yards), as are the Parker Ballistic Extremes 275g (4 out of 5 witin an inch at 100 yards). Before I shot the BE last weekend I wasthinking on doing the exact same thing your doing on close shots, putting them thru the shoulder blade so they would expand. Glad to hear from someone that it works. Chap Gleason

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

"Loosy no accuracy, tighty but not pound them down gives great accuracy." That has been my experience, clean barrel every time.
Chap Gleason

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

My first (& last) buck with an XTP bullet went almost 30 yards after the hit. My buddy talked me into trying Barnes bullets the next year, and they are all I've deer hunted with since. Not a huge score (haven't kept count, but 4 or 5 deer) but every one dropped on the spot!

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

wabi, may I ask at what distance the shots were taken with the xtps? Were they 250g 300g? Only reason I ask, is that I have set scope, load, etc up for the upcoming season using 300g xtp. Thanks for any info.

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

you know it is amazing how some deer drop on the spot from a questionable shot but yet the next deer with a perfect shot will run a hundred yards or so after impact.up until this year i have been a shotgun only hunter in illinois and for the last six years have been shooting winchester partition gold slugs they have been great have killed around twenty deer with them most did not make it ten feet. but one in paticular last year took three thats right three through the front shoulder and still managed to make it 80-100 yards out of the field before collapsing.on that hunt i was using a new scope and thought as the deer kept moving that i was missing him but luckily i found some blood before it got dark and recovered that deer. when we got him skinned out we could see i shot a 2 inch group in his right shoulder and it looked like a softball had came out the left i was really amazed that he made it that far...with that beeing said no wonder it is hard to get a strait answer on what ML bullet to shoot because i dont think to many deer will give me three shots with my new omega...

RE: Tried new powder/bullet combination
 

oldrookie,
It was a 300 grain XTP at about 60 yards. Nothing wrong with the bullet performance, or the recovery. A shot through the lungs and the buck didn't go far. The only reason I switched was the Barnes record among hunting friends. With a good hit - 100% recovery rate and almost all dropped right on the spot. One hunting buddy even badly mis-judged range and took a nice buck when the Barnes took two legs almost off. :(