cayugad,i wanted to ask you since i got my winchester apex a little over a year ago i was sighting in and shooting all different bullets shockwaves,hornady's sst and xtp,prbullets,ect all 250 grs and under over 95 to 100 grs 777 with poor results until i went to the 270gr powerbelt platinums.could it be that my gun want a heavier bullet like a 300 gr shockwave or hornady.i had that mind set like alot of others lighter bullets being faster and flatter you know trying to get your muzzleloader shooting like your 30.06.i talk about free floating barrel and variflame adaptors for better accuracy maybe is as easy just going to a 300gr bullet!!!any thoughts very appreciated.
scott

Rifles are funny things. I have some that shoot the lighter bullets just fine. Others demand a heavy bullet. My CVA likes a heavy bullet for some reason. 300 grain XTP, 405 grain Remington FP, 300 grain Shockwaves.. it just shoots them better.

Also, some rifles do not like sabots as well as conicals. Perhaps you have one of them rifles that likes big lead. All you can do it try different loads. If I had your rifle I would try several loads out of it...

Nosler 260 grain Partitian, 300 grain Barnes Expanders, 300 grain XTPs, 240 grain XTPs, 200, 250, & 300 grain Shockwaves, Speer Gold Dots, Maxiball, REAL conicals, ... and work all of them with different powders and charge strengths. Somewhere in that you will find a load that will shoot the way you want with the accuracy you need. Don't be so concerned about matching a 30-06 as you never will. Instead, develope a good accurate load, practice, set your scope to the distance you might encounter, and hunt accordingly. Put that projectile in the right place and let it do the work for you.

You didn't say if you was using loose powder or Pellets.I like loose for just the benifit of working up a Load.Plus cheaper.

big rockpile

ty cayugad for the reply and no i am not trying to duplicate my 30.06 just used it as a example.the 200,250 grn shockwaves are out as well as the hornady 250 sst and 240xtp's tried them no good still have many of them left anyway i am going to go up to the 300grn bullet in a couple of these bullets over 90 to 100 grns loose 777 and see what happens!!

Might sound crazy,but I've shot better groups with far less powder.

big rockpile

with a lighter bullet such as a 245-295 powerbelt, my winchester was a powder hog and needed 120 grains RS loose powder to put them into 1" 3 shot groups. Anything less and they opened up quickly. with a 348 powerbelt, 385,410 grain great plains, 80 to 90 grains RS put them perfectly. Just have to play around with new bullets, powder, powder charges until you find something you like.

yes rockpile i have heard of that and was thinking of starting at 80-85 grns of 777 instead of the 95-100 i have been using.i get that mindset you need more powder for more killing power and energy but if ur gun doesn't shoot straight then what good is it!!!

"i get that mindset you need more powder for more killing power and energy"

A 45-70 sharps shoots a 405 grain bullet with only 70 grains of blackpowder. That was enough to put down buffalo at a couple hundred yards. More powder is not always the right answer. You'll learn though, i have confidence in you. I'd rather have people ask questions then to have a know it all shooting next to me who's being dangerous.

Then again, maybe i just like you because you shoot a winchester j/k

I have a Knight MK 85 that shoots a 525 grain bullet that I cast. The first shot cut's the line, one inch high every time you shoot it. It is super accurate, and devastating out to 150 yards with open sights. I load it with 120 grains of 3F Blackpowder. The load is a killer on both ends. The rough part of the bolt brings the blood to the webbing of my left thumb every time I shoot the rifle. The load is devastating on elk. I have only shot three elk with the load, but I hope to use it next year in NM. I am drawing for a special handicap hunt, the guide said my odd's were good. I got my finger's crossed. Tom.

it seems every year they come out with lighter bullets . every ML i've shot was way more accurate with heavy bullets. i don't think anyone needs to over 100grns of powder .