woodseye

I stumbled onto the Barnes MZ expanders and in my Traditions 50 caliber they really work well in front of 130gr of pydrodex.Excellant accuracy and great expansion at 50-100yds.Don' t get too many long shots up here but would be very confident at 150+.Anybody else like these bullets?

woods

grumpyarcher

You know......I tried those once. I shoot a Austin&Halleck and I couldn' t get those bullets down the barrel. They wouldn' t even fit in the muzzle.....weird huh.

Glockit

Thats what I shoot out of my Remington 700MLS .50cal.I use 100grns of 777 and they work great! I have killed several deer with them and they perform great.

Wish I could have told you about a 250lb. hawg this year but he ran off before I could get a shot[:@]

I am thinking of trying the 300 grainers too but the 250s rock!. BTW Knight also sells the same bullet for about $2.00 more a pack called the " Red Hot Bullet" same bullet different package

TN_Hunter

I use them in my Knight rifles. At regular MZ velocities they expand JUST LIKE the picture on the package! Awsome performance!

skeeter 7MM

Woods, you ever tried the hornady XTP in 240GR? I have been using them, with 100 gr of pyrodex behind. While my bullet drop at 200 yards is 10-12" the accuracy is superb at 100 and have taken a big mulie at 130 Yards with this set up, holding tight on him. I have been thinking about going down to 180-190 due to 200 yards shot are a real possibilty for some of my areas, but my experience has been so good both on the range and in game with the XTP and my 50 cal.

Guys who have shot both, how do these 2 bullets compare? What warrants the price difference between XTP vs MZ for deer and a 50 cal ML? Is it whatever shoots the best, only thing you tried, basically why?


thanks

TimberPig

Skeeter - I couldnt get the 240XTP' s to shoot worth a hoot in my Rem 700ML. The barnes shoot considerably better groups and none of the deer Ive shot with them have complained. I have to admit Im a newbie to MZ' s though and didnt experiment much, just stuck 2 pyrodex 50 pellets down the tube and tried a handfull of bullets to see which worked. I dont shoot MZ recreationally, just for hunting so bullet cost wasnt much of a factor. I picked up an Encore 50 today so I will retry the 240XTP which the encore is supposed to like. If I can get twice the bullets for less money, and get them to shoot well, thats what I' ll shoot. The Barnes shot well in my cousins Knight, but I think that was all he tried. His last name happens to be Barnes, so guess what he picks up first.

skeeter 7MM

Thanks Timber. Funny I have 700MLS.

I shoot with a number of guys and the load combos vary, it really is whatever works.

Good Luck with your Encore.

woodseye

skeeter,I think its when you find a great bullet/load combo that a lot of guys stop right there.I' ve never tried the XTP 240gr. and can' t comment on them.I was using a lead with plastic tip sabot that traditions was selling(silver something) and loved them but they discontinued and at that point I saw the Barnes at wally world and picked up a pack.They shot very accurate and worked well so I just stuck with them.I hear more and more about them on these boards and it all seems pretty positive so I guess it works for a lot of guys.I see Cabelas is selling a lead plastic tipped sabot now like I used to use in their new catalogs and they come in lighter weights like 200gr.I may give them a try and see if they shoot good for me.Like you I would like to come down about 50gr in weight to flatten out the trajectory a little better.

woods

skeeter 7MM

Woods, have you by chance tried the noslers in 180-195 gr? A buddy who guides was saying a number of the guys were bragging them up(180 gr nosler with 100Gr pyro) this fall. Saying they were flat, fast and held great groups at 100 - 200. I have posted here a few times, but have gotten only a couple of comments, but they seemed positive. I am thinking about giving them a test when the snow goes. I would like to get some field experiences with this bullet, but it seems the light weights and ML is almost taboo. If you have heard anything, I would appreciate your comments.

woodseye

Far as the lightweight and ML thing being taboo,only to some [:@]The 45' s wouldn' t be popular if guys wern' t looking to flatten the bullet curve some huh?Its odd you would mention the nosler as thats the only bullet I use for any type of game in my CF' s so you' d think I would have tried them first in the ML but I have never tried them.I guess they have designed them for ML velocities and they should work excellant.I never see anything on the boards about them so I never gave them much thought.I think this summer I will shoot a couple different bullet combos at 100-150yds and see what they will do.Maybe try the nosler and the plastic tipped boattails.I stay at 130gr of pyrodex as that is where my gun shoots best(guess that would be about 105-110 of 777).Keep me posted about any you try and I' ll do likewise.

woods