gearheart

In my centrefire reloading bible the most accurate load is never the max. load given. It would stand to reason that the same holds true for MZ. Shoot over snow and look at all the unburned powder laying on the snow in front of you afterwards. No sense in throwing money away and beating yourself up just because you can. The deer won't be any deader.

lemoyne

Gearheart
I have reloaded since 1965 and have found several max loads that shot the best but with center fires its not the norm. I really don't relate that to muzzleloading. Because of the original CVA's firecracker barrels and the lawsuits that resulted the safety factor insisted on by the powder and arms companies is out of sight. There for unless you do your own pressure testing and enough information to do your own figures on your guns how do you know what maximum is?
It is very difficult even for those of us that do have the right equipment because of the arms co. not being willing to furnish information on just what the breach plug design will hold up to. Lee

Hoyt_Viper

My magnum loads throws a 295 gr sabot 100 yrds with consistency and amazing accuracy. You never know what and how far away something you want to shoot will step in front of you. The only way to shoot with accuracy when shooting a heavier sabot is to magnum charge it (3 50 grn 777's). You could drop a mature buck at 100 plus yrds with a magnum charge shooting anything larger and heavier than a powerbelt 295. I used to shoot n the 300's but found the sweet spot with a magnum charge and 295 powerbelt sabots...perfect grouping at 100 yrds, and the hollow points will smack down any whitetail out there.

txhunter58

Glad that has worked well for you! But the truth is that the accuracy you speak of is for your gun only. All guns don't have the best accuracy at max loads. And there are plenty of accurate loads that don't use 150 gr in most guns. Also, just to be clear on what we are talking about, powerbelts are not considered sabots. They are basically an undersized full bore, pure lead conical.

There are a ton of reports out there of failures when you push a powerbelt that hard. At 25 yards, that bullet going that fast will come apart if it strikes anything substantial. Fact is would actually get better penetration/terminal performance from that bullet at less than 100 yards with lower powder charges.

So, IMO you have a great 200 yard combo! But since the vast majority of shots I take are less than 100 yards, and I have never taken a 200 yard shot with a muzzy, I will stay with lower charges. This combo is obviously right for you, but if I had that load in my gun with a buck of the woods stepped out at 20 yards, I would have a nagging worry in the back of my mind.

hometheaterman

I tried 150 grains and it kicked the crap out of me not to mention the gun didn't shoot very well with it. Seemed like the bullet was hitting the paper sideways the way it was ripping it. I switched down to 100 grains and like it much better.

UncleNorby

The manufacturers do what sells guns. The word "Magnum" sells guns, as do their advertized velocities. We've all seen the T/C commercial for the BDC reticle scope, quoting a 3 pellet load and 200 yd range. They're just doing what will sell more guns. That's how they make money.

I've never shot a ML over 100 yds at game. With my Genesis, and current 350 gr FPB over 100 gr loose pyrodex, I can shoot to 125-150 if need be, and that's all I need for my hunting. One day I'll try BH 209 but not to add range, I like the notion of easier cleanup.

cherokee75

I shot 150 grains of 777 pellets in my 1st ML which was an Optima using 348 grain Powerbelts about 5 years ago and they were all over the place. I now know that was too much for PBs but I no longer use them and shoot an Omega with 2 pyrodex pellets and/or 90 grains RS with SWs but may try 300 grain Barnes Expanders.

Steve F.in MD

It is a waste of powder in my experience. My standard load is 80 grns of 777 all my rifles.

Breechplug

I've SWITCHED! I talked to MountianDevil54 and he talked me into using lose Powder insted of the 150gr's (3) Pyrodox Pellets. I must say My Accuracy has increased out of My ACCURA's. Being a BIG guy, 6'6" and 240lbs I have always assumed the Bigger the Load the Better, well I hate to admit it but I was wrong! Using 110gr's of RS and a 240gr XTP with 777 Primers My groups have tightened up! And LESS RECOIL, no more black and blue armpit from the 150gr load.
I should have put 2 and 2 togeather as being a Charter Life Member of the IBO (International Bowhunting Organazation) and shooting bow in the Triple Crown. My Buddy owned a pro shop (BOW) and he was also a shooter in the IBO we used to think that shooting the heaviest Bow weight and arrow combination allowed by the IBO for it's shoots would give us an ADVANTAGE over the other shooters that could'nt handle this MAX WEIGHT ( 80lb Max Bow Weight X 5Gr. Per Pound for Arrow Weight) = a 80 Lb Bow (Pull-Weight) and a 400Gr. Arrow, total weight for (Arrow-Tip-Insert)
Boy were we wrong! Not only was it tough to hold on the targets with this 80lb Bow weight, our accuracy suffered a little as the shoot went on.
Well we finally realized that the guy's that were shooting say 60Lb Bow weight and a 300gr arrow-5gr per pound of Bow Weight were shooting just as FAST as we were with the 80lb Bow's! or the guy's with the 70Lb Bow's with 350Gr arrows.
So we dropped our Bow weight, lightened our arrow weight and we we still shooting just as fast but we did'nt suffer pulling back the 80lbs and our accuracy was better and our arms did'nt hurt after a shoot.
So Bigger is not always better! Your no less of a man if you dont shoot 150 gr's of Black Powder, I'll be the First and probably not the last to admit it, too bad it took me so long to let my accuracy overcome my EGO, and the Game will be just as dead with less powder, just as our arrows hit the 10 ring the same as they did with the heaiver Bow Weight.
Ron (breechplug)