After shooting a doe earlier in the season with the .58 Hawken, I switched guns to the .50 GM/LRH TC Renegade. It was loaded with its standard load of 85 grains GOEX FFFg under a 300 grain Gold Dot in a Harvester short black sabot.

After a few hunts with the Renegade without getting a shot I got to thinking that I've already shot deer with the 300 Gold Dot (excellent results), but never with a 250 grainer. So after the Saturday morning hunt I decided to switch to the 250.

I went to the club rifle range and shot the 300 grainer at a 100 yard target to unload the gun. It hit exactly where it should have. I was happy with that as the gun had been loaded for three weeks.

Although I've shot the 250's from this gun before, I couldn't recall what load shot best and didn't have the gun's target file at the camp. I also needed to see if the scope needed to be adjusted for the lighter bullet.

I wanted to push the 250 a little harder than the 300, so I loaded up with 105 grains of GOEX FFFg and took three shots at 100 yards.

The results were disappointing. So I dropped the load to 95 grains and took three more shots. Now, THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.

Two three-shot groups do not always tell the tale. But I didn't have time for a lengthy range session and was confident enough in the results here that I cleaned the gun completely and loaded her up with the 250's for the evening hunt.

It's amazing the difference reducing the charge by ten grains made.

Semisane

Odd! considering I am shooting them in your barrel with 110 grains and a MMP.... but u just proved u just never know until...

I really do hope you get an opportunity to harvest with the 250... U comparison could be invaluable...

SEMI;i'll bet your still smilin' after that group.good luck on your hunt ......karl

Sabotloader, I just checked my target file and see I've never used MMP sabots in this gun - only Harvesters. I wonder if the sabot makes the difference?

Do you by any chance have a velocity reading on the 110 grain load?

It is getting right along at 1940fps with HPH-24....

Sabots a difference.... everybody says everthing can make a difference - so i would think it is possible....

For me over the years the MMP Polymere has been more consistent and forms to the bore easier than does the Harvester, especially in the cold weather - which I know you miss. But the down side is that in really warm weather (75/80* and above) they do get very pliable. So in that type of temps the Harvester might work better... I just shoot slower in the really hot weather.

Off subject.... have you completed your work on making the 'Twelve Days of Muzzleloading' for the season yet????

Semi,

I've experienced that same scenario a couple times before. It's amazing what 10 grains will do-and even sometimes 5 grains. It's frustrating and fun all at the same time!

Looks like you have a good one figured out there.

Oh man! Don't get me started Sabotloader. I've not even thought of doing that.

But who knows, now that you've put it out there I may have to give it a go.

I just realized the importance of what you said Sabotloader.

You're getting good accuracy with 110 grains out of the 15/16" barrel I sent you, and I can't use 105 grains in the 1" barrel you sent me in exchange. It sure seems to me that you owe me something for tricking me like that.

The second part of the equation slipped my mind...

But the answer is really right there in front of us.... you were @ 105 and I was @ 110 instead of going down 10 you should have gone up 5...

OH! also I was thumbing through targets look what I found - just sec gotta upload it....

OK... this was shot with the 1" barrel with open sights....

When you look at it I am not sure what I was doing with the 2 #4 shots - One of them has to be #5 but the memory does not remember.... but I was trying to move the sight with those infernal screws... But when I finally got it figured out the 75 yard group did not turn out to bad...

See, there you go. You were using T7 and went and screwed up a good GOEX barrel.

But I love it anyway - that sucker SHOOTS (and the 4X ProDiamond makes it a 150 yard gun).

Not surprising, as OLD as you are.