This topic has probably been beat to death over the years, so bear with me. I have been away from anything modern muzzleloading for a decade or so.

My only real experience with modern muzzleloading came with several seasons with a Knight Wolverine, some generic sabots, and bulk pistol bullets. Then for several years I wondered the woods with various sidelocks, flint and caps, and roundballs.

I love how my new Knight Bighorn performs with the Barnes T-EZ bullets I chose, but I did some figuring, and I am spending $2.25 shot for Goex powder, cap and Barnesball . Then, I did quick survey of what else is out there, and $3 a shot is easy to eclipse if you use 3 pellet loads and new fangled bullets.

Is there $$ performance value difference between the new tech and ~ 45 cents for example, bulk sabots and XTP bullets?

IMHO, only if your shooting long distance on a regular basis. for the vast majority of people who hunt with a muzzle loader that rarely shoot past 100 yds, the .250 gold dot/deep curl/XTP and even the Scopion pt golds are fine choices.a person can even shoot cheaper than that if they have a rifle that will shoot full bore lead conicals. which can be had for $28.00 per 100 and even cheaper, if you cast your own. properly sized lead conicals shot from a Knight for example can be as accurate as any saboted bullets and a bunch of fun.Ray

I agree with Builder. As far as I'm concerned Deep Curls and/or XTP's are all anyone needs for whitetails out to 200 yards. Shoot the buck-a-bullet models if you want to throw that kind of cash down range. But I won't do it.

Lots of guys shoot range sessions with the cheaper models and use the premiums for hunting. That's fine. But I consider it more of a feel good/confidence thing than a real need. I feel good and am confident with my Deep Curls (and my .54 lead balls out to 100 yards).

Hard to beat the price of shooting a PRB. Especially, if you cast your own balls, and buy powder in bulk.

I can shoot 110gr. BH209 and a scorpion PT gold in a harvester SB for: $1.38 a shot

Harvester SB $6.99 for 50
Harvester PT Gold $20.99 for 50
So, if ordered at the same time and total with shipping is $35.00
Roughly 40 loads in a 10oz. jug of bh 209 at 27.00 TYD with Carlos

BH209 $.675 per load
Sabot and bullet $.70

A bit of extra range is all the inlines have to offer over the 54 PRB and the good old Shock Wave still out shoots the others on an average bases for long range but I would use the bonded Shock Wave for any thing bigger than a deer. Some of us just don't care we like to experiment and try every thing and " you can not take it with you any way" and considering I am pushing 75 that's my attitude.

Doesn't really matter IMO. If we enjoy it and can afford the stuff, Shoot. Make adjustments where needed to help ease the cost if its affecting you.

I forgot to add that a couple years back that my wife got into the notion that all the bullet casting I was doing was going to make the kids (more?) stupid. I guess I can add that to the plus side of the all copper Barnes ("Yes dear, $2 a bullet is an investment in the kid's future ").

Thanks for the replies.

Understood INRecordBookBuck. And I shoot 95 grains GOEX under a 250 Deep Curl in a Harvester Short Black sabot for less than half of that $1.38 a shot - and knock the snot out of a whitetail out to 200 yards.

But Palehorse's question was what is he getting by going the premium route. I maintain that he would be getting the satisfaction of shooting a bullet/load he likes or has confidence in. But from the standpoint of effectiveness at normal ML ranges, it's a wash.

Shooting Premium bullets and powder is more of a confidence builder. And believe me, there are many hunters that really do not understand that most bullets can and do take game just fine. Without premium prices. But for instance when hunting with a premium bullet... you basically know what that bullet will do once it enters the animal. You know how it will expand. And have a good idea of the penetration you will get. Face it, many of them are field tested tried and true. Also you know that accuracy will be very consistent shot to shot. And the manufactures are counting on that.

Take powerbelts for example. Many of us dislike them. But we can not deny that some hunters consider them a premium bullet and have the greatest confidence in them. I think that is why they cost so much.

Now that is not saying the less costly bullets can not and do not do the same thing. Because they do. We were killing deer with conicals and roundballs long before the idea of a premium bullet ever entered the market. I would hate to guess how many deer fell to XTP bullets. And I am sure the Gold Dots/Deep Curl that are hitting the market will produce the same results.

So what it all boils down to is you need to shoot what you have confidence in. If that is premium bullets then so be it. If the deep curl makes you feel confident in the deer blind, that's great. I do feel premium bullets have a slight advantage at long ranges, but then I am not a long range shooter.

I shoot premium bullets more out of curiosity. I might use them when hunting, or I might just load up a roundball. After all, they never let me down. Probably why I did some casting the other day (for six hours) and refilled my supply of ball and UC short mags. I shoot what I want, and if what I shoot is too expensive for my tastes, then I shoot something else.