I decided to branch out from the expensive and easy PowerBelts. I ordered two boxes of Hornady 45 Cal bullets to load in Harvester Black crush rib sabots.

The one box label reads: 45 CAL .452 240 GR XTP MAG
What does MAG mean? and why does this bullet have a ring around the middle?

The other box reads: 45CAL .451 230 GR XTP
This bullet doesn't say MAG and doesn't have a ring around the middle.

What do you think?

Both are going to work just fine in the sabots you purchased. The reason one says Mag is they are supposed to be made a little tougher and hold together better when shot into game at higher speeds. Mag or no mag, they both will work fine. I never shot the 230 grain XTP. So let us know how they shoot.

I was shooting the .430 240 grain XTP's in a black .44 caliber Traditions sabot with 70 grains of 3f black powder out of my .50 caliber Lyman flintlock Trade Rifle and my CVA Stalker Carbine today. Both rifles shot them real good with 70 grains of powder.

Thank you Cayugad! Hopefully my Wester Powders Blackhorn209 Breech plug will be here soon and I can start sighting in.

Are the rings around the circumference of the first bullet something to do with a better crimp if reloading in a shell case? Would that effect aerodynamics and accuracy?

I've never used those two....I prefer the 300gr Hornady .430 XTP with a plain green Harvester sabot...My buddy likes the 240gr also in .430 diameter...

Many use the 300gr Hornady XTP .451 in a black .45 caliber sabot...Or the 250 gr Hornady XTP in that same sabot...

I'd send them back for one of the above..

i would the not use the 230 grain .451 XTP on deer. That bullet is designed for use in the .45 auto at velocities of 800-1,100 fps.

That ring or crimp around a bullet is called a Cannelure. In muzzleloading it really makes no difference to us as we are not crimping. I was always told that when we set a bullet into a cartridge case, that cannelure help to keep the bullet in the case, at a set place, and to seal in gas so that there is a uniform expansion when fired. That gives the shooter better accuracy in some cases. That's how it was explained to me. In a muzzleloader, placed in a sabot, that cannelure will do very little.

Many of the handgun bullets we shoot might have a cannelure. I have never seen a huge difference in accuracy.

My buddy has taken dozens of deer with the .452 240 grainer (with the crimp). It seems to work very well with powder charges from 70 - 110 grains T7 or BH. Don't know anything about the 230 grainer though...

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll post results when we get out and shoot. I wanted to try the 230grain just to see how soft shooting I could make the gun for my youngest.