Harvester or MMP
 

So after more thinking, and due to a recent change of circumstances, at least for now my plan this year is going to be to hunt with my .45 Contender 1-28 twist. Depending on what happens the next few months I may still consider an Ultra Lite, but for now I can't spend the money.

I figure I'll pick up some 200 gr. XTP's (if I can find them) or else some SST's. The question is, what sabot is better? And if Harvester is better, are the smooth better than the crush ribs?

What's a good starting load for .45? I will most likely be shooting BH209.

It depends on the bullet. For SST bullets I like the crushed rib Harvester. For XTP I like the MMP HPH24.

I have been using the Harvester yellow crush rib with great results on the Barnes Spit Fire MZ and TMX in both weights. I have also had very good results with MMP's 3 petal sabot on the Hornady SST in 250 and 300gr. Very easy to load and accurate. My most accurate load in both my Knight LRH and MH has been with Harvesters Scorpion PT Gold 300 gr, their black crush rib sabot and 110 grs. of Blackhorn 209 using CCI 209M primers. Best 3 shot group at 100 yds was .297 inches.

One of my 45s prefers the MMP Tan and 2 prefer the Harvester smooth blue sabot. So far i have not tried the blue CR sabot in the tighter 2. They might shoot fine. They are too loose in my Elite 45.

I don't have a Contender in 45 but my Elite 45 likes 90gr of BH209 with the 200gr XTP and 100-110gr with the 200gr SST. My old Accura 45 1-28 twist did well with similar loads.

If it was me, I would pick up some 200 grain SST's, and some Harvester smooth blues. I would try both the supplied sabots and the Harvesters and see what shot better. As for load I would start at 100 grains of BH209 and go from there. I had a .45 that did not like the blue harvesters but liked the tan ones and a few people with the same barrel had the opposite results. Just have to see for yourself.

I would and did do exactly as Chaded has suggested. My Disc Elite preferred the Harvester smooth blues for the SST's, however, the XTP's preferred the MMP tans.

I think you need both to mess with but the MMP's come with the SST's so you only need to buy the Harvesters.

I am weird... I only use MMP's - I really prefer the polymer formula they use... It is softer/more pliable and loads in cold weather...

Sabotloader I must ask because I don't know, but what does being easily bent or shaped (pliable) contribute to a sabot in loading in cold weather over a Harvester? I have not seen an issue nor a difference in either one in loading in cold weather.

Because the sabot remains pliable even in the cold weather it still retains its ability to stretch and be compressed to fit through the crown and down the bore. Two other advantages to the pliability of the MMP is that when in the bore it conforms itself to the bore filling the grooves and allowing the the lands to make a full impression in the sabot. With these properties it eliminates most if not all slippage across the lands and grooves at ignition. The sabot starts turning the minute it is pushed by pressure. The second of that is eve ncold weather it conforms to and grips the projectile stopping slippage of the sabot around the bullet. It is a huge big deal that a very light polymer sabot will start to turn right away but getting the dead heavy projectile to turn with it without slipping is a chore.

The donwn fall of the MMP formulation is HEAT... if the barrel gets really hot or the ambient temperture gets warm the MMP becomes to pliable and all the good things go away...

If you have any MMP HPH sabots - throw them and some harvesters in the freezer for a few hours and see which one might be more pliable when you bring them out. That little extra bit of pliability makes a world of difference in the two gripping jobs that a sabot must do, especially in sub-freezing weather.

These are just my observations and I have shot them both quite a bit... but really do prefer MMP in the hunting situation.

While I can see that in extreme conditions I just don't personally see the benefit in my experience with the two. So are you saying, that if the Harvester shot more accurate in a particular gun you would still use the MMP due to how pliable it is even if it generates worse accuracy? I guess I haven't hunted in extreme enough conditions for it to really matter? I have always shot whatever yields better accuracy because most of the time with the tan mmp vs. the blue harvesters there was a considerable difference in the two whether the tan mmp shot better or the blue harvester shot better but regardless one was always much better than the other depending on which gun it was being shot out of.