Quandary 45
 

I put to gather a 45 with a Bergara Barrel and a Pro Hunter encore stock and action It shoots quite well the problem is it loads with a 40 caliber bullet and a Harvester 45/40 blue sabot to easy but shoots much better with that combination than with the comparable MMP sabot which loads with the correct tension.
Since I do not want to mess up the 3/4 inch group I am getting and do not have an assortment of sabots to choose from: I am looking for some ideas to try.

If it is shooting that good, why mess with it? Maybe don't swab between shots and see if that stiffens it up.

If loose makes you nervous, computer paper wrap, with a damp sponge nearby to seal the end.

Or play with varying-sized pieces of a cotton ball around the sabot, before loading.

I'll offer something counter intuitive. Try a Harvester Crush Rib 45/40 . . . I see they make one now:

https://www.harvestermuzzleloading.c...hk=1&Itemid=18

I know the crush rib's claim is easier loading in tighter bores, and you're having the opposite issue.

An experience I've had with an Omega is that .430 bullets are most accurate with Harvester smooth sabots, while .429's are most accurate with crush rib. It seems like it should be opposite. The .430/smooth combination loads with normal resistance. The .429/crush rib combination is normal, maybe a little lighter after initial push.

A theory: The .430/smooth is right size. For the .429/Crush Rib, the sabot is "crushing" to the right size, making up for what might be a looser fit. Why doesn't the crush rib do the same for the .430? . . . It hasn't answered, yet.


Has anyone tried using a .41 caliber bullet? There are several .41/210 grain pistol bullets:

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...-point-410-dia

Well that is certainly a different view point on the crush rib, going to think about that. I have been wanting to get a hold of some .410 Gold Dot or Deep curl and the crush rib could serve in two ways that way but have not been able to locate and deep curl .410 yet.

Are u worried the bullet/sabot combo will move off the powder charge while hunting/carrying?

Have u tried knurling the bullet? If not, it may load with the seating pressure u are seeking.

Yes since it shoots as good as I can off the bench it is the only thing that worries me. Its close to 2100 FPS and that is fast enough .
I am completely amazed that it can load so easy and still shoot 3/4 inch groups.

Lee,
I have an unopened box of 100 of those. Send me your full name and address and I'll send them to you.

Seems like you have a fine shooting combo going on.If you worried about the bullet shifting ,,I would just give it a field test,I would shake the rifle,turn it upside down,,thump it,,what ever you can think of and check where the bullet is.I had a white rifle and once it was fouled or even shot,,the bullets would fall down the barrel.It worried me and I like to still hunt,I was always checking to see if the bullet had moved,it was always in the same spot..

inghamtr
I have tapped it on a piece of 2x4 several times and it did not move but it slides down the barrel with only about 5 # effort and that's scary.