ronlaughlin

The solution is simple. One just needs to use 110g of powder to shoot at 150 yard or less. This works for elk hunting with a muzzle loader in Colorado, where one is restricted to iron sights. If one wishes to shoot 200 yard, don't.

Shooting over 150 yard with iron sights at an elk may not be considered ethical. Me, i won't judge, but also, i won't do it. However, if one really wishes to shoot 200 yard, or more, at elk, it seems to me one should use a bullet that flies better than this one does, perhaps a 500g or some such, conical.

During rifle season one can use optics, and sabot. Myself, i believe i might could make a good shot on an elk using a 300g Nosler in a sabot, pushed by 110g of Blackhorn, at 250 yard. However, i would much rather shoot that load at an elk out 75 yard, or even better--40 yard... 20 yard.

CVADAVE

The question was asked about what this bullet will do at 200 yards. I had done a test last year with the OLD bullets at 100 and 200 yards, out of my CVA MR with 110 gr of BH 209 into water jugs, at 100 yards they opened up as they are supposed to, at 200 yards they did not. The one to the right was at 100 yards, and the 2 to the left was at 200 yards, the one to the left went thru 5 water jugs, the one next to it went thru 5 water jugs and a 1/2 inch partical board.

Last weekend 3 of my friends and I went to test these out again with 2 different packs, with 2 different lot numbers.
The 200 yard test was the only one we did,

The 2 to the left was with 110 gr of BH 209, they went thru 5 water jugs and into my 6x6 wood back stop that I was using, the holes below them was from the other bullets with 120 gr of powder and thru 6 water jugs, that is the 3 bullets to the right.
I used 7 of these bullets bullets for the 200 yard water jug test, 2 of them we did not find.
I know this is not a great test, I enjoy seeing what the bullets look like and what they may look like after hitting the animal you are shooting, because with me, I very seldom recover a bullet that I have shot a deer with.
As far as how accurate these bullets are, I used 7 bullets for the test at 200 yards, so as far as I CARE they are still a very accurate bullet out to 200 yards. And these were shot out of my CVA ACCURA MR as was the first test.
Dave

Muley Hunter

One thing we need to keep in mind. Even though we all want good expansion. It is a .50 cal bullet. A 1/2" hole through both lungs will kill deer and elk. Maybe not as fast as we'd like, but dead none the less.

What the question still is, what do the bullets look like in game with the same fps as these jug tests?

ronlaughlin

Well Dave,

If you wish to see expansion at 200 yard, it seems you will need to increase the powder charge. Perhaps a minimum of 130g will get the job done.

CVADAVE

Sorry Ron,
But 120 gr is MAX for me, and that was just for this last test of these bullets, The out come was the same on both test with different powder charges. Otherwise I will stick with 110 gr.
As Pete said, 50 cal bullet, 1/2" hole at 200 yards, in the right spot will put anything down.

sabotloader

With what you and Ron have shown - it certainly is a bullet that I would avoid. There are much better ones out there.

Even the Hornady FPB has shown much better results.

Muley Hunter

The biggest problem with the FPB is the size of them. For tight bores you have a struggle on your hands getting them started.

Not sure it's true, but I read they're .506. The way they load I sort of believe it.

super_hunt54

One of them "better check the barrel for bulges" loads huh?

ronlaughlin

It has been very difficult for me to shoot at 200 yard, since the logging operation reworked the road into where i liked to shoot. This morning we received near 1" of rain at the house. This afternoon it looked like it was going to let up, so i loaded some vials with 130g of Blackhorn, and headed for the hills. It seemed like there was no way any one would drive in on that road as muddy as it was; the loggers for sure would be at the bar. So, i set up some jugs, and shot at them. The distance from the rifle to the jugs ended up being 205 yard. The first three jugs cost me 99 cents each, and even came filled with water. The last jug cost me about $225, and i had to fill it with water all by myself. Because the rain never quit, the shooting was not recorded; didn't want the camera to get wet.











The first shot somehow just so barely skun the left side of the second, and third jug. How it missed the front jug, i don't know. Had to drive, slip, and slide up the road, and set the remaining two jugs up again. The windage on the scope was turned right 3 clicks. After slipping and swerving backwards down the road to the bench, the rifle was loaded once again. This next shot destroyed the front jug, blew a huge entrance hole in the expensive jug, and bounced off the back side, leaving a dent, but remaining inside the expensive jug.












The next photo kinda shows the weather on the trip home; the rain never quit.











At home the bullet shot today pushed by 130g of Blackhorn, and captured at 205 yard is pictured to the right of the bullet shot months ago. The bullet on the left was captured at 12 yards i believe, and i believe it was pushed by 65g of Blackhorn, and clocked at 1335 fps.

txhunter58

I still think I would choose the FPB over these bullets for elk. I don't like to exceed 95 gr of BH and the FPB works great with that. Their webpage said they open down to 800 fps and they have killed 4 elk with me. Of course the next time I hunt, it will probably be with a 460 gr bullshop out of my White anyway. I would trust that set up over both the other choices