Barnes Sabot/Bullet information
 

The other day both GM54-120 and myself were looking for this information on the Barnes web site...

A forum member on another forum - relocated it! Thanks usmc74!

http://barnesbullets.com/muzzleloader-tips-tricks/

What's a 5 percenter?

About 5% of us actually care enough to put together optimum loads and bullet/sabot combinations. The other 95% just load and go and accept sub par results from their ML's

We have been described as "techies" by one it seems.

I say its those of us that don't accept the mass produced products that companies claim we should use. Its those people that have spent many hours of range time proving them wrong. Its those people that had a hand in making a better breach plug. Its the people that buy bullets and sabots in bulk because we know what combination works in our MLs. Its the people that actually own a chrono and are not just repeating something they read on the net or what a manufacturer claims.

Most of all its the people that actually make the sport more enjoyable for others by actually DOING and giving the newcomers a known/proven good starting point. The rest rely more on Google and copy/paste. :woot::party0005:

The 95% shoot at 50 yards and get on here to ask. "where will my bullets be hitting at 100 or 150?" The 5% DOERS actually get out and shoot/practice at 150 or whatever distance they feel is the max they might shoot at game.

So, who determines who's in this 5%?

The "borecleaningweasel"

Weasel? I thought it was the squirrel!

Nope :(:(:(

Maybe we should just have a poll and see who considers themself a 5% . :)

I have a borecleaningweasel and I use him all the time! He and I think we are 5% ters.

I'm a 95 percenter. We have more members, and can beat up the 5 percenters. :D

Just remember Pete, not all of us ONLY carry ML's, hence the tag line :D Hell I might still be bigger than a bear but I'm oldern dirt. Only thing with much fight left in me is me bugger hooker on the bang switch! :wink:

I carry a .44 mag now. I'm going coyote hunting with it tomorrow. Think I can get close enough?

The 4 inch? What calls are you using? Carry some shooting sticks. Them critters are jittery and hard to hit with a handgun. It'll be some good practice for when you go bear hunting with it. Just remember what I told you on the bear hunting thing. "Update your Insurance policy and take someone SLOWER than you"! :happy0157:

I knew it :happy0157:

No you don't. :p

Only 5%, I thought their were a lot more of us than that. Lee

I would say 5% is about right. I am not there yet, but working on it......

Actually that 5% number peaked about 10 years ago, when smokeless entered the ML scene and is probably closer to 2.5% today.

Most ML shooters still live East in more populated America and typical harvests remain under 100 yards.

But hey, it's more important that we saturate ML boards today with 200-400 yard discussions. For the bulk of everyday members visiting ML boards in the offseason (Feb-Sept), has shifted to techies, makers, workers and suppliers of the industry.

So carry-on as usual and help to keep us 95%ers more educated on the world of high-tech muzzleloading. We desire about 10 more Lehigh topics please. Just haven't been enough of those this year. Need more Blackhorn discussions too. That powder does account for 80% of ML powder sales ..... doesn't it?

What do you mean Blackhorn sales lag under 20%. You would never believe that here. It's really rare to see a Pyrodex topic here, despite Pyrodex outselling Blackhorn by a mile and a half. Same with real blackpowder, which outsells Blackhorn by another mile and a half.

Both require Fatima miracles to get talked about here. Why?...... the board techies here want no part of them. But real America still does. So OK 5%ers.....carry-on while I slam this thread door-here shut.

SMLs have been around since the 1980s or even longer. http://www.smokelessmuzzleloading.com/

Using smokeless has little to do with range and far more to do with cost and convenience. It was and is the original BP replacement. A pound of smokeless goes much further and cost less per shot than subs.

Im sorry you could not make Blackhorn209 work for you. :wave::violin:

I probably shoot and test as much as most, but I do it for myself.

However, I try to answer questions honestly when I can.

I'm just not a joiner. Especially, when it seems a bit snobbish. Do you do it to help, or be in some imaginary exclusive club?

Hmmmm,, let me see, cleaning a crud ring that damn near freezes my breech plug onto my barrel and having to swab every other shot while using Triple 7 or Pyrodex, OR use BH209. Let me think on that a while,,,,,,,,,,,,Okay, thought long enough. Think I'll use a powder that I get much better performance from as well as almost 0 corrosion. BH209!! And no sir I am NOT a sales rep for them nor any other company that sells or promotes Firearms of any sort.

.......................:confused::confused::

You having a hard time with the English language?

Yes, really!

:happy0157::happy0157::happy0157::happy0157:

I haven't seen anyone I consider in the 5% that is snobbish. They share freely of info, "how to" pictures and videos, and material things (bullets, etc). 5% is not "hey I am in this elite group" but a goal to shoot for. I think the glass is half full.

They weren't until the 5% club.

Well it doesn't bother me in the least. After all, I'm in the even more exclusive 2% GOEX club. :s2:

It doesn't bother me either. I'm just calling it like I see it.

HA! I break out the Old Swiss on occasion! Wuts that put me percentage wise???? Even been known on a couple of my BP doubles to even mix a little smokeless (10% SR4759) in my .500 3 1/4 380 grain boolit! Just call me PSYCO! :biggrin:

SR4759 is a very good powder even when not used correctly!!😉

LOL Actually I learned about that trick several years ago from Graeme Wright's book "Shooting The British Double Rifle". Most of his load data uses Goex but I came up with a few using Swiss. You can get a more consistent burn but yeah you gots to mind yer P's n Q's for sure. It's definitely NOT for the rookie BP loader. All you rookies keep in mind, this mix I sometimes use is for CASED BP CARTRIDGES not for muzzleloaders!!! There now, made Grouse happy with the disclaimer :biggrin: Oh yeah another point All you rookies out there keep in mind, I am a crazy old man so do NOT try this at home :p

I thought you had an Optima now according to a July 21st post on another forum? Did you sell it after the 21st? :D

I have a .44 mag, and the Optima was delivered today.

What, you have only one gun?

I have plenty of MLs and tend to keep them for awhile. On the "other" forum you posted on the 7/21 you had the Optima "now". I thought that was funny since you said on MML 7/13 you had the 44mag and had given up on using a ML.


That didnt take long. :p

If you insist on making a big deal out of it.

The plan is to hunt with the .44 mag, but also carry the muzzy. I'll do my best to get close enough to use the handgun, but as a last resort i'll use the muzzy for longer shots. I like game meat, and I won't miss out on it just to be stubborn about taking all shots with the handgun. Which would be 25yds at best with a 4" barrel and open sights. Pretty small sighting plane. I thought I could be accurate at longer ranges, but not with my eyesight, so I modified the plan.

Happy now ball buster?

No need to get grumpy Gramps. :D

As you said, "I'm just calling it like I see it." and what i see made me chuckle. :happy0157:

Stop looking in the mirror. :p

Grumpygramps has a nice ring to it!

I wonder what % of ML hunters get addicted and no matter how much they say, "Im done"...They come running back to a ML. These season extender only shooters are missing a lot of the fun.