Seems a shame to give up the 385gr conical for such a light saboted bullet.

What's the reason you don't want to shoot lead? What are you hunting?

I've been shooting saboted bullets in my fast twist sidelocks for a long time now without any problem at all. And even if by some slim chance you do get one "stuck" you can pull it out just like you would any other conical. With a bullet puller. I know because I've done it.

Muley - That is one heck of a chunk of lead to be flinging if this fella is only hunting whitetails! But if its accurate like he says I'm all for it. But if its only so-so accurate why not try a faster, lighter bullet?
After all, if a little PRB can kill a deer why shoot such a big slug. I bet it thumps his shoulder pretty good too. Wouldn't you agree?

Not everybody is bothered by recoil. I never was when I was younger.

How do you grab hold of a plastic tipped bullet to pull it out?

sometimes the tip first and then go back in for the bullet.

I've recently read a few things about lead that make me want to switch to non-toxic if possible. Hunting whitetail deer.

How do you grab the tip when it's down in the bore?

BTW: The .429 225 grain XPB bullet shoots very well in the 1/48" rifling of my .50 TC New Englander. Despite my old eyes i'm able to make <1.5" groups at 75 yards.

When a 200 pound hog is hit in the shoulder; the bullet sheds its petals and the base exits the off shoulder leaving a nasty hole.

not all saboted bullets have a plastic tip. but in any event, the bullet puller should easily screw into it and then into the bullet. But you'd have to have the correct diameter bullet puller.
The Hornady XTP is easy to pull out. Sometimes the bullet comes out by itself and then you go back down for the sabot. Other times they both come out together.

As for recoil, nah it doesn't bother me either. I'm not a sadist and I'd just as soon shoot a light recoiling weapon to get the job done. But I'm not going to stop shooting if all I have is a shoulder cannon.

I was two clicks away from ordering some Barnes expanders, but when I went to their website I see that they state these are for use with inline rifles.

I see responses from several sidelock shooters that use sabot bullets, are there any reasons why I should not use these (or any other sabot bullets) in my sidelock (hawkens percussion cap)?