I got out of patched round balls a while back in my sidelocks and started using maxi balls. Accuracy increased, for me anyway, and they seemed to do a good bit more damage out to 100 yards. Only one of my sidelocks will accurately shoot saboted bullets worth spit, it's actually pretty good with the 250 grain XTP's keeping inside of an inch and a half at 100 and I have yet to have to track a deer further than 50 yards with either the Maxi balls or the XTP's. I tend to agree with Muley Hunter and the others on taking double lung shots over a shoulder shot. Less resistance and taking out both lungs will tend to put the drop on an animal quicker with the shock value. Not to mention less meat damage. Lots of good jerky meat on them shoulders.

FYI, this is a Barnes 290 gr T-EZ bullet which took a buck at 40/45 yards using 2 pellets of T7 shot out of a CVA Accura MR. Buck ran 20/30 yards before piling up.

cayugad got good info from everybody on my blk diamond from all going to try yours and falcons first believe we got same gun getting away from pellets and 209 primers am still thinking about what bullet thanks to all I will make batch of jerky and share lol

Bullet - that is the easy part... take a hard look at the Lehigh Defense offerings....


They are a building a new line of copper controlled fracturing bullets.


They have them in stock now the 452x265 CF





But for you the new 452x240 CF could really be the ticket.





These will become available real soon.


I shot some 451-230 CF's a day or two ago just as a preliminary experiment with a 1-48 twist Renegade... excellent results







This is a 75 yard target with open sights... #4 was more fault than the rifle - I forget when I use the set trigger how easy it is to pull the main trigger...


Try em you will like em!

sabotloader going try your bullet I use to use num 11 primers but went to 209 several yr ago I always throught more fire the better

Sometimes.

There really is not a lot of difference in the muzzle velocity created by a #11 versus a 209 even the mag 209's. But there is normally better reliability of a solid ignition with a 209 than a #11 if your powder may have been compromised in some form.

I have to use caps during our ML season here in Idaho and to help with ignition especially in cold weather I shoot T7-3f. With a 209 I use T7-2f. I am not a real fan of BH-209 powder even though it is a very good powder.

we have a 2 day blk powder around oct 20 here in ky them 9 days in dec blk powder only 16 day modern fire arms nov and blk powder is allowed archery sept 3 to jan 15 I shot a buck with my blk powder few yr ago it ran down hill a coyote came in back tracking blood trail I shot him went to get deer and found it covered with leaves I belive was yote was told later they don t cover food was a bobcat

my Thompson center black diamond had problem with deer recovery posted for advice got a lot of good feed back finally went to 3 pellets like manual says is max with that 240g sabot I use I was using 2 pellets group good my bro got same gun and uses same load I did not know this and he puts them down come oct here in ky hope to air it out lol

In my opinion if a guy wants knock down you need to use a bigger hammer.
This old girl had been shot before.



I shot her as she was coming to a call. I shot her st about 50 yards.









I hunt is places that are public land but there is private land right there. If an animal runs you might not get it because land owners don't allow trespass for anything.
Knocking them down right now is the best way.
This elk was shot with a Paper Patched Lee 500 S&W bullet weighing 458 grains. The bullet is slightly hardened to about 6 or 7 BHN. The bullet was found in the flank. She was not knocked off her feet but she fell in less that 10 yards. I only use 80 grains of Pyrodex P.