I thought I would find this previously asked, but I must have missed it. I already have killed a 5 point bull with a borrowed .50 cal in-line and a sabot at 70 yards. But now I hear that some muzzleloaders are accurate out to 200 yards. I want to equip myself for that. I have decided a T/C Omega would be a good choice, but am looking for solid advice on whether .45 cal. or .50. It seems a sabot out of a .45 caliber would be the more accurate (less drop), but would I lose too much impact energy? Thanks!

Though I am a big fan of the .45 for deer hunting I would go with the .50 for elk.I would experiment with 150gr of pyro and the lightest .50 cal sabot I could find if your looking for some low drop at 200 yards.experiment and practice you will find the right combo.Good luck

You better check the regulations where you will be hunting because in most, if not all, western states the 45 would be illegal for hunting elk and moose. The 50 is the minimum. For deer they would be great but for elk forget about them.

Another question for you. Why do you need a ML to shoot to 200 yards hunting elk? I have yet to take an elk past 130 yards with my center fire rifle much less a ML. A lot of that 200 yard crap is just that, crap. They use a full 150 grain charge and an extremely light bullet. Which, by the way, is not an elk hunting bullet and may or may not lead to the best accuracy.

There are only three ways to boost the speed of a bullet. One is to use more powder another other is to use lighter and lighter bullets or use a longer barrel (which at some point will have diminishing returns) to burn more powder. The most powder that you can burn is 150 grains. I wouldn' t even think about using a bullet that the companies used to get their advertised velosites on elk. The longest in-line that I am aware of is the omega with a 28" barrel. So basically using a bullet that is designed for elk isn' t going to give you a 200 yard gun.

There are only three ways to boost the speed of a bullet. One is to use more powder another other is to use lighter and lighter bullets or use a longer barrel (which at some point will have diminishing returns) to burn more powder. The most powder that you can burn is 150 grains. I wouldn' t even think about using a bullet that the companies used to get their advertised velosites on elk. The longest in-line that I am aware of is the omega with a 28" barrel. So basically using a bullet that is designed for elk isn' t going to give you a 200 yard gun.

================================================== ==

Bigbulls

You only listed 2 ways instead of three -- but I have the third.... Triple Seven Synthetic (or) Swiss Blackpowder. Both will generate around 15% more energy & velocity than Pyrodex Select/RS.

Elk bullets & short 22" barrels deliver way beyond 200 yards. Go read some of the threads on White rifles over at huntamerica.com. Using a 45 cal M-98 or 91 series, there' s plenty of posts of how 460 grained Powerpunch conicals have lifted deer right off the ground at 200+ yards. The 26-1/2" Omega barrel will do the same. On most new model inlines nowadays, you do not count the approximate 1-1/2" of the QLA System at the muzzle. There are no lands or grooves there so it doesn' t assist your bullet prior to exiting the barrel after ignition.
================================================== =

Whok

Buy the 50 caliber! Most 45 cals are fussy little creatures. They usually take three times as long to develop a load & bullets & accessories for the 45 caliber are usually very limited in gun stores. When hunting game bigger than deer, the 50/54 calibers will perform better overall.

Thanks for the input! I think I have my answer - 50 caliber. Also, if 200 yard shots on elk with any muzzleloader aren' t practical, I want to know that too. I want the most ly muzzleloader setup I can get - within reason. Doesn' t mean I have to shoot 200 yards if it' s not ly at that range.

Also, on one trip to Idaho I shot an elk at 200 yards with an ' 06. It was the only chance I had all trip. Is someone implying I shouldn' t have taken that shot?

I had a kid' s filter on by mistake. Meant to say " deadly" not " ly" .

Not implying that at all. That was with a 30-06 shooting bullets that were designed for that application which is well within the rifles effective range. They start out with and retain much more velocity and energy to much greater distances than any ML can hope to accomplish. The 130 yard comment was just my personal experiance thus far. Not implying that a 200 yard shot with a center fire would be, in any way, a bad shot.

The .50 caliber is an easy choice. You are, if shooting a saboted projectile in a .50, already shooting a .45, .43, or .40 caliber projectile.

Perhaps the most overlooked way to extend the range of a muzzleloader is by using a high ballistic coefficient bullet. Less velocity is eroded by air resistance, and that means more energy on target. The differences at 200 yards can be stunning.

Consider a 240 grain .452 Hornady XTP, with a muzzle velocity of 1900 fps. That load has only 749 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy left at 200 yards-- below the humane minimum of 800 fpe for deer, much less elk.

Now, let' s look at a .376 BC Dead Center, 340 grain, pushed at a slower muzzle velocity of 1725 fps. At 200 yards, that bullet has 1483 ft lbs. of kinetic energy left, almost DOUBLE that of the faster XTP projectile. That load will take your elk if well placed-- by any standard. Using a 10" kill zone, this " slower" load has a MPBR of 213 yards.

You might consider the tougher 300gr saboted bullets with 3 pyrodex pellets. I've had good success with this and if you miss the shoulder, you will likely have an exit wound. Knight markets a tough 300g jacketed bullet. Similarly, the barnes 300g expander likewise holds together although my sense is it does not penetrate as well because of its expansion. Both of these bullets shoot plenty flat for a 200 yard shot. They do kick however. Not all of my guns will shoot them as accurately as lighter bullets or with a lesser charge--still they shoot good enough-ie 21/2" groups. Give them a try--they will work!

Precision Rifle Bullets has the answer. Go to their site and check out the Dead Center 50 cal. sabots around 300 grains. The polymer tip and boattail design retains way more energy than conventional muzzleloader bullets. You will need 3 pyro pellets or 120 gr of loose Triple Seven to push the bullet with sufficient velocity. It will kick so use a heavier gun to reduce recoil. The best gun to look at is the Savage ML II. It uses smokeless powder which creates far more energy than any blackpowder setup and less mess. It is legal in all states though. Don't forget the quality scope to handle the recoil and distances you are talking about.