Hollow point sabots
 

Was wondering the advantages or any disadvantages might be expected using a hollow point saboted bullet.

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

Compared to what ?

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

i shot a doe in ny with a T/C cheapshot 240 gr sabot hp....and it knocked the hell out of her....had a doe in early seaon muzzleloader in pa hit with a patched round ball at 35 yds with a heart shot and she still ran 80 yds....with the exit hole the same size as the entry hole....that's my exp............bob

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

I have had really good luck with the barnes mz expander. I have shot several deer with them and it has just absolutely floored them. I got a nice 8 pointer with the muzzleloader and it did not even flinch. It just dropped. However, I tried the cheap hornady saboted hollow point though and it did not expand at all. The deer I shot with the hornady ran about 100 yards before it fell. The Barnes expander had a perfect mushroom and it retained all of it's weight eventhough we were shooting a really big load of powder. I would recommend it to anybody that wants to drop a deer in their tracks. I like the 250 grain bullet with 115 grains of FFG. ;) I hope this helps somebody get a good idea what to get.

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

I've been using 250g barnes expanders for 4 years. Performance is great. My load is 3 pyrodex pellets--it kicks, but its tough on the critters. Expansion is quick--the inside of deer or antelope demonstrate this. I can't speak to retained bullet weight because even out to 240 yards or so, I've never recovered a bullet. My only beef is they are hard to load, which has yet to be a problem. I think those same tight tolerances are why they shoot so well! You can't go wrong with this bullet, particularly if you are shooting magnum loads.

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

I am glad to see that other people like them as much as I do! Lol i have to use a rubber mallet to get the things down the barrel, but like you said, the tight tolerances make it more accurate. How does it work on elk? I am anxious to find out.:)

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

What kind of rifle do you have that you would have to pound a projectile down the barrel in order to seat it? The projectile is supposed to expand somewhat on the way out the barrel. During that expansion is when the projectile is meant to engage the rifling. Perhaps you are on to something with it fitting that tight. I am not sure due to limited experience with the in line rifles.

I am getting an in-line in a few days. I have purchased some T/C .44 caliber 240 grain Cheap Shots and some .45 caliber Hornady 300 grain XTP's to try in the new rifle. Is there any real advantage in loading 150 grains of pyrodex or what ever? I was thinking more of the lines in the 100 grain range.

Also what is a good breech plug grease?

Thanks in advance.

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

There are no standard barrel tolerances in muzzleloader land, and jacketed bullets or Barnes copper alloy bullets do not engrave / deform / expand on the way down.


Never-Seize is a good breech plug lube, for accurate loads-- it varies by gun. 90-110 grains of Pyrodex is in the ballpark.

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

Thanks Randy for the information. I will be getting a Knight Wolverine .50 caliber but with the 22 inch barrel. I guess I am happy with that. Knight is a good brand. I don't plan on shooting over 100 yards with it anyway. I thought I would mount a 1.5 X 4 power scope with Weaver mounts. I hunt heavy brush most of the time, and only a few places there might be a long shot.

I will try like you said then and start out with 80 grains of Pyrodex Select. Although I have some Triple Se7en also. Which do you think is better in the in-lines? Are wonderwads necessary with sabots? All my hunting life I used sidelocks this should be a new experience for me.... Thanks for the info on the breech plug greese also...I sure hope this gun shoots good. I read posts of how some of the people can not get their guns to group well. That's always in the back of your mind I guess.

Thanks again

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

cayugad
shot two deer this year in PA one a doe in the early m/l season, using a percision silver lighting 300 grain green tip sabot.The other deer was taking during the regular big game season, using a percision qt's 45 cal 350 grain blue tip sabot.The charge was 70 grains of triple 777,in my 54 cal. thunderhawk.My finding are the green tip sabot has excellent pefomance ,broke both shoulder and there was a exit wound,deer went three step @ down.Now with the blue qt's 45 cal. sabot there was only one hole threw both lungs, with no exit hole,that what made tracking so hard.Distance on both deer were about the same 75 to 85 yards ,the poly tip qt's did not hit bone,but yet could not make a pass threw
The QT (blue tip) is designed to dump all its energy inside the cavity. Job done. Our Dead Center and SL are designed to shoot through. Both bullets did exactly what they are designed to do. Glad to see that everything is working and thanks for supporting our products.

I sent an e mail to percision this is what they had to say about the difference between the blue poly tips and the green silver lighting

cayugad I will stay with the silver lighting to me they are the better sabot bullet
The next choice is the hornady sst 300 sabot I am reading some great reviews on stopping power and how they shoot.
I also like the pyrodex select over the triple 777
My thunderhawk shoots 110 grains to 120 of select and you can shoot the gun all day ,now with triple 777 70 to 75 grains is more then enough before recoil is sharp .I do think if I had 120 grains of select behind that poly tip sabot this year on that 8 pointer it would have made a hole threw the other side .
NO WADS BEFORE THE SABOT

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

Thanks for the info lonewolf. I will have to go and look at the different projectiles you mentioned.

I really believe in the pass through with the projectile. I was hunting deer this year with roundball and never got a pass through. Although they did not run far after being hit, they did run. Where I hunt, if there is no snow on the ground and little or no blood to follow, that is a real bad situation.

I think this Knight Rifle with a good scope will be just the ticket to making the afternoon early evening hunts a little better. I don't think I will ever hang up the sidelocks for good, but it is time to try something new....

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

cayugad I have a question for you on the cva form under R.E.A.L. CONICAL NEED YOUR PRO OR CON'S

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

Cay,

I just recently purchased the Wolverine with 22 inch SS barrel and synthetic stock. This is my first experience with muzzleloading. I started out using 60 grains and moved up to 80 grains which was shooting my Dead Center's made by Preciscion Bullet pretty much dead center at 100 yards. I would then fire a Powerbelt for ease of loading, trying to simulate actual hunting possibilities at the range which loaded with ease in a dirty barrel.

I was also shooting the TC Mag Sabots in 240 grain XTP's, I could still load the TC and Dead Center's after shooting a couple of shots but it was becoming tough. I occasionally wiped down the barrel with TC #13 pre coated patches. Usually after 2 or 3 shots, sometimes needing two patches, followed by a dry patch or two.

I was quite happy with the accuracy with all three bullets at 100 yards with the 777.

I would've liked to been able to purchase and Omega, but for the price of the Wolverine with a scope of $259, I had enough money to purchse all the other supplies I needed for less then an Omega (with syn stock/SS barrel) would've cost without a scope.

Happy Hunting

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

I don't think the copper bullets expand much when they come out the barrel. The barnes are an all copper bullet that is treated to make it hold it's shape well. Like I said, it has 100percent weight retention up to about 2100fps as i understand. I don't really think there would be a great advantage with going up to 150 grains of pyrodex. I just use Goex powder out of my sidelock, so I don't really know a really good breech plug lubricant. sorry that I can't help you with that part, but i like to go a little traditional. Don't get me wrong though, I will switch to an in-line someday. they seem to be a lot more dependable. Hope that I helped you.;)

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

Pauly so you ended up shooting 80 grains of loose T-7 and those dead center (what caliber and grain were they?) and the T/C cheapshot? I also bought some Hornady XTP 300 grain in .45 caliber. I am going to order some Precision 300 grain silver lightening green tip in .45 caliber and get some Harvester Black high pressure sabots to shoot them out of. That should give me some stuff to play with.

I really trust the advise of certain people on these boards, and when they suggest a load I want to give them a try. Too much good advise on these in-lines to have a sidelock pounder like me ignore.

I have not decided on which scope I want yet other then the magnification. 1.5 X 4 power should be enough although I have a Tasco World Class 3X9 by 40 mm sitting here in the gun rack that is not being used. I used to have it on my 7mm mag, so I am sure it would take the recoil of the Knight.

Today I even went out in the back yard and just for fun tried the T/C cheapshots .44 cal 240 grain out of the Traditions Hawkins. On a different board they were talking about shooting sabots out of old sidelocks, and I wanted to give it a try. They actually shot all right. I think with a little work on the charge I could really bring them in. Although I ended the day with roundballs and left a beautiful cloverleaf dead center in the bullseye with the Hawkins, so maybe I will let the new gun play with the sabots and keep the old ones were they belong.... Thanks for the information:eek:

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

Cay, I was shooting the 300 grain Dead Center's. I purchased them at Cabelas and there packaged as Cabelas Dead Center's with Precision Bullet name on the package also. But I don't see anything on the package indicating if there .44 or .45.

I'm still going to work on the loads as this is my first season with a ML. Looking forward to get some more shooting in after the holidays when I have more time to work on things at the range.

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

In my experience, soft lead round balls tend to make bigger entrance holes than exit holes. With my .50, shooting a 180 grain RB around 1800 FPS MV, the entrance hole is often the size of a pingpong ball or a baseball, and the exit hole is only the size of a quarter! I suspect the soft lead ball "splatters out" on impact, and the denser center of the ball carries through....

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

i shoot a knight lk-93 .50 cal and use the rem 275gr.hp sabot.all deer i have shot,the bullet went through and the deer went less than 30 yards.i have not tryed anything else but do not see any reason to so far.

RE: Hollow point sabots
 

Speaking of the effectiveness of .50 round balls... couple years ago I hit a doe head on at about 8 yards, she dropped on the spot, not thrashing around or anything. She had come running up out of ravine and we met head on, I aimed center chest, a snap shot really, and fired. I like to recover the round ball when possible, so during butchering I followed the wound path and ended up finding the round ball embedded in the interior of the spinal column. The round ball hit her dead center from head on and travelled into the spinal column causing instant and complete paralysis. Now that was a "dead center" shot.