Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

Well this past weekend I finally got to the range and did some shooting with my Omega. In the course of the shooting I slammed my finger against the front sight post and finally today it has stopped bleeding.

Even though I had injured my "birdie finger" on my trigger hand I found some things that my be with my Omega.

460 grain conicals NE
70, 75, 80, 85 grains. I would fire 4 shots with each grain number and did not come up with a good group that I would feel comfortable hunting with.

First I did not have a very stable shooting table (trash can with a sand bag on top) to give me a steady rest. Even though I was able at 45 yards to get this to group, but the groups were large.

I then fired several buffalo sabots 225grains with 110 grains of BM3. Wow and these groups were tighter. I then went to my sabots in the 300 grain from hunterman boolets, but found that without sabots I would not be able to shoot these--will have to wait for next time.

I was not able to get a good group with the 460's, but at the same time I believe that I did not have a good enough situation. Next time I'll bring a table, a chair and more sandbags and shoot to where I'm comfortable. I also feel that even with BM3 it is a good idea to swab the barrel after 3-4 shoots.

I don't know why, but even with the NE's and BM3 each successive shot was harder to load. I found that swabing the barrel helped the NE's to sit on the powder better. I am thinking that the reason for this is because of all the lube that was on the bullet. Any thoughts?

Paul

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

Just a guess but I feel the tight twist of the Omega may be a reason for the loose groups with that big a bullet. I would wait for Cayugad to answer though he has some experience with those and I don't. I think the twist on my Encore is the same as the Omega and I have not tried them in my rifle.

Also I think the NE's have a band that gets cut into the rifling while loading and if you have any fouling at all it would make loading harder because in effect the bore is smaller. I notice anything is harder to load after even one shot in most ml rifles with the exception being roundballs.

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

I have never shot Black Mag3 so I do not know how it effects big conicals. In my T/C Black Diamond XR which is my No Excuses Conical rifle, I get the best groups shooting Triple Se7en FFg or Pyrodex P. It would be interesting to see how your Omega shoots the big conicals with a different kind of powder.

I am not surprised your Omega shot the 225 grain Buffalo Bullet Sabots. Are those the boat tail with the hollow point pure lead sabots? I just bought two boxes of them and two of the 252 and 302 grain to try. That must be a hot load with 110 grains of BM3 under it..:D

I was shooting the Wolverine II today. I was trying some 375 grain Buffalo Bullet SSB sabots out of it shooting 90 grains of Goex FFFg. A good powerful load there. At 100 yards, I could hardly see that little red center. I just had to guess where the center was with the red dot. I might tune the load back to 80 grains next time out and see if I get better groups. I was swabbing every third shot. Maybe I should put a scope on the Wolverine but they are illegal in Wisconsin for muzzleloader season and this is my stalking rifle...




Keep us posted on your Buffalo Bullet Sabot loads. I have not had a chance to try the smaller ones yet....

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

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

Sounds like you got a "surprise' when you opened Hunterman's fancy box? Not such a great deal when Mark doesn't provide the plastic sabot with his bullets. I had the same "surprise" last year. You may get another "surprise" trying to 'easily" load them next time at the range. Better buy Harvester plastic sabots for them. If you ever order his 40/50s, you can buy the blue plastic sabot from mmpsabots.com or prbullet.com

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

Just pulled them out of my ammo can--they are "Buffalo Bullet Company" in the LEAD SABOTED BOAT TAIL BULLETS--HOLLOW POINT.

Good round, and I am going to reduce the volume to 90 grains. I cannot wait to shoot the hunterman boolets.

They are the Mag tip h.p with the RBT base in 300 gr.

I'll post more when I get my finger healed and shooting again. But I will say this--BM3 is indeed much cleaner than than the t777 3f. Also, talk about a stiff load shooting 90grains of bm3 and a 460. Yawwwwwwzaaaaa!!

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

Actually he sent me the MMP Sabots with them in the BLACK.

Now a new question--what does the color codes have to do with the loading ease of sabots. Which one would be a better fit with these bullets.

Now with the 225 grains buffalo bullet sabots my father in law swears up and down that these will punch a hole in the deer the size of a fist. Can anyone confirm if this is true?

Still looking for a hunting round.[>:]

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

Triple 7--help me out. I still don't know about the black plastic sabots

Paul

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

I used to believe that the color of the sabot was an indication of the diameter of the bullet it would accept. Then I started seeing different colored sabots that would shoot the same diameter. The black sabot in my experience usually indicated a high pressure .451-.452 diameter sabot. The green sabots are .429-.430. The orange sabots are .457-.458 diameter for the .50 caliber rifles. This might vary from sabot maker to maker.

As for loading ease I think you find the make of the sabot a lot more important. Each sabot maker like Harvester and MMP have a different thickness in the petals of the sabot. This is why some of them even tho the same color, will load so different.

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

Try conical's in your Omega with a wad on top of the powder.

The 1:28" rifling in the Omega should toss conical's just fine.

Add your charge, load the wad, then load the conical.

Also, even though the Omega has a false muzzle (QLA) which does make loading easier it still takes some practice to get the conical "engaged" or cut into the rifling. You need to give them a short "smack" with a short starter. If this is not done consistantly, your grouping will not be there.

I've not shot the NE conicals yet, but have hornady Great Plains and Maxi-Hunters in hefty sizes with excellent results. Takes some practice to get the hang of loading conical's correctly.

Lastly, bench shooting from a stable bench should help with accuracy as well.

;)

RE: Shooting No Excuse Conicals and Black Mag 3
 

Very-very little association betwen sabot color and loading them. The common color for 44/50s is green. The common color for 45/50s is black.

For loading ease, purchase
MMP for 44/50s
Harvester for 45/50s

Still want another bullet option/easy loading?
Precision Bullet sells QTs and Dead Centers that are slightly undersized to aid in loading. I have lots of familiarity with their 40/50 blue sabot with their 40/50 bullet. I've found Cabelas Precision Extended Rangers (clone of Precision QTs) to average .3985 on my micrometer readings... nice easy loading from 180 grains to 250 grains.