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Anyone else buy sabots and bullets separately?

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BigCityBubba

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The price of shooting a muzzleloader keeps me from shooting a muzzleloader except to make sure mine is sighted in and during season. Its about $3 a shot if you buy the standard ML components from the store. I bought some mmp sabots and have been using some 350gr 458 cal hornady interlocks that I inherited. I have killed several deer with them but I am not sure I am getting optimal expansion. Not sure if I should increase my powder or buy some lighter bullets. They make a 300gr hollow point. Is anyone else doing this and if so, what are you using? I miss the days when you could get a pound of black powder for under $10 and a box of 100 round balls for $5 and shoot all day. Makes me feel old thinking about it.
 
A lot of folks want 2 holes, I prefer to leave all the energy in the deer, reckon they die either way seems quicker when the bullet disintegrates inside, pour the lungs and heart pieces out. I would increase powder until accuracy falls off. Sometimes a passthrough other times not. remember speed kills.
 
We shoot PRB, cast our own RB's, also have capacity to cast conical's, make our own percussion caps, had about 25LB of canon powder and ground it in to 2-3-4 fg.
 
I do not buy them separately but I use hornady .45 cal 240 grain xtp mags with black sabots over 115 grains triple 7 works very well from my accura. Great accuracy, good velocity, and does the job very well on deer.
 
I tried several bullets a few years back and settled on the Barnes spitfire 245 gr over 110 gr loose 777. Good accuracy out of my accura and work well on the killing end too. Never tried buying sabots separately.
 
CATCHDAWG said:
I shoot the Hornady 300gr XTP mags. I have been buying the bullets and sabots separately for years. The .45 cal bullet uses the black sabot. It's a fraction of the cost vs buying the exact same thing that comes in a box that says "muzzle loader bullets" and you only get ten.
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I also buy the Hornady 300 gr XTP in 45 cal and use the black sabot. They shoot great out of my Remington 700 ml.
 
I have bought them separately. I changed my whole set up this season however. I, like you, want some penetration. I have yet to lose a deer shot with a muzzleloader, but I am always complaining about blood trails. This season I am shooting Harvester Crush Rib 280gr Hard Cast lead. If these don't work I don't know what will. I used to use a Buffalo Bullet that was lead and 350gr. They since quit making it and I miss it. It was boat tailed and had a dimple of a hollow point. It was devastating.
 
I also inherited a 50 pound box of hard cast 458 cal 405gr. Its a lifetime supply but I tried them once and the accuracy was not acceptable and I doubt I would get any expansion at all. That being said, I did not play around with different amounts of powder so I could possibly get an accurate enough load.
 
BigCityBubba said:
I also inherited a 50 pound box of hard cast 458 cal 405gr. Its a lifetime supply but I tried them once and the accuracy was not acceptable and I doubt I would get any expansion at all. That being said, I did not play around with different amounts of powder so I could possibly get an accurate enough load.
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That's pushing some serious weight in which you would need something with a faster twist than most commercial barrels are gonna provide. But expansion is pretty moot with the size of hole you are punching through with. You already have more frontal displacement than most high powered rifles achieve.
 
quackaholic said:
I have bought them separately. I changed my whole set up this season however. I, like you, want some penetration. I have yet to lose a deer shot with a muzzleloader, but I am always complaining about blood trails. This season I am shooting Harvester Crush Rib 280gr Hard Cast lead. If these don't work I don't know what will. I used to use a Buffalo Bullet that was lead and 350gr. They since quit making it and I miss it. It was boat tailed and had a dimple of a hollow point. It was devastating.
Click to expand...
I had an experience a few years ago with them and thinking back it could have been because of lack of expansion. Then again, I could just be the worst shot ever. I had a buck come by me at about 40 yds and I shot and he jumped and ran about 50 yds and then slowed down and continued to walk. He did a semi circle around me and I was able to load and get a shot at 60 yds and I rolled him and he laid there for about 25 minutes without moving. I was watching the clock. I was about to come down out of my stand and a doe ran by him and his head popped up. I put my scope on him and watched. He rolled up on his stomach and started to get up, back legs first with his butt towards me. When I had a clear shot at the white patch on his stomach I squeezed the trigger and he rolled over his head and behind a tree. Overkill but I hate tracking deer. I waited 45 minutes and walked down to him and as soon as I got around that tree, he got up and ran. I backed out and came back that afternoon. I tracked him for about 500 yds including up a hill before the blood ran out and I never saw him again. Looking at the blood from the first shot, it looked like a lung shot. I can't imagine that deer survived but I never saw any buzzards or anything else that would indicate a dead animal. I hit him with 3 shots that all should have killed him.
 
I used to buy the green MMP sabots and either a 200 gr. JHP or 240 JHP. I considered buying a mold for a .45 rifle bullet, around 350 - 400 gr. And sizing it down to .451 or .452. Would make a thumper load.
 

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