.50 Cal ML Bullets Delimma

I think you should sell the Traditions and get yourself a Thompson Center... while your at it get rid of the sabots and try some .338 gr Platinum tip Power belts. No worries loading them down a tight bore...they fly straight, penetrate well and deliver energy better than anything out there. Heres a link to some serious ballistics... http://www.powerbeltbullets.com/docs/PBB28inchballistics.pdf
JBRO;) :shotgun:
 
Sorry to burst some bubbles, but in my experience I found that Barnes/Knight all copper, work simply Amazing. I used to shoot XTP mags and got great groups of 3/4 at 110yds all day. My good friend convinced me to switch over. My groups were not as good maybe 1 1/4 at 110yds, but after harvesting deer and bear from 10 to 115yds I am now a true believer.These things are just devastating full expansion and bone crunching results and no "Jacket seperation like some other bullets".

The only trouble I get is when loading them, the XTP I used to use were 300gr at .452 and were a hell of a lot easier to load then the Barnes .451 for the 250 gr, but thats a small price to pay for a primium bullet.
 
My experience with 44 cal 300 grain xtp seems to be exactly opposite of everyone else None seem to open at all and one shot was a front to back shot that left me with a 50 cal exit wound out of the back ham.

Part of my problem is I refuse to buy the blister packs they are just too much of a ripp-off. Luckly this spring at wholesales moving sale I was able to find 2 boxes of 250 partition HG's with any luck they will shoot ok.

My BP hunting has been in two chunks fist was late 80's in Manitoba shooting conicals and the last few years While visiting the inlaws for Thanksgiving in Sask. To date I have not been able to repicate the reliable killing of plain conicals with a saboted bullet, hopefully the partitions fix that. Though they are the last HP I will try if they don't turn out medium hard cast with a big flat point is next on the list.
 
If you use the XTP's, do not use the Mag type. The std. shoot much better. Likely you do not have enough velocity if the XTP do not work. I shoot a savage 10MLII, and use barnes bullets exclusively. They do the job right every time.
 
Why not cast bullets?

For me, problem solved :D , no more dillema :cool: , I just bought a LEE mould, .50cal R.E.A.L. bullet 320gr for my inexpensive Tradition ML. That seem to do the job, and the bullets cost next to nothing (wheelweights). Didn't like the fact that I bought a .50cal and had to shoot 45cal bullets in a 50cal sabot.

Made around 120 of them in an hour , :dancingbanana: :dancingbanana: :rockOn: , works for me.

Good luck
 
PaulT said:
For me, problem solved :D , no more dillema :cool: , I just bought a LEE mould, .50cal R.E.A.L. bullet 320gr for my inexpensive Tradition ML. That seem to do the job, and the bullets cost next to nothing (wheelweights). Didn't like the fact that I bought a .50cal and had to shoot 45cal bullets in a 50cal sabot.

Made around 120 of them in an hour , :dancingbanana: :dancingbanana: :rockOn: , works for me.

Good luck
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Thw wheel weights are harder than your bullets should be and will wear your barrel quicker than pure lead
 
grnhawg said:
Thw wheel weights are harder than your bullets should be and will wear your barrel quicker than pure lead
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I don't think that he is concerned. He mentioned that he is only running them in his "inexpensive Traditions"
 
I don't have a lot of experience with Muzzle Loaders, but my assumption is that - like centre fires - some guns will like certain loads and bullets while others will work better with something else.

Right now I'm only hunting deer with my MLs, and I find that my Traditions .50 Cal. really likes 200 gr Shockwaves, while my CVA shoots 195 gr Powerbelts really well - so well that I've picked up some .50 cal Powerbelts to try in my Traditions. The only drawback I see to the Powerbelts is that they're soft lead plated with copper rather than copper jacketed bullets. They really flatten out on deer, so I wonder how they'd be on something tougher like a moose.
 
grnhawg said:
Thw wheel weights are harder than your bullets should be and will wear your barrel quicker than pure lead
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When you say that it will wear faster, to what extant does it do dammage or how much Faster will it wear compare to using pure lead?

Do you absolutely need pure lead for ML rifle? I was under the impression that you needed a not too hard bullet because it would be too hard to push trough the bore, thought ww were soft enough as they push good in my ML.

hakx said:
I don't think that he is concerned. He mentioned that he is only running them in his "inexpensive Traditions"
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Yah, my inexpensive Tradition ML, not that it is not good, just paid $150 for it and it actually works really good and shoot quite good also :rockOn: , I was using bullets with sabots and thought I would try the R.E.A.L bullets to see.

Thanks for the advise
 
Hi PaulT

When we talk about "barrel wear", its a relative term - relative to the number of rounds you through down range.

I am extremey confident that it would take a conscious effort to shoot out a barrel in a muzzleloader (low velocity, and even lower cyclic rate of fire).

There's not many folks out there have either the time or resources to make it happen - without having to resort to a malicious act.

I am sure there is a case out there where " a friend of a guy, who's cousins nephew....." Don't get get hung up on it.

PS - I would rather have a cheap ML that shoots amazing groups, than a $$ one that you wouldn't trust past 50 yards!
 
If you are in to casting and you really want a "walloper" full .50 caliber conical, google up a guy "idahoron" and read about his results with Lee .501 cast bullet die originally made for the 50 S&W cartridge. A 440 grain Flat Nose cast bullet, sized in a Lee push-through .501" die, then paper wrap with appropriate hard paper (.002" or less), then another trip through the .501" sizing die. Fits my 50 caliber Thompson Centre Omega barrel quite satisfactorily, going both ways!
 
hakx said:
I haven't had much luck with the SST's, but my ML really likes 300 XTP's, and heavier PRbullet stuff. I think I will try SST's again, as I beleive I had scope problems with a wandering zero. That has since been rectified.
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I had a Traditions with a new Bushnell on it and I could not get it to hit anything at all using sabots, minies, great planes and round balls.
Then I tried the open sights and all was well. Just a bad scope that for postage and a letter of explanation Bushnell replaced.
 
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