Muzzleloader bullet for moose

daveg01

daveg01

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Taking the smokepole out for moose this year for the first time. I've always used mostly Hornady SSTs (250gr IIRC) for deer in the past, but I recall reading that the SST was more of a deer pill and not really recommended for moose and other thicker skinned/boned animals as it may not penetrate into the vitals for a quick kill.

The other option I have readily available are some 250gr Hornady XTPs.

What's the recommendation out there for shooting moose with a muzzleloader?
 
What twist is your barrel? BP or smokeless?

If you're shooting smokeless, upgrade to a 300gr sabotted for the penetration at range.

The 250 XTPs will _probably_ work fine and XTPs are a fine muzzleloading bullet for use with sabots, but the XTP is not the best design for moose. Since bullets are cheap compared to moose hunts, I would suggest a FP for moose.

Over BP, I would take a 300gr T/C Maxi-ball. You could even go to 350gr if you know the shot will be ~125 yards or less.

Barnes spit-fires are good too. The spitfires I tried on wet newsprint held together completely.
 
Some in-lines don't do well with Conicals, the rifling is made for plastic sabots and not deep enough for the Maxi-balls. My TC in-line doesn't do well with conicals.
 
Have a good look at the barnes solid copper bullets for muzzleloaders. I personally have witnessed the 250 grain 50 cal on a big bull moose at 150 yds and will give it a strong endorsement.

Although the maxi ball will penetrate, you will have to find out if your gun will shoot them first and your range will be limited. Much heavier bullet with a much higher trajectory and lower velocity plus no expansion at all makes the maxi ball a bit iffy in my opinion. It also has a very small meplat, or flat on the nose compared to other hunting bullets of similar and heavier weight. What that means is that it will zip through your moose with no shock effect at all. Expect to watch your moose run off as if un affected and have a long tracking job ahead of you into the thickest stuff your moose can find. You will also need a felt wad between bullet and powder for them to shoot their best.

Stick with a bullet tailored to a modern inline and the game you are hunting. 300 grain xtp would also be a fine choice.
 
What others have said about the maxi-ball and smokeless is my experience also. It's not just the rifling either. Adding a felt wad seemed to help.

I would spend my money on the spitfire or the XTP but in a 300gr size.
 
You shoot smokeless in a muzzleloader ?

What kind of muzzleloader are you shooting?!


Hornady has the XTP-MAG. With black sabots and pellets max Black powder 150gn. Magnum load pushing a 300gn bullet with some accuracy.

Unless your hunting king kong it will get the job done. And than even maby.
 
I suggest the 300 Grain Barnes Expander. That is all I will use and every one I have pulled out of a deer had opened up to a perfect boat prop in shape.
 
Savage made/makes a in-line that uses smokeless but no surprise had a few blowups so they may be discontinued............with 1-20 or 1-28" twist usually only sabots will work well.Barnes or Nosler Partitions will do the trick...........Harold............I'd use my .54 1-70 ball Green Mt barrel on anything in NA...........Harold
 
250 grain SSTs or XTPs are a very bad option. The Savage ML shoots them much faster than their optimum expansion range, there have been quite a few documented cases of those bullets breaking up on shoulders of deer.

300 grain .458 Barnes Originals in a black Harvester Crush Rib with 67 or 68 grains of H4198 is what 5 of us shoot out of our Savages. It's an extremely tough bullet, it's accurate to 200 easily and you get about 2400 fps muzzle velocity.

The Barnes TMZs are ok as well but the sabots that come with them are not very consistent which makes a big difference in the Savage.

Do a search at doug's message board and you'll find more info than you know what to do with, http://dougsmessageboards.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=smokeless
 
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