BP bullets for deer - Page 2

shortwave · August 30, 2013, 10:06 PM

^^^Man I feel for ya BuckRub.

Here in Ohio, they've extended shotgun season but for some reason will not extend ml season.

ZeroJunk · August 30, 2013, 10:22 PM

I have used the 250 grain XTP's with a sabot for more years than I can remember. I have killed my best bucks with it, mostly because our muzzle loading season is the best part of the rut I suppose. I still use a side lock. Did upgrade to a Green Mountain barrel to get a faster twist. I'm sort of in the if it works don't fix it camp. XTP's do the job.

BuckRub · August 30, 2013, 10:24 PM

In Leon county, Texas. We do have 1 month of archery season and two months deer season. In those two months we can hunt rifles, pistols, ML, archery, shotguns so that good but we don't have a certain time allowed for ML or a time just for shotguns or whatever. I guess it's good we got as long of a season as we got and we can pick which way we want to hunt but I wish we as hunters would have a certain time for really hunting. I like a challenge also and high power rifles with huge scopes or in line MLs that's equipped w/scopes that can hit a fly at 300 yards- Even though they taste just as good but just don't seen right always.

shortwave · August 30, 2013, 11:40 PM

Not to many 200 yd shots on deer around these parts let alone 300yd shots. More like 50-100 yds with an occasional 125-150 yarder.

We are allowed to use either pistol or ml during our shotgun season so if I'm fortunate enough to take one with a pistol I then switch to ml.

BoogieMan · August 31, 2013, 08:19 AM

Quote:

We are allowed to use either pistol or ml during our shotgun season so if I'm fortunate enough to take one with a pistol I then switch to ml.

Man I wish we could use a handgun for anything in NJ. No centerfire for hunting either. Rimfire 22 for trapping and shotgun,bp, archery for deer & turkey. They did change things up so that xbow is allowed. But, I am not on board with archery yet. I have seen to many deer with a arrow sticking out of them still running around.

PawPaw · August 31, 2013, 08:49 AM

When I was hunting with the holy black, I used a patched round ball. Very effective on whitetail deer, as it has been for the past four or five centuries.

I have to admit that I was tempted at times to go with conicals or sabots, but the twist of my rifle worked best with round ball. In my case, it was a .54 cal sidelock and a soft .530 round ball with pillow ticking for a patch. Very traditional. It was the only rifle I hunted with for 10 years, mainly because I practiced with it so much and the piney-woods I hunted lended themselves to that type of hunting.

Several years ago, Louisiana did away with the black powder season and went to something they call Primitive Firearms season. It's an odd little season, but the upshoot is that we can now hunt with

Quote:

Single shot, breech loading rifles, .35 caliber or larger having an exposed hammer that uses metallic cartridges loaded either with black powder or modern smokeless powder. All of the above may be fitted with magnified scopes.

It's an abomination to us who like traditional muzzle-loaders, but it's a convenient abomination. The current fashionable "primitive" firearm is a brand-spanking-new Handi-rifle in .35 Whelen. Nowadays when I participate, I simply grab my .45-70 Handi, drop a couple of handloads in my pocket and go walk in the deer woods. It's a whole lot easier than dragging the front-stuffer and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.

tahunua001 · August 31, 2013, 09:59 AM

so... by that rule you could take a TC contender in 45/70 and 3x9 scope and go to town... thumbs down from this guy, that would kill an elk at 200 yards no less a deer at muzzle loader distances... unfair advantage if you ask me.

BerdanSS · August 31, 2013, 11:39 AM

OP guess I don't understand what mean when you say what muzzle loaders are "rated for" I shoot patched .490 round balls, over 80grs of 777 or 209....with GREAT accuracy out of this home made abomination all the time.

thallub · August 31, 2013, 12:49 PM

i've killed over 40 deer with .50 caliber muzzleloaders using saboted bullets. Never lost a deer. Most were killed with the 240 grain Hornady .430 XTP bullet the 250 grain SST/Shockwave bullet.

Have also killed oodles of wild hogs using those bullets. The 225 grain Barnes .430 XPB bullet also works well on hogs.

Put any good bullet in the right place and it will do a good job.

spaniel · August 31, 2013, 02:21 PM

The XTP is a good bullet. The past few years I have been taking them down with the 200gr Shockwave...light recoil, expands well and consistently. I've run that bullet through about every scenario now. The only concern I have with it is shots under 100yds driven at 2800fps from my smokeless ML. It wasn't designed for impact velocities that fast. IMHO it's better than the 250gr version, which is more prone to jacket separation.

If I were still hunting BP/subs frequently, I'd still be shooting the 358gr .458cal FTX. That bullet is lights out the hardest hitting, strongest bullet I have ever shot from a ML. I shot 5-6 animals with it and the performance was absolutely impressive. It mushrooms well but the bullet is so long that the back half holds together and drives through. I shot a buck face-on from 10 yards, and recovered the bullet in the back ham under the skin after it penetrated a few inches short of the full length of the deer. Weight retention was >80%!

August 31, 2013, 09:59 AM	#32
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	so... by that rule you could take a TC contender in 45/70 and 3x9 scope and go to town... thumbs down from this guy, that would kill an elk at 200 yards no less a deer at muzzle loader distances... unfair advantage if you ask me. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

August 30, 2013, 10:06 PM	#26
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	^^^Man I feel for ya BuckRub. Here in Ohio, they've extended shotgun season but for some reason will not extend ml season.

August 30, 2013, 10:22 PM	#27
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,589	I have used the 250 grain XTP's with a sabot for more years than I can remember. I have killed my best bucks with it, mostly because our muzzle loading season is the best part of the rut I suppose. I still use a side lock. Did upgrade to a Green Mountain barrel to get a faster twist. I'm sort of in the if it works don't fix it camp. XTP's do the job.

August 30, 2013, 10:24 PM	#28
BuckRub Junior member Join Date: October 3, 2012 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,046	In Leon county, Texas. We do have 1 month of archery season and two months deer season. In those two months we can hunt rifles, pistols, ML, archery, shotguns so that good but we don't have a certain time allowed for ML or a time just for shotguns or whatever. I guess it's good we got as long of a season as we got and we can pick which way we want to hunt but I wish we as hunters would have a certain time for really hunting. I like a challenge also and high power rifles with huge scopes or in line MLs that's equipped w/scopes that can hit a fly at 300 yards- Even though they taste just as good but just don't seen right always.

August 30, 2013, 11:40 PM	#29
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	Not to many 200 yd shots on deer around these parts let alone 300yd shots. More like 50-100 yds with an occasional 125-150 yarder. We are allowed to use either pistol or ml during our shotgun season so if I'm fortunate enough to take one with a pistol I then switch to ml.

August 31, 2013, 11:39 AM	#33
BerdanSS Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Location: to close to other houses Posts: 1,176	OP guess I don't understand what mean when you say what muzzle loaders are "rated for" I shoot patched .490 round balls, over 80grs of 777 or 209....with GREAT accuracy out of this home made abomination all the time.

August 31, 2013, 12:49 PM	#34
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	i've killed over 40 deer with .50 caliber muzzleloaders using saboted bullets. Never lost a deer. Most were killed with the 240 grain Hornady .430 XTP bullet the 250 grain SST/Shockwave bullet. Have also killed oodles of wild hogs using those bullets. The 225 grain Barnes .430 XPB bullet also works well on hogs. Put any good bullet in the right place and it will do a good job.

August 31, 2013, 02:21 PM	#35
spaniel Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2008 Posts: 217	The XTP is a good bullet. The past few years I have been taking them down with the 200gr Shockwave...light recoil, expands well and consistently. I've run that bullet through about every scenario now. The only concern I have with it is shots under 100yds driven at 2800fps from my smokeless ML. It wasn't designed for impact velocities that fast. IMHO it's better than the 250gr version, which is more prone to jacket separation. If I were still hunting BP/subs frequently, I'd still be shooting the 358gr .458cal FTX. That bullet is lights out the hardest hitting, strongest bullet I have ever shot from a ML. I shot 5-6 animals with it and the performance was absolutely impressive. It mushrooms well but the bullet is so long that the back half holds together and drives through. I shot a buck face-on from 10 yards, and recovered the bullet in the back ham under the skin after it penetrated a few inches short of the full length of the deer. Weight retention was >80%!