Sabots

[MatthewHunter98]

Picked me up a box of hornady 300grain 50. SST sabots, time to see how they shoot, and bring on the bears!

[Sabotloader]

Are those 50 cal bullets? going into a 50-54 sabot? or are they 45 cal bullets going into a 45-50 sabot?

[MatthewHunter98]

50. goin in to 50-54!

[MatthewHunter98]

I take that back, they are 45.cal 300grain balls with 50. sabots

[Sabotloader]

I take that back, they are 45.cal 300grain balls with 50. sabots

OK then those should be MMP HPH-24 sabots....

This picture shows the different diameters of the different sabots...

[MatthewHunter98]

Right on, thats cool to see the diffirent specs!

[kerrdog]

Tried the Harvester Crush rib sabots at the range yesterday.  First cold shot (with a scope) was right on the money. They are the yellow sabots which are for boat-tail bullets.  The crush ribs make them load slightly easier (in a cold barrel) than the smooth yellow sabot that comes with the Barnes spitfire TMZ 290 grain bullet (MMP)

I'm not about finding the easiest loading sabot for my first shot.  I want the sabot to fit tight and take even force to put down the barrel.  And the harvesters are great.  The MMPs seems 'sticky' in a clean barrel, taking lots of uneven force to get them down. After a couple shots, the MMPs and the Harvesters load about the same.....too easy.

And after about 5 shots, the barrel is good and warm, and precision/bullet stability decreases greatly.  It seems sabots don't like a warm barrel, whether it's swabbed it or not.  They're harder to load at the muzzle (because it cools quicker, i guess) and then go down really easy.  Some warm shots were good, some were low and centered, and some keyholes.  I'm amazed at how accurate some of the key-hole shots are.     They hit the spot I was aiming at, but fly through the target sideways.  But I'm puzzled at how two shots (50 yards, peep sight) were dead center, 9 inches low, and a nice clean round hole in the paper.

For my next range visits (now that my scope and peep sight are sighted in), I'm going to try my first shot with the harvester Crush Rib (with barnes 290), and for my second shot I'm going to try a blue MMP easy load sabot (which loads as easy as a power belt) since I won't have a range rod when I"m hunting.  Hopefully this will give me a nice accurate first shot, followed by a fast(er) reload that hopefully won't keyhole.  My next three shots will use the MMP yellow sabot (that comes with the Barnes TMZs) since I have alot of those.  Then I'm leaving. Oh, and I'm taking two rifles from now on, so the barrel can have more time to cool between shots.

[MountainDevil54]

JMO, But I'd pick a better bullet than the SST for bear hunting.

[dawhunt]

JMO, But I'd pick a better bullet than the SST for bear hunting.

How about for deer or elk
Bob

[oneshot12]

a buddy of mine uses the TMZ in 50 cal for both deer and elk and has done really well out to 125yrds  at least they seem to work for him   

[OnHoPr]

Sabotloader: interesting display, have you found accuracy keys in the different diameters and types of the material used in the different sabots for different barrels and charges?

[MountainDevil54]

JMO, But I'd pick a better bullet than the SST for bear hunting.

How about for deer or elk
Bob

I'd pick a better bullet for any kind of big game. My brother in law said he wanted to use a hornady bullet and i told him, hell no! We have much better choices available.

Hornady does make a barnes copy like bullet, i forget what its called, but its copper and actually does expand. I want to say monoflex?

[Sabotloader]

Sabotloader: interesting display, have you found accuracy keys in the different diameters and types of the material used in the different sabots for different barrels and charges?

I honestly can say that one sabot is significantly more accurate than another, but you have to remember I am not shooting for the best target accuracy.  I am really more interested in hunting accuracy with a bullet that offers great terminal performance.  If I were after the best accuracy I would not be shooting 110-120 grain loads of T7.

For myself and only generally speaking the closer to bore diameter the bullet is - generally it seems to shoot more accurately.

Sabot materials, I believe but do not know for a fact.  The polymer formulation in the two leading sabot makers is somewhat different.  I shoot far more MMP sabots because they are generally softer and conform to the bore more uniformly.  But, their is also a down fall with that in the warmer temperature 70* and up the sabots can get to soft and the Harvester sabot will seem to work better.  Since I hunt so much of the time in cold weather I tend to stay with the MMP.

Hope some of this makes sense...

mike

[MatthewHunter98]

I am more thyan happy with all hornady ammo. accurate on all shots always reliable, never let me down before.!!!

[MountainDevil54]

paper targets dont bleed, nor do they run after being shot  Hornady sst/shockwaves are like powerbelts to a great deal, either love them or hate them.