300grn Barnes expander MZ

[SkookumHntr]

Anybody shoot this bullet? How did it perform?

[bowhunterforever]

My favorite bullets I have shot out of my bighorn the only problem is there hard to stuff down the barrel. Just clean the barrel after ever shot and its not to bad.

[HntnFsh]

The bullet in my avatar is what you speak of. Came out of my Dayton bull last year.Pretty impressive!

[SkookumHntr]

I would say so!! have you shot them out to 150-200yds? I just bought a pack, gonna see how my bighorn likes them, gonna go with 110grn 777 I think, normally I shoot 100grn but gonna hop I up alittle

[HntnFsh]

Just at targets. Very accurate! I use 110 grns T7 3fff

[huntnnw]

I shoot them every year, I switched this year to the 290gr T-EZ those MZ were tough to push down my barrel

[BULLBLASTER]

I have been shooting the 250 knight red hot (best i can tell is it is a barnes expander) and the 290 tez. Both have shot great for me. Last night i shot both to 220 yards with great results. With 100 grains 777 they were within a couple inches at 220. I would not hesitate to shoot either at game at that range. Both load easily enough for my liking until after 5-6 shots. Then its time for a cleaning.

[whacker1]

I am shooting the .54 caliber and have shot both a whitetail as well as a bull with the two different bullets.  275 grain and 325 grain.  I think the longer bullet stabilizes a little better.

the 325 grain fly a little better, but both have performed as advertised and look like the previous comment in the avatar.

My next trial will be the knight bloodlines.

Neil

[Z_rock01]

I shoot the 300 GR Barnes MZ....... AWESOME. I do switch out sabets depending on the weather... They come with high pressure sabets and during late muzzle loader I will switch for one that is smaller. I am very accurate out to 210 yrds with it. I use 120 gr Jim Shockey Gold. That is the load that i found my Knight really likes. 

[jeffitz]

So the weather can affect which sabot works best? Is it because the barrel shrinks a bit with cold temps ? Just curious,im a novice with muzzleloaders

[Forks]

I shoot them every year, I switched this year to the 290gr T-EZ those MZ were tough to push down my barrel

This has been my experience.

[usmc74]

I use the TMZ in my bighorn.  My bull (bedded) only rolled over dead.  Looked just like the above avatar photo.

110 gr T7 3F = a little over 1900 FPS.

They load OK in my BH, but VERY tight in my Rem 700ML

[SkookumHntr]

Well my bighorn shot the expander mz awesome, bullets almost touching at 100yds but could barely get the 2nd bullet down the barrel. I think I'm gonna go with the Barnes ez 290 grn. Anybody have any story's about killing elk with this one??

[PyroBlack]

The Barnes TEZ are one of the best muzzleloader bullets on earth. They should load slightly easier too. BTW, when using that much 777, swab after every shot and check your breechplug after every 3-4 shots, to avoid it becoming frozen shut.

[huntnnw]

I always swab after every shot.. Only way to get consistent accuracy .. There's a huge difference in how tight the bullets slide down the barrel from first to second

[Z_rock01]

So the weather can affect which sabot works best? Is it because the barrel shrinks a bit with cold temps ? Just curious,im a novice with muzzleloaders

I dont know.. I have found that my Knight likes the smaller sabet in the colder months and the high pressure sabet during the warmer months.

[SkookumHntr]

Using 100grn 777 2f and Barnes 290 t-ez, 100yds getting about a 4 1/2 inch group! When I was shooting 110grn it was about 12inch group. Definetly going with 100grn!

[NWKrenz]

Where can I buy the 300 grn? I am only finding the 290 grain TEZ.

[Chukarhead]

290 is the biggest T-EZ that Barnes makes.  It kills 'em just fine.   

[bowhunterforever]

290 is the biggest T-EZ that Barnes makes.  It kills 'em just fine.   

[NWKrenz]

Would you guys suggest those over the 300 grain in the link below? I have been shooting the Hornady Great plains since i started muzzle loading but I have a hard time shooting a consistent group.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/211841/barnes-expander-muzzleloading-bullets-50-caliber-sabot-with-45-caliber-300-grain-hollow-point-flat-base-lead-free-box-of-24

Any tips appreciated, I hunt both elk and deer.

[Chukarhead]

Would you guys suggest those over the 300 grain in the link below? I have been shooting the Hornady Great plains since i started muzzle loading but I have a hard time shooting a consistent group.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/211841/barnes-expander-muzzleloading-bullets-50-caliber-sabot-with-45-caliber-300-grain-hollow-point-flat-base-lead-free-box-of-24

Any tips appreciated, I hunt both elk and deer.

I doubt that the terminal performance is going to be much different between the expander, TMZ or TEZ bullets... Every one I've recovered from animals (elk only... deer are pass-through) have petaled out perfectly, and blown enormous, gruesome wound channels.  It's going to be a matter of which one loads and shoots best in your particular barrel.  Make sure they're shooting straight before hunting.  Good luck!

[scottcrb]

Tagging

[NWKrenz]

I just got the 300 grn MZ's last night and I definitely see what everyone is talking about. I tried to put one down the barrel last night just to try it and see if it was really that hard.

I have a Knight Bighorn that I bought before the season last year, probably has around 15-20 shots through it.

The bullet made it about half way down and I thought i was going to snap the ramrod. I can only imagine how tough it would be after I shot.

Thinking about getting the crushed ribbed sabots or maybe just the 290 grn TEZ. Running out of time before the 3rd.   

[bankwalker]

I'm shooting 250gr Mz's and the supplied sabots were extremely tough to load. Clean barrel was ok. I switched to crush rib sabots and even after 5 or 6 shots they load easier than the supplied sabots in a clean barrel. When I clean my barrel the crush ribs just glide down the barrel with ease.

[Soady]

I just got the 300 grn MZ's last night and I definitely see what everyone is talking about. I tried to put one down the barrel last night just to try it and see if it was really that hard.

I have a Knight Bighorn that I bought before the season last year, probably has around 15-20 shots through it.

The bullet made it about half way down and I thought i was going to snap the ramrod. I can only imagine how tough it would be after I shot.

Thinking about getting the crushed ribbed sabots or maybe just the 290 grn TEZ. Running out of time before the 3rd.

I know Lacey store has them. If you find your coming up short go to the Tulalip store they have them so says their website.
      http://www.cabelas.com/product/harvester-crush-rib-50-caliber-sabots-per-50/740770.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DHarvester%252Bcrush%252Brib%252Bsabot%26x%3D10%26y%3D6%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%252BProducts&Ntt=Harvester+crush+rib+sabot     

[NWKrenz]

For those of you with experience with these bullets how much powder are you using?

I have the Triple 7 FFFG right now in a Knight Bighorn.   

[Chukarhead]

For those of you with experience with these bullets how much powder are you using?

I have the Triple 7 FFFG right now in a Knight Bighorn.

I finally got serious about load testing this summer.  I've settled on 125gr of T7 FFFG with the 290 T-EZ.

I wanted to make sure that I still had enough energy at 200 yards to reliably expand petals on the bullets.  Unlike lead projectiles, they need speed to be fully effective.  If I recall correctly, Barnes says something like 1,300 fps at impact to reliably expand.  In past years, we've loaded 100-130 grains, and had great performance out to 105 yards on elk, but I'm hunting pretty open stuff this year and anticipate longer likely shots.

Others have experienced expanding groups with loads over about 110 gr, so be sure to shoot a few groups to make sure you're not adversely affecting accuracy in favor of speed.

[NWKrenz]

That seems like quite a bit but hey if it works with your gun that's great. Were you able to shoot pretty consistent groups with 125?

I was thinking of trying 110, I was shooting 100 grain this past weekend but i think my rear sight got knocked off from last hunting season.

[Chukarhead]

That seems like quite a bit but hey if it works with your gun that's great. Were you able to shoot pretty consistent groups with 125?

I'm no marksman, so group size isn't really a great measure for me.  My primary concern is dead elk, and this year I'm thinking that it might be a longer shot than the previous 5 years.  Off an improvised rest at 100 yards I got two consecutive 3" 3-shot groups, and called it a day when the second group settled 4" high after a sight adjustment. 

[NWKrenz]

I would take that about now and call it a day for sure. Good luck on your elk hunt, I hope you can fill the freezer.

[HntnFsh]

I use 110 grains of triple 7 fffg.

[carpsniperg2]

I run 110g fffg triple 7. With both the tmz 290 and 290 teez. Always used the tipped bullets myself.

[NWKrenz]

That's what I was shooting tonight but apparently I was adjusting my sight the wrong way. We will see what tomorrow yields.

Do you shoot the 300 grain MZ or 290 TEZ? Also what gun?

Thank you

[carpsniperg2]

I have 3 muzzle loaders right now. So I'm running 290 tmz in one. Then 290 tez in the other same amount of powder. Both cva elk horns. The newer one is the one I run the tez in. They load so much nicer. The broke in gun gets the tmz bullets.

I have a brand new optima sitting up stairs and 5 bullet types to try out in it when we get some rain around here

Good luck on your hunt

[NWKrenz]

Very nice! I've definitely heard that the TEZ load wayeasier than the TMZ's. I bought different sabots for the MZ's, they weren't the crushed ribbed one's but they were some Knight Ez glides and they make a huge difference.

Thank you

[HntnFsh]

Very nice! I've definitely heard that the TEZ load wayeasier than the TMZ's. I bought different sabots for the MZ's, they weren't the crushed ribbed one's but they were some Knight Ez glides and they make a huge difference.

Thank you

Were they the orange ones?

[NWKrenz]

Yes they were, have you used them before?

[HntnFsh]

Yes they were, have you used them before?

No, But I would like to try them. Am going to check a couple places and see if they have them today. I tried some Harvester crush ribs. They seemed a little on the loose side. Havent shot with them yet to see how they perform though.

[sled]

I just got the 300 grn MZ's last night and I definitely see what everyone is talking about. I tried to put one down the barrel last night just to try it and see if it was really that hard.

I have a Knight Bighorn that I bought before the season last year, probably has around 15-20 shots through it.

The bullet made it about half way down and I thought i was going to snap the ramrod. I can only imagine how tough it would be after I shot.

Thinking about getting the crushed ribbed sabots or maybe just the 290 grn TEZ. Running out of time before the 3rd.

i shot some in my big horn with no problems.

[NWKrenz]

Yes they were, have you used them before?

No, But I would like to try them. Am going to check a couple places and see if they have them today. I tried some Harvester crush ribs. They seemed a little on the loose side. Havent shot with them yet to see how they perform though.

I think you will like how the Knight sabots feel. They are nice and tight but not too tight, hope you are able to find some.

[n_mathews13]

Work great. From This weekends deer