I would use a different sabot. Try the Harvester "crush rib" sabot. Or, buy the Barnes TEZ bullets. That's what I'm shooting in my Optima and they load easy.

The following has worked for my Knight Bighorn & Disc Extreme.
1. Do a JB bore paste Kroil oil treatment to the barrel. Just search this website for more detailed instructions.
2. I use Barnes Spitfire-Fire T-ez 50 cal 290 grain item 30607 & switch the sabot to the Harvester black crush rib sabot p/n H15045BR.
3. Swab barrel w/ solvent & dry patches between shots.
The bullets are much easier to load with the setup above. I shot 15 times at the range last week with no problems loading. You may also want to pick up a range rod. For hunting, I can also now load a second shot without the need of swabbing the barrel.
I need to thank Sabotloader, Bobcat & others on this site for this knowledge. I can just attest to the fact it worked for my muzzies. Good Luck!!
