Loading Sabots

[gallion_t]

A few years ago a picked up a Traditions Evolution Muzzleloader and have primarily shot round balls just for fun and target practice. This year I was drawn for one of the Turnbull cow tags and because of their rule that you have to pack out the gut pile unless you use lead free bullets I have decided to pick up some sabots. I grabbed some Barnes Spitfire TMZ 50cal 290grain a bit ago and went out last night to shoot some. The First thing I noticed was that they were extremely difficult to load. It was taking all of my weight to get these down the barrel. Once they were in they shot great and very consistent, but I feel like it should not be this difficult to load. It was taking me several minutes to get these down the barrel.

Am I doing something wrong? Should I be using bore butter or some other kind of lube? Do I need to be using a starter or something else? I have never had these be so difficult with round balls. I started with a clean barrel so I am not concerned about build up that is causing it to be tough.

Could it just be these bullets? I also picked up some lead free Powerbelts I could try also.

Thanks in advance,

Travis

[CP]

Don’t use bore butter or any type of lubricant, it will affect your accuracy.

If the sabots are too hard to load you should change sabots.

[Magnum_Willys]

Had same issue. Ended up giving them away. Powerbelts loaded fine. Weird was they market them as the easiest loading but they are the hardest. I read guys swap out the plastic sabot for other brand black sabot.

[tikkahunter]

Try the Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ.  They have the blue sabot not the yellow.  Weren't too bad loading in my cva.

[gallion_t]

Thanks for the advice guys. Next time I go out shooting Ill give the power-belts a try. Pretty disappointing because I have heard great things about the Barnes.

[kselkhunter]

Before abandoning Barnes, give the T-EZ a try.   They are easier loading in tighter bores than a TMZ, and use a thinner sabot.  TMZs sometimes don't load well in tighter barrels. 

Or just keep the TMZs and swap on a thinner sabot.  I've read that for folks that have the problem with the TMZs, they just order the Harvester crushed rib sabot, and swap off the TMZ sabots for those, and are fine.   

https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/harvester-crushed-rib-sabot-50-cal-h15045.html

[Sabotloader]

A few years ago a picked up a Traditions Evolution Muzzleloader and have primarily shot round balls just for fun and target practice. This year I was drawn for one of the Turnbull cow tags and because of their rule that you have to pack out the gut pile unless you use lead free bullets I have decided to pick up some sabots. I grabbed some Barnes Spitfire TMZ 50cal 290grain a bit ago and went out last night to shoot some. The First thing I noticed was that they were extremely difficult to load. It was taking all of my weight to get these down the barrel. Once they were in they shot great and very consistent, but I feel like it should not be this difficult to load. It was taking me several minutes to get these down the barrel.

Am I doing something wrong? Should I be using bore butter or some other kind of lube? Do I need to be using a starter or something else? I have never had these be so difficult with round balls. I started with a clean barrel so I am not concerned about build up that is causing it to be tough.

Could it just be these bullets? I also picked up some lead free Powerbelts I could try also.

Thanks in advance,

Travis

I have a bullet that would really be the ticket - stay away from Power Belts if you can....  Lehigh Defense is building a new line of copper bullets.  If you are hunting elk the new 452x265 is a great bullet - combine that with a MMP HPH-24 sabot or the HPH-3PEz load and you should be really set.

Since your bore is 1/28 you will not have a problem shooting them...





https://www.lehighdefense.com/collections/bullets/muzzleloader

If you order some of these try to load them with the sabot that came with the Barnes bullets - that should be an HPH-24.  If that doesn't work let me know and I will send you a sample of a couple of others - one of them will work fine...

[erk444]

Ive shot elk with both powerbelts and barnes and have seen others do the same. The ballistic perfomance from one to the other is like night and day. Powerbelts load easy and are accurate, but the barnes are far better performing and just as accurate. Like said before, get the TEZ with the blue sabot and it should load much easier. I know some people have had good luck with the PBs though. Im just going off what I've experienced. Good luck!

[gallion_t]

Thanks for all of the insight guys. I just remembered I have some Hornady SST sabots floating around. I might try swapping some of those out with the Barnes Bullets to see if they fit better. If not I'll look at getting some of the other bullet options. I just assumed that sabots were all the same size for a 50 cal.

[Sabotloader]

Thanks for all of the insight guys. I just remembered I have some Hornady SST sabots floating around. I might try swapping some of those out with the Barnes Bullets to see if they fit better. If not I'll look at getting some of the other bullet options. I just assumed that sabots were all the same size for a 50 cal.

I would bet that they are the same sabot -MMP HPH-24

[TC_outdoorsman]

Where is the best place to buy just sabots (without bullets)?

[Sabotloader]

Where is the best place to buy just sabots (without bullets)?

Sportsman will have them - probably Harvesters or and Ranch and Home - North Columbia Center....

Otherwise online from Harvester:  https://www.harvestermuzzleloading.com/index.php/products/sabots

Or MMP... http://mmpsabots.com/   Also remember the cost of shipping is included in the price - they also offer a volume discount with 5 or 10 packs can not remember for sure - that is where I get mine.

[carpsniperg2]

You might give the federal B.O.R lock a try they are supposed to be super easy loading to. I think I might try a pack this year.

[Sabotloader]

You might give the federal B.O.R lock a try they are supposed to be super easy loading to. I think I might try a pack this year.

Member this is just my opinion but from the tests and reports I have seen they are not worth the effort

[JakeLand]

Sorry to thread jack but I'm new to muzzle loading what is wrong with the powerbelts?