Loading Sabots

[meatwhack]

I'd just live with the hard loading of the Barnes for hunting because of their superior performance.

[Rem14]

I shoot the Federal B.O.R 270 gr. in a T/C Blackdiamond, very easy to load, shot after shot with no cleaning. Picture from one recovered from a deer. 

[meatwhack]

That looks like a good performing bullet as well. I don't think I've ever seen them before.

[carpsniperg2]

I shoot the Federal B.O.R 270 gr. in a T/C Blackdiamond, very easy to load, shot after shot with no cleaning. Picture from one recovered from a deer.

I remember the thread that you thumped a deer with one. I almost hit you up for a couple to try but I ordered some last night so we will see how they do in my optima and the new accura on the way

[PolarBear]

My Evolution hates Powerbelts. I almost had to stand on the ram rod to get them seated. I use the Barnes and have good luck and accuracy. A clean barrel will help a lot.

[Magnum_Willys]

My Evolution hates Powerbelts. I almost had to stand on the ram rod to get them seated. I use the Barnes and have good luck and accuracy. A clean barrel will help a lot.

Weird how one rifle one's tight the others loose and another rifle vice versa.  Are your barnes the yellow or blue sabots?

[Sabotloader]

some of the information here might help

http://barnesbullets.com/muzzleloader-tips-tricks/

[reelamin]

Every gun is different and for me requires a lot of testing and shooting to really know one will shoot with a particular combination.   LOTS and LOTS of testing unless you get a combination you are happy with early on.   

I have never shot and elk with a muzzle loader, but I have shot lots and lots with many different caliber/bullet combinations.  Add in all the guys I reload for and it is in the triple digits.   Just my opinion but you want decent expansion with the most important factor penetration.  I don't factor in deer because they are easy to kill with just about any bullet you choose again just my experience.

Based on reported data and my personal experience I tried some Hornady XTP and other copper bullets and settled on the Barnes 290 for my rifle.  I shot them in many different Sabots from Harvester and MMP.   For me mine liked the Yellow Factory 290 TMZ best but it loads like a MF'r on shot 2-3.  In fact it is so bad I plan on stuffing a windex soaked patch in my speed loader to wipe the first inch of barrel while hunting if I have to reload. 

[JL]

Reelamin, my B Diamond is the same way. By the third shot, I'm really ramming that sabot to get it down. It's that first few inches too. For me, it's a necessary evil, because the first shot (with a clean or swabbed barrel) is almost always a flyer but the second and third shot usually touch or are within an inch at 50 yds. I made a nice little palm saver out of some wood for this reason. I'll shoot it once before hunting and plan on a tough reload if need be. Shooting T/C 300 grain bonded super glide sabots w/ 110 volume of triple 7. I'll be honest too, the recoil w/ that load kicks like a mule and I really start feeling it after two groups of three. I must be getting "seasoned" though, because I shot four groups of three this weekend and it was the first time I didn't wind up w/ a nasty purple and yellow bruise.

[JL]

Every gun is different and for me requires a lot of testing and shooting to really know one will shoot with a particular combination.   LOTS and LOTS of testing unless you get a combination you are happy with early on.

... and just wanted to reiterate this. If I hadn't spent time this year really trying to get to know my setup, I'd have never of known that my first shot w/ a clean barrel was always flyer, that I definitely needed a palm saver for a followup shot, and also that the caps I'm using don't slide right on like they did when there was snow on the ground (temperatures/expansion, variances in nipple diameters, who knows)... It's not acceptable to lose wounded game for any of these reasons IMO.