Muzzleloader elk

[scudmaster]

Good looking expansion.  Was that the all copper, the flash washed out and it looks like lead in the photo.  was it the expander or spitfire.

[jrebel]

I shoot the TC Shockwave 300 grain sabots with 110 grains of pyrodex.  I hit my cow elk twice this year;  first shot was good placement behind shoulder little high at 40 yards....knocked her down, but she got up and walked away.  It hit onside rib and exited without any bone.  Both holes were same size at approx 1.25 inches.  Reloaded and she was still standing so put second shot in her.  Second shot hit back (quartering hard facing me) entering front of hind quarter and exiting off side back of hind quarter.  Absolutely shattered the pelvis.  Enterence wound was .75 inch exit was 1.25 inch.  Pelvis was destroyed and elk was down.  Even with the second shot there was very little meat damage due to the lower volocity. 

Overall I am very happy with the bullets performance.  I did not retrieve either bullet as they were pass throughs, but they got the job done. 

[scudmaster]

Sounds like a good bullet, I will have to test it.

[Karl Blanchard]

I have shot the Precision rifle bullets for years and killed 6 deer with them and all were one shot kills.  In 2009 I switched to the sst's and the deer I shot with them required a second shot. Neither bullets expanded.  Last year I was rifle hunting but a buddy used my muzzy in the late season and shot a doe at 25 yards with an sst and same result, the bullet zipped right through her and never opened.  All shots were pass throughs but I have seen a lot of dead game in my 16 year hunting career and I know what a hole looks like when the bullet doesn't perform.  The wife will be shooting the 250gr deepcurls with a 100grains of 777 this year so we will see how they do.  I was the one that butchered buckmaster's bull and pulled the slug from the hind quarter,  Shoulder blade, rib cartilage, and lots of flesh that bullet just flat out failed!  You couldn't pay me to shoot an sst at anything but paper.

[scudmaster]

I would be interested to hear what did the exit holes looked like.  I hit solid meat, I am wondering if the SSTs needed more tissue to expand.  (Unfortunately I recovered it and then lost it after quartering, so I have no pictures. )  Might have to reevaluate my bullet.

[Karl Blanchard]

Exits on the deer looked just like the entrances.  No shock damage at all!  On the bull the bullet didn't exit it was in the hind quarter.  You could have literally loaded it in a sabot, stuffed it back down the barrel and shot it again!  Polymer tip was just barely bent to the side. 

[hillbilli]

most of my muzzleloader bullet experience is on deer. I have never really used anything but 100gr load, never seen the need for it. The velocity with 100gr is about the same as .44 mag out of a carbine with the same size bullet- and that will kill anything in north america. The powerbelts in 240gr/ .50 lack penetration, and have failed to impress me, but of course still kill deer, you just may not have an exit at an angle (lost a deer this way, found it 2 days later). the 300grain and up in a powerbelt is still soft, easy opening, and full .50 diameter, but more weight behind it. I helped butcher a half dozen sambar stag shot with this bullet a few years ago, (they are the size of elk cows) and I was quite impressed with the wound channels. in a sabot, just about any soft expanding hp, 240gr or heavier will kill deer reliably, i've used 240gr lead hp ('cheap shot'), hornady xtp, and others. the xtp in a 300gr is a good bullet, opens at lower velocities, and has plenty of mass.. what I've seen with the gold dot/deep curl bullets out of pistols suggests they would be great at .44carbine/ muzz velocities especially in a 240gr+ bullet..