Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: rock on October 10, 2010, 07:01:51 AM

Title: what bullet?
Post by: rock on October 10, 2010, 07:01:51 AM: I have a CVA buckhorn. i am gonna hunt with it during the general firearms. there are so many bullets out there. which ones should i start out with?
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: bridgeman on October 10, 2010, 10:37:37 AM: Barnes Bullets is what I use, but you'll just have to experiment yourself and see how well your shots place..Good Luck!
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: hunter guy on October 10, 2010, 10:37:50 AM: That sounds like alot of fun. Are you going to scope your smoke poll?

After extensive research on my winchester x-150, i found that it has a CVA barrel on it and it is basically a CVA elkhorn with a winchestor name on it. Our barrels should shoot pretty close to the same. I've had really tight groups with the Barnes spit-fire tmz and 110 grains of triple seven. If you know the range and the drop i think with lots of range practice a person could kill game out to 300 with these barnes bullets. Especially with a scope.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on October 10, 2010, 02:53:22 PM: barnes bullets are the best that i have found. i have done a lot of testing and they are the copper bullet that preforms best :twocents: another very good bullet is the deadcenter bullet but they are a lead bullet. i shot them for years and they are a very good bullet also.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: rock on October 11, 2010, 01:09:04 PM: gonna a scope on yes. here in indiana the only reason i dont use the muzzeloader more is because with a slug gun i can take mutliple deer. thanks for the bullets suggestions and which of the barnes is the best i want as much distance as i can get along with maximum penetration on elk. also what grain?
thanks

here is the link i purchase everything from cabelas so yeah. which ones would you reccomend for the reasons listed above
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Black-Powder/Sabots-Bullets%7C/pc/104792580/c/104701680/sc/104547780/Barnes-Muzzleloader-MZ8482-Sabots/740773.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-black-powder-sabots-bullets%2F_%2FN-1100204%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104547780 (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Black-Powder/Sabots-Bullets%7C/pc/104792580/c/104701680/sc/104547780/Barnes-Muzzleloader-MZ8482-Sabots/740773.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-black-powder-sabots-bullets%2F_%2FN-1100204%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104547780)
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: hunter guy on October 11, 2010, 05:34:46 PM: The 290 grain barnes. I would really like to hear what kind of groups you can get with the scoped muzzy. Good luck hunting.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: finfeatherfur on October 12, 2010, 11:04:22 AM: When hunting the midwest I had a knight disc 50 caliber. I had a 3x9 scope and played with different bullets and loads. I ended up with the power belt ballistic tip and 100 grains of triple 7 pellets. My groups at 100 yds were just under two inches. I would need to dig out my targets to be exact. I tried the barnes saboted bullets in several sizes and the power belts seemed to pattern better. I tried it with 150 grains but it always made my breech plug stick in the gun( even with alot of grease). I think the best thing to do is try several sizes and brands to see what works best in your gun.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: whacker1 on October 12, 2010, 11:51:30 AM: I scoped my Remington .54 last year for the purposes of testing accuracy of different loads. I could get the Barnes 275 graine Barnes MZ at about 2 inches at 110 yards. I took the scope off and back to peep sights and my skills don't allow me to get that tight of groups. It was still an entertaining experiment.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: rock on October 14, 2010, 04:12:27 AM: well like i said i will be comin out here for elk. what bullet of the three fom the link in my post above would do the best job of passing through or breaking a shoulder bone of an elk
thanks
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: whacker1 on October 14, 2010, 06:07:56 AM: Quote from: rock on October 14, 2010, 04:12:27 AM
well like i said i will be comin out here for elk. what bullet of the three fom the link in my post above would do the best job of passing through or breaking a shoulder bone of an elk
thanks
The heaviest ones.

I shot the 275 grain barnes and did not get it to pass through on a whitetail
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: js99 on October 30, 2010, 07:01:02 AM: I use the Hornady 250 grain aerotips. The red ones. Figured I would use them for some summertime trigger time since they were much more affordable. Ended up that these shot so well in my Elkhorn that I stuck with them. 105 grains of 777 loose and they drive tacks at the range. I worried that this was a little "light" for hunting, but I put a round through the shoulder blade and out the ribs of my blacktail this year, and the bullet stopped just under the hide on the backside.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: dawhunt on October 30, 2010, 06:28:20 PM: Scopes are not legal here in washington.
Bob
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: patton1 on October 30, 2010, 07:25:12 PM: Quote from: dawhunt on October 30, 2010, 06:28:20 PM
Scopes are not legal here in washington.
Bob
Scopes are legal during modern firearm just not during muzzleloader.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: dawhunt on October 31, 2010, 05:45:53 AM: Quote from: patton1 on October 30, 2010, 07:25:12 PM
Quote from: dawhunt on October 30, 2010, 06:28:20 PM
Scopes are not legal here in washington.
Bob
Scopes are legal during modern firearm just not during muzzleloader.

Right !!
Bob
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: fair-chase on October 31, 2010, 04:39:56 PM: Quote from: whacker1 on October 12, 2010, 11:51:30 AM
I scoped my Remington .54 last year for the purposes of testing accuracy of different loads. I could get the Barnes 275 graine Barnes MZ at about 2 inches at 110 yards. I took the scope off and back to peep sights and my skills don't allow me to get that tight of groups. It was still an entertaining experiment.

That is an exelent idea. Never crossed my mind. I think I will do the same and scope my muzzy for the purpose of finding the best bullet combo and then switch back to the open sights. Great way to find the perfect bullet/powder combo and take some of the human factor out that comes with the open sights.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: rock on December 04, 2010, 01:04:24 PM: ok well after some reserch i can get a breech plug for my buckhorn making it take #11 or musket caps. and since its open breech its legal. i wont be able to use a scope though. i would be hunting early muzzelloader and i have been looking at the maxi hunters. its 370 grain conical. the only thing is my gun might have to fast of a twist for it. its 1:28.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: ML_Hunter on December 04, 2010, 08:07:32 PM: I use the T-EZ because its much easier for me to load and still very accurate and excellent bullet performance! I would recommend a 290 grain bullet with the barns bullets, with lead i would use a 350 grain bullet for the penetration.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=740899&destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct.jsp%3FparentCategoryId%3D104792580%26categoryId%3D104701680%26subCategoryId%3D104547780%26productId%3D740773%26type%3Dproduct (http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=740899&destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct.jsp%3FparentCategoryId%3D104792580%26categoryId%3D104701680%26subCategoryId%3D104547780%26productId%3D740773%26type%3Dproduct)
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: rock on December 05, 2010, 06:44:09 AM: yeah barnes is one i have been looking at. what about theses. they caught my eye. 400 grains?
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/thompson-center-50-caliber-bone-crusher-sabots-400-gr-15-pk.aspx?a=434680 (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/thompson-center-50-caliber-bone-crusher-sabots-400-gr-15-pk.aspx?a=434680)
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: Whitelightning on December 05, 2010, 10:36:52 AM: Heavy bullets are a good thinng IMO. I like 460-600gr conicals in my 50's.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: bobcat on December 05, 2010, 10:43:55 AM: I think heavy bullets are great in theory, but I just don't like the recoil. Still, I wouldn't go any lighter than 300 grains in a 45 caliber bullet in a sabot. With a full bore concial in 50 caliber, 350 grains would be a good minimum. The only exception is the Barnes since they're 100% copper. I could see going down to the 290 with those.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: ML_Hunter on December 06, 2010, 01:00:45 AM: Quote from: rock on December 05, 2010, 06:44:09 AM
yeah barnes is one i have been looking at. what about theses. they caught my eye. 400 grains?
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/thompson-center-50-caliber-bone-crusher-sabots-400-gr-15-pk.aspx?a=434680 (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/thompson-center-50-caliber-bone-crusher-sabots-400-gr-15-pk.aspx?a=434680)

The only thing i would question about those bullets...how well do they expand? Having a heavy bullet is great for penetration...but if they don't expand well, your just poking holes in an animal that that may not put them down that fast and you may have a wounded animal running around the woods for quite some time.
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: rock on December 06, 2010, 03:48:37 AM: well i am used to taking shots at the shoulder bone. Because in indiana were you either hunt with shotguns or muzzeloaders. You never have to worry about penetration. lol That how i shoot all my deer is straight through the bone alot of times they are dead before they hit the ground. i want a muzzeloader bullet that i can shoot at an elks shoulder bone from 0-100 yards at have break the bone and keep goin.So i guess what i am asking then is can any of these bullets do it?
Title: Re: what bullet?
Post by: Whitelightning on December 07, 2010, 06:43:14 AM: A 500gr bullet will do the rick ion my opinion. I have never had any issues with dropping an animal deer or Bear. The Bear I hit the shoulder and exited the opposite shoulder DRT. A light weight bullet in a muzzle loader does not do what it needs to on bone.

Here is a link to some ballistics.
http://whitemuzzleloading.com/myweb2/images/whiterifles/Ballistic%20Tables.htm (http://whitemuzzleloading.com/myweb2/images/whiterifles/Ballistic%20Tables.htm)