Muzzle-loader shot placement

[Archerysniper]

range time range time range time, arch can u get those horneys at any pro shop? really got my curiosty peaked with those.

Any of the bigger places should have them. I normally get mine at Fleet farm

[CANOPY SAM]

Can you really shoot accurately out to 200 yds with this load in your muzzy? You're a much better shot than I am.

I'd try that shot if I had a scope, but I don't think I would be very precise with an open sighted gun. That's a pretty long shot. Especially in the field.

[Archerysniper]

Can you really shoot accurately out to 200 yds with this load in your muzzy? You're a much better shot than I am.

I'd try that shot if I had a scope, but I don't think I would be very precise with an open sighted gun. That's a pretty long shot. Especially in the field.

I have put in a lot of range time over the 10 years shooting this gun. At 150 yards I have had 3 shot groups that were 1". At 200 they are in the paper plate which is about the size of a deers vital area. Remeber this is with a bench rest at the range.

I won't even go into how far I have killed deer with mine and open sights. All I know is I haven't missed or lost a deer,most are dead before the smoke clears.

[TruthWalleyes]

If you want to shoot past 50 yds take those cheezy glow sights off the gun and put on a peep site with a front post.

[DRH1175]

I would try another bullet plain and simple. Some like the powerbelts. Me however I have never been much of a fan. Out of my TC omega they were one of the more inconsistant shooters. I love the Hornadys, and shockwaves for farth shots. But what I shoot in MN is 45cal Speer Uni-cors. they shoot good out of my gun and also are cheaper as they are pistal bullets. With so many far better bullets out there. Don't limit yourself to Powerbelts.

[flipper]

I have some friends who really swear by the Speer Uni-Cors. If I would be shooting a saboted bullet they would be right at the top of my list.

[CANOPY SAM]

How does a pistol bullet fit into a muzzle-loader? Again, please forgive me. I'm basically an silly-me when it comes to ballistic stuff.

I also really hate to not use the rest of my Powerbelts. Like I've said, only one lost deer in probably a dozen I've shot over the last half dozen years. I kinda pride myself in the old Deer Hunter movie line, "One bullet, one deer." Are any of you old enough to remember that movie? Or am I the only one?

I have just a few short of a half box left.

[swamptiger]

If the Powerbelts have worked for you in the past, I'd say go ahead use em up and maybe limit your shots to 75 yds or so. As said, no reason to limit yourself to one bullet, there's plenty to choose from out there. So next fall or whenever you get some time, go ahead and experiment with some different bullets.

The sabots work similar to a wad - the purpose is to form a gas seal between the powder and the projectile. Bullets shot in sabots are sized smaller than the bore, and encased in a plastic sabot.

[flipper]

Pistol bullets like the Speers and the Hornady xtp work in muzzleloaders because the muzzle velocities are in the same ballpark. The key is to find the sabot that works best in your bore. For example, I have owned 50 caliber muzzleloaders with bore sizes from .499 up to .505. Thankfully their are sabots that vary greatly in OD. With a little experimentation you can find the right one for your rifle.

[Boar]

+1 againts the chessy glow site, when my front fiber optic fell outa the housing i was able to insert a smaller diameter fiber optic from an old bow site, I dont get that starburst effect an can really settle the post an consistant hundred yard baseball size grouping. One really has to find out what their load an bullet are doing at the range, I acheived this along with droping down to two pellets from 3 with the 200 gr. shockwave I use. wasnt near as consistant with 3 pellets pushing such a lite bullet, speed CAN be yur enemy, an can cause tumbling as my target showed. Arch next year gona try ur horny theroy, wait hornady theroy is wat I ment.

[CANOPY SAM]

That's really interesting. I upped my load from 2 pellets to 3 a few years ago cause the gun specs said that was the max allowable load, and I figured it would give me a bit more range, and significantly more knock down potential. For some reason the gun seems to shoot better with 3 pellets as well, but maybe I just enjoy the feel of a bit more kick, and a bit more boom? Definitely a lot more messy though.

I don't think I've ever had any kind of issue with accuracy. Of course I don't really push my muzzy to anything more than 125 yds max. I've let some fairly nice bucks walk that were just beyond that range, just cause I feel like I can't trust my open sight, primitive weapon shot out there. I'd rather see em' walk, then mortally wound em' and lose em'.

I'm gonna have to look at that sight issue as well. I've still got the big, kinda thick, fiber optic sights on my muzzy, and I can see where a finer, smaller fiber optic would offer a better sight line.

Still going to be seriously conflicted over taking a vital shot over a spinal shot with my next muzzle-loader opportunity. I have a good friend in Grand Rapids that spot and stalked several deer very late in the muzzy season and was confident with his shots. In two days he shot 4 deer inside 50 yards with shots to the vitals, and lost all 4 deer, with no blood trail. This guy is a crack shot. Can't even attempt to explain that one...except utter frustration!

[Boar]

If thats what ur gun seems to shoot well with along with the weight of the slug, then stcik with it. heard to many bad things about power belt to even wana try them. Maybe try a differnet slug at the same weight. 3 pelllets is the max allowable load dosent mean ya have to use that many. I understand that accuracy is not so much of your concern as shot placement. but if chance that powerbelt just happen to tumble at that particular time then it could be the reason you heard a loud crack at such close range, by tumbling into the rib or scapula. When i was siteing in earlier an doing the 3 pellets, it was just that one shot in the 20 i did where I walked to the target an saw an perfect sillouette of my slug like it was standing on end as it entered the target. Made me rethink an ask questions. Hard to say if it was the load or just bad luck or the good lord decide yu needed some exercise. If you dont clean ur barrel after shooting or the season right away the fouling from 777 can corroad ur barrel realy fast an cause pitting an reak havok on accuracy an slug performance. take out ur plug an look into the light an see what u see. Smoke poles are tempermental an require attention more than a rifle of standard means. Not saying this is whats happening just a prossess of illimination at things to be looked at.

[Fins-n-feathers]

I had heard good things about barnes so i went out and shot some this summer. It was a dirt backstop so we recovered most of the bullets and it was almost perfect expansion and weight retention every time. That is what I will be shooting this season. I haven't experimented with 2 or 3 pellets just been using 2 so far.

[cavalierowner]

When I bought my ML from Cabellas maybe 6 or 7 years ago, I bought a ML starter kit with a bunch of stuff including 20 Powerbelts simply because I understood they were easy to load. Not knowing anything about black powder and not having a mentor to help me, I did a LOT of reading. At that time there was a lot of discussion on the pros and cons of Powerbelts. It was about equally distributed between those who loved them and those that hated them. At any rate, about the only thing that everyone seemed to agree on was that the Powerbelts seemed to like lighter powder loads. The recommendation then was to start with 100 gr. powder and work down from there in 10 grain increments. That's how I ended up shooting 80 grains 777; keep in mind that my 80 gr. loose is roughly equivalent to 100 gr. pellet.

[paceman]

In my gun 2 pellets shooting hornadys was way more accurate than using 3 pellets.

[jay83196]

For what its worth , I've heard and read a lot of bad things about powerbelts many times, I use hornady sst 300 gr they do well.

Good luck.