# Best 50 cal bullet



## Jdgreen (Oct 14, 2012)

I'm sure this question has been asked 1,000,000 times on this forum, but I'll ask anyway.

What is the best muzzleloader bullet for pass through for a 50 cal?  

My friend lost a deer this weekend and I don't want it to happen to me.  We are both using powerbelts.  I got good accuracy out of it, but if there is no blood trail, it is hard to find a deer. Also cheating with Pyrodex.  I know a lot of folks don't like it, but it works pretty well from what I can tell.

Thanks..


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## jesnic (Oct 14, 2012)

Depends on the barrel twist. Fast twist can stabalize heavy bullets. I like the Hornady xtp, but I also like prb in slow twist.


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## Jdgreen (Oct 14, 2012)

Its a Thompson Center Black Diamond..  I'm not sure of the twist rate.


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## jesnic (Oct 14, 2012)

That's a 1 in 28 twist. Excellent for Sabots, like the XTP.


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## stsid1 (Oct 15, 2012)

Can't beat the XTP 150gr hollow points. I'm shooting a Marlin MLS.50, Almost like a Diamond.


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## grouper throat (Oct 15, 2012)

t/c shockwave 250gr. I do like the hornady SSTs also. Load 3 pellets and watch your pass through ratio go up.


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## watermedic (Oct 15, 2012)

If you want penetration, go heavier in bullets. The best penetrating bullet IMO is the TC Maxi Ball.


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## Flintrock (Oct 15, 2012)

What weight bullet are you using now ? I think the opposite re larger bullets. I think sometimes people get too heavy a bullet for the amountg of powder they use.
I m only shooting 80 grains of FFFg with a 138 grain round ball and get complete pass throughs and I have friends that use 100 grains of powder with 400 + grain bullets that do not get complete pass throughts.  I think that if you are using a pointed sabot like a shock wave that a 220 to 250 grain bullet is all you need. It will shoot flater , farther  and have less kick than a heavier bullet and still give a pass through


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## Jdgreen (Oct 15, 2012)

so, a 1 in 28 is a "fast twist"?  That would be a Hornady XTP Sabot?  What grain does anyone recommend for deer less than 100 yards?

What is the Maxi Ball?


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## Redleaf (Oct 15, 2012)

You wont find anything that will perform better than lead conicals.  Either paper patched or grease groove.  Its the original technology and nobody has improved on it yet.


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## ekr (Oct 15, 2012)

Barnes Spit-Fire MZ 285gr & hornady ml-sst 300gr with 150 gr of powder has worked really great for me.  If I can get pass through shoulder to shoulder on 200lb boars...I can't see why it wouldn't fly through a deer.


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## miles58 (Oct 15, 2012)

ekr said:


> Barnes Spit-Fire MZ 285gr & hornady ml-sst 300gr with 150 gr of powder has worked really great for me.  If I can get pass through shoulder to shoulder on 200lb boars...I can't see why it wouldn't fly through a deer.



^ This.  I have yet to stop a Barnes in a deer.  I shoot the T-EZ 250 grain in my M/L guns and it expands perfectly and tears up the inside of the chest.

I wouldn't necessarily bet on a good blood trail though.  My experience with them is that they tend to destroy the heart and lungs which drops blood pressure to zero instantly.  That of course makes it necessary for gravity to produce a blood trail and if the hole is a little high the blood trail may not show up immediately and may not be all that great.  I have yet to see a deer go any more than about 50 yards like that.  That does tend to make the easy to find fortunately.  Mostly they are right where they got shot.

Dave


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## 7MAGMIKE (Oct 15, 2012)

I've gotten outstanding results from Hornady 250gr SST Sabots.  Excellent terminal performance and very accurate.


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## Jdgreen (Oct 16, 2012)

thanks guys..


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## Chris Kalinski (Oct 16, 2012)

Get rid of the powerbelts !!
The lower # is a faster twist.
IE 1/18 twist, 1/22 twist 1/26 twist etc.


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## NCHillbilly (Oct 16, 2012)

350 grain T/C Maxi-hunters. I've killed lots of deer with them, and never found one inside a deer yet. Work much, much better than the modern, plastic cyborg things that everybody wants to shoot for some unknown reason. They work good in sidelocks and inlines both, as long as you have a 1-in-48" twist or faster. Every one of my friends who shoot in-lines that I've gotten to try them, end up using them exclusively and throw away the sabots and crap after shooting a deer or two with the big lead conicals.


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## 1gr8bldr (Oct 17, 2012)

never lost a deer with powerbelts.


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## jesnic (Oct 17, 2012)

I use patch round balls and they go through deer. I also use Hornady PA conicals and never retrieved one. I have found Hornady sabots on the off side of deer, just under the skin, but they do some damage. The round balls and conicals are my favorite. But they might not fly straight enough for you in a fast twist barrel. Best thing is to try different loads.


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## Steven Farr (Oct 17, 2012)

Barnes....period


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## pdsniper (Oct 18, 2012)

There is a Guy in Utah that has a company and all he does is make bullets for Muzzle loaders a friend of mine put me on to him and they are the best shooting bullets I have ever used, I shoot them in my custom Hawken rifle and swedge them to shape and use them in my Whitworth rifle they are heavy bullets and your guaranteed a pass threw the company is called NO Excuse bullets and you should give them a try


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## iowa-boy (Oct 18, 2012)

Chris Kalinski said:


> Get rid of the powerbelts !!
> The lower # is a faster twist.
> IE 1/18 twist, 1/22 twist 1/26 twist etc.


I have shot power belts since there inception out of my hawken and never had a problem with expansion or finding game. Only reason this happens is a poor shot placement.


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## Stroker (Oct 18, 2012)

I have killed probably 15 to 20 deer in the last 10 years with Power Belts and have never lost a deer or not had a complete pass through. Most were DRT or within sight, longest ran about 75 yards and left a blood highway. I always go for the heart/lung shot . I use the 295gr HP and 2 50 grain pyrodex pellets out of my CVA. Many of those deer were over 100 yards away. The Power Belts are solid lead( except for the hollow point tip) and copper plated so I can see no difference between them and conicals except maybe the hardness of the lead. Shot placement is the key.


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## Huntin 4 More (Oct 19, 2012)

Steven Farr said:


> Barnes....period



THIS^.  If you have a CVA gun, which normally have a slightly smaller bore, use the TEZ.


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## Redleaf (Oct 19, 2012)

If you stay within the effective range and make good shot placement based on the bullets' capabilities,  a bullet made out of wood would produce stellar results.


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## jtexaslonestar (Oct 19, 2012)

I just started hunting with my Hawken this year and killed my first deer(a doe) on my first time hunting with a patch and ball. One shot through shoulder and DRT with a complete pass through from 45 yds with 50 grains Pyrodex.


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## rhbama3 (Oct 19, 2012)

watermedic said:


> If you want penetration, go heavier in bullets. The best penetrating bullet IMO is the TC Maxi Ball.



Been using the 370gr. Maxi-balls for 20 years. Quite a few hogs and deer have met their end with them. Haven't found a reason to change yet.


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## Whiteeagle (Oct 19, 2012)

Patched Round Ball has worked for me for over 40 years, can't speak for other bullets. Have tried Pyrodex and Triple Seven, but Prefer REAL Black Powder(GOEX)!!!


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## idsman75 (Oct 20, 2012)

My T/C Omega that I bought 6 years ago still likes the 300-grain Hornady XTP sabots over 2 50-grain pellets of Hogdon Triple-7.  Every deer drops almost immediately.  First one was a huge Iowa doe.  Her front legs were folded under her with her face in the ground.  Her hind-end was still standing up on her back legs.


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