? OT- .50 Muzzle-loader Conical Bullets

[CEMENTHEAD]

What type of conical bullet do you shoot out of your .50 caliber muzzle-loader? Hornady stopped making the 410 grain Great Plains bullet I've used for 15 years. The 385 grain Great Plains doesn't shoot worth a hoot, despite using different powders and load variations. I want to stay with full size conicals if at all possible. Thanks, Tom

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have had great results using the Lee R.E.A.L. bullet in the .50 and the .54. Two weight bullets are offered in both calibers with the heavier being my choice. The lighter bullets are designed for very slow twist round ball guns. I always use a felt wad under the bullet as much testing has shown it to improve accuracy in my rifles.
Clover leafs at 50 yd. are not uncommon and fine 100yd groups are normal.

[Saz]

Check out "No Excuses" bullets. http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com I used the .50 cal 495 gr bullets to take a moose last year. The pic is on his website- they shoot great!

[JReed]

What gun are you shooting? I don't really use conicals mainly just PRB's out of mine.

[Les Staley]

I have contacted Veral Smith of LBT to have him build me a mold to cast spitzer .452 bullets to be used in a sabot. These bullets will be smooth sided, no grooves, slightly bevel base for full entry into the sabots, pretty close in shape like the TC shockwaves, but instead of costing $1.25 each, should come in about a nickle apiece.. Mold should be arriveing this next week, I'll keep you'all posted about how it works out.. If you sent him a bullet you like, he can make a mold to cast it.. Les

[Glenn]

Cementhead,

I've been using the Lee REALs as well. The only thing I don't like is they are hard to start. These were shot in a 1-32 twist barrel on a Lyman Great Plains Hunter. I have used both the 3-band and 4-band bullets. My buddy has a Cabela's Hawken Hunter with a 1-48 twist barrel and it shoots the T/C Maxiball into practically the same hole at 50 yards.

By the way I heard the 3-band bullet was supposed to shoot in the round ball guns too, so I was trying it on my original Lyman barrel with the 1-60" (not 1-66") twist. It shot fantastic at 50 yards, but when I moved the target out to 100 yards to sight-in for the hunt, they sprayed all over the backer ! Used a round ball that year, which of course is all you need for deer.

Glenn

[cnjarvis]

By the way I heard the 3-band bullet was supposed to shoot in the round ball guns too, so I was trying it on my original Lyman barrel with the 1-60" (not 1-66") twist. It shot fantastic at 50 yards, but when I moved the target out to 100 yards to sight-in for the hunt, they sprayed all over the backer ! Glenn

That was my experience this year with the same boolit.

Cementhead,
Give the TC maxi balls or maxi hunters a try.

[Pete44ru]

I'm shooting a .54 now, Tom, but when I was shooting a .50 w/conicals (B4 sabots) I really liked the T/C Maxi-Hunter wrapped in Ox-Yoke Bore Butter.

They have decent accuracy out of my sidehammer, and performed well on deer.
Cleanup was a snap, due to the "conditioned" bore.

.

[Old Time Hunter]

Lee R.E.A.L bullets

[HEAD0001]

I have a few different 50 caliber molds. I tried the REAL's-with little success. Ended up with an RCBS mold that is called the "adjustable HotchKiss mold". This mold allows you to vary the length(and hence the weight) of your bullet. I ended up casting a 525 grain bullet that is a real stomper on game. I have shot two elk with this bullet and one was a nice 5X5 bull. He went sick immediately and went about 30 yards after the hit. It is a devastating bullet on deer. I like the idea of being able to adjust the length for fine tuning. Tom.

[CEMENTHEAD]

I'm shooting them out of an Knight American, 1-28" twist. I've tried the TC bullets , both styles and the same result. Crappy accuracy. I shot a 1/2 dozen of the Modern Muzzleloading (AKA White Muzzleloaders) 600 grain conicals (.503") and they shot 1.5" @ 75 yds. However they're WAY to big for deer hunting and with 100 grains of Triple 7 Loose 3f they're only averaging 1100 FPS. Thanks, and keep 'em coming.............Tom

[HEAD0001]

I'm shooting them out of an Knight American, 1-28" twist. I've tried the TC bullets , both styles and the same result. Crappy accuracy. I shot a 1/2 dozen of the Modern Muzzleloading (AKA White Muzzleloaders) 600 grain conicals (.503") and they shot 1.5" @ 75 yds. However they're WAY to big for deer hunting and with 100 grains of Triple 7 Loose 3f they're only averaging 1100 FPS. Thanks, and keep 'em coming.............Tom

I shoot m y heavy conicals out of a couple of different Knight rifles. I think the Knight's really like the "Big Boys".

The load I shoot is a real butt kicker. It kills on both ends, however it is a hunting load so I do not shoot it very often. I load 120 grains of loose 3F BlackPowder behind that HotchKiss style bullet. And as I said this load is a thumper, but it is a real killer. Low velocity does not concern me when I am pushing that much lead that shoots accurately. Two inches high at 100 yards puts you a couple inches low at 150 yards. That is flat enough for me with open sights. Tom.

[Paul Jenkins]

A&H flintlock , ! / 28" twist[URL=http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2 ... .jpg[/img][/url]

[Thunder50]

I shoot "black belt" bullets, now known as "powerbelt" bullets. Very accurate and good performance.

[Paul Jenkins]

[quote="Paul Jenkins"]A&H flintlock , ! / 28" twist[URL=http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2 ... .jpg[/img][/url][/quote
Show this because I am VERY happy to shoot groups like this even occasionally. Remember a flintlock. DO you know what follow through means. I have a big bruise on my cheek because of follow through I shot tat day with a friend with a scoped in line. He did better me by a 1/2'

[Pete44ru]

I'm glad to see that the A&H rocklock loves you enough to give you a little peck on the cheek, Paul !

.

[Paul Jenkins]

Pete,
I'm so happy I could S%3t. Thanks for a great transaction. Took me a few outings to get back in the groove with a flinter. Good training for other guns too.

[horsesoldier03]

My Lyman GPR is 1:60 or 1:66 twist and is designed for patched round ball. A friend of mine was using some Thompson Center conicals (235 grn I THINK) that he got from Walmart and was complaining about them and then gave them to me. One day while target shooting I decided to see what they would do as they were free to me anyways. I WAS SHOCKED! Those things held better groups than my patched round ball at 100 yrds.