Loading sabots

[Boomer68]

I just bought a Huntsman, and was at the range yesterday to test it out. Had some Barnes Spit-Fire TMZ 250gr bullets and Triple 7 pellets. I had a bugger of a time trying to seat the bullets! I got so fed up, I only fired 4 rounds. Is this normal?

[aldar]

I had the same experience awhile back. Had one old PowerBelt that went right down the muzzle, but my new sabots were real hard to get seated. I read somewhere here that if you take some bore butter and wipe it on the sabot, they will load easier. I havent tried it yet, way to cold here to get out, but it makes sense.

[coop2564]

If your using sabots with T7 you need to swab with at least one wet patch and then follow it with a dry patch between shots. The huntsman does not shoot the T7 pellets very well U will get some hangfires.  And it leaves a residue in the barrel that makes loading a second shot very difficult without swabbing. If U must have pellets switch to pyrodex pellets. But U will get overall better accuracy using loose powder and will be better able to work up a load for your gun. I use the 285gr spitfire with T7 3F and swab between shots and mine loads fine. Sabots load tight in most all guns and if U dont swab its going to be tough.  App powder is your best best if U dont want to swab between shots.  Or try powerbelt bullets. Best of luck!

[Keith Lewis]

There is a wide selection of sabots with different thickness sides that will allow loading without the extreme effort. You can check on Harvester crush rib sabots for the easiest or the new three petal ones that are available. My Omega will not load any standard combination bullet sabot that I have found yet. I have to select thinner sabots and bullets of .451 diameter not .452 to be able to load anything without heavier than sane effort. I have a Huntsman but have not had much time to work with it yet.

[Boomer68]

Thanks for the tips. This is my first muzzleloader and am kinda green 
Bought it used with the bullets and T7 pellets, but will be switching to loose after I shoot them off.

[MI.sabot]

You may find these articles helpful:
www.chuckhawks.com/mmp_3-petal_sabot.htm
www.chuckhawks.com/mmp_sabots.htm

(Click on the link at the bottom of each of these articles and it'll lead you to a ML information page that you may find helpful)

Link to MMP Sabots: www.mmpsabots.com

I ordered the HPH24 for my Barnes 250 gr MZ bullets.
They're only .002" smaller than the sabots that come packaged with the MZ's.
But that .002" makes a world of difference in loading them in my Sidekick.

Good luck.

[Boomer68]

Many thanks for the links and info. Will have to try them out. Can I pop the Barnes bullets out of there sabot and put them into these?

[millwright]

I had the same trouble with my huntsman with standard sabots and 44 cal bullets.  I went to 45  cas speer 260 gr handgun bullets in tc 45cal sabots for 50 cal barrels.  The bullet dia is .451  Just so I don't confuse you the sabots are 50 cal for 45 cal bullets and are black in color.  My huntsman shoots these very well with 100 gr of loose pyrodex.  If you really want power try 100 gr of loose 777.