.50 TC Omega and Conicals

[iunderpressure]

I have a .50 Omega that shoots 300 gr Barnes Expander MZ great, but I just took my scope off it because after all it is a muzzleloader.  I like the idea of using lead conicals.  I've tried them before but can't remember group sizes.  I just remember they didn't group like the sabots.  Has anyone found a good conical to use in an Omega or any TC, and how much powder were you using?  The twist rate may just be too quick.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

its not the twist rate. the best conical shooter is the white rifle which has a 1:24 twist.  TC just tells you that crap because if they told you that their barrel process sucks, it would kind of hurt their sales.  My omega shot the 370gr maxiballs with 80gr Pyrodex rs great, but the 295 and 405gr powerbelts with 80gr pyrodex rs shot the best.  You just have to keep switching powders,bullets and primers until you find the right combo.

[iunderpressure]

What is your take on powerbelts in general?  I've never been a big fan of them.  I've never even shot one.  It just seems like I see bullets acting funny, sometimes they blow up and sometimes they don't expand.  Then again this is coming from someone who has just read a lot of post but has never used them.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

besides round balls, Powerbelts are all i use. I make my own insert for the powerbelt that stops the over expansion/fragmenting when pushing it with a higher powder charge.  Their main problem is the huge hollow point that they put in them. Soft pure lead does not need an hollow point to expand.

With my hard lead insert im averaging a 3 grain weight loss in the 245- 295gr powerbelt at distances from 20 yards out to 100.

Heres a 348gr Powerbelt with my insert installed,


295gr Powerbelt with my insert,

[k]

its not the twist rate. the best conical shooter is the white rifle which has a 1:24 twist.  TC just tells you that crap because if they told you that their barrel process sucks, it would kind of hurt their sales.  My omega shot the 370gr maxiballs with 80gr Pyrodex rs great, but the 295 and 405gr powerbelts with 80gr pyrodex rs shot the best.  You just have to keep switching powders,bullets and primers until you find the right combo.

            what do you feel is bad about there barrel process? my t/c"s seem to be as accurate as any other brand.      karl

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

their QLA process. + the .498 undersized bores dont help either.  My omega shot conicals just fine but my barrel was right where it should be, in the .501" range and had a  good QLA.   Rough bores is another one of their down falls.

[pozoutdoors]

I don't know about any problems with T/C barrels!!! The one I had was great!!! Now I have a VVCG and it doesn't shoot any better than the T/C!!! I mostly shoot sabots, but great plains bullets with a 90gr charge shoot good and leave a big exit hole!!! I don't trust any of the spainish barrels as they are known for being weak and not being safe!!!

[iunderpressure]

pozoutdoors,

Did you use a wad behind the great plains bullet, and what powder did you use?

[sabotloader]

iunderpressure

What is your take on powerbelts in general?  I've never been a big fan of them.  I've never even shot one.  It just seems like I see bullets acting funny, sometimes they blow up and sometimes they don't expand.

The Power Belt is a great bullet for a beginner to shoot, it loads easy and shoots accurately.  It is great on paper.

If you have to shoot a conical it qualifies + if you want to shoot a conical it qualifies but, there are such better slip fit conicals out there.

Bigblock has put a lot of time and effort into shooting them and knows how to get the best out of them, but he has to reduce the velocity significant make then stay together and yet in my opinion they still expand to far to fast almost to the point of being a pancake which greatly increases the surface area and which in return can significantly reduce penetration at the reduced velocity.  The PB is soft lead bullet, an elongated round ball, it has to be so that it will obturate to your bore, which further inhances it's ablity to pancake and if fired to fast it tends to fragment.

Hope you find a bullet that will work well for you...



 

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

i used to use 80gr RS but now im easily using 100gr RS safely. I just had to make my own insert mold but it wasnt no trouble at all. Everything from the 245gr Powerbelt + is doing great now for me.

[iunderpressure]

I'm not new to muzzleloading.  I'm new to taking my scope off and trying life without a sabot.  I tried almost all sabot type bullets.  With my gun scoped I shot 200 yards with the barnes normally.  I'm trying to go "old school" with what I have, and I also am thinking ahead to a hunt in a western state (not planned just wishing).  I'm not scared of a "tight" fit.  Using sabot it made me mad when I go to buy some bullets and they changed to sabots in the package to "easy to load" smaller ones because my groups opened.  I ran across a deal awhile back where Traditions was clearing out their branded Barnes bullets.  Now, I was worried because they came with a thinner sabot, but they shot very well out of my gun.  The Shockwave easy glide or whatever they call them were real bad compared to the originals.  I didn't like how the shockwaves "blew up" either.  I didn't like seeing all the lead and copper when field dressing and butchering.  I never tried the bonded ones.  If i'm using a sabot, I really like a 300gr MZ over 100 gr BH209.

I was shocked today.  I got some time to shoot my muzzleloaders and tried shooting patch and ball out of my omega for the first time.  I tried both 70 and 80grs of BH209 behind a ball at around 50 yards standing with factory sights.  I had 1 hit center, 1 hit close to center, and one hit the wooden target frame probably a foot or so to the left.  Now, I don't know how much of that was me and how much was the gun.  I think it shot the patch and ball better than the conicals.  I only could find one patch (tc factory pre lubed) after being fired and it was with the 70 grs of powder.  The edges were frayed probably a 1/16 to 1/8 all the way around.  I couldn't find any of the 80 gr patches.   

[pozoutdoors]

No I didn't use a wad behind the 385gr greatplains bullets.....And the powder charge was 90gr of RS. I am using 777 now but haven't tried it with a conical yet!!!