Author Topic: Bullet Weight??? (Read 648 times)

Stan M. · « **on:** October 08, 2003, 07:28:54 AM »

I have been hunting with smokepoles since 1990. I started out using a TC New Englander with 385 gr. Buffalo bullets in front of 90gr. BP Worked well. Would lay a deer out in it's tracks.
Then I went to inline and started using the 50 cal. Knight 260 gr. lead bullet. (Couldn't use jacketed bullets in VA. back then). I used 100gr. of Pyrodex. This was alright but it lacked the stopping power of the bigger bullet. I think it lacked in expansion. Weight retention was good. Blood trails were often sparse.
I now use 50 cal. 300 gr. Barnes MZ sabots in front of 120gr. of 777. I have had no problem for several years now. My friends use the 250 Gr. MZ with no problems.
I see people take large animals with the lighter jacketed bullets. Is 300 gr. too much on deer? What kind of bullets do some of you hunters out there use on deer?
Thanks and Good Hunting,
Stan

RandyWakeman · « **Reply #1 on:** October 08, 2003, 02:29:04 PM »

Quote from: Stan M.

Is 300 gr. too much on deer? Stan

Not at all. Jacketed bullets do nothing for the performance in muzzleloaders-- they are employed for ease of manufacturing only. A 300 grain Dead Center is one of the best.

simonkenton · « **Reply #2 on:** October 09, 2003, 03:25:19 AM »

As for jacketed bullets, the 300 gr xtp is a very good deer killer.

WD45 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 09, 2003, 03:50:55 AM »

You do not need more than a 300 GR bullet to put down a deer or jacketed for that matter. Type and shape of bullet will make a bigger difference on deer in my opinion. I have been using 250 grain maxi balls for years and they have never failed to pass thru every deer on side shots and go stem to stern on a chest shot. Any other odd angle is always a pass thru. Using a bullet heavier than what always passses thru does nothing for killing effectivness. It will cost you more in lead, powder and pain in the shoulder.
Do some testing yourself on some wet newspaper or whatever you can come up with on some defferent types. It can be very eye opening to say the least.
Also remember that most of these sabot bullets are just pistol bullets stuck in a chunk of plastic. most of these bullets are made for lower veloities and may be very effective at 1200 to 1400 FPS but not at 1600 to as some report 2000 FPS. Velocity does NOT always increase killing power or effectiveness of a bullet contrary to popular belief.
Test some different types, brands and let us know the results :grin:

Omega · « **Reply #4 on:** October 09, 2003, 07:19:01 AM »

Sandi and I have shot 5 animals with the Omegas and Encores this fall caribou, bear and moose. All were one shot kills with a 250 grain Hornady SST's. Only the neck shot moose (70 yards) did we get a bullet back from all the others we shoot throughs. Well the lead made it all the way through the bear the jacket hung up in the hide on the far side. None the less great perfomance IMHO!
Rich

Stan M. · « **Reply #5 on:** October 09, 2003, 10:15:31 AM »

It seems so far that the bag is mixed. I had seen Omega's post on the 250 gr. SST. It seems to perform well on large game. I think Jim Shockey uses a lighter Nosler Partition bullet.
I am by no means one of the bigger is better type people. I had a friend run a 250 gr. verses 300 gr. Barnes MZ on the Sierra ballistics program. We punched in 1700 fps zeroed at 100yds. and the resuslts were not that different except the down range energy.
At 150 yds. the difference is:
250 gr. MZ / 300gr. MZ
B.C. / .189 /.207
Velocity / 1259 fps / 1290 fps
Energy / 880 ft/lbs / 1108 ft/lbs
Drop / -5.63" / -5.44"

It looks like the 300 gr I'm using hits a little harder and drop is about the same. I think I will give the 300gr. SST a try. I do love the results I'm getting with the Barnes though, but they are much more in price.
I have seen nothing wrong with the 250 gr. MZ that my friends are using. I also have seen many deer taken with the 240 gr. XTP
Heck, a deer doesn't know what weight bullet hit him or how fast it was going when it's on it's mark. Wet newspaper test would probably be an eye opener also.
Thanks for the comments, I'm not trying to prove anything here, I was just curious how others faired with different bullets.
Thanks agian,
Stan

WD45 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 10, 2003, 02:04:57 AM »

Stan,
I would never argue the point that a heavier bullet retains more energy over a greater distance. I liked yer little ballistics data thing. Kind of made me think.... those velocities and energy figures at 150 yards are about what most 44 mags are putting out at the muzzle.... just a little food fer thought :-)