Dead Center Bullets

[bwana]

Anybody used these in the 1:28" .50 cal huntsman barrels?

They are available in .357-.40 and .45 with sabots.  They have a reputation for being extremely accurate and the 1:28" twist should work well with any of the heavier bullet weights available.

Just plumbing for feedback if anybody has used these.

thanks

bwana

[harvester]

have a friend that used them - saboted 45's, 220 or 240 grain.  he was shooting a knight disc elite.  3-4" groups with them.  he moved to the barnes expander, 300 grain, and he's shooting ragged holes at 50, and 2" (sometimes sub-moa) groups at 100, with 100 grains 777.

in my opinion, they offer little over the Buffalo Bullet SSB's that i've shot.  they are about 3 times as expensive as the BB SSB's, and are not available locally.

[DannoBoone]

Wish I could be comparing barrels of the same make, and this may not be
a fair comparison. PR bullets (QT's) have won competitions in Knight rifles,
but I have never been able to get them to group to my satisfaction in my
1:28 twist Encore with the factory barrel or a custom 28" barrel. I am going
to try them in MMP sabots to see if that helps.

PR has local distributors around the country, and I have found their bullets
at a local outdoors store. You can also order "sample packs" from PR
for purposes of coming up with the optimum load for your rifle. If you find
an accurate load, you can then order by quantity and save quite a bit of
money over the 12-count packs.

HOWEVER, both the Dead Centers and the QT's are very deadly on deer. If
you can get them to shoot accurately in your Huntsman, I'm sure you will
be very pleased with them.  I have kept all my shots under 100yds and of
six deer taken with them, five were DRT!!

[Tracker]

I tried them last year in the 195 grain and was not satisfied with the performance.  Went to the 225 and same result.  I have settled on the Hornady SST in 300 grain and the Barnes expander bullets.  Friend shot a large cow elk with the Hornady SST and it did an outstanding job on it.

[Ricci Price]

I don't know about a huntsman but, I have got a traditions stainless lightning fire with a 1-32" twist 24 inch barrel. Last fire years I have been shooting the 40/50 180 grain QT, 90 grains 3f pb, musket cap, killed a 7 & 8 point last year killed my biggest 10 pt. year before that, killed a 6 & 8 & 10 point year before that and before that a two 8's a 7 and 6 point, before that year a 3 & two 7's points I guess I have killed a truck load with that bullet. It is an awsome bullet, shots were from 20 to 120 yards. Like I said the biggest one I shot two years ago was right at 100 yards shot him broad side in the shoulder both blades and part of the spine was knocked loose, bullet was hangin out of the oppisite shoulder in skin that was peeled open (pass through?).

[mt_jeep]

I'm looking at a group I shot two weeks ago using 260 gr dead center bullets and 110 777.  Center to center the group is just under 1 1/2" and the velocity averaged 2066.  I'd say that's not a bad start...

Hornady 250 gr XTPs have had almost as good of results (just under 2" at 2107 fps with 110 gr 777), so I'm going to pick up a few more dead centers, but work on the XTP loads (going to pick up some 300 gr XTPs as well).

I still need to work up a good "all lead" load for Montana's restricted areas, but that's another story...

[tscott]

Powerbelts for me in Huntsman. Great accuracy and dead deer on the spot
All 5 of my guns shoot powerbelts best. XTP's are a disaster for me to load,
in fact I have sanded down the sabots to load = range only for them!
I buy Powerbelts around the first of the year at Walmart, for around 5 bucks. Yea, I slink in through the garden center, and into sporting goods.
Avoiding the main store.Who are those people in Walmart?

[mt_jeep]

I may give the Powerbelts a try, but they don't qualify under Montana's all lead bullet requirement.... there can be nothing but lead, no sabots and no gas checks.

TScott - What Powerbelts and what powder is working for you?

Thanks in advance

[tscott]

I settled on 90gr 777, brand of primer is not a factor.. Best accuracy is 295 cj hp. I have not tried the pure lead version, but they must fly similar.
I cloverleaf at 50yds.. Say out by Masoula (sp, haven't been out there in years) I'd be comfortable out to 150yds... Oh, swab every 5 shots ...a real key for range accuracy, also pull plug every 5 and clean, or you'll be cursin' up a storm trying to get it out......

[gt2003]

I hunt in a fairly wooded area so 40 yds is about the longest I would ever be able to shoot.  I had trouble with the jacketed bullets (300 grain XTP's with 90 grains pyrodex RS) in my knight wolverine.  They grouped awesome but would pass through deer without expanding.  I lost 3 deer due to this and was going to give up muzzleloading until I was introduced to the precision rifle dead centers.  I have been shooting a 220 grain dead center with 80 grains of 777 ffg powder with good results.  I haven't measured the groups but if I had to guess id say probably a quarter sized group or less at 40 yds and thats just laying down and shooting or steadying the gun on my tailgate and shooting.  No telling what they could do if I had a bench.  I run a spit patch after each shot, turn it over and run it through again and thats it.  Thats what I practice at only because thats the longest shot I'd ever take.  I shot a buck last year at about 20 yds.  He simply fell over and died.  The dead center went in just below the backstrap at a downward angle, passed all the way through him and lodged in the opposite shoulder.  It had maintained all of its mass and had mushroomed to almost 3/4 of an inch.    Needless to say I was impressed.  From what I hear, muzzleloaders don't have the needed velocity for these heavy jacketed bullets.  I think people are probably having good luck with the SST's and other bullets with the polymer tips but I'm sticking with the precision rifles.  Good luck everyone.  Just wanted to share my experience.  Greg