Author Topic: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?  (Read 1015 times)

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Offline wolfboy

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Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« on: March 20, 2008, 01:51:59 PM »
Last year I hunted with a CVA wolf using T/C 250 grain shockwaves. I did manage to harvest a doe, but she ran 50-60 yards before expiring and didn't leave a blood trail at all (heart shot).  This year I bought a T/C omega and I hear alot of good things about T/C shockwaves, but I wasn't impressed with their performance, unless it was a fluke deal.  I'm thinking about switching to Buffalo sabots as I hear they are a very good choice too.  I'm lookin to be able to shoot 150 yards...which bullet is better suited?  The T/C shockwave or Buffalo Sabots?

Offline vabowhntr

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2008, 02:49:16 AM »
I would shoot the one that gives you the best accuracy.  I have shot deer with both and have seen very little difference between the two.   I am currently shooting 285 gr SSB's because my gun likes them, but when I run out I will switch and shoot up the 50 SST/SW's I have and not see much of a difference in performance.

BTW, I shot a doe with a hastings 547 gr slug this year, broadside took out both lungs.  Didn't find a drop of blood for 120 yards till she was laying in a pool of it.  BIG holes in and out.  I still think they are an excellent slug, and won't base my feelings for them on one kill.

Offline Varmint Hunter

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2008, 01:33:06 AM »
I've seen a lot of deer killed with various muzzleloader bullets. It is quite common to have deer run a fair distance even after receiving a terminal blow with a heavy lead slug. My personal opinion is that ML bullets are just too slow to have the effect on game that we usually see when shooting center-fire cartridges.

Deer don't require a lot of bullet weight to get the job done. You may see an improvement in terminal performance by loading lighter slugs at higher speeds.

Just a thought.

Offline wgr

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2008, 07:34:43 AM »
are just shoot the 250 grain xtp long colt bullet between my boy and myself we have shot 30  deer 4 of them were 175/180 lb the closets shot was by me at about 5Yard's the longest by the boy at 140yards. we have never lost a deer with this bullet and hornady sabots
never to much gun

Offline Buckskins & Black Powder

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2008, 03:41:38 PM »
Last year I hunted with a CVA wolf using T/C 250 grain shockwaves. I did manage to harvest a doe, but she ran 50-60 yards before expiring and didn't leave a blood trail at all (heart shot).  This year I bought a T/C omega and I hear alot of good things about T/C shockwaves, but I wasn't impressed with their performance, unless it was a fluke deal.  I'm thinking about switching to Buffalo sabots as I hear they are a very good choice too.  I'm lookin to be able to shoot 150 yards...which bullet is better suited?  The T/C shockwave or Buffalo Sabots?

I never liked the shockwaves either. Just watch the hunting shows and you'll see those deer just run and run.

I only use either powerbelts or roundballs , but ive seen many reports on the buffalo's and they seems like a great bullet.

Offline killer

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2008, 03:22:44 PM »
i shot 2 deer with tc shockwaves this year 250 g over 110 g of t7 one dropped in his tracks, and the doe only ran 40 yards and left a pile of lungs on the ground at the point of inpact., and left a blood trail 2 feet wide for the 40 yards. cousin in the next stand over shot a buck with powerbelt, that ran 80 yards and only left 2 drops of blood. shockwaves all the way.
shoot straight

Offline Buckskins & Black Powder

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2008, 03:40:35 PM »
No! You dont say!
What kind of charge was your cousin using with that powerbelt? Must have been a long shot?

Offline kawie

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2008, 07:09:34 PM »
i use the hornady sst almost the same as the shockwave an have been impressed with the last three deer that i shot with them.two never moved from were they were shot an my 7 point was shot a about 5yrds an he went less than 10 yrds,exit wound was almost four inches. all were shot at less than 20 yrds so i dont if the higher volocity at those ranges has anything to do with it or not. load was 250gr sst over 90gn 3f t7.

Offline vabowhntr

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2008, 04:25:27 AM »
I never liked the shockwaves either. Just watch the hunting shows and you'll see those deer just run and run.


If you watch closely, it's all about placement and I have seen as many bad shots as good on the tv shows.  Just cuz they are on TV don't mean they are experts.   I especially  love the "I smoked him!" right after a clear gut shot with an arrow ("we'll let him lay till tomorrow" usually follows a few minutes after this statement).  Most any 250 gr lead bullet in the vitals will do the job...in fact I have had the best results from TC Cheapshots and about 85 gr of pyrodex p.  Just gotta hit them in the right spot.

Offline Buckskins & Black Powder

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2008, 12:16:34 PM »
Just watched a hunting show a couple nights ago. I forget the name of it but its the younger guy who does adds for Gander Mountain. He was shooting his pro hunter with the 250 shockwave. He got a great shoot on a deer, deer ran forever and even the hunter said, Well, theres no blood anywhere so lets just see  if we can find him.

He found him but i was surprised that he  actually admitted to there being Zero blood trail.

Wonder if that cost him some funds with that sponsor   ???

Offline simplicity

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2008, 02:26:56 AM »
 I've tryed bot the buffalo sabots, the powerbelts and the shockwaves in my encore with many different weight charges.  as far as accuracy goes all hands are on the shockwaves I'm getting .750 groups at 100 yards with a 150 gr. charge. AS far as the buffalo sabots go they shot good but when they got up to 130gr. chargeaccuracyy diminished. and the power belts with anymore then 110 gr. behind them I never found a impact at the target between 80 to 100 grains the power belts shot great. Only thing I can figure is the heavier charge was somehow rupturing the belt and making it go wellmajorlyy astray. Also friends have had alot of bad results from the power belts as far as penetration on deer was concerned, all are shooting shockwaves now.

Offline Buckskins & Black Powder

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Re: Buffalo Sabots or T/C shockwaves?
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2008, 06:54:14 AM »
Your encore not shooting powerbelts accurately is nothing new. Its TC QLA that causes these problems.  Some say to use the 348+ grain powerbelts to get any accuracy out of the TC's with powerbelts. 80-90 grains pyrodex/triple 7 is about the maximum limit with the 295 grain powerbelts and under, anything more and the bullet can suffer over expansion with close range shots.