Author Topic: Favorite bullets? (Read 1663 times)

walmpus · « **on:** November 09, 2008, 03:24:27 PM »

Hey Guys,

Just wondering what type of bullets you guys like in your huntsman. I have tried every bullet/powder combo imaginable and for what ever reason my gun absolutely LOVES 100 grains of 777 (2 pellets) and a 245 grain aerotip (I can hear people cringing about that one). But my gun just loves this combo. I shot again today and I can shoot 5 shot groups with all shots touching and I can cover the shots with a quarter. And my gun shoots the same with this combo every day.....it never changes. My gun does not like sabots with loose powder or pellets. No consistancy what so ever in this dept. Just wondering what other combos you guys have luck with.

Walmpus

Swampman · « **Reply #1 on:** November 09, 2008, 03:54:16 PM »

I've never seen an inline that wouldn't shoot well with a 250 grain T/C Cheap Shot over 80 grains of fff.

slayer · « **Reply #2 on:** November 10, 2008, 12:10:55 PM »

My Sidekick love the T/C 470 gr maxi-hunter conical with 100 gr Goex FFG.

Jack

walmpus · « **Reply #3 on:** November 17, 2008, 09:12:57 AM »

Thanks for the input guys! I have never shot anything in my gun over 350 grains, so I am guessing those 470 maxi's are like a sledgehammer hitting a water melon! That would be sweet to see in person. As long your gun shoots them well and they put meat in the freezer, your doing pretty well in my book. Good luck to everyone in the deer woods!

petemi · « **Reply #4 on:** November 17, 2008, 10:45:13 PM »

Quote from: slayer on November 10, 2008, 12:10:55 PM

My Sidekick love the T/C 470 gr maxi-hunter conical with 100 gr Goex FFG.

Jack

Mine loves the same diet. 470 gr. T/C Maxi-hunter except I use two 50 gr. Tripple Seven pellets. I save the Goex for my side hammers.

Jal5 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 18, 2008, 07:17:57 AM »

mine groups very well with two pellets=100gr. Pyrodex and 295 PowerBelts

slayer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 20, 2008, 01:36:19 PM »

Quote from: petemi on November 17, 2008, 10:45:13 PM

Quote from: slayer on November 10, 2008, 12:10:55 PM
My Sidekick love the T/C 470 gr maxi-hunter conical with 100 gr Goex FFG.

Jack

Mine loves the same diet. 470 gr. T/C Maxi-hunter except I use two 50 gr. Tripple Seven pellets. I save the Goex for my side hammers.

Have you been able to find anymore new ones? I can`t find new ones anywhere and I know the 470`s were discontinued some years ago

walmpus · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2008, 02:16:43 AM »

Just wondering what kind of groups you get with the 470 maxi's? I am gaining interest in these as well for the reason of thinking a 470 grain bullet is really going to hammer a deer (or whatever is in your sights). OH..........and what about recoil?

Walmpus

petemi · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2008, 12:10:31 PM »

Have you been able to find anymore new ones? I can`t find new ones anywhere and I know the 470`s were discontinued some years ago

[/quote]

No, I haven't found any more. Didn't know they were discontinued. I guess I'd better cherish the ones I've got. They did the same with the .32 Maxi, and that was a great bullet.

Busta · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2008, 01:33:58 PM »

Quote from: walmpus on November 09, 2008, 03:24:27 PM

Hey Guys,

Just wondering what type of bullets you guys like in your huntsman. I have tried every bullet/powder combo imaginable and for what ever reason my gun absolutely LOVES 100 grains of 777 (2 pellets) and a 245 grain aerotip (I can hear people cringing about that one). But my gun just loves this combo. I shot again today and I can shoot 5 shot groups with all shots touching and I can cover the shots with a quarter. And my gun shoots the same with this combo every day.....it never changes. My gun does not like sabots with loose powder or pellets. No consistancy what so ever in this dept. Just wondering what other combos you guys have luck with.

Walmpus

Just goes to show, every gun is an individual, the worst bullet I ever shot out of my Huntsman is the 245 grain PowerBelt. Mine likes everything except the 245 and 295 PB. Mine also does not reliably (100%) ignite 777 pellets either, so go figure. Shoots saboted bullets and full bore conicals equally well.

In saboted bullets, the 300 grain SST is on my very short list. Lots of other sabots from 200-300 grains also shoot very well.

If you don't want to shoot a saboted bullet, I would suggest a 460 grain No Excuses or 460 grain Bullshop, either sized to .503". These are outstanding bullets.

Some other bullets on my short list are the White Super Slug or Power Punch in the 430 to 440 grain also sizesd at .503" if you can find any.

Another outstanding bullet is the 350 grain Hornady FPB.

The groups with blackhorn 209 were shot with a custom 209 breech plug, the standard NEF breech plug is not reliable for shooting Blackhorn 209. Standard plug on left, custom plug on right.

usherj · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2008, 02:19:13 PM »

I'm using the Barnes 285g Spitfire with 90g of TS ffg and the 25acp plug. Just shot my first whitetail with it (24" ML bbl) on Tuesday. It was a 15 yard neck shot - a round ball would have worked in that case!

Dooger · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2008, 10:01:00 PM »

100 gr loose 777 and a 240 gr Honady XTP with MMP sabots.

Busta: Where did you get that custom plug? Is that a copy of the few Hubbards made a few months back? Has anyone come up with one since?

Busta · « **Reply #12 on:** November 22, 2008, 04:23:55 AM »

Quote from: Dooger on November 21, 2008, 10:01:00 PM

100 gr loose 777 and a 240 gr Honady XTP with MMP sabots.

Busta: Where did you get that custom plug? Is that a copy of the few Hubbards made a few months back? Has anyone come up with one since?

Dooger,

That is a Hubbard plug.

Canadian81 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2008, 05:14:35 PM »

My Huntsman like 110 grains 777 and 200 grain T/C shockwaves. I've shot 5 deer with this load from 5 yards to 70 yards, 4 have dropped in their tracks and 1 went 15 yards.

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #14 on:** November 26, 2008, 05:22:13 AM »

I'm with Busta on the 460 gr No excuses although I don't use the same powder as he my 24" SS huntsman shoots the same hole @50yrds with 80gr Shockeys Gold FFG definatly not a 100yrd load as it drops like a rock but it's sighted in at 3.5 high at that range and easily kills deer. Kurt

carbineman · « **Reply #15 on:** November 26, 2008, 08:12:41 AM »

I bought the 25ACP breechplug and use the Precision 200 grain 40 cal bullet with the sabot supplied by them. I'm not much of a muzzleloader man, but use my sidekick to extend my deer hunting season. Someday if I can pry my self away from my rifle shooting and hunting, I'll try to get my sidekick dialed in a little better.

I have the Sidekick 24" stainless w/7/8" 25ACP breechplug and Sightron 1x20mm scope. In WI. your smokepole can not use any more powerful scope than a zero or one power for the designated muzzleloader season.

ELMO · « **Reply #16 on:** November 27, 2008, 10:42:23 PM »

I tried the new FPB bullets by Hornady the other day and they were very accurate. I was only shooting out to 50 yards and a three shot group was right around an inch. The powder charge was 90gr of pyrodex RS. I don't really know if I'll keep on using these bullets because they were somewhat hard to get started down the barrel and 295gr powerbelt aerotips shot just as well and were a whole lot easier to load. I think they put too much flare on the FPB bullet and if you have an oversized bore I'm sure they would work just fine. I prefer the full sized type projectiles over sabots, its just that if you have a 50 caliber why shoot smaller bullets out of it like the 40 or 45 caliber sabots? Hey, good luck to everybody this hunting season.....

Busta · « **Reply #17 on:** November 28, 2008, 05:01:28 AM »

ELMO,

You can pre-swadge/rifle those FPB's real easy at home before going to the range or hunting. With your breech plug out of your "UNLOADED" rifle either drop them in the muzzle "TIP FIRST", they will alaign to the bore then just push them in far enough to swadge the flare down and rifling in them. Then just push them out fron the other end. You can do a whole pack in a minute or two, then when you actually want to shoot them, just alaign the rifling on the bulllets to your bore and they will load like a dream.

Try it, you may like it. You can pre-swadge/rifle from the breech or muzzle, either way works just fine. Once you do this, you can just use the standard rod for loading, but I had a couple custom jags for pointed bullets made to fit the standard ramrod. It does help to have a jag tip for pointed bullets when loading them without the pre-swadging/rifling.

ELMO · « **Reply #18 on:** December 04, 2008, 07:26:24 AM »

Busta, I tried the swaging idea and yes the bullets do load a lot better and I suppose I'll stick with them. Thanks for the information.....

cwlongshot · « **Reply #19 on:** December 07, 2008, 10:51:10 AM »

I haven't shot the Handi that much before today...

But my Knight LOVED the old Black Belt bullets, but HATES the Power belts!!! Go figure... It shoots the T/C Shok Waves very well. Past couple years I have been shooting Traditions T-Shok bullets in 250 and 300 Gr's. they are a sabot-ed bullet of 45cal, designed for muzzle loaders not hand guns. Expand very well with a pure lead tip yet seem to retain the majority of there weight to-boot.

My side hammers love the Maxis in Hunter and Ball designs in front of 90Gr's FFg.

Something I learned today.. My Handi will NOT SHOOT the 370gr Maxi Hunters AT ALL!! I couldn't hit a 18"X36" board from the bench at 25yards!!!

(Yes I can shoot, I carry a NRA master pistol classification.) I tried 16 times before getting a hit.....Then, the FIRST sabot-ed round when dead center.... same powder charge and distance.

CW

Jal5 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 08, 2008, 01:25:43 AM »

Shot a nice 10 pt. this weekend with my Sidekick during our slug/ml season. Used 295 gr. PowerBelts over 100gr. Pyrodex 2 pellets. Deer walked about 30 yds. max and went down. Not a big entry or exit wound but only around a 30-40 yd shot though. Plenty of blood trail.

Joe

Duckbill · « **Reply #21 on:** December 08, 2008, 05:47:34 AM »

Quote from: Jal5 on December 08, 2008, 01:25:43 AM

Shot a nice 10 pt. this weekend with my Sidekick during our slug/ml season. Used 295 gr. PowerBelts over 100gr. Pyrodex 2 pellets. Deer walked about 30 yds. max and went down. Not a big entry or exit wound but only around a 30-40 yd shot though. Plenty of blood trail.

Joe

Joe,
What primer system are you using to light those pellets off?

Congrats on the 10pt!

Jal5 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 08, 2008, 11:54:45 AM »

thanks Duck!

I use Remington Cleanbore 209 primers. Always worked well for me. I was a little apprehensive on Sat. though since I kept the load in the rifle, minus the primer/carrier since hunting on Monday and it was pretty wet on Monday. But no problems!
Joe