Author Topic: Getting an Omega to group, bullet base wads, Pyrodex, etc. (Read 696 times)

Charles/NM · « **on:** August 25, 2003, 02:17:57 PM »

Met a friend at our municiple shooting range at the crack of dawn to help a hunting buddy get his new 50 caliber Omega to group. With T/C Magnum black sabots and 44 caliber bullets he was getting 1 FOOT groups with occasional keyholing. Another friend has done an exhaustive amount of testing to find what his Savage ML and MLII like in the way of powder and sabots. His 777 powder wound up being used to make his wife's flowers grow pretty and his sabots of choice turned out to be MMP's. He's been trying to get me to try sabots in my side lock T/C and gave me a bag of MMP's and .452" diameter 45 Colt bullets.
Shot a couple MMP sabots and 45 Colt bullets in the Omega and groups went from one foot to one inch! Recovered MMP sabots had the correct 90 degree turned out petals or what I call the "helicopter" look. T/C Magnums had one or two petals broken off and the remaining ones were still straight. No wonder the bullets were going everywhere. Only 80 grains of Pyrodex pallets were used. That may not be enough power to make the T/C sabots perform. They may work better with 100 to 150 grains of pellets.
As for Pyrodex - I opened a new can of RS and found grey fine FFFg grainulation powder. Has there been a change or did I get a can pistol powder mislabled as RS? Shoots the same as my last can of RS. My T/C Hawken shoots consistent 3/4" clover leaf groups with 80 or 90 grains of powder and 370 grain Maxiball bullets at 50 yards.
I recovered a Maxiball bullet from 77 meters that I shot with my yellow Bore Butter soaked .500" leather base wad and found no gas cutting from 90 grains of Pyro RS. Bullet base looked burnished and smooth. Seems to be the right medicine for my particular T/C Hawken. I have seen some small amount of gas cutting with unprotected bullets bases in the past.
Charles/NM

Omega · « **Reply #1 on:** August 26, 2003, 06:53:07 AM »

Black TC or Hornady 50 cal sabots are ment for 45 cal (452) bullets not the 44. Would explain the big groups, actually I'm impressed with the accuracy!
Rich

Charles/NM · « **Reply #2 on:** August 26, 2003, 11:05:01 AM »

That would certainly explain it. The larger bullets in the MMP sabots were markedly harder to load.

daddywpb · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2003, 07:24:56 AM »

I have an Omega also, and I've tried every kind of sabot and bullet combo I could find. My advise is to take all the sabots, throw them out and get some Powerbelts. They shoot great, are easy to load, you won't need to clean after every shot, and you won't have to scrub that awful plastic fouling out of the barrel. Enjoy your Omega!

Omega · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2003, 08:23:31 AM »

These sabots work very well for me. http://www.theoutdoorquest.com/images/Target1.jpg Rich

RandyWakeman · « **Reply #5 on:** August 31, 2003, 11:53:55 AM »

Quote from: daddywpb

I have an Omega also, and I've tried every kind of sabot and bullet combo I could find. My advise is to take all the sabots, throw them out and get some Powerbelts.

Bingo - - - two Pyrodex pellets, a 295 gr. Powerbelt, and away you go. That was my experience.