195g P.B.+100g pellets= did not work so well

[dcnewyork]

I started using 150g pellets and a 245g hornady in a sabot. Accuracy was decent but they did not go down the barrel well at all. Picked up some 275g powerbelts 150g they were OK in accuracy but the gun was very hard to shoot, hit me in the eye with the scope a few times, and it got expensive to practice. Accuracy with 100 grains was miserable! Got a great deal on 2 packs of 195g powerbelts, accuracy was poor with 150g, but was superb with 100g. I was shoooting about 2 inches at 100 yards and i could hit a 6 inch circle at 250 yards, with virtualy no drop. I thought this would be a good combo since I was hunting from a tree stand and would never have to shoot over 25 yards. WELLLLLLL I saw a deer standing across and knew it was far, but i am a pretty good shot and I had a good rest. Aimed about 6 inches above the the boiler room, I saw her jump and do a little spin at the hit. There was some blood where she laid down but she went running all nite, I found her this morning after the coyotes did, about 2 miles from where I shot her. The bullet went in and just clipped the back of the sholderblade, and fragmented into many little pieces. No exit wound and the fragments went up, so all the blood I found was just coughing. Turns out that the shot was about 180 yards, which I now realize may have been a little farther than i thought. I am sure that if I had Manned-up and shot the 275g with 150g  i would have probably gotten a clean passthrough, either droping her on the spot or shortly after. I am a little sad that it happened that way, I guess i learned my lesson.

[AndyHass]

I must respectfully question the comment "virtually no drop" between 100 and 250 yards.  I shoot a more aerodynamic bullet (200gr Shockwave) over more powder (110gr 777), so my load shoots flatter than yours, and there is most assuredly drop between 100 and 250 yds.  Even with this load, there is about 8 inches of drop between 100 and 250 yards.  
    If I was to eyeball a deer and elevate for 250 yards, and the deer was 300 yards, I'd shoot under as there is about 20 inches more drop in that 50 yards!
    A 195gr powerbelt is not only of slightly lighter weight than my bullet, but also much less ballistic coefficient, so it will drop a lot faster (and lose energy).  It does not surprise me that at 180 yards it failed to perform well, as it was probably very low on energy.
   If you want to shoot at deer that far, I strongly suggest you invest in a laser rangefinder.  That takes the guesswork out of range estimation and goes a long way to prevent bad shots.
   As for "manning up" to the bigger bullet and more powder, it won't help much if it makes you flinch on the shot.  150gr also doesn't gain you all that much velocity over 100gr.  I'd suggest going with a Dead Center of Shockwave for longer shooting...I've tested them and they perform well at longer ranges.  And only doing so with a laser rangefinder and LOTS of practice.  You should have the drop at all possible ranges either memorized or recorded on a note taped to your stock.

[iisabigone]

Excellent advise Andy! Im sold on the rangefinder and yardage cheat sheet taped to the scope technique after using it a couple years.  However, I sitll wont shoot out past 175yards.  To much can happen and the thickets around here are too tough for an old fat guy like me to crawl through anymore.

                                                                  iisabigone

[NimrodRx]

Amen Andy.  

IMHO, adding more weight to the PB would have been of no advantage.  It wasn't the bullet's "light" weight that caused it to fragment before penetrating, it was the construction.  

If your state allows you to shoot a saboted bullet, start expiramenting with some lead sabots or the Barnes sabots.  Much better BC, expansion, and wt retention.

[Redhawk1]

Very well said Andy. I could not find anything you missed.  

[Deer Dave]

Good info Andy!

[dcnewyork]

when i said virtulay no drop, i was useing a 12 guage shotgun as a benchmark. my 12 is sighted in at about 100 yards, by 125 its droped a fair amount, 150 its droped a good amount, and by 200  its droped a great amount. with the muzzleloader i was shooting at 100, and 125, 150. it droped a little, 225 it was a little more. and at 250 it was only about 10 inches or so. Since i would never shoot over 200 yards i considered this to be fairly flat shooting and at the ranges i was planning to shoot it was fine. when i "estimated'' the range to the deer i guessed about 160 yards, it was actulay 180. i have marks set up around my stand, but since i was not ever planning to shoot a deer in teh next field i had never taken any range information in the direction i did end up shooting i aimed 6 inches above its vital area, in order to compensate for my "virtulay no" drop.  i would love to use sabots, but i can not get them down my barrel when it gets cold, i live in upstate newyork and sometimes i hunt in snow and ice, it gets well below zero, and the sabots just do not load. i need to find some way tyo get them in the barrel. i may even try some maxi balls or conicals.

[AndyHass]

Try contacting MMP about sabots.  They have sabots made specifically for under-sized bores (50 cal barrels vary quite significantly in how they define "50 cal").  I used to have the info on which sabots were which but I don't have it on this computer.  If someone digs it up, it come up often enough that Redhawk might want to put it in a sticky.
  Can anyone help him out??

[dcnewyork]

I have never had a problem with flinching, I was just sick and tired of getting smashed in the face with my scope. I just took an old scope I had laying around  ( bushnell 3.5-10x45) I know its kind of large, but it has more eye relief that the old weaver  k-4 I had on it, and it acutualy has less power when set on 3.5x. Well to my joy I can shoot 150g and not get hit in the face with the scope now! by the way I am useing a .45 cal,hence the 195g and 275g P.B.'s if I was buying a new gun I would have gotten a .50. the only reason I got a .45 was the fact that i already have a few 50.cal side hammers, and I only paid 60 bucks for the CVA hunterbolt, and it had only been shot about 5 times.

[sabotmaker]

[sabotmaker]

I have never had a problem with flinching, I was just sick and tired of getting smashed in the face with my scope. I just took an old scope I had laying around  ( bushnell 3.5-10x45) I know its kind of large, but it has more eye relief that the old weaver  k-4 I had on it, and it acutualy has less power when set on 3.5x. Well to my joy I can shoot 150g and not get hit in the face with the scope now! by the way I am useing a .45 cal,hence the 195g and 275g P.B.'s if I was buying a new gun I would have gotten a .50. the only reason I got a .45 was the fact that i already have a few 50.cal side hammers, and I only paid 60 bucks for the CVA hunterbolt, and it had only been shot about 5 times.

You're using 150 grains in a 45 caliber CVA Hunterbolt???  Check your owners manual. If I am not mistaken this load is way beyond manufacturer recommendations.

[Myerslake2005]

Shot a doe in the shoulder at about 80 yards with a 348 grain aerotip from my .54 cal.  that bullet fragmented and gave me two entrance wounds.  Like it was said before it's the construction of the bullet not the size.

[dcnewyork]

lol.....ok......i have actualy read my owners manual, I am sorry but you are quite mistaken. 150g of pellets. is maximum charge. I should not have wasted my time responding to that remark, but I was laughing my hinnie off. If someone does something dangerous, I hope that someone comments. If someone goes and comments on something they have NOOOO idea about, half-cocked and uppity, that is just silly. I am not laughing with you, only at you. No offence ment, and none taken!

[jeff223]

dcnewyork i understand what you are talking about but you must come to gripps!!just sort through the BS and leave it at that.i dont post here much at all anymore but i do stop by here for a good laugh once in awhile.i get a kick out of the posts from a few that hang here.

you better change to a better bullet and just shoot up those powerbelts at the range.

[Redhawk1]

dcnewyork i understand what you are talking about but you must come to gripps!!just sort through the BS and leave it at that.i dont post here much at all anymore but i do stop by here for a good laugh once in awhile.i get a kick out of the posts from a few that hang here.

you better change to a better bullet and just shoot up those powerbelts at the range.

Glad we could amuse you.  

[Redhawk1]

dcnewyork i understand what you are talking about but you must come to gripps!!just sort through the BS and leave it at that.i dont post here much at all anymore but i do stop by here for a good laugh once in awhile.i get a kick out of the posts from a few that hang here.

you better change to a better bullet and just shoot up those powerbelts at the range.

Glad we could amuse you.  

[sabotmaker]

lol.....ok......i have actualy read my owners manual, I am sorry but you are quite mistaken. 150g of pellets. is maximum charge. I should not have wasted my time responding to that remark, but I was laughing my hinnie off. If someone does something dangerous, I hope that someone comments. If someone goes and comments on something they have NOOOO idea about, half-cocked and uppity, that is just silly. I am not laughing with you, only at you. No offence ment, and none taken!

I certainly did not intend to offend you in suggesting you check your owners manual. I was apparently mistaken about maximum loads for your rifle...not a first for me and no doubt not the last.