I missed the anouncement~~ I think.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Being a long winter and having little to do and kind'a stuck indoors. I've been bumping around the web reading different Smoke Pole sites. One trivial item I noticed from site to site. So many fellows shooting Traditional style weapons leave me with the idea they feel it's necessary (for them) {and suggesting to others} too hunt with sabot & pistol bullets~ REAL~ or maxi projectiles weighing from 200 up over 500 grains in weight" <-Really!!~~~ Primarily said to do with 50 cal barrels more often than any other traditional weapons caliber. _So on more than one occasion I was left with the thought "the heavier the projectile the better." But,_" I must have missed that announcement."_ Because I haven't been doing the same.
I know its personal choice and it's always good to help a fellow brethren out. But is it speculation or fact._ I can't prove differently. All I have is a puny little 45 cal. using a tinny patched ball and somehow managed to harvest deer out to 100 yards with every now and then. I guess those times must have been> "Luck of the Irish"__ So~oo

What are your thoughts on heavy weight sabot and other un-patched projectiles being used in Traditional style 1-48 twist rifles to harvest deer size animals? (advantages or just personal preference or both)

Do you have any sweet experiences or disappointing tragedies to share concerning the subject?

All comments always welcomed.

 

[BerdanSS]

Well, I used to think it was a good idea to go out after ol mossy horns with my little bobcat.....loaded with a 280gr FTP, over 85gr of 777
The reaction was like hitting a raccoon, with HEAT round out of an Abrams main gun.

I've since learned better and now tote my mountain-man-afied Renegade....Sling'n a .490 patched roundball over 70-75 grains of the Holy Black

 

[Hawg]

I used to use a maxi ball with 100 grains of powder in a .50 Investarms Hawken. Harvested a good many deer with it in 30 some odd years. Then I rebarreled it to .54 but didn't keep it long before I traded it in on a custom .54 Hawken with a 1:66 twist. I have taken one deer with it at 65 yards with a .530 round ball and 90 grains of powder. I have a .58 Enfield that I use a 510 grain minie with 70 grains of powder. I have never had a shot at a deer with it but its deadly on five gallon buckets out to 300 yards. MY paper cutter Sharp's uses a 490 grain conical with 80 grains of powder. I tried sabots when they first came out but all they did was tumble. Now all I use are traditional style bullets and round balls.

 

[Old Stony]

I've shot deer with mini's and maxi's and actually have not seen much difference in performance....except for one time. I shot one quartering shot into a chest as it was the only shot I had at under 50 yards. I was using a 50 RB and thought it would surely penetrate into the vitals from that distance. The ball entered between the front leg and center of the chest right where I aimed it, and exited just behind the rib cage on the same side of the deer! Sometimes those RB's can do some strange stuff. That deer took some tracking but I found it finally. I think possibly a good maxi might have not deflected quite so far inside the body?
A 45 Lee Real bullet cast very soft has worked well for me in the past and I think I would consider it a better alternative to the RB as a rule. Using a .62 RB has worked well for me as well.

 

[4V50 Gary]

The most modern I'll go is a minie ball.

I've no interest in using a gun that need sabots. Keep it simple for a simple person like myself.

 

[Pahoo]

To each, his own

I personally have no need or desire to use Sabots or sabot types in any of my SideLocks. I guess the main reason is that it is not in "keeping-in-the-spirit". Instead, I shoot PRB's off the bench and in my hunters, I have shot a variety of conicals of which, I am down to one, very effective choice. ....

I do use, pistol hard-cast sabotted bullets in my one remaining MML's. ...

I might add that one of my most lethal Shot-Strings, is with a .45. ...

Your Call and;
Be Safe !!!

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Yes time to turn a leaf or two.

I just don't understand. The rifles are out there. But many are shooting projectiles more so than patched ball when hunting with their Traditional since inlines made their showing. What can a projectile do that a patched ball can't do. {funny thing patched ball is usually faster. And as known (speed) increases energy ft lbs. upon impact.} I'm starting to think Traditional shooters think they are at a disadvantage compared to inline shooters shooting sabot and other sophisticated and stylish skirted projectiles. Is it true heavier is always better. As I believe for unintentional wounding maybe heavier it better. Stands to reason a heavier chunk of soft lead makes larger entrance and exit wounds. The more blood flowing the easier to track. But a well placed shot by either projectile or ball there is no difference. I don't think. Dead is dead brown is down. Maybe those Traditional rifle totters shooting projectiles as a need in their way of thinking. Perhaps more range practice to restore their confidence in the Triditional ways (patched ball) verses their current thinking is called for. ~~~HELLO!!~~~ JMHO.

 

[Hawg]

IMO a PRB out of a round ball twist is more accurate than a PRB or conical out of a 1:48 twist. It is also my opinion that a PRB is more accurate than a conical out of a 1:48 twist but is harder to work up an accurate load.

 

[rodwhaincamo]

When I first became interested in hunting with a side lock I then began looking at calibers and what was available/popular, and it seemed .50 had so much more to offer.

I then began looking at RB's and found their approximate BC value, and an average muzzle velocity using a moderate powder charge, and after putting that into the ballistics calculator, couldn't understand how you could kill much with it beyond maybe 50 yds.

So I began looking at conicals and sabots until I found a traditional forum where MANY spoke of a .50 cal PRB being quite good out to 125 yds or even more if you were really good. I began asking a BUNCH of questions and kept finding that the balls, despite their lack of much sectional density, still often penetrated completely though deer even way out there.

I've since dropped the notion of needing anything with a fair amount of sectional density or high BC value, though I have been considering a side lock that would carry a Malcolm style scope for hunting fields with, and using a conical then as it's the wind drift I fear most, and shooting beyond 100 yds with a breeze can still really push a ball.

Another thing I considered at the time was the possibility of hunting something bigger than a whitetail, and figured it would be in an instance such as that that I'd choose a conical.

I bought a few cast 320 grn REALs to try out after I find my hunting load for PRB's to see if a mold is in my future.

I've also wondered at using my cast ROA 195 or 285 WFN bullets in sabots for that scoped rifle, but I'm thinking I'd likely need to resize them for the .45 cal pistol sabots as these ought to drop at .456", and I'm not sure the .458" sabots will work well.

 

[Hawg]

I used a .50 for years but once I moved up to a .54 I won't ever use a .50 to hunt with again.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

The only difference I noticed when shooting my T/C 54 with maxi verses p/ball with a equal charge of Gorex 2-FF under both years ago. Was their felt recoil. Ball wasn't to too bad. But that maxi sure had some felt recoil. Reminded me of shooting my fathers old Wards 10-Star 12 gauge single shot. With 1-1/4 oz Remington slugs.