Muzzleloader - No exit wound/little blood

[ScottL]

I shot powerbelt bullets with 100gr of triple 7 pellets for several years and either they dropped right there or you had to get a tracking dog. I switched to the shockwave bullet and was very happy till the last 2 deer I killed with them. I shot about 10 all with pass throughs, but due to shot angles I recovered the last 2 from deer that didn't pass through and neither of the bullets expanded. I have pics of one ill try to find. So I changed to the hornady xtp 245 gr and so far so good, great expansion and nice blood trails.

 

[BuckTown]

I went from Powerbelts to T/C Shockwave sabots. Only had one buck with the Powerbelts that was a tough track and he was @ 15 yards (not ideal for expansion I’m guessing). Consistency at 100yds was my main issue with the Powerbelts. But the T/C Shockwave have done a great job, consistent and great blood trails, and a few drops without need to track.

 

[Marmuzz]

what grain powder and what weight bullet? aerotips?

Copper Aerotips and specialized-nosed Aerolites; both 245-250 gr. No appreciable difference in performance that I noticed on targets or deer. Powder plugs are IMR White Hots.

 

[ScottL]

Shock wave 245 or 250gr can't remember with 2 50gr 777 pellets. Shot was 30yrds.

 

[Lucky13]

I shoot heavier bullets and stay away from pellets.
The best combo I've found is Barnes 50 cal 290 grain T-EZ with 110 volumetric measurement of Blackhorn 209. The heavier bullets are hammers and if they do run they drop within sight but usually it's just lights out.
This pic is from a buck I shot on muzzle opener. It was a passthru and the exit hole was probably a tad smaller than a golfball. Obviously heart shots with any weapon they don't go far but there's some value to sending heavy bullets. Not all shots are heart shots but devastation they deliver is a show stopper pretty much where ever you hit them. Accuracy is excellent with those bullets too. I run iron sights and have killed everything I've pointed it at out to 115 yards. Where I hunt that's as long of shot as I'd take. Most are under 70 yards but as close as 15.
In my opinion. pellets seem to be more sensitive to moisture. Maybe I'm wrong but I stick to pouring propellant down my barrel, getting the exact amount my rifle likes shooting heavy lead, and had zero issues.

 

[Dope on a Rope]

We like the Barnes solid coppers, can’t imagine a shoulder stopping one.

Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ Muzzleloader Bullets 50 Cal Sabot 45 Cal 250

Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ Bullets are easier to load thanks to a new sabot. T-EZ bullets feature a flat base and are just as accurate as Barnes MZ bullets....

www.midwayusa.com

 

[Blacksmith]

60 grns of FFF and a .490 patched round ball w/.010 patch. Shoots through all the time.

 

[philsanchez76]

im glad you found him man! Every year there's tons of people that make great shots but Never find their deer with muzzleloaders. I switched to a smokeless muzzleloader for this reason. The areas I hunt are muzzleloader only so I cant use a rifle anyway. I can now shoot projectiles at rifle speeds. A lot less problems.

 

[CZMark]

I shoot traditional muzzle loaders with blackpowder and roundballs (mostly 54 cal.). Non-pass-throughs are the norm, along with poor blood trails. I commonly find a flattened roundball against the skin on the far side of the deer.

 

[BuffaloBill]

I’d dump the Powerbelts. I use Harvester bullets and sabots. Specifically the 300gr White Lightning. That with 110 grains of BH209 puts a thump on them. I’ve had holes touching at 100 yards.

Scorpion - White Lightning - 50 Caliber Sabots - 300 Grain .430 Bullets (12 Pack)

Scorpion White Lightning Polymer Tip Bullets are the same composition of our #1 selling Scorpion PT Gold Bullets. However, the White Lightning produces a higher ballistic coefficient and this provides advanced velocity and additional energy down range. This bullet is packaged with our patented...

harvestermuzzleloading.com

 

[kbetts]

I’m using loose powder.. measured with a scale. I’m hearing lots of bad things about the powerbelts.. maybe next season ill switch out..

Measured with a scale? Black powder is a volume measurement unless you move to smokeless.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[redsquirrel]

Measured with a scale? Black powder is a volume measurement unless you move to smokeless.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

That led to a fun google search for me:

Volume vs. Weight (Understanding Powder Loads for Muzzleloaders) - HuntingNet.com Forums

Black Powder Reference Forum - Volume vs. Weight (Understanding Powder Loads for Muzzleloaders) - VOLUME LOAD RECOMMENDATIONS When dealing with loose powder in muzzleloaders (as opposed to preformed pellets), gun manufacturers and powder manufacturers publish their load recommendations in terms...

www.huntingnet.com

 

[krub6b]

Boy I haven't been on huntingnet in a hot minute. That's a great read though, depending on how you fill your volumetric measure you can get some big variances in load weight leading to inconsistent accuracy. weighing your charges out is better, but you have to determine what weight you are looking for first.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Bigterp]

Measured with a scale? Black powder is a volume measurement unless you move to smokeless.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah it’s by volume for black powder, I measure by volume & then average the weights of 3 loads by weight then weigh in grains by weight for consistency. Complete overkill…..

 

[10essee]

I use the Barnes Xpander Mz with 95gr powder. Shoots great get exits 90% of time and they crush. Do not shoot where you plan to eat. . This is an entrance.

 

[jonkytron]

Measured with a scale? Black powder is a volume measurement unless you move to smokeless.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I measured by weight, and then poured it into my volume measure.. most often 100gr on the scale = 110 grains by volume give or take a little bit.. I just find it more precise on the scale and better groups.. got me hitting bullseyes very quickly doing it like this.. since it says 150 grains by volume is max.. I havent weighed it once at 100 grains and had it more than 115gr by volume... so I think its ok this way right?