Any Experiences with Maxi-Hunters??

[bowbender68]

As a newbe to muzzleloading, I wanted to get some feedback on TC's 350 gr. Maxi-Hunter conicals. I live and hunt in the hill country of southeren Ohio, and will be hunting whitetails this fall with my TC Hawken .50 cal; I can't wait!! Shots are typically about 50 yards give or take. I have heard that conicals tend to "pass through" without expanding much at short ranges, but know the Maxi-Hunter was designed with deer sized game in mind. Any thoughts? Would I be better to just stick with round balls? Thanks for any input!

Jeff

 

[bob1961]

i used T/C's cheap shot sabots in my T/C hawken .50 and they left a 2" hole in and out on the one deer i shot with them....i never used the maxi's so i dont know but don't count the cheap shots out....they come in a box of 20 or 30 fer bout 10.00 when i bought them................bob

 

[roundball]

As a newbe to muzzleloading, I wanted to get some feedback on TC's 350 gr. Maxi-Hunter conicals. I live and hunt in the hill country of southeren Ohio, and will be hunting whitetails this fall with my TC Hawken .50 cal; I can't wait!! Shots are typically about 50 yards give or take. I have heard that conicals tend to "pass through" without expanding much at short ranges, but know the Maxi-Hunter was designed with deer sized game in mind. Any thoughts? Would I be better to just stick with round balls? Thanks for any input!

Jeff

I haven't used the .50cal...but have taken several deer with the .45cal/255grn maxi-hunters...they are tack drivers in TC's 1:48" barrels and devastating on deer...assuming the .50cals are accurate they would be as well

 

[arcticap]

I once recovered a 20 guage shotgun sabot slug (Winchester/BRI) from the far side of a large deer that was hit with a quartering frontal shot at the close range of about 20 yards. The conical within the sabot started out as a .40 caliber hourglass shaped lead flatpoint bullet. What I recovered under the far skin was .64 caliber. (It's a prized possession too!) The velocity of that shotgun slug isn't much different than a 100 grain charge of Pyrodex and a Maxihunter. That should clearly illustrate that expansion happens! You may also increase the expansion with a TC kit that serves the purpose of hollow pointing, etc...with the various tips supplied.
While you can also use the kit to alter a ball, I don't believe that a 177 grain ball has quite the amount of weight and momentum required to penetrate diagonally through the body of a large deer as a Maxi or as my slug did.:blue:

 

[cayugad]

This would be over 10 years ago on my property, I shot a doe at about 35 steps with a Maxi Hunter. I think I had 80 grains of Pyrodex RS under it. She walked out and just from her manner, you guys know what I mean, she was not calm but not spooky yet. She's lean her head down then snap it up fast. I think she was trying to make me move.

Anyway she finally calmed down and I got the .50 Hawkins up on her. I was going to use the set trigger but when I pulled, there was the deer and the sights were right behind her front shoulder about 3/4 way up. I touched the rifle off, and that deer jumped 10 feet straight forward. And that was all the further she jumped.

After I got her skinned the next day I threw away almost all of the exit side front shoulder where that maxi had hit and blown out. That was too much hole for me. After that I started shooting 320 grain R.E.A.L. conicals. They shoot real good but do not seem to flatten out like the maxi hunter does. I had good luck with Maxi Ball too.

They will for sure knock a deer flat if you hit a good spot.

 

[Tahquamenon]

Up to you. At your range out to 100 yards, a PRB with a hunting load will certainly kill deer.

I've likely killed at least 20 deer with the T/C Maxi. They are very effective and deliver a huge punch especially down range at about 100 yards or so. They retain much more lethal energy down range over a PRB. Give them a try and see how they print.

Then shoot two deer, one with the Maxi and one with a PRB and see which you like best.

:thumbsup:

:m2c:

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

As a newbe to muzzleloading, I wanted to get some feedback on TC's 350 gr. Maxi-Hunter conicals. I live and hunt in the hill country of southeren Ohio, and will be hunting whitetails this fall with my TC Hawken .50 cal; I can't wait!! Shots are typically about 50 yards give or take. I have heard that conicals tend to "pass through" without expanding much at short ranges, but know the Maxi-Hunter was designed with deer sized game in mind. Any thoughts? Would I be better to just stick with round balls? Thanks for any input!

Jeff

I had opportunity to pick up an OLD (yet still unused in the orignial box) set of mould blocks for that particular bullet. The bullet weighs almost exactly twice what a .50cal round ball weighs. It has a little dimple of a hollow nose as well. I have not had the chance to take a deer with one of these yet, but I would definitely choose this over the round ball providing that it will shoot accurately enough for your intentions. If you could put them all into a 6-8 inch circle offhand at 50yds, then that should suffice.

As far as penetration goes, yes, it should still penetrate better than the round ball. That hollow point is rather small--not a big deal, BUT most people do NOT cast conicals with the softest lead possible. (I am guilty of that as well, as I am wanting more penetration when I switch from round ball to conical anyways) I think that is where many get into trouble--the lead used is too hard; AND that they are only happy when pushing these at maximum velocities.

If you only get 1200fps from them and use the softest lead you can... I believe that you'll find that at 50yds, that you've got the equivalent energy of a round ball at higher muzzle velocity. Soft lead makes those big ol' slow moving conicals in the .58 caliber guns that were used by the Blue and the Grey against each other. Granted, you don't have a .58 cal (which would work even better), but unless you're tradition bound (or legally restricted) to use a roundball... give them a workout on the target range and also on some test medai.

I like to use a box of wet newspapers that are very tightly packed to see what my bullets do. If the box is wide enough you "may" be able to fire a conical beside a round ball and see the difference, but I think you might need a box for each. Make them at least 18" thick and about 14"x16" on the side you will shoot at. Try the test at 50yds if you can also. Keep conditions (range) as close to 50yds as possible to get more truthful results.

Shoot Safely!
WV_Hillbilly

PS Whichever of us gets a deer first with this conical-- make sure we let the other know how it worked, OKAY?

 

[Dale D]

At that range a PRB will do just fine as long as you do your part.If you expected longer ranges a conical would be better, but for 50- or under a conical is overkill. :imo: DALE