best bullets for 50 Bobcat?

[foxy]

Hi all,

I'm still alive and kicking, but I'm tired of shooting 270 gr. Buffalo Ball-etts. I have no experience with saboted bullets and ask if cheapshots will work well in my 48 twist rifle. I'm shooting 777 ffg and will stick with it until something better comes along.

If sabots are NG in this rifle, what would be the best alternative to ball-etts?
350gr Maxi Hunters?
320gr Maxi Ball?
295gr lead Power Belt?
???

I'm primarily interested in Florida whitetail/hog hunting and won't take a shot over 70 Yds or so.

 

[musketman]

For the Florida whitetails, I would only use a patched round ball, for hog's (and large gattors that are after you when you when you are gutting the deer) I would use the maxiball...

White Muzzleloading makes .50 caliber bullets as well...

.504- AVAILABLE IN 400, 440, 460, 480 AND 600 GRAIN SIZES. ALL .504 BULLETS ARE CAST AT .505, SIZED TO .5035 AND LUBED WITH WHITE'S BLUE POWERLUBE. AVAILABLE IN 50'S OR 20'S
A pair of PowerPunch 504/600 (503 caliber bullets weighing 600 grains) for use in all White 504 caliber rifles.

http://www.whitemuzzleloading.com

 

[foxy]

Many thanks MusketMan. 400 is a bit over what I was considering shooting but as long as the rifle and my shoulder hold together I recon that a few xtra grains won't hurt too much.

 

[musketman]

In our links section under suppliers there are many companies that sell .50 caliber bullets...

October Country offers Buckskin Bullets

.50 Bullets are lead 350 grain hollow points...

http://www.octobercountry.com/products3.php?productid=615

 

Foxy

You really don't want to shoot a 400 grain bullet in a $59 gun. Stop & think about that should you be loading 100 grains of powder. As a matter of fact, that's the maximum allowed by CVA.... even for their $350 guns.

If you want another option for a good bullet, take a look at these below. Mark will give you options on size, diameter, design, base and either small or large-holed hollowpoints. Prices are reasonable too... usually 50 for $19-$20 delivered. More & more ML/BP shooters are buying his bullets... even bragging about them on forums across America.

Click Here For Hunterman Boolets

 

[musketman]

Great link Triple Se7en, I added it to our suppliers link section...

 

In the .50, the best killing power for deer will probably come from a REAL bullet & the lightest for the calibre, at that. A BALL+Et if accurate would probably be the best for 48" twist. Personally, I'd re-barrel to 60" or slower twist and use RB for everything.
; That said, the shortest FLAT nosed bullet should be used.
; Your 48" twist won't stabilize a 400gr. bullet & the rifle may let you done with any slug due to increased pressures from hunting-type loads.

 

[foxy]

Thanks 777,

I just sent an email out regarding your recommendation. I went to the web site but saw only 45 Cal. bullets. Your warnings regarding 400 gr. bullets makes good sense, especially since I only use hot 777 and generate more pressure than BP. I use 80 Gr. of 777 FFg with the ball-etts. I recall that CVA warned not to use over 400 Gr. bullets, so I will limit my maximum to 350 Gr. bullets in the interest of keeping my head on my shoulders :winking:.

 

[foxy]

Hi Daryl,

Thanks for your input. I am definately not going anywhere near a 400 Gr. bullet. I'm checking around now and will try anything up to 350 Gr. I'm not considering PRB's because of the hogs. I just don't think that they have enough energy to be dependable on a big fat one. Could be I'll just stick with my Ball-Etts.

 

[jtmattison]

Best bullet out of my Bobcat is a 370 grain Maxi-ball.

Huntin

 

[foxy]

Hi Huntin,

What load are you using behind the maxi ball?

 

Foxy

Send Mark an email at
[email protected]
Let him know what bullet(s) you like & what kind of rifle you have. I'm almost sure he makes conical bullets for 50 & 54 caliber. I never realized his website caters only to the 40 & 45. Mention that to him also... he may update it sooner.

 

[foxy]

777
I sent him an email earlier today giving him details.

 

[sabotloader]

If you want to shoot saboted bullets from you BC, I beleive you can. I have 1/48 twists in a Renegade, a Lyman Trade Rifle, and a CVA Hawken. They all shoot saboted 45 bullets with great accuracy and velocity. The biggest problem you might incurr is which sabot will fit down... My first Bobcat was really tight and I didn't know enough about sabots to know different manufactures different sabots!!!

If you are interested let me know and give you some additional information.... I am hooked on a copper clad bullet for the extra damage and cutting the copper does as it passes through the animal (been hunting with centerfires for to long, now all they do [the centerfires] is collect dust)

"keep shooting muzzleloaders - it is a blast"

 

[cayugad]

In my CVA Mountain Stalker which is the same thing as a Bobcat, I found they are great roundball shooters. All too often people underestimate the roundball. I have shot some R.E.A.L. conicals but I found you really have to cut the powder charge down when shooting the conicals. They do a lot of damage when they hit anything.

Get yourself some .490 Hornady roundball and some wonderwads. Then try 75 grains of your Triple Se7en a wonder wad and a patched round ball. I think you would be surprised at how accurate they rifle and ball will be. It would take any deer out at under 100 yards. I took three of them last year using the Mountain Stalker and round ball although the furthest deer was 60 yards.

For some very reasonable R.E.A.L. conicals and round ball for the rifle you can try Bill and Judy at;

Black Jacks

 

[jtmattison]

80-90 grains of Pyrodex RS is what I use in my Bobcat.

Huntin

 

[foxy]

Hi Huntin,

Maxi-ball looks interesting. I'll try them out starting with 70 Gr. of 777 and see what happens. Maybe in a week or 2. Thanks for the info.

 

[foxy]

Hi Sabotshooter,

Thanks for your info. I was considering trying TC 240 Gr. Mag Express for hunting and 240 Gr. Cheap shot for range shooting.

Anybody know if they will stuff down the barrel of my Bobcat with me having to resort to a pile driver?

 

[foxy]

Hi Cayugad,

IMO roundball is a little too light for big fat hogs. If I was only interested in deer I would most likely go the PRB route. I'll look into R.E.A.L. conicals. Do you have a web address for Blackjacks?

 

[sabotloader]

I can not really tell you if they will go down or not, but I can tell you the TC Mag Express sabot is thinner than the sabot that comes with the Hornady SST. If any thing I would believe the TC will go down. I guess you wan't know until you try....