Conicals or powerbelts?

[bigcountry]

First off, I hate powerbelts. I hated them in my inlines. But recently have been having trouble getting my TC hawken 1 in 48 twist shooting maxihunters. I just got some 320 maxiballs and will try them. Would 370 be more appropiate?

Some suggested powerbelts. Kinda sounded wierd to me. Anyone have luck with my twist and what wieght did you try?

 

[brubincam]

-----round balls----- :shake:

 

[Catamount]

Maxi-balls have a bad name locally for whitetails. Like stabbing them with a pencil. Unless you hit bone they just blow on through with minimal destruction. I have used the 350 gr Maxi-Hunters and they are a good bullet.

But, like Brubicam said, I've been using nothing but round balls for the past few years. They kill good enough for as far as I can see to use iron sights.

Just got sick of all the marketing hype. Muzzleloaders are supposed to be primative, after all.

 

[bigcountry]

I agree, but conicals are just about as primative as roundballs are concerned.

Just thought it was strange someone shooting powerbelts in a 1 in 48 twist.

 

[Slamfire]

Why not try a shorter conical. Something in the 250 grain range might work in your 48" twist, and for whitetails, be plenty effective.

 

[BS]

And don't forget to try a wad under your bullet!

 

[bigcountry]

Thanks guys, I just got a order of wads in and plan on some serious roundball/conical tests this weekend. Looking for a good ligher conical. I think buffalo ball makes one.

 

[Bob J]

My TC .50 with 1:48 barrel is a tackdriver with 90 grains 2f Goex and 370 grain maxi-ball. Shoot for the shoulder rather than behind it with maxi-ball.

 

[marwat06]

I had great results with Hornady's Great Plains Conicals. 240 grains. On the box it states it is for 1/66 Twist; however, 80grs of Prodex in a Bobcat with 1:48 twist ... 1 inch groups at 50 yards. I have not use it for hunting so I don't know what it will do on a Deer.

 

[tg]

"
I agree, but conicals are just about as primative as roundballs are concerned"

All conicals are not equal those of today are no more like the ones of the past than a knight inline is like an original Kentucky rifle.

 

[Runner]

If you are not comfortable with a roundball load, try the Hornady 385 Great Plains. It will do the job very well and should be pretty accurate in your gun. On the maxiball issue. A 50 caliber maxiball thru the lungs does not need to expand any at all. Dead deer. Like a roundball, they do require that you do your part and hit the target. The roundball is just as effective if you put it in the boiler room.

 

[roundball]

FWIW, as others have suggested, the 180grn .50cal ball is hard to beat...my 1:48's are very accurate with round balls and I've settled on this load:

90grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke wonderwad
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady .490/180grn ball

Have taken a number of deer with it...some dropping where they stood or sprinting 25-35yds and piling up.

 

[bigcountry]

You know I have only taken a few deer with roundball, and thats been years ago, but didn't get a passthru very much. And bloodtrail was not what I would have liked. So I switched to maxihunters and got pretty good passthrus, lots of blood and nice exit wound but groups sucked at 50 yards. I am getting like 4-5" groups at 50 yards with 90gr of goex ffg. So the gun hasn't been used in many years and figured why not. Almost all my deer are under 50 yards in a few places where I hunt.

 

[bigcountry]

I heard maxiballs are fairly hard and don't expand well, but penetrate much better than hunters. Any truth to that?

 

[Bob J]

The Maxi-Hunters are designed to expand more rapidly and the Maxi-Ball is designed for superior penetration. As Runner stated, a half-inch wide conical doesn't need to expand much to be lethal. Personally, I'd opt for a shoulder shot with the Maxi-Ball. Had a buck drop in its tracks at about 75 yards hit with a .54 Maxi-Ball propelled by 90 grains 2f (same load I used in .50).

 

[big bore 75]

I have used them all, and only use power belts in my t/c hawkin with a lrh barrel they are accurate and hard hitting, I have tried the maxi hunters and maxi ball, hornady ,t/c wonder bullets and stuff with them sabots, power belts were the best, but as of resently began playing with prb out of the lrh and have real cool results, most of my others smoothies, and long rifles only shoot round balls , my .45 southern mountain likes lee R.E.A.L. 200 grain bullet and has a bit more recoil with 80 grains of 3fg goex, and bore butter lube great accuracy out to 75 yards and a good rest. have fun experamnting and find that load. bb75

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

I use round balls in some of my T/C guns and Maxi's in the others. I tried T/C cheap shot sabots in my 50 cal. Ren. and it shoots great and it is all lead bullet.
Good luck.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Bigcountry, I find 48 twist rifles like lighter conicals just going from the 370g to the 320g makes a big difference. Infact as twist goes up the lenght of the bullet goes down.

A 1 in 20 twist will shoot real heavy conicals better than a 1 in 48.

In my 48 twist rifles conicals between 270 and 320 stablize well and give me good accuracy. As far as results on deer I have no clue. I don't get to hunt very much and only hunt public land when I do so I actually havn't even had a shot yet this year or last year for that matter.

Looking at how those bullets destroy my target frames I bet deer will fall quite good with them.

 

[blaster4]

I have a T/C .50 Hawken and i have used 90 grains of GOEX 2F and a 295 grain copper jacket HP Powerbelt(they were made by Big Bore Express back then) which shot regular 1" CTC 3 shot groups at 50 yards. I only changed to a hand cast roundball because I wanted to work up another load. For that I use a .495 pure lead cast RB with a .015 T/C lubed patch, a wad of hornet nestfor an over-powder wad and 80gr of GOEX 2F. your mileage may vary. For the record I have killed deer with both loads and each produced impressive results(ie dropped within 30 yards)

--Drake

 

[Landngroove]

I have always found a PRB to be more accurate, and more consistant than either a Maxi-Ball, or Maxi Hunter, in my percussion sidelocks, with 1 in 48" twist. T/C Hawken, Renegade, White Mountain Carbine (.54), High Plains Sporter, Lyman Deerstalker. I find that a T/C Pillow Ticking .018" patch, with either a .490 (.50), or .530 (.54) round ball, gives more consistant accuracy, than Maxi's.