Heavy Bullets For .50 x 48"

[nkbj]

Fifty caliber with a 48" twist has just about become the standardized "deer rifle" for present day manufacturers of muzzleloaders and there's probably vastly more of them than anything else. Seems funny that there aren't more suitable heavy bullet designs being marketed for them.
What have you found to work in yours?

 

[Are. M.]

I've found the 385gr plains bullet ain't light and worked well in an old Investarms carbine. No Excuses makes a 600 grain thumper.

 

[Rifleman1776]

"deer rifle"

Deer rifle, heavy bullets? Why comes to my mind. A .45 or .50 with patched roundball and moderate loads will kill 'em ded very effectively. The only thing you will gain with a heavy bullet is shorter range and more recoil.

 

[user 34300]

I made a longer maxi style mold for a TC 50 cal. IF I recall right about 400 gr. IT did not stabilize, keyholes on target.

 

[nkbj]

48" twist is fairly slow for a fifty caliber rifle and the bullet design for sure has to be what works.
A few months back there was a fellow in Idaho posting the results obtained with his TC Renegade with its original TC barrel, shooting hundreds of yards with a hollow based round nosed design. I suspect that the round nose and the hollow base contributing to bullet stability are what made it work.

 

[nkbj]

Deer rifle, heavy bullets? Why comes to my mind. A .45 or .50 with patched roundball and moderate loads will kill 'em ded very effectively. The only thing you will gain with a heavy bullet is shorter range and more recoil.

What makes you think this thread is about killing deer?

 

[Rifleman1776]

What makes you think this thread is about killing deer?

From your original post.

 

[deermanok]

I shoot TC Maxi Hunters, 275 grain and the Hornady PA conicals 240 grain.
Depending on which rifle I'm using.

 

[Frontier's]

1:48 in my experience, has done great with bullets up to 460. I never saw the need to test heavier bullets.

 

[nkbj]

From your original post.

Ah ha. I understand.

 

[nkbj]

Found one of the write-ups that I was trying to recommember.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/500-yards-stock-1-48-twist-tc-renegade-50-cal.136310/

 

[hanshi]

Over the decades I've owned quite a few rifles with 1-48" twist. I fired (still fire) only prb and the accuracy/killing power left nothing to be desired.

 

[nkbj]

My first fifty is one of those Dixie Work Works poor boys with that looong barrel.
From the very first load development in the late 70's it's a head shot photon torpedo with 90 grains of FFg and round ball.
But that or killing isn't the question at hand.

 

[TCMonts]

I personally like the 385gr hollow base hollow point by Hornaday with a heavy load of Pyrodex RS. It puts whitetails down right there, which can be a big advantage around here.