T/C Maxis for hunting?

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany!

Beneath PRB I want to use these T/C Maxiballs in my .45 Deerhunter from Traditions/Ardesa. Does anybody have expiriences with them?

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[jtmattison]

Keep in mind Maxi-Balls are designed for deep penetration. They do not expand much at all unless they hit solid bone. If I recall, your deer over there are small. The Maxi might not be the best choice. You will see that the patched roundball will do a better job. If you hunt stag or boar the Maxi might serve you better in your .45 caliber.

HD

 

[Billnpatti]

I have used the T/C Maxiballs and found them to be quite good providing the twist rate of your barrel is fast enough to handle conical bullets. If the twist rate is 1:48 or faster, the Maxiballs will work fine. However, if you have a barrel with a twist rate intended for round balls such as 1:66 or, really anything much slower than 1:48, the Maxiball will not spin fast enough to be stabilized and it will tumble and be very inaccurate.

 

[JohnM]

Hey there Kirrmeister. I have found that TC's Maxihunters shoot much better in my .45 cal. TC Hawken. They shoot as accurate as a roundball out to 80 to 100 yds. They are 255 gr. as compared to the maxiball at 245. The maxiballs do okay but I find that they shoot a bit higher through the mid range trajectory and the maxihunter shoots nearly as flat as a roundball! I use 80 gr. of pyrodex for my hunting load.

 

[roundball]

Hello from Germany!

Beneath PRB I want to use these T/C Maxiballs in my .45 Deerhunter from Traditions/Ardesa. Does anybody have expiriences with them?
Regards
Kirrmeister

Heard too many bad things about maxi-BALLS so I only tried Maxi-HUNTERS...sighted in and deer hunted with T/C .45cal/255grn Maxi-HUNTERs for a couple years...they were tack drivers in T/C 1:48" twist barrels and just devastating on deer.

 

[PreglerD]

Keep in mind Maxi-Balls are designed for deep penetration. They do not expand much at all unless they hit solid bone. If I recall, your deer over there are small. The Maxi might not be the best choice. You will see that the patched roundball will do a better job. If you hunt stag or boar the Maxi might serve you better in your .45 caliber.

HD

Hi HD,

I certainly don't want to use the Maxis for roedeer. For this kind of game a .45 PRB is adequate, but I want to use it for bigger game like boar, etc.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[longcruise]

I have shot some maxi balls from my Traditions Deer hunter and they work just fine. Accuracy was good at 50 yards.

 

[William O.]

As has been mentioned, accuracy will depend on the twist rate of your rifle. When shooting maxi-ball type bullets out of my .54 caliber rifle with 1:48 twist rate I found that to get good accuracy the powder charge needed to be reduced from what I normally used for round ball shooting. Also, the addition of a fiber wad improved accuracy quite a bit too. I've also gotten the best results shooting maxi's using traditional black powder. Good luck, hope this helps.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I have a friend who hunts feral pig and Russian Boar with Maxi-Balls in a .54. Can't say how a .45 would do.

For deer I, too, would suggest the Maxi-Hunters and have used these.

I used to hunt groundhogs with a .36 using Maxi-Balls. They were accurate enough with the right load, but in .45 they earned a bad reputation locally for deer. From what I understand our 'chucks are about the same body mass as your Chamois deer. ;-)

 

[Mad Professor]

Look at similar "buffalo bullets" too.

They shoot like a laser out of one of my fast twist barrels.

A guy had 50 cal for sale cheaper than lead goes for now.......

 

[musketman]

Beneath PRB I want to use these T/C Maxiballs in my .45 Deerhunter from Traditions/Ardesa.

The way this is written it sounds like you want to shoot both of them at the same time with the PRB on top of the Maxiball, is that what you meant?

 

[jtmattison]

Beneath PRB I want to use these T/C Maxiballs in my .45 Deerhunter from Traditions/Ardesa.

The way this is written it sounds like you want to shoot both of them at the same time with the PRB on top of the Maxiball, is that what you meant?

I think he meant besides roundball he wants to shoot Maxi's.

HD

 

[Dphar]

Hello from Germany!

Beneath PRB I want to use these T/C Maxiballs in my .45 Deerhunter from Traditions/Ardesa. Does anybody have expiriences with them?

Regards

Kirrmeister

The Maxi-ball is a poor hunting bullet. The grease grooves are so large than the front driving band will collapse into the front groove and the bullet not expand at all. I suspect this was why T/C developed a hunting bullet.
Unless the deer is large 300-400 or more pounds on the hoof a well placed round ball will work as well as anything and will likely outperform the Maxi.
Blunter bullets would be a better choice if a cylindrical bullet is desired. Just be aware that there is a chance of the bullet moving off the powder if carried muzzle down or bumped with the muzzle down especially.

Dan

 

[Rat Trapper]

You might want to try the Hornady great plains bullet as well. They have always shot better than the Maxi and Maxi hunter in my rifles.

 

[larry wv]

I like Maxi Balls better than the Maxi hunters. They are accurate in more of my rifles than the hunter. I don't worry about expansion. A sharp stick will kill a deer. The Maxi Ball would be a good choice for Boar if its accurate enough. Larry Wv

 

[Kentuckywindage]

thanks, used th 240gr maxiball my first year muzzleloading and it was horrible. 2 lost deer and the 3rd deer i barely got.

 

[Dphar]

thanks, used th 240gr maxiball my first year muzzleloading and it was horrible. 2 lost deer and the 3rd deer i barely got.

I have heard similar problems from others. Deer running off to be killed later with healed pass though bullet wounds was one.
Friends have related that the 54 caliber version would not track straight through moose when fired from the 48" twist. They have gone to round balls that are slightly heavier, about 40 gr., than a 440 gr maxi and have found they are far more effective.
Tracking straight is important and the 48" twist makes the Maxi marginally stable, they suspect, and thus is will not stay on track when striking flesh. The hunter shoots for the heart and the bullet deflects and misses. BTDT with some modern brass suppository bullets on deer. It causes "problems".
The Minie ball from a 72 twist had similar problems based on the findings of military surgeons back when these things were the state of the art for military use.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

You might want to try the Hornady great plains bullet as well. They have always shot better than the Maxi and Maxi hunter in my rifles.

The only elongated bullet I shoot in a ML is a cloth patched picket and its in a target rifle. So far as I know this bullet was the only "conical" that saw any significant use as a hunting bullet "back in the day". And this rifle makes too much pressure for a standard nipple.

I have never fired a ML conical/cylindrical at animals. The RB has always worked for me.
I have a rifle that shoots a RB almost exactly the same weight as a 54 maxi. Lower pressure, stays on the powder and makes bigger holes too.

Dan

 

[PreglerD]

Beneath PRB I want to use these T/C Maxiballs in my .45 Deerhunter from Traditions/Ardesa.

The way this is written it sounds like you want to shoot both of them at the same time with the PRB on top of the Maxiball, is that what you meant?

That was my intention! Sorry for my poor gramma and poor english, Sir!


Kirrmeister

 

[Klaus]

Hi Kirrmeister,

nice to meet you here in this Forum so far away from your home.
.45 Maxiball weight (320 grs or more)is adequat for any kind of Game in Germany.
Your favorite Wano ( Graff) Powder in tripple P Granulation will do the job right well.

kind regards
Klaus :thumbsup: