Barnes Expander MZ recommendation and wound pictures

[muddyboots]

Yea they are awesome. I shoot the mz but basically same idea. I have one recovered that looks just like its soppossed too. Hard to load but accurate and deadly. I cant ask for much more.

 

[Carnage]

I used the shockwaves and didn't have great results so witched this year to the hornady SST's (same concept 300gr, copper .45 in a plastic sleeve). hope they do as well as yours!

 

[Jcalder]

I used the shockwaves and didn't have great results so witched this year to the hornady SST's (same concept 300gr, copper .45 in a plastic sleeve). hope they do as well as yours!

I've read several times that the shockwave and sst are the same bullet. I can't confirm this but both are made by hornady.


Big or small, kill em all

 

[stringtalker]

I use the C.O.P. bullets, which is a aftermarket Barnes bullet, and cheaper. To me they perform just as good as the Barnes bullets. I only use a 185 grain bullet in my .50 cal muzzleloader and it does great, great blood trails and good expansion.

 

[robwimsatt]

How is the accuracy for those bullets?


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[lightsareout]

I will consider these if I ever pick up a ML

 

[robwimsatt]

Thanks. I use Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ[emoji769] Sabots. 250 grain and have been very satisfied with their expansion and accuracy. I shot a 3.5 year old 8 point yesterday quartering toward right behind the shoulder and exited low. He ran over 200 yards so I am questioning my set up.


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[Southern Sportsman]

Thanks. I use Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ[emoji769] Sabots. 250 grain and have been very satisfied with their expansion and accuracy. I shot a 3.5 year old 8 point yesterday quartering toward right behind the shoulder and exited low. He ran over 200 yards so I am questioning my set up.

I had poor blood trails/expansion with the T-EZ (polimer tipped) so I switched to the 245 gn spitfire mz without the tip and wouldnt trade them for anything.

 

[TboneD]

Thanks. I use Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ[emoji769] Sabots. 250 grain and have been very satisfied with their expansion and accuracy. I shot a 3.5 year old 8 point yesterday quartering toward right behind the shoulder and exited low. He ran over 200 yards so I am questioning my set up.


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That's a good bullet as well and has better ballistics. Still, I used the very same bullet the OP is referring to in my old Knight MK85 and it dropped nearly every deer I shot in it's tracks.


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[Don'tDrinkTinks]

I've killed 2 with Barnes expander and both had the lungs pulled out the exit hole with the bullet perfectly mushroomed tangled up in them. Pretty effective.

 

[TboneD]

Guys, I just wanted to offer up this recommendation. In the past I have hunted with the blue TC shockwave, with excellent accuracy, but only average results and marginal blood trails, especially on imperfect shots.

After some research I settled on Barnes Xpander MZ. It is a 100% copper, 300 grain .45 caliber bullet that comes in the .50 caliber sabot.

I took a small doe on Saturday afternoon. Here is the ENTRY wound (I cut away to expose). As you can see, expansion was immediate. The wound channel was incredible. Full passthrough.

Finally, here is a picture of the heart on the deer my wife shot yesterday. The wound channel was equally impressive. Also a full pass through, with excellent expansion on both sides.

Most important, the blood trails were awesome and easy to follow. Might as well have been killed in the snow. Blood everywhere.

They are a little more expensive that other bullets, but the performance is rock solid from what I have seen.

When you figure it up, it is pennies per shot. I wish I had done it years ago. .

Years ago, after unimpressive results from saboted pistol bullets, I made the switch to the same exact bullet for my old Knight. They were mighty tight in my last two guns, though, so I went with what's in the stores that loads easier. Your post has me thinking of going back to it, though. I helped my nephew bag one Saturday and although both Hornady SST's exited, neither created near the wound channel a Barnes MZ Expander does.


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[huntinkev]

I've been using them for years. They were called Knight red hots when I first started using them. I have never been let down with the performance of these. I have recovered one and it mushroomed like it's supposed to and although I didn't weigh it, I suppose it retained near 100%. I don't see myself using anything else, they perform well every time and they group well at 100 yards.

 

[Carnage]

I used the shockwaves and didn't have great results so witched this year to the hornady SST's (same concept 300gr, copper .45 in a plastic sleeve). hope they do as well as yours!

I've read several times that the shockwave and sst are the same bullet. I can't confirm this but both are made by hornady.


Big or small, kill em all

So I traded 1 bullet for the exact same one?? Sounds like my luck! Thanks

 

[Jcalder]

I used the shockwaves and didn't have great results so witched this year to the hornady SST's (same concept 300gr, copper .45 in a plastic sleeve). hope they do as well as yours!

I've read several times that the shockwave and sst are the same bullet. I can't confirm this but both are made by hornady.


Big or small, kill em all

So I traded 1 bullet for the exact same one?? Sounds like my luck! Thanks

I think the tips are different colors but other than that I can't tell a difference in them


Big or small, kill em all

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

Cool

 

[muddyboots]

As far as I'm concerned Barnes is the only ml bullet n

 

[LanceS4803]

I like that Barnes bullet. Recovered this one from a mature doe that refused to present anything but a straight on shot.
Went in slightly off center, through the shoulder bone, lungs and lodged under the skin on the off side rear leg.

 

[darn2ten]

The Barnes Expanders are pretty tight in quite a few guns. I use to shoot a T/C black diamond and they weren't to bad. I switched to a cva optima v2 and they were ridiculously hard to get down the barrel. I read up on it, and somebody mentioned MMP sabots. Their HPH/24 sabots are designed for guns with tighter bores. I bought some and used them with the Barnes bullets and they work great. They are .002" smaller than regular sabots. I would fully recommend anybody having trouble to try them. mmpsabots.com

 

[Bone Collector]

I have been using the TC Shockwaves with the blue tips for the past couple of years. when I have shot a deer I've always found blood and found the deer. Had a couple get away with Powerbelts and Hornady SSTs, which is why i switched to TC.

I have thought several times about switching to Barnes Expanders, but always decide not to, because I have the Shockwaves and they are easy to get at stores. I have heard nothing but good things about the Barnes bullets.

Where did you get yours and how much for how many?

 

[double browtine]

It sounds like many of you are having the same issues with shockwaves that I did yesterday on my buck. I think I will try the barnes next year and see if my muzzleloader likes them. Good post docpoco!

 

[sharpshooter]

Been shooting Barnes expanders for a couple of years and also had problems with hard loading. I bought Harvester crush rib sabots and have eliminated the hard loading and still get great accuracy. Highly recommend this combo.

 

[stringtalker]

C.O.P. bullets are a aftermarket Barnes and alot cheaper

 

[TX300mag]

Good bullet and good weight. That's my favorite blackpowder bullet for sure.


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[Vermin93]

I shoot the Barnes 250 grain Expander MZ in my Savage 10ML. Love it.

 

[Roost 1]

Best bullet you can shoot.... If hard to load switch the harvester black crush rib sabot..

 

[Crosshairy]

I bought the optima last year and loaded it with expanders. As others have mentioned, loading can be a bit tough. I bought some Bore Butter recently to try, but haven't had a chance yet.

 

[travle]

I have only shot the Powerbelt .50 Cal 295 grain Hollow Point in my ML (CVA Buckhorn). Never had any problems with them. I can hold a tight 3 bullet group at 100 yards, have dropped several deer in their tracks, the ones that run don't make it far, and blood trail is always good. Below is my first to recover. It is from last year on a buck. He ran about 50 yards. I didn't follow the blood trail because i knew the direction he ran. When i made it around the thicket he came out of, i seen him laying about 35 yards away. Blood was every where. Shot him towards the front of his shoulder, went through the other shoulder, and stopped under the skin. He didn't have an exit wound but the entry hole poured blood. His chest and leg were soaked with blood.

 

[BD1]

I have been ordering my bullets from Harvester online. The customer service is the best and He will even send you some to try for free. They are out of Kentucky and by far the easiest to load that I have ever used. They have several different types and the results are amazing. I've shot three bucks with them and several does at no more than 60 yards and everyone of them have dropped within sight of my stand.

https://harvestermuzzleloading.com/

 

[TboneD]

I bought the optima last year and loaded it with expanders. As others have mentioned, loading can be a bit tough. I bought some Bore Butter recently to try, but haven't had a chance yet.

From what I've heard, lubes like bore butter is best used for non-saboted bullets. I might try a looser sabot like the Harvester crush rib as suggested above.


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[LanceS4803]

I have thought several times about switching to Barnes Expanders, but always decide not to, because I have the Shockwaves and they are easy to get at stores.

The retail availability of Barnes is terrible. I got tired of always trying to find Barnes (Cabelas is the only chaim that sometimes stocked them). And you really pay through the nose when you have to order direct from them.
One year I even called them and asked why Bass Pro, Gander, Sportsmans Warehouse didn't stock them. Their reply was they were thinking about it!