I am not getting complete pass thru shots with my muzzle loader. I have been blaming the power belt ammo I was shooting. So I switched to hornady 245gr hollow pts pushed by 100gr pyrodex pellets and a 209 mag primer. I shot a deer this evening at 50yd in the shoulder found the bullet while field dressing. I took out both lungs he only went a few yards. If it would have been a less than perfect shot I don't think I would have been able to trail it.
Muzzle loader?
- Thread starter JSPAL270
- Start date
BlountArrow
Well-Known Member
I remedied this by shooting a heavier bullet.
Killing time
Well-Known Member
I always had complete pass thru's until i switched to TC Shockwaves. I will be purchasing some Barnes bullets soon.
fredfred
Well-Known Member
Heavier bullet, more powder or a bullet that doesn't expand so much. if the bullet stops in a animal it has expended every last ounce of energy it could into it. A pass threw wastes the energy, but 2 holes gotta be better than one.
I quit power belts for this reason and use the hornady FPB 350 grains.....most of the time I get a pass thru and they really tear up the bone. I think heavier bullets are the way to go with MZ's....just my opinion. :cool:
UTGrad
Well-Known Member
Powerbelts were your first issue but I wouldn't judge the new bullet on a shoulder shot. A shoulder shot with a muzzleloader is not a guarantee pass through on a direct shoulder hit.
get a lead hp 405 powerbelt
the only powerbelt worth a crap
otherwise
get a hndy sst 300 gn
or 350 or 300 fpb
the only powerbelt worth a crap
otherwise
get a hndy sst 300 gn
or 350 or 300 fpb
Buy some Barnes Expanders and you can get Stevie Wonder to do your blood trailing.
Locksley
Well-Known Member
I always had complete pass thru's with my big 54 caliber Mini-ball bullets with 80 grains of FF Black powder .I never found any 44 caliber hollow point even that would not pass thru a deer .
QUOTE The Bullet That Changed History
The Bullet That Changed History
QUOTE [ It was late afternoon on Aug. 30, 1862, the concluding day of the Second Battle of Bull Run, and the largest simultaneous massed assault of the Civil War was about to be unleashed. The Confederate general James Longstreet�s corps was in position on the left flank of the Union general John Pope�s unsuspecting Army of Virginia, and when the signal was given 25,000 Rebels surged forward, catching the surprised Federals in an immense �hammer on anvil� movement.
Leading the charge was John Bell Hood�s Texas Brigade, a force of roughly 2,500 men that included Pvt. William Fletcher, Company F, 5th Texas Infantry. When Fletcher and his fellow Texans had advanced to within 150 yards, a line of Union soldiers stood and fired, then turned to run, precipitating a retreat that would nearly result in Pope�s annihilation.
The Federals� parting volley was mostly ineffective, but one bullet struck Private Fletcher in the stomach, knocking him to the ground and momentarily rendering him unconscious. When he came to, he saw the �long and ugly wound� and guessed that his bowels had been pierced. Fletcher sat up and actually faced into the raging battle, hoping he �might be so fortunate as to get a dead shot� that would �put an end to his existence.�
Private Fletcher had good reason to wish for a mercy shot. Earlier battles had taught veterans like him that serious gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen were most often fatal. But while the first two were very likely to kill quickly, abdominal wounds condemned their victims to agonizingly slow deaths. Fletcher cursed his fate but resigned himself to it. ] http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/20 ... tory/?_r=0
QUOTE The Bullet That Changed History
The Bullet That Changed History
QUOTE [ It was late afternoon on Aug. 30, 1862, the concluding day of the Second Battle of Bull Run, and the largest simultaneous massed assault of the Civil War was about to be unleashed. The Confederate general James Longstreet�s corps was in position on the left flank of the Union general John Pope�s unsuspecting Army of Virginia, and when the signal was given 25,000 Rebels surged forward, catching the surprised Federals in an immense �hammer on anvil� movement.
Leading the charge was John Bell Hood�s Texas Brigade, a force of roughly 2,500 men that included Pvt. William Fletcher, Company F, 5th Texas Infantry. When Fletcher and his fellow Texans had advanced to within 150 yards, a line of Union soldiers stood and fired, then turned to run, precipitating a retreat that would nearly result in Pope�s annihilation.
The Federals� parting volley was mostly ineffective, but one bullet struck Private Fletcher in the stomach, knocking him to the ground and momentarily rendering him unconscious. When he came to, he saw the �long and ugly wound� and guessed that his bowels had been pierced. Fletcher sat up and actually faced into the raging battle, hoping he �might be so fortunate as to get a dead shot� that would �put an end to his existence.�
Private Fletcher had good reason to wish for a mercy shot. Earlier battles had taught veterans like him that serious gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen were most often fatal. But while the first two were very likely to kill quickly, abdominal wounds condemned their victims to agonizingly slow deaths. Fletcher cursed his fate but resigned himself to it. ] http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/20 ... tory/?_r=0
UTGrad
Well-Known Member
Spurhunter said:
Yep
Locksley
Well-Known Member
My Derr never ran far . Just a death run if hit in the lungs.
jlmustain
Well-Known Member
I was talking to the processor I use about this issue. He was surprised that I had a pass-through until I told him it was a short shot. He said they seldom see pass-throughs during ML season. I never knew that.
Winchester
Well-Known Member
Hornady XTP bullets have performed GREAT for me for many years now!
Elmer
Well-Known Member
JUST IMO if you are not using xtps you are at a disadvantage. They are why the phrase bang flop was invented.Winchester said:
Coach
Well-Known Member
One thing I learned while figuring out my mz issues...if you are shooting a magnum (my gun is a TC Pro Hunter Magnum) and you shoot Triple 7 pellets you need to use three. If you shoot White Hot you can use two pellets with the same results. Just thought I'd toss that in there...maybe go to three pellets
jlmustain said:
The reason he seldom sees pass-throughs in muzzleloader is the same reason Powerbelts are the #1 selling ML bullet. A lot of people shoot them. I did too, for years, and most deer dropped in their tracks, but there was never a pass through or blood trail. I knew sooner or later I was going to lose one so I switched to Barnes Expanders. Expanders pass through and leave a heck of a blood trail.
I don't know why you would switch to a hotter load or heavier bullet when switching to a quality, flat shooting bullet will solve the problem and save powder and recoil.
Merrick
Active Member
huntinkev said:
I use the Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ 250gr. and even with good shot placement but quartering towards I didn't get a pass thru. Bullet lodged under the skin near the opposite side ham. May need to try the Expanders?
Merrick said:
I guess anything can happen on a quartering-to shot. I would try the Spit-Fires on a broadside shot before I switched.
If you don't get a pass thru then I would say it's worth a shot. No pun intended. The Expanders are designed to rose petal into 6 cutting edges.
Winchester said:
With my Knight and black powder the 240 gr. XTP was my go to bullet. It killed a truck load of deer for me. I NEVER had an issue with one shot with an XTP.
Coach
Well-Known Member
SCN...hollow point?
jlmustain
Well-Known Member
Do expanders work with pyrodex pellets? I don't know much about this stuff.
jlmustain said:
Yes sir. I shoot 2 pellets. The expanders are just like any other sabot as far as that goes. Whatever powder/pellets you prefer.
jlmustain
Well-Known Member
Good to know. Thanks. Is it worth re-sighting if I switch?
jlmustain said:
I can't answer that but I can tell you Deer Assassin is shooting the 195 grain Expanders and he does more tinkering/testing/shooting than most folks. He has killed 2 and his wife killed 1 since Saturday and all 3 were pass throughs. My son's 8 point Saturday was a pass through. They do what they are supposed to do. Pass through and leave incredible blood trails.
darn2ten
Well-Known Member
Yes, you will have a different point of impact going from a powerbelt to a Barnes bullet. I've never had a broad side deer shot through the lungs with a Barnes bullet that didn't pass through. I shoot 95 gn of Blackhorn 209 and used to shoot 95 gn of loose FFFg T7, no need for those teeth rattling magnum loads. I do like the Barnes expanders better than their tipped bullets, pure devastation!jlmustain said:
jlmustain
Well-Known Member
This is really good info'. Thanks, y'all! I'll be looking more into it all. I've only killed one with a muzzleloader, and he was taken yesterday. I used 250 gr Powerbelt with two pyrodex pellets. I got a pass-through, but, again, it was at 18 yards, so I imagine that if they don't typically pass-through, it was just because he was closer. Although I didn't have a trail, it's not atypical not to have one with a double-lung shot. I may need to make a switch after I run out of the PBs. I hate wasting money. Ha!
Coach said:
Yes, it is a hollow point. They were VERY accurate in my Knights, and it was rare to have a deer run very far. As stated, a lot were bang-flops. And, as an added plus, they were not very expensive bullets.
Coach
Well-Known Member
scn said:
I picked some up to try out in this new TC...they were only $11..
