SaskBushMan

Hello guys I just purchased a Pursuit LT only because it was in my price range and my father inlaw shoots one and it shoots great. Cheapest omega in my area is $500 to much for me. Anyways I picked up a box of 45-250grn sst/ml bullets and let me tell you I got one half way down the barrel and that was it. It took alot of grease and two of us to get it out. now my father inlaw shoots these with now problems. so now what I don't want to try a different bullet in case I have a faulty barrel and I just bought the gun on Friday. So if it needs to be replaced I was thinking about asking for a .45cal barrel because I was told that at longer distances the .45cal was flatter and better is this true? So what so I do? Thanks guys and have a goo day.

cayugad

I would simple get some crushed rib sabots or MMP HP24'sand try the SST's with them. If you had gotten the same bullet in the Shockwave package, they come with a thinner sabot I believe. I have rifles that will not load the Hornady sabots and SST's but load the Shockwaves fine...

As for the .45 being flatter shooting.. if your shots are 200 yards they might be an advantage, but not much... try some differnt sabots..

SaskBushMan

Should a guy try powerbelts?

sabotloader

SaskBushMan

I am assuming this is a 50 cal Pursuit...

The SST's come with an MMP-HPH-12 sabot, which is the thicker variety. It will probably take a lot to get that down the barrel... now a Thompson Center Shockwave comes with a MMP-HPH-24 sabot which is .002/.003 thinner and will probably go down great....

You will probably need to replace your current sabots with the 24's or even the thinner HPH-3p's. Now the problem, if your handle indicates that you live in Canada, it is a bigger problem to get the MMP sabots to you. You can call Connie @ www.mmpsabots.com and she can tell you the hoops.... Second thing might be to find some TC shockwaves and try them.. the 250's should perform really well for you.

One last thought the barrel on your Pursuit will loosen somewhat with shooting - right now it is tight and sharp... might ask cayugad to explain working the barrel with bore paste to help the breakin process along. He is much better at writing instruction than I.

Good luck

cayugad

That would be a good alternative. Use 100 grains of powder and then a powerbelt. Also try shooting a box or two of maxi ball through the barrel to help break the rifle in faster. Just make sure to bore brush the barrel after conicals with a good solvent.

Triple Se7en

You want the black Harvester crush rib sabots. They are 45-cal for 50-cal rifles.

http://www.cabelas.com/products/Cpod0012633.jsp

SaskBushMan

So you guys figure its just a tight bore rather than a barrel problem and I should try other bullets before returning it? Does this happen often? thanks for the help and input.

Triple Se7en

It happens more often when oils & solvents still exist in there. Just prior to leaving for the range or woods, run both sides of a damp rubbing alcohol patch to remove any oils.

Some solvents make the bore tacky also with sabots. That includes alot of various blackpowder-labeled cleaners. Your bore should be absent of everything before loading that sabot - for easiest loading.

Alot of us use either the MMP three petals or Harvesters crush ribs with those .452 SSTs. Another way to alleviate all that grunting is buying bullets that are.451 -- also purchasing a T-handle or palm-saver for your ramrod.

Nord QC Bouman

I would try the Powerbelts - less plastic on the barrel and they load a heck of alot easier than sabots. I would also look at Maxiballs - more weight but much more hitting power and expansion.

MLKeith

Tight barrels on new rifles is quite common. There are variations in barrel size of the same rifle depending on what equipment was used to rifle the barrel. Newer equipment will make slightly bigger barrels than equipment that has been down several barrels; especially on button rifled barrels which is what the Pursuit is I believe. A new barrel is also somewhat rough and takes some time to break in which is why many recommend shooting some full sized conicals rather than sabot bullets to start.I used JB bore paste on my Omega and it worked OK but there is some technique to doing that and shooting is more fun.