Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
06-07-2004, 10:38 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
A great guy on here helped me get a Disc at a steal. Thanks racks. Anyway, how many people have good accuracy (~3" at 100 yards) with 150gr load of pyrodex or 777. What bullet would be suitable. Knight said to use 300gr bullets with 150gr. They must have beefed up that barrel to withstand alot more pressure with 300gr and 150gr of powder.
My standard bullet is 240gr Hornady XTP's, and recently 250gr barnes, and 250gr SST.
Anybody like the 300gr redhots from knight?
My standard bullet is 240gr Hornady XTP's, and recently 250gr barnes, and 250gr SST.
Anybody like the 300gr redhots from knight?
06-07-2004, 11:59 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
Well, I find it hard to believe that hardly anyone needs 150 grains of powder. That must pack some wallop! I will be hunting elk with 90 grains of 777 this next fall (which is equivalent to 105 gr of pyrodex), and that should be plenty of power. If you shoot the gun at ranges it was intended for, less than about 150 yards, this would still be plenty of power. My own personal limit is 100 yards since I will have to hunt with open sights.
Not preaching, you do what you want, just giving you my 2 cents.
By the way, you probably already know this, but in case there are any newbies that are reading this, never use 150 grains of loose 777 powder, only use 3 - 50 gr pellets. Max on powder would be about 120 grains (equivalent to 150 gr pyrodex).
Not preaching, you do what you want, just giving you my 2 cents.
By the way, you probably already know this, but in case there are any newbies that are reading this, never use 150 grains of loose 777 powder, only use 3 - 50 gr pellets. Max on powder would be about 120 grains (equivalent to 150 gr pyrodex).
06-07-2004, 12:50 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
Who needs 150gr of powder? Well, someone that uses a 30-06 for deer probably might. A inline that shoots 90gr of pyrodex and 240gr bullet has less shock and energy than a 30-06 by a long shot. Or 270win, or most of the classical deer calibers.
I have yet to have a 150gr muzzleloader. I have killed a pile of deer with my sidelock and old inline, but want some more power. I won't take shots over 60 or so yards now. Why? They don't bleed much with muzzleloader when I have shot at 100 yards. I have found deer that was a double lunger shot at 110yards, hundreds of yards away. And didn't start bleeding until 40 or so yards. Also, didn't get a passthru. So I have been using the rule of 60 yards or so for the past few years. Where I hunt in the swamps in MD for sika deer, I would like to further my range a tad, and have a passthru. I have also lost a few deer when shooting that far. That was 4 or so years ago. Since then I have 100% success with shots 60 and below. I have used balls, barnes, XTP's, etc., and killed with all of them, but don't see near the damage I get with a 270win.
And besides, its fun trying new combos, and options. First off, I look for accuracy. So if I can't get at least 3" groups at 100 yards with 150gr of whatever, I will drop it down.
Instead of hear success stories with 90gr of whatever, I want to hear from those guys that shoot accurately with 150gr of powder/pellets, whatever.
I have yet to have a 150gr muzzleloader. I have killed a pile of deer with my sidelock and old inline, but want some more power. I won't take shots over 60 or so yards now. Why? They don't bleed much with muzzleloader when I have shot at 100 yards. I have found deer that was a double lunger shot at 110yards, hundreds of yards away. And didn't start bleeding until 40 or so yards. Also, didn't get a passthru. So I have been using the rule of 60 yards or so for the past few years. Where I hunt in the swamps in MD for sika deer, I would like to further my range a tad, and have a passthru. I have also lost a few deer when shooting that far. That was 4 or so years ago. Since then I have 100% success with shots 60 and below. I have used balls, barnes, XTP's, etc., and killed with all of them, but don't see near the damage I get with a 270win.
And besides, its fun trying new combos, and options. First off, I look for accuracy. So if I can't get at least 3" groups at 100 yards with 150gr of whatever, I will drop it down.
Instead of hear success stories with 90gr of whatever, I want to hear from those guys that shoot accurately with 150gr of powder/pellets, whatever.
06-07-2004, 03:15 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,445
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
Don't want to hijack the thread, but the terminal performance discussed above relates to the projectile, not the distance. I hate sabots, not because of accuracy, but the bullet. They may have gotten better recently but I saw quite a few deer that were hard to recover because of poor bullet performance. Often it was because of lack of penetration, no pass through. I've stuck with lead conicals, shot a bunch of deer, and had no trouble recovering deer that were hit right. 99% of the time I get pass throughs, and when I don't it's because I shot them end to end. The bullet is usually under the hide on the far end of the deer. Blood trails a blind man could follow. I shoot a T/C Renegade that has a 1:48 twist. I know a lot of inlines don't handle conicals well, but I feel that you will only help yourself by choosing the largest diameter, heaviest sabot you can shoot. Muzzleloaders are not high-powered rifles, they kill with bullet weight, and two big holes to leave a good trail.
06-07-2004, 08:44 PM
#6
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Delaware U.S.A.
Posts: 140
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
I shoot a T/C Encore 50 cal. using two 50 gr. and one 30gr. Pyrodex pellets with a Hornady 250 gr. SSt on top of this charge. Last year this load killed 8 white tales for me, 3 of them at 200 yds. You have to shoot a lot to know how your rifle is shooting, to do this. But it can be done. Good luck oldsnow.
06-07-2004, 08:59 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Havre de Grace MD USA
Posts: 703
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
bigcountry,
I gotcha covered...
I shoot 150gr (3pyro pellets) and a 220gr "Dead center" bullet made by Precision Rifle Bullet found here
This load can easily print M.O.A. groups or I would stop using it. Now recently, I was impressed by the Shockwave (Hornady) 200gr bullet and may buy some of them to evaluate.
Last year, I had an opportunity to take 3 deer with this load and it was complete and terminal upset...instantly! The year before that, 2 smallish does were milling around about 35yds from my stand for about 30-45 minutes. I had told myself either I get them both or they both walk. Wouldn't you know they lined right up at about 25-30yds and with one pull of the trigger they both piled up. Complete pass through on both and both instantly dead.
I like having the extra power that 150gr can offer and my accuracy isn't suffering. I employ the same logic as the guy that won't deer hunt with the 30-30..."but what if the one walks out at 200yds and all you have is a 30-30?"
..."well what if the one walks out and all you have is 90gr and a 350gr conical?"[
][:@]
I gotcha covered...
I shoot 150gr (3pyro pellets) and a 220gr "Dead center" bullet made by Precision Rifle Bullet found here
This load can easily print M.O.A. groups or I would stop using it. Now recently, I was impressed by the Shockwave (Hornady) 200gr bullet and may buy some of them to evaluate.
Last year, I had an opportunity to take 3 deer with this load and it was complete and terminal upset...instantly! The year before that, 2 smallish does were milling around about 35yds from my stand for about 30-45 minutes. I had told myself either I get them both or they both walk. Wouldn't you know they lined right up at about 25-30yds and with one pull of the trigger they both piled up. Complete pass through on both and both instantly dead.
I like having the extra power that 150gr can offer and my accuracy isn't suffering. I employ the same logic as the guy that won't deer hunt with the 30-30..."but what if the one walks out at 200yds and all you have is a 30-30?"
..."well what if the one walks out and all you have is 90gr and a 350gr conical?"[
][:@]
06-07-2004, 09:17 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
If you want to try new combos for fun and sport great, but I shoot 90 gr 777 with a 348 gr powerbelt aerotip and get 3" at 100 yards. I guarantee you that combo will have devestating performance on any deer that walks the earth and will be plenty for an elk. When I get up to 110 gr 777 with this bullet, the recoil starts effecting my accuracy. Also, with my bullet 2" high at 50 yards, it is dead on at 100. So the trajectory isn't a problem for distances beyond where you are now.
However, the other side of the coin is that if you use a smaller bullet, you HAVE to make it fly faster to get the same results as the bigger bullet.
Remember, for muzzleloaders, foot lb calculations don't cut it. Look at the Taylor index to judge the killing power of muzzleloaders: http://www.loadammo.com/Topics/July02.htm
I realize I am not helping to answer your question, and I hope others with experience do, just wanted to challange your assumption that you need more powder to get good terminal results.
Good luck with your experimentation.
However, the other side of the coin is that if you use a smaller bullet, you HAVE to make it fly faster to get the same results as the bigger bullet.
Remember, for muzzleloaders, foot lb calculations don't cut it. Look at the Taylor index to judge the killing power of muzzleloaders: http://www.loadammo.com/Topics/July02.htm
I realize I am not helping to answer your question, and I hope others with experience do, just wanted to challange your assumption that you need more powder to get good terminal results.
Good luck with your experimentation.
06-08-2004, 07:17 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Havre de Grace MD USA
Posts: 703
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
The only problem with the Taylor index is that it does not take into account bullet design, but assumes that all loads are FMJ design. I dont feel that a 30-06 w/ 180gr bullet is marginal on Elk, but according to the Taylor index it is. Taylor must not be taking bullet design into account.[]
]
06-08-2004, 08:03 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,445
RE: Who finds good accuracy at 150gr
I agree, I think this formula is best applied to big bore guns and hard bullets that don't expand much.
I shot one particular deer with a .30/06, 150 gr pointed soft point, right through the ribs, hitting the offside shoulder. This deer lurched and piled up. Another deer I shot with a 45/70, basically the same range and almost exactly the same shot placement. That 400 grain bullet just whistled on through. The deer ran off, and went almost 100 yds. It was easy enough to find thanks to a good blood trail, but it just proves the point about bullet design.
To look at it another way, Taylor wouldn't have developed his formula if all they were after was deer. You have to get up to elk size critters before any of it applies. Also, everything I have heard is that African game is tougher to kill than similarly sized North American game.
I shot one particular deer with a .30/06, 150 gr pointed soft point, right through the ribs, hitting the offside shoulder. This deer lurched and piled up. Another deer I shot with a 45/70, basically the same range and almost exactly the same shot placement. That 400 grain bullet just whistled on through. The deer ran off, and went almost 100 yds. It was easy enough to find thanks to a good blood trail, but it just proves the point about bullet design.
To look at it another way, Taylor wouldn't have developed his formula if all they were after was deer. You have to get up to elk size critters before any of it applies. Also, everything I have heard is that African game is tougher to kill than similarly sized North American game.