sabot/pistol bullet ballistics

[Colorado1135]

does anyone have any info on different pistol bullets fired from an inline and how they perform?

I'm wondering if a 200 grain .451 will be much flatter than a 300 grain .452 and what the energy difference is. does anyone have any info on these?

what ever load I decide on will be used to hunt WT does

[10 ga]

There are more variables there than meet the eye. Really don't have enough information on rifle used and other specifics to give a really good answer but, here goes... If you go over to the Hornady website they have a ballistic calculator that may help you. Personally I shoot 200 gr. 40 cal. J-word bullets in my 45 cal SML and 300/325 gr. 458 cal in my 50 cal SML. The 300 gr. is better for longer range but be prepared for some hefty recoil. If you are shooting a 50 cal stick with the 300 to 325 gr. bullets. Pistol bullets are OK but the Hornady SST and FTX bullets in the 250 to 325 gr. wt. give superior long range performance. Remember whichever you choose that accuracy is king and is the most important. Good luck.

10 ga

[rodwha]

What are those 200 grn bullets originally for? It seems most .451" bullets are meant for the 45 ACP or 45 Colt.

A fellow used a 250 grn bullet intended for a 45 Colt, and the bullet disintegrated upon impact on a deer. He had to put it down with a pistol. 45 Colt bullets aren't meant to handle that speed.

[10 ga]

For ordinary ML the pistol bullets are OK but for SML you need the Nosler or Hornady SST in 40 cal. 200 gr. or the all copper Barnes 195 gr. 40 cal. The SST and Barnes both give very good terminal performance. The pistol bullets are OK to about 2100 fps but over that they are unstable terminal performance up close, plus the pistol bullets loose velocity quickly due to low BC. The heavier bullets retain more energy, velocity and long range accuracy due to the retained velocity.

[Colorado1135]

not sure what SML is, but mine puts them out there around 15-1600 fps. the bullets I am thinking of using are the copper plated hollow points, at this velocity I don't theink they would blow up if a deer touched them.

so far I've been using the 300 grain xtp bullets, I tend to shoot a lot so I'm wondering if I can get the job done with a cheaper bullet is all.

[Colorado1135]

anyone?

[quilbilly]

Mostly I hunt with prb but I have one ML rifle that really shoots sabots and 260 gr 429 boolits well and is accurate out to 250 yards. I would think you would need a longer boolit than 200 gr for longer range hunting to improve the ballistic coefficient. The rifle is targeted for 100 yards and, if memory serves, I hold over about 16" at 200 yards. Since scopes aren't legal here on ML rifles for hunting, any shot I take farther than 125 yards with my old eyes has to be thought about and calculated. My load for that sabotted boolit is 78 gr of FFF Goex.

[Jupiter7]

anyone?

I assume SML=smokeless muzzle loader

At the velocities youre talking about, pistol bullets will work fine.

[725]

Just a personal thing, but I wouldn't use a HP cast boolit at any real speed. Within their performance envelope, I know they are devastating, but pushed too fast, I would expect them to have poor penetration. As everybody says, shot placement is just about everything.

[Colorado1135]

how fast is too fast? I use 2 50 grain pellets in an inline, I believe velocity is around 1600 fps

[Wadestep]

I am getting 2-2.5" at 100 yards accuracy with an in-line ML with a Miha 330 gr ruger-only boolit intended for the 45 colt ruger. I'm using harvester sabots, and 100 gr of pyrodex. Havent' had the fortune to introduce one to a deer yet, although I was trying last weekend. I'm sure the big, flat meplat will do the trick. In fact, I'd use it on a moose. It's got some umph!

[OnHoPr]

In my TC 209x50 owners manual it states with .429 boolits, TC sabots, Pyrodex pellets.

200 gr 2 pellets 2015 fps 1804 ft lb
3 " 2258 fps 2265 ft lb
240 gr 2 pellets 1868 fps 1860 ft lb
3 " 2203 fps 2587 ft lb
275 gr 2 pellets 1740 fps 1849 ft lb
3 " 2079 fps 2640 ft lb
300 gr 2 pellets 1707 fps 1942 ft lb
3 " 2021 fps 2721 ft lb

Basically, just take the BC of the boolit you are using and go to Hornady's ballistic calculator and see or decipher yourself according to the conditions that you hunt. There are lighter pistol boolits out there that if hitting heavier shoulder bone at fast speeds could bloow up and give little penetration.

Some of the premium boolits are fine for hunting and IMO something like the 200 grain shock wave can be extraordinary at long range, but for a lot of shooting and tuning something like this is good to shoot target or fine for hunting in general woods scenarios. cast 66/33, Pb/WW

81473

[johnson1942]

my young son has a custom made .50 cal inline in 1/32 twist. we shoot 120 grains by volume of blackhorn 209 powder behind a heavy duty mmp sabot with a copper jacketed .451 or .452 pistol bullet we buy at wall mart. it leaves the barrel about 2200 hundred feet per sec. it doesnt blow apart and is super accurate. it could easily take a deer at 300 yards. for larger game the same gun with the same load will shoot a 550 grain .492 paperpatch bullet 6 inches lower at 100 yards. recoil is a bit stiff. i dont know the fp sec. as havent chronographed it yet. johnson1942

[Colorado1135]

well heck Johnson1942, I'd wager we live close together. I'm still working on what to shoot. I know what works, but I shoot a unch come season and let others use my guns to get theirs as well, so just wondering if there is a little more economical way to get the results I've been getting. not looking to reinvent the wheel.

[johnson1942]

colorado1135: check your private messages