Cast in Sabot for Muzzleloader

[wendyj]

I was measuring some Hornady 265 grain bullets that fit in Sabots for my 50 caliber in line Muzzleloader. I noticed they are .452 which is the same as I size for my colt from a Noe mold at 260 grains. My cast bullets are shorter than the SST Hornady makes but was wondering before I tried shooting some if anyone used cast in their Sabots verses $2.00 a bullet for the SST. If I am not mistaken you wouldn't have to lube since Sabot would prevent lead fouling. I use only Blackhorn 209 for powder in it. Would allow a bunch more range time. Only drawback I see is the point of the SST sticks out of the Sabot and my cast sits father down in it.

[Themoose]

I have shot several cast bullets in sabots... none however were shorter than the sabot... you can always try them and see what they will do...and if they don't work that well, you could try trimming the sabot back some to get a better fit. you are correct, you will not need any lube.

[Moleman-]

Been using cast 240 SWC/SWCHP bullets in sabots just over 25 years for plinking and hunting in a hawkins. For the inlines I'll use cast for plinking, but generally use a jacketed bullet for hunting. It's much cheaper to buy sabots and a box of bullets than it is to buy a box of bullet/bullets together if going the jacketed route. The SWC stick out far enough that I use a flat tipped jag on the ball starter and ramrod.

[wendyj]

I had thought about the ball starter and since I have 2 was going to file one flat. I didn't think of cutting sabot down some. Dog gone 20 pack of hunting bullets is expensive. Can only zero and hunt with the rest. Sabots pretty inexpensive by their self.

[beagle]

Made a bunch of sabots for a friend in Vermont one time. Cast a bunch of pure lead in a Lyman 457122HP. Then ran them nose first through a .454" nose first sizer, then a .452" and finally a .450". He said they fit his sabots well and a doe he killed with one almost took her head off and the recovered slug looked like a piece of used chewing gum./beagle

[Walks]

Coleman & beagle are right on Point. I used a pure lead #429244HP with out gas check in a T/C HAWKEN .50cal

The GOULD Bullet sounds like a good idea for .54 cal, might try it.

[mike69]

I use a noe 290 gr in sabots in my encore 50 cal with 209 blackhorn powder . It shoots pretty good going to use them for hunting this year . It is just a little bit longer than the sabots that I use .

[megasupermagnum]

After seeing absolutely sickening performance from some Hornady bullets last year, I'm shooting nothing but soft cast from now on. That extra 20 yards isn't worth having the bullet needle through a deer like a FMJ. In one gun I'm using a patched ball, and the other I set up to shoot a 330 grain 44 caliber SSK bullet cast soft, and found a Thompson center sabot is the only one tall enough. It's a very accurate combo, and the couple groups I shot at 150 yards were right at 3". I found these run about .431" unsized, which is a perfect fit. I just cast and shoot.

[wendyj]

I'm assuming the 44 caliber bullets are for a 45 caliber muzzleloader or do I stand corrected. The .452 would be for my 50 caliber.

[Moleman-]

wendyj, You can get thicker sabots to shoot .429" bullets or slightly thinner sabots to shoot .452" bullets in a .50" ML. I have both, but mostly shoot 44 bullets with the green Hornady 44/50 sabots except in my Savage 10MLII which I use the black Harvester 45/50 sabots. The package of sabots should say what bore and bullet diameters they're meant for.

[zymguy]

I've only got a 45 cal but I'm looking into a bore diameter mold and do away with the sabot all together. Are there twist rate limitations or benefits of the sabot ? If a guy is going to cast for his muzzle loader why keep the sabots ? ( im ernstly asking ) I understand you may already have the mould for your 45 colt , but hey who doesnt enjoy adding a mould to the collection?

[BigMagShooter]

as long as your projectile is shorter than the factory one, it will work fine. If you have too long a projectile then accuracy will suffer probably due to not enough twist. So if you're shorter than the 'factory' fodder you shoot, you should be fine.

I shoot my cast in sabots all the time for muzzleloader hunting and shooting. They shoot fine. even do a decent job slaying deer.

yes don't lube or GC them but do size them, helps make em round.

[BigMagShooter]

yes you can cast for your muzzle loader, and you can use pistol bullets too. Problem with conventional pistol bullets (for full bore applications) in muzzle loaders is the lube, or lack of a bunch of it on the projectile to help keep the fouling soft and aid in getting the bullet down the barrel and out again with decent accuracy.

[megasupermagnum]

I've only got a 45 cal but I'm looking into a bore diameter mold and do away with the sabot all together. Are there twist rate limitations or benefits of the sabot ? If a guy is going to cast for his muzzle loader why keep the sabots ? ( im ernstly asking ) I understand you may already have the mould for your 45 colt , but hey who doesnt enjoy adding a mould to the collection?

I had tried both Lee REAL and TC maxi balls in mine, neither shot even close. It is a 50 caliber TC Impact with 1:28" twist. I later came to find out it was a problem with the barrel coming loose, but have not tried them again. I tried to find a better full bore bullet more suited to a 1:28" twist, but it seems there is little data out there on what to use, and it would ultimately have to be a custom mold. It seems some use paper patch, and some use a dead soft bullet just over bore size so it loads easy, and it bumps up when you fire. I didn't want to deal with any of that. I already had the 44 caliber mold, so it was a no brainier for me. Once I found out how accurate it could be, I don't see myself trying anything else. I'm also shooting Blackhorn 209, which gives me a boost in velocity over black powder. Do not even bother with any other substitute unless you enjoy using all your body weight to load the 3rd shot. That's where sabot's get their bad rap. Real blackpowder works well too, just swab between shots, which i do even with blackhorn. Sabot's are so cheap, you would have to be doing 500+ shots a year to even care. For 50 caliber, you can buy sabot's that hold bullets ranging from 40 caliber up to 475 caliber. 44 and 45 are most common, and come in a number of lengths. I bought 4 packs, and found the one that fits the best. I think MMP will even send you samples.

[Bloodman14]

I plink with Lee TL452-2R cast all the time in my Traditions inline using black sabots and 75 grains of FFFg. Pretty darn accurate at 75 yards.

[WheelgunConvert]

Lyman devastator 44 in green MMP Sabot. Pure lead . I made a wood jag with the screw all the way through to protect the tip of the projectiles. While not required, I still slather the sabot up with Crisco or bacon grease. Many hundreds of shots fired in TC black diamond 50 this way.

You can buy bulk sabots from MMP online MMPSABOTS dot commm.

They also make a blue 40 cal for a 50. If you are a speed freak.

[tsubaki]

I’ve not had any problems with the petals of the sabots using shorter bullets. Been using a 44cal 180gr jacketed for years in the long guns until I started casting for various pistol calibers.
Most recent interest the last year or so is using sabots with cast powder coated or round ball in a pistol.
Powder coated Lee TL430-240-SWC (242gr actual) or .433 round ball (123gr) with green Hornady 50cal sabots.
Powder coated Lee 452-255-RF (262gr actual) or .451 round ball (138gr) with black Hornady 50cal sabots.
I also cast the Lee REAL but haven’t tried it in the pistol yet.
85gr of Blackhorn does well with the heavy bullets, round ball gets 50gr or less.

[glockky]

I prefer full bore slugs in my encore endeavor muzzleloader. Right now I’m shooting the AM 51-450M

Here’s 4 at 100yds swabbing between shots. 1” dot

[wendyj]

That's good grouping. I don't want to run full bore although I can lube the bullets with a lube sizer and 45-45-10. I would like to use the sabots though. I can cast and size 44 or 45 caliber bullets and size as needed. I swab between every shot even with the 209. Guess I just need to buy sabots and try the 452 and 431 or 432 and see how they work. Got a full can of pyrodex I'll never use I could experiment with to try it out.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello wendyj,

I've been shooting an RCBS 45-300-FN in my .50 Lyman Great Plains Hunter with sabots from here.
http://mmpsabots.com/store/orange-hph-sabot/
They shoot very well. I have sized some down to .452 & shot them through a Harvester Sabot also , again with good results.
https://www.harvestermuzzleloading.c...or-less-bullet
In my son's TC Hawken, I had to go a little bigger, about .453 I think worked best. You might have to play with different sizes & sabots to get it together, but it does work shooting cast bullets in a sabot.

AntiqueSledMan.