Casting boolits for sabots

[wtfooptimax200]

I am going to cast some boolits for use in 50 cal sabots. Will pure lead be sufficient since there will be no worry of leading due to the sabot? The intended use will be for deer hunting. I would think that this would result in some rather violent expansion. My only fear is that the boolit will not stay together. What are your thoughts?

[GMT210]

I use a mihec 45-270saa HP, with an MMP hth-24 sabot and 100grns of Pyrodex, about to play with Blackhorn. deadly and surprisingly flat shooting. I've cast "pure" stick on wheel weights as well as a 94-2-4 alloy, both shoot very well and mushroom out very nicely. I don't feel the need for the pure lead since I am shooting sabots and will be pushing the velocities with Blackhorn this fall. The current Pyrodex load took 8 deer last year amongst friends that I casted for.

[Tatume]

Jacketed 300 gr bullets caused too much destruction when used in my sabot gun. I tried Sierra 452 cal pistol bullets and Remington 45-70 HP bullets. Then I switched to 330 gr 458 caliber smooth-sided bullets cast of wheelweights. The mold was made by Veral Smith with his Marlin profile (one cavity, the other is a grooved, GC, 350 gr Marlin bullet). They work perfectly, and kill like lightning.

I would not consider using soft lead, as it would be far to destructive at high speed.

[Omnivore]

What is this "expansion" y'all speak of? My son and I have killed four deer with 50 cal pure lead round ball over 110 to 120 grains of FF Goex (24" bbl) and I have yet to see any signs of "expansion". One ball recovered was in good enough shape I genuinely think I could load it and shoot it again. The wounds on the other deer, in and out, all looked about the same-- a big round hole going in and a big round hole of about the same size coming out. That's killing at distances of less than 20 yards to around 85 yards (the 85 yard ball stopped just under the skin though after penetrating 25 inches, hence the ball recovery).

[badbob454]

Round balls dont expand much or minimally .../ flat nose bullets will, due to the flatt surface. A roundball is pushing muscle tissue arount it as it is tearing through the flesh , like a 9 mm roundnose a flatnose boolit will smack the flesh tearing the muscle and compressing the boolit causing a mushroom effect ... Best as i can describe it ... Also a sabot round usually goes faster than factory fodder thus more expansion ... Imo.... ....bob.........AND YES I THINK SOFT LEAD WILL WORK OK IN THE 50 MUZZY GOOD ENOUGH

[Omnivore]

badbob; Your explanation makes sense up to the point where sabots go faster. Maybe the typically heavier sabot round will go faster than a ~180 grain, .490" - .495"round ball, but as the saying goes; "I'd have to see the gun camera film on that one" (or the chrono data).

I have see with mine own two eyes a 180 grain Buffalo "Ballet" go significantly faster from a '58 Remington revolver than a round ball, using the same charge of FFF. Something about higher pressure = higher heat = faster burn I figure. Or maybe it was a better seal with the semi-hollow base Ballet and the far longer bearing surface.

[10 ga]

50 cal boolits in sabots! Works good but I need more info to say if soft Pb will be OK. Info like gun make and model, twist, barrel length, powder type, ignition method, etc...

If you are shooting BP or 777 or Pyro and boolits of 300 gr or more, you'll be ok with soft lead.

If you are shooting lighter boolits, and BlackHorn209 or have a Savage MLII and use smokeless, then a tougher alloy is in order. I use soft lead in my sidehammer and inline smokey MLs and 50-50 + 2 alloy, WW-Pb+tin, in my Savage MLIIs. Lotsa dead deer and no boolit failures.

Just about all the "commercial" ML boolits are soft lead unless they are the all copper type. Even the jacketed types are usually pistol type boolits designed for lower velocity. Unless you are shooting a lot of BlackHorn209 or have a smokeless ML you probably arn't getting over about 1800-1900 fps at most. Soft lead can handle that just fine.
Best, 10 ga

[69papatango]

Is it Legal to hunt with sabots in your neck of the woods? Here its not nor with plastic base either.

[phaessler]

Have been doing it for 5 years now, Lyman 429640, in pure Pb, in a HArvester green 50 cal sabot. Switched last year to BH209. Hits like a freight train, new meaning to bang-flop, its bang - flip - flop. I do size the boolits to 0.431", no lube.

Pete

[inkedbylee]

just wint out to day and with some sabos i was shooting my .45 hollow point thay groped good and think all should try it never know how it will end up

[badbob454]

badbob; Your explanation makes sense up to the point where sabots go faster. Maybe the typically heavier sabot round will go faster than a ~180 grain, .490" - .495"round ball, but as the saying goes; "I'd have to see the gun camera film on that one" (or the chrono data).

I have see with mine own two eyes a 180 grain Buffalo "Ballet" go significantly faster from a '58 Remington revolver than a round ball, using the same charge of FFF. Something about higher pressure = higher heat = faster burn I figure. Or maybe it was a better seal with the semi-hollow base Ballet and the far longer bearing surface.

check this out ; sabots can be loaded to 4,000 fps in some rounds

http://www.sabotreloadingpro.com/

[roverboy]

I've loaded and shot some 55 gr. spitzers in my .308 using sabots. So far I can't get accuracy. The powder don't burn real good either. The loading data said to use faster burning powder like 748,IMR4198,H335 etc. I loaded IMR4198 .22-250 starter loads in the .308 case and it didn't work so good. I'm gonna try again sometime. But, back to the original subject. I've never shot any homemade cast in a sabot muzzleloader load. I did shoot some store bought 240 gr. .44 cal. cast flat points. They shot pretty good and I killed a big doe with one.

[wgr]

when i do shoot sabots i use my cast 250/300 grain bullets sized to .452 over 90grains of 2f. haven,t lost a deer shot with them . have killed deer from 20 to 100 yards . and a coyote at 125. the bullet is a LBTwfn.

[eric_2902]

I have pretty good success with the lee .50 mold and wheel weights. My muzzleloader go boom and I hit the pie plate at 100 yards every time. That's with my crappy CVA Wolf. I wont be buying any more sabots any time soon


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