Shot'n maxi-Hunters and maxi-balls from a CVA bobcat today, groups

[Kylongrifle]

Have some interesting results from today..The rifle was my old trusty cva bobcat..Left the TC's in the safe today..distance was 40 yards(wanted 50 but had to settle for 40 today)..Powder was 80gr of FFG Goex, with Winchester #11 magnum caps.All boolits were cast from pure lead.
The group at the top center (ish') was a three shot group of 370 gr maxi balls with a felt wad. These were cast from a lyman mold. I was a tad concerned because they dropped a bit smaller than maxi balls from my TC mold but it didn't seem to make any difference in accuracy..Thats group is a bit less than an inch, nice cloverleaf..I wanted to shoot a 5 shot group but had to stop there.
Next was the Maxi Hunters, 350 gr..First thing you will notice is the change in point of impact..Low and left..Odd since the maxi hunter was lighter than the maxi ball but not too surprising. These maxi hunters were also loaded with a felt wad. That is a pretty decent 5 shot group..Didnt measure but probably an inch and a half or so.It was actually smaller but thee top shot opened it up just a bit, but still pleased.Not as good as the maxi balls but still a decent group that I would not mind hunt'n with one bit.Maxi hunters seem to have a love/hate relationship with most rifles. I think this one likes them just fine.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/kytrapper/Mobile%20Uploads/20151227_161243_zpsewmh4gyx.jpg (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/kytrapper/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151227_161243_zpsewmh4gyx.jpg.html)

[mooman76]

Nice groups.

[725]

Nice group, indeed. I've always had better luck shooting & hunting with the maxi-balls. They just drop deer & wild boar with authority. (Pure lead, of course.) Keep up the good work.

[Kylongrifle]

You can make even the ugly ones shoot with a little work..Just take the time to learn it..

[roverboy]

I've killed several deer over the years with both the bullets you used. They usually shoot good in most rifles.

[Kylongrifle]

Ive never taken a deer with the maxi hunters..How do they do terminally?

[duckey]

Nice. I shoot that maxi ball out of my TC Grey Hawk with 90 gn Schutzen BP. Never used a felt wad. Shoots good at 50 yards.

[GoexBlackhorn]

Nice. I shoot that maxi ball out of my TC Grey Hawk with 90 gn Schutzen BP. Never used a felt wad. Shoots good at 50 yards.

The wad can improve your distance.... say out to 100 yards.
In my opinion, Maxiballs are more accurate, but the MaxiHunter is a better two-way bullet (expansion/penetration).

[Omnivore]

I haven't tried those two bullets, but I get cloverleafs at 50 yards with the 250 grain, 50 cal REAL out of my 48" twist Lyman Deerstalker, using 90 grains Goex 2F and a felt wad. Without the wad they didn't do so well.

HOWEVER; at 100 yards, with wads, the groups fall all apart. Just worthless. With that experience then, when I see a nice cloverleaf at 40 or 50 yards, I see great shooting and great potential, but not *necessarily* the load I'd want. I do better with patched round ball at 100 from that rifle.

I do have some of the Maxi and Maxi Hunters, which I haven't tried. If they can shoot OK at 100 they'd be good for the larger game and possibly for longer distances (round ball loses its energy pretty quick).

The 50 cal round ball does pretty well on our Northwest white tail deer, the longest shot so far that I've taken on a deer being 85 yards.

This year's white tail, a young buck, was hit from 65 yards and the round ball killed him right there. I shot from standing, unsupported. The ball went high, partially due to that distance being near the midrange height of the trajectory with a 100 zero and me not taking that into consideration because I’d grossly over-estimated the distance, and partly because I was unsupported taking a snap shot and released high. Thus the ball hit the underside of the spine and broke the spinal cord, nicking the upper portion of the lungs. Wrecking the heavy vertebrae all to hell, the ball still passed through.

The 85 yard shot was on a quartering away, mature buck and it penetrated 25 inches before stopping under the hide on the far side. Killed him plenty dead too.

I don't know why you'd need a heavier slug unless you were going for a 150 or 200 yard zero or much larger game, and in that case I'd want to see how the Maxis group out past 100 yards.

Just my two cents.

Keep up the great shooting. I'd like to see more from that load. Thanks.

[roverboy]

Ive never taken a deer with the maxi hunters..How do they do terminally?

I think I've only killed 2 deer with maxi-hunters. But they did expand good. One lodged under the skin on the opposite side and was about .90 caliber.

[Kylongrifle]

I think I've only killed 2 deer with maxi-hunters. But they did expand good. One lodged under the skin on the opposite side and was about .90 caliber.

Thanks! I was curious, Ive heard good things about its expansion..I like the maxi balls really well too but they tend to punch straight through..Not that Ive had a problem with that..A big hole in and out of a whitetail generally means a DRT deer or a very short tracking job.

[roverboy]

There's nothing at all wrong with Maxi-Balls. If you've got a rifle that shoots them good, shoot'em.