Lee 429-200-RF in sabot?

[FergusonTO35]

Hey folks, I'm looking for a good sabot boolit for my NEF Huntsman muzzleloader. My use would just be deer in the woods at 60 yards or less. I like the looks of the Lee 429-200-RF. Big flat point, 200 grain so it saves lead. Anybody ever try this boolit in a sabot? I also like the Lee 452-255-RF, but I already have a bunch of .44 caliber sabots.

[T-Bird]

not that boolit, but 429421 shoots great out of my T/C Hawken 50 cal barrel in a sabot. Never hunted with it tho. I don't see why that boolit wouldn't be just as good.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks. Thousands of deer have fallen to the .44-40 using that sort of boolit so I see no reason why it wouldn't work out of a front stuffer. Just ordered the mold, hopefully I can pour some and try it out this weekend.

[Tripplebeards]

I've tried the Lyman devastators and a group buy 285 grain .452 HP I bought for my 450BM. Didn't get as good of groups as my goto TC 300 grain shock waves so I never hunted with them. They grouped good enough but didn't try them. Think I had a 2" 100 yard group with the 285 grainers and an original TC black 3 pedal sabot. To me it's all about the sabot for best accuracy.

[FergusonTO35]

Just ordered the mold. I have Hornady sabots right now but am planning to try others. I've read that the Harvester Crush Rib sabots are really good.

[pietro]

.

If your Huntsman is a .50, it should work OK.

My oldest grandson's is a .45. so I had to buy saboted .357JHP ammo (Remington) for his use, after I gifted it to him.

[Tripplebeards]

Just ordered the mold. I have Hornady sabots right now but am planning to try others. I've read that the Harvester Crush Rib sabots are really good.

I’d tell you to order some of the Thompson center original black sabots. I’ve also have better accuracy with the 45 cal sabots with .452 boolits vs the 44 cal with .430 boolits to use in my 50 cal omega. Seems the 44 call open groups up quite a bit vs the 45’s for some reason. I’ve tried a lot of different sabots including the crush rib sabots and the TC originals shoot the tightest for me and 3 of my buddies guns. I did a post on it a couple of seasons ago here somewhere.

[Kylongrifle32]

I have take many deer with the Lee 429-250 SWC in my T/C Renegade.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks, yes my Huntsman is a .50. Will order some of the TC's when I order sabots. KYlongrifle, what sort of powder and charge do you use? I have a New Englander also.

[LAGS]

No matter what rifle you are shooting ,or the Boolits you want to try out.
Just start you loads Low like 50 gr.
Then keep loading up higher about 10 gr. More each shot.
There are so many Variable Factors in each gun to have some kind of Set Load that we can recommend.

[fastdadio]

I’d tell you to order some of the Thompson center original black sabots. I’ve also have better accuracy with the 45 cal sabots with .452 boolits vs the 44 cal with .430 boolits to use in my 50 cal omega. Seems the 44 call open groups up quite a bit vs the 45’s for some reason. I’ve tried a lot of different sabots including the crush rib sabots and the TC originals shoot the tightest for me and 3 of my buddies guns. I did a post on it a couple of seasons ago here somewhere.

This has been my experience also. I suspect the .45 cal sabot petals are a bit thinner and peel off easier with less drag/upset.... maybe?
My sabot shooter is the Traditions Buck Skinner carbine with a 1:20 twist. It favors the heavier boolits of 250 to 300 grs. loaded with 70 to 90 grs 2F. Sub 3" groups @ 100yds consistently with any make boolit and every brand sabot I've tried.

[stubshaft]

I've read that the Harvester Crush Rib sabots are really good.

They are easier to push down the bore than the Hornady's.

[FergusonTO35]

No matter what rifle you are shooting ,or the Boolits you want to try out.
Just start you loads Low like 50 gr.
Then keep loading up higher about 10 gr. More each shot.
There are so many Variable Factors in each gun to have some kind of Set Load that we can recommend.

Yep, every rifle is a law unto itself and that's what I always do. I never shoot more than 80 grains of T7 with any load anyway.

[FergusonTO35]

Ok, dumb question time. I just poured a bunch of the 429-200-RF boolits and they look great but it turns out my Hornady sabots are for .45 caliber slugs. Will they work at all with my .44 boolits?

[mnewcomb59]

I use 452 boolits in sabots and I have found that plain base boolits shoot around 3" at 50 yards when sized to .452. They do not seat all the way into the bottom of the sabot because the sabot has a radius at the bottom. Maybe they would shoot better if sized smaller so they sit square on the bottom inside of the sabot. What I have found since then is that a GC bullet with no GC will shoot inside an inch at 50 yards. I was going to try a bevel base bullet in the sabot to see how the accuracy was compared to a plain base, but I quit when I saw how good the 300-RF shot.

With your 44 bullet I would experiment with sizing dies and you might find that it shoots best with your smallest sizing die.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks. I went ahead and ordered some .44 sabots, we shall see how they work.

[Moleman-]

I've used the green hornady 44/50 sabots and either a cast 240gr swc or one of hornadys LSWC or LSWCHP over 90gr of powder for the past 30 years. If its not broken don't fix it.

[FergusonTO35]

Thats what I figure. I've always wanted to pour my own muzzleloader boolits but most of the available designs don't appeal to me.

[Moleman-]

Since you don't have to worry about leading I cast the 240gr boolits out of soft lead when casting slugs or round ball, and put them with the black powder stuff. So far they've all exited, so at one point I tried the hollowpoints. The hollowpoints did a bunch more shock meat damage at the entrance side until the hollowpoint broke off and the base pushed on through to exit. Found a C of lead from one while field dressing a doe that looked like if you cut the bottom ring off of a soft drink can and likely just as thin. It must of made a heck of temporary cavity as it went through.

[FergusonTO35]

Does sabot use require you to brush out plastic fouling? Even though I was swabbing between shots, accuracy went south after about a dozen shots. Now, I was getting fatigued too so that could be it. I've read it both ways. Some folks brush the bore between shots and others just clean with hot water as they would do with PRB and not worry about it otherwise. I'm also going to try the sabots in my TC New Englander which shoots PRB quite well.

[FergusonTO35]

I put about 20 rounds through the Pursuit yesterday getting it sighted in with the sabots. 80 grains of T7 is quite accurate so that's what I'm going to stick with. I swabbed between shots using Rusty Duck Blackout and dry patch afterward. Also tried spit patch and dry patch and it seemed to work just as well. I did brush and swab the bore after shooting. I couldn't see any sort of plastic fouling, although the brush did dislodge some baked on powder fouling.

[Moleman-]

Don't recall ever having an issue with plastic fouling. There is some, but it seems to brush right out. I don't swab between each shot, but at some point when using T7 you're going to feel the carbon buildup starting at the bottom of the barrel. Accuracy usually starts to drop off unless you at least brush/wipe it out. Good luck hunting.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks. I've always found that I can usually get three good shots with T7 before accuracy degrades and it becomes harder to load.

[FergusonTO35]

Well, on saturday a friend took a nice doe at 100 yards with one of my boolits in a sabot so they must work well!

[Moleman-]

Congrats to your friend on the deer. 3 shots is probably right, knever really paid attention to the number of shots between brushing/damp patch.

[FergusonTO35]

If using sabots and T7, what would you use to lube the bore with while the rifle is stored? Or is it even necessary? My rifles all stay indoors in climate control when not in use. Since switching to T7 I haven't observed any sort of rust or corrosion.

[AntiqueSledMan]

If using sabots and T7, what would you use to lube the bore with while the rifle is stored? Or is it even necessary? My rifles all stay indoors in climate control when not in use. Since switching to T7 I haven't observed any sort of rust or corrosion.

I clean with hot soapy (dreft) water, rinse and let dry, then coat inside and out with Bore Butter.

AntiqueSledMan.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks, that's what I do with my sidelocks that only see PRB's. I've read that sabots don't get along with bore lubes, don't know how true that is.