Muzzleloader Bullet Question

KX500

Should I use a regular conical bullet or a sabot, out of my 50 cal Knight Disc rifle? I really like the Buffalo Bullets 50 cal 245 gr Ball-et - good accuracy and very cheap. But I'm wondering if this bullet driven by 100 grs of powder can reliably get through a deers' shoulder? I've killed 2 deer with this bullet, but the only bones in the way were ribs.
I imagine a hollow point .45 cal from a sabot would give a little better penetration, but do I need it?

bigdog1

Go with the saboted bullet in your rifle. I've had very good results with the Barnes Red Hot 200 gr HP pushed by 130grains of pyrodex pellets. Besides the twist rate of your barrel should be better suited for sabots and not conicals. As far as the price is concerned, how many times do you fire your rifle at game during the season?

gunnut

I have had good luck with power belts and 100gn of pryodex. They are easy to load also!

~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~

Rembrandt

Shot placement is everything...either Buffalo or Saboted rounds will be more than enough to take a deer down. I use Hornady XTP 240 and sometimes 300 grain bullets. My brother shot a nice 11 point buck some years ago using 240's (100 grains pyrodex)...when he got up to the deer, he found the bullet had gone through one deer and into an 8 point killing them both...the bullet was retrived from the second deer and was just beginning to push the hide out, nearly exiting through both deer.

Bullet weights and velocities can be thought of in this way....a semi traveling at 40 mph - vs - a Motorcycle traveling at 40 mph and both hit a brick wall. The Semi does more damage to the wall....but speed up the motorcycle to 125 mph and the damage resembles what the truck did.

The Buffalo bullet is the semi....the .45 cal sabot is the motorcycle. The faster .45 will have a flatter tragectory for long distance shots if that's what is needed.