Eric Bailey
Member
I saw in another thread that you are maybe only hunting deer this year. Still going with that big slug?
Best muzzleloader bullet for elk
- Thread starter Drhorsepower
- Start date
I am new to this forum... hello... I live in Oregon and applied for an Elk tag with a Muzzleloader. I have hunted with a ML smaller animals but not Elk yet. I have 2 knights and a T/C Hawken.
I came across a bunch of 385 gr. Buffalo Bullets 385 gr. HP (so I bought em all)and they work very well in the 1-48" twist Hawken.
I shot an Antelope a few years back with them and DRT!
I do not have much faith in the hollow pointed bullets for larger critters. I may be wrong
The knights 1-28" twist seems to really like the No Excuses 460 gr. Great guy to deal with!
Oregon says the bullet diameter cannot exceed twice the bore diameter. so that is about as heavy as I can go.
2" group with williams FP and fiber optics at 50 yards. that is with 80 gr T7 and a wad. I am thinking a little less powder may shrink the group up some.
I cannot wait to try them on elk.
I came across a bunch of 385 gr. Buffalo Bullets 385 gr. HP (so I bought em all)and they work very well in the 1-48" twist Hawken.
I shot an Antelope a few years back with them and DRT!
I do not have much faith in the hollow pointed bullets for larger critters. I may be wrong
The knights 1-28" twist seems to really like the No Excuses 460 gr. Great guy to deal with!
Oregon says the bullet diameter cannot exceed twice the bore diameter. so that is about as heavy as I can go.
2" group with williams FP and fiber optics at 50 yards. that is with 80 gr T7 and a wad. I am thinking a little less powder may shrink the group up some.
I cannot wait to try them on elk.
Old Hunter
Banned
Yes, i'll use the same bullet for mule deer and elk. I can still get an OTC elk tag. I'll decide that at the last day before the hunt. I have to make sure I can get over Cottonwood Pass to unit 55. A heavy snow will close the pass.
The beauty of heavy slow bullets is it doesn't tear up a lot of meat. It's fine for deer if you take lung shots. Which is all i'll do. Once i have a load worked out for a ML. I don't like to change it for different animals.
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
CoHiCntry
Veteran member
Fink
Veteran member
Went out and shot them about 2 weeks ago. I'm shooting the 300 grain ballistic tips, with 100 grains of triple 7 powder, out of my CVA wolf with open sights. I don't plan on ever shooting the gun much past 100 yards, so I sighted it in at 50.. At 50 yards, groups of 3 all touch the same hole. When I back it out to 100, I can get a group of 3 in about a 4 inch circle. I have no doubt that if I put a scope on the gun, I could drastically improve accuracy at 100 yards.
I was very surprised in how little the bullet dropped from 50 to 100 yards, less than an inch. As a first time muzzle loader, I was anticipating the drop to be much more. In fact, I shot a few powerbelts from 50 -100 yards, and they dropped nearly 4 inches at 100.
Here in the next few weeks, I'll try loading with loose powder, and I'll put it on the crono to see what kind of speed I'm getting.
As a side note, the Williams sights that UH recommend are awesome. Was immediately dialed in left to right, and one adjustment had me good up and down.
Old Hunter
Banned
That's the beauty of an all copper bullet like the Thor. It's lighter than lead, so the bullet is longer. A much better BC. Compare the Thor in the same weight as a lead conical, or Powerbelt. The difference is a lot.
Plus, the Thor has 100% weight retention, perfect expansion, and impressive penetration.
If you want to see how accurate the bullet is. Put a scope on the gun, and hunt the rifle seasons. Good for 250 yds easily.
Plus, the Thor has 100% weight retention, perfect expansion, and impressive penetration.
If you want to see how accurate the bullet is. Put a scope on the gun, and hunt the rifle seasons. Good for 250 yds easily.
Fink
Veteran member
I'd bet the bullet is good for 250 easy, I'm not so sure about the gun itself though.. It's got a very short barrel, squeezing 250 out of it might be pushing it. I may eventually put a scope on it, but the Idaho muzzleloader tag I WILL be drawing in the next month or so, says I have to shoot open sights. 
Old Hunter
Banned
The Wolf will be fine at that yardage. It has a 24" barrel. I've had two Wolfs, and the barrel won't hold it back.
I know someone on another ML forum i'm on. He took an Accura, and cut the barrel down to 20". He was shooting 2" groups at 300 yds with it.
I know someone on another ML forum i'm on. He took an Accura, and cut the barrel down to 20". He was shooting 2" groups at 300 yds with it.
Eric Bailey
Member
Was just messing around with my wolf this weekend. Put open sights on it and was getting ready to hit the range but I have a big problem. The hammer cocks all the way back, but when trigger is pulled it stops just short of the firing pin even when the break action is closed. Am I missing something obvious, or should I call CVA for help?
I got my package of Thor .501 300 grain bullets. I tried running them down the barrel. They'll go, but take some pushing. I assume that is ok and the barrel isn't going to burst, but since this is my first muzzleloader, I thought I'd confirm with you guys who have been using them.
Thanks!
Eric
I got my package of Thor .501 300 grain bullets. I tried running them down the barrel. They'll go, but take some pushing. I assume that is ok and the barrel isn't going to burst, but since this is my first muzzleloader, I thought I'd confirm with you guys who have been using them.
Thanks!
Eric
Fink
Veteran member
I'm going to default to the experts here, but from what I understood, the full bore bullets should take about the same amount of pressure to push down the barrel as do the sabots.
Old Hunter
Banned
Make sure the breech plug is seated all the way in.
If you can get the Thor down. It's fine. The 300gr fit a bit tighter than the 250gr which was the sample kit bullets. If it's too hard to load them. Give Terry at Thor a call, and he'll exchange them for some 300gr .500.
Eric Bailey
Member
Yeah, I saw they were shorter and lighter than the sample bullets. Definitely seem to fit tighter too. That said, I am really impressed with the design. Like you said - excellent BC, solid construction for controlled expansion, and a thin ring on the back to make a good gas seal and engage the rifling. Glad you guys pointed me in that direction.
Eric Bailey
Member
Old Hunter
Banned
Fink
Veteran member
OH, on your Wolf, did you ever have any issues with the trigger not wanting to go, when you pulled it? 2 or 3 times now, I've had to REALLY squeeze to get the gun to go off. 50 pound trigger pull is not the best for accurate shooting.
Eric Bailey
Member
I'm at work (can't you tell?). I'll take another look when I get home, but I'm nearly certain it is screwed all the way down.
When I cleaned the barrel, there was some debris in it. I wonder if there is some in the trigger assembly as well.
Hoping to get it cleared up quickly as I can't wait to shoot it. I am a small guy and do a lot of backpacking, so I bought the compact model. It is amazing how light and quick handling the wolf is. Like a brush gun.
When I cleaned the barrel, there was some debris in it. I wonder if there is some in the trigger assembly as well.
Hoping to get it cleared up quickly as I can't wait to shoot it. I am a small guy and do a lot of backpacking, so I bought the compact model. It is amazing how light and quick handling the wolf is. Like a brush gun.
Old Hunter
Banned
All CVA guns need to have the trigger cleaned out. They come from the factory with gunk in them. You need a spray cleaner to flush them out, and then a light lube.
It should be a light, no creep 2-3lb trigger when everything is right, and adjusted.
It should be a light, no creep 2-3lb trigger when everything is right, and adjusted.
FrontierMuzzleloading
Member
If you close the action and the hammer does not fully cock, only goes half way, thats an indication that the breech plug is not fully seated in the chamber and its setting off the safety built into the rifle,not allowing it to cock. If you do not have the breech plug tool to seat it down harder, wrap the breech plug in either a piece of leather or cardboard, use vise grips and snug that plug down tight and then back it off. It will form the face of the breech plug into the chamber and should fix that problem.
Sizing Thor bullets. The 300gr Version will fit tighter due to the longer bearing surface VS the shorter 250gr Thor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDmFUckyCUI
If you can load the 300gr in the size you ordered, its fine. When you struggle like i do in the field, thats not a good thing and much to tight. Hope the video helps.
Sizing Thor bullets. The 300gr Version will fit tighter due to the longer bearing surface VS the shorter 250gr Thor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDmFUckyCUI
If you can load the 300gr in the size you ordered, its fine. When you struggle like i do in the field, thats not a good thing and much to tight. Hope the video helps.