Thor Bullets
- Thread starter Kentucky hunter
- Start date
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I bought a new TC Pro Hunter last year and it takes a .501. Just goes to show you why Thor does what it does when there is a lot of barrel diameter variation as it seems there is.
CC how hard did yours fit they were all tight at the breech but the .503 had more of the rifling showing on it I could use the .502 Ill get some an shoot it an see
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
One thing I found out is that after you've shot a couple, the larger ones really are hard to get down the barrel. I could get a .502 down the barrel, but it was pretty tight. I ordered some and went to the range. after the first shot it was almost impossible to get another one to work without cleaning the barrel pretty good. I sent the .502s back and traded for .501. Works better, but still might end up with .500s.
I finally got my new sights on and the trigger work done and just havn't got back to the range. I have a bunch of different bullets I want to try after I get it sighted in. hope I get to shoot it Tue or Wed.
I finally got my new sights on and the trigger work done and just havn't got back to the range. I have a bunch of different bullets I want to try after I get it sighted in. hope I get to shoot it Tue or Wed.
Musket Man
Veteran member
They dont need to be real tight. The way they are designed when they are fired it expands the hollow back into the rifling. I used hornady fpb last time I went to CO which are the same idea and they load easier then a sabot in my knight and shot well. As CC said when your barrel gets fowled they will get harder to load if they are to tight
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
So I believe the instructions say it should take 20-30 pounds of loading force. In my Accura, on a clean bore, the 0.500" goes down with light pressure (there is some friction), the 0.501 goes down probably in that 25 pound range. Which would you go with?
P.S. I just tried the Thor bullets again after fouling the bore (5 shots of BH209 yesterday). The 0.500 loads very nicely now. I'm afraid the 0.501 may be too tight.
P.S. I just tried the Thor bullets again after fouling the bore (5 shots of BH209 yesterday). The 0.500 loads very nicely now. I'm afraid the 0.501 may be too tight.
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I would probably go with the .500. You definitely don't need to have any problem reloading the second shot if you have an animal down. You want it to be smooth and effortlessly....IMHO. What is the accuracy like, any difference between the .500 & .501?
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
One correction…the rifle I am testing in is my Optima, not my Accura.
CC….I have not shot the Thors yet. I have had such good results with the No Excuses bullets I have been shooting them. I recently bought this Optima and my accuracy suffers above 70 grains of BH209 powder. With the rifle scoped, I get a 2" 100 yard group at 70 grains (volume) and 6" at 80 grains. Most of the of the "spray" being high/low and not left/right. I chronographed the 70 grain load and am getting 1250 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards. I'm thinking that really should be the bottom end for my Colorado elk hunt this fall. What do you think?
I have thought I could shoot a hotter load with the Thors.
I may just take my Knight. It accurately shoots 90 grains (volume) BH209 with the 460 grain No Excuses.
Some possible good news for using Thor bullets in Oregon. ODFW changed it's muzzleloader bullet law this year. The regulations now state "Only conical bullets made of lead, lead alloy, or federally-approved nontoxic shot material, with a length that does not exceed twice the diameter….are allowed during muzzleloader-only seasons…" The addition of the phrase "federally-approve non toxic shot material", rather than just lead bullets should open Oregon up to using the Thor bullet. I have a friend high up in ODFW that is chasing this down and he feels the Thor certainly meets the intent of the law.
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BKC
Very Active Member
In my t/c triumph, in a clean barrel, the .500 slid down the barrel and the .501 barely hung up. After the first shot the .501 pushed hard. The 502 was real tough to push, both clean and fouled. I chose the .501.
Musket Man
Veteran member
UH. I think I would use the .500 too. It is interesting your group is mostly high and low not side to side. I will probably be playing with some loads and bullets before I go back to CO too. FPB's shoot pretty well in my Knight but I might experiment with the Thors. Need to work on non 209 primer WA loads too. I wasnt real happy with it when I sighted it in but the only shot I ever shot at a deer in this state flattened him in his tracks so I guess it worked pretty well
I have an Accura V2. I can load FPB's which I measure out of the box at .503 with not too much effort. A Thor that measures .501 will not go at all. A .500 Thor goes down about right and measures .499 when it comes out the other end. I haven't shot the Thors yet but hope they shoot better than the FPB's do for me.
Musket Man
Veteran member
The FPB's only measure that at the back. Up farther they measure .497 or something. I think the thin skirt is designed to crush down slightly to fit your bore and that is why they fit most barrels. My knight shot them pretty well when I used them in CO a couple years ago.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Musket Man
Veteran member
Do Thors measure .501 or whatever size they are all the way to where they taper down at the tip?
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I really don't know as I've only measured them from the base up about 25% of the length and they are pretty consistent.
I just went and measured both. As MM said the FPB's measure .503 at the base and .497 about 1/3 of the way towards the tip. At the very base the thickness of the jacket in that base cup is .060".
The Thors measure the same in the middle @ .497 but the thickness of the wall or jacket in the cup is .040".
I did not measure the depth of the cup but will do that next.
Off topic - am currently shooting 90 grains by volume of Blackhorn 209. How much should I expect the group sizes to change as I increase the powder charge? I expect not much. Thanks
The Thors measure the same in the middle @ .497 but the thickness of the wall or jacket in the cup is .040".
I did not measure the depth of the cup but will do that next.
Off topic - am currently shooting 90 grains by volume of Blackhorn 209. How much should I expect the group sizes to change as I increase the powder charge? I expect not much. Thanks
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
My experience is that you have to try yourself. MLs are similar to regular smokeless loading....every gun is different and there is no way to know until you actually get to the range. What shoots for me in my ML, may not shoot the same for you. If you have a chrono, I would take it and get some velocities for each load.
I take the blame for hijacking this thread...
Yes, I have a chrono and next week will use it and some load testing with both the Thors and FBB's. This is a Colorado elk gun so you are aware of the variables. That being said I also intend to shoot some TMZ's just to see how they'll do to.
Yes, I have a chrono and next week will use it and some load testing with both the Thors and FBB's. This is a Colorado elk gun so you are aware of the variables. That being said I also intend to shoot some TMZ's just to see how they'll do to.
110 grains of BH209 and the TMZ shoot really well in my Encore. Move up or down 10 grains and its not nearly as stable. On the flip side, the Expander ML likes 100 grains. Both have been very lethal on deer. Seriously, I've not had one take another step yet. I'm interested in these Thor bullets now that you guys had to bring them up lol.
Musket Man
Veteran member
I think Im going to have to order some Thore's to try them even though I didnt draw my CO tag and I can use a sabot here. I need to take it out and play with some loads. I wasnt real happy with it last year when I switched to musket caps to be legal here but I killed a deer that never even kicked with the only shot I have ever fired at a deer with a musket cap at about 100 yards so I guess I cant complain to much!