Generally speaking, the 250gr Barnes muzzleloader bullets are ideal for deer sized game (though they will certainly work on bigger animals as well). Loose powder, not pellets. I get good results from my 50 cal. In terms of muzzleloader deer bullets, we consider these to be the best options, with our pick for 2023 going to the PowerBelt AeroLite. Idaho regulations state that the muzzleloader must be loaded only with a patched round ball or conical non-jacketed projectile comprised wholly of lead or lead alloy and they must also be full bore. To ease loading, the barrel features what T/C coined Quick Load Accurizer (QLA); essentially, the last inch of barrel length is devoid of rifling. Hornady makes a line of qualitymuzzleloader round balls. Email Address Now using - 85gr. Best Muzzleloading Shotgun: Pedersoli Classic Standard. #4. Resting beneath the barrel is an anodized aluminum ramrod measuring 0.367" in diameter and threaded to accept 10-32-thread-pattern accessories. In the valley of the Dry Fork in Western KY. By the same token, the 300 grain Platinums are nice muzzleloader bullets for elk out past 200 yards. Bam Bam; Jan 23, 2023; Firearms; 2. The PowerBelt AeroLite has been one of our most popular bullets for many years and for good reason. Bottom line: To get the best results, you have to spend some time and money on different combinations to find what works best for your rifle. The Hornady ELD-X is offered in .50 caliber and weighs in at a sturdy 340-grains. The bullet is also 100% copper making it one of a select few bullets that are legal in California. Thompson/Center Pro Hunter FX Breech Plug PH TC T/C. Attachments. MSRP: $19.59 to $37.39 per 20-count package. 250ish grain bullet going around 1800-1900 fps. This design leaves less residue behind, which makes cleaning the barrel and loading subsequent shots much easier. JavaScript is disabled. I started out with Pyrodex; started at 100gr and worked up to 120gr with average groups at 100 yards. I've tried a few different sabots, but my Encore has a very tight barrel and being what some may consider a large guy had a heck of a time loading it after the first shot. a shot group of 3 is most common,and a quick easy way to do it is to measure the distance between the centers of the two most widely separated bullet holes..Simple enough.Yeah there's a ton of ways to do it,but that's how I do it.Of course that's if you feel like all three shot were on,and you didn't pull off target. For more detailed information on choosing the gear for hunting with a muzzleloader, check out these other articles: These Are The Best 9 Best Muzzleloader Sights For Hunters, 5 Best Traditional Muzzleloaders For Hunters, Essential Muzzleloader Supplies Every Hunter Needs, 11 Best Hunting Ear Protection Options For Hunters. Inserts at the comb, pistol grip and fore-end enhance comfort and purchase. Build a world-class magnum muzzleloader, a centerfire rifle, special purpose shotgun or compact big bore brush gun. Not only are they some of the least expensive muzzleloader bullets out there, but they are also available in a wide variety of sizes, which makes them a great choice for hunters looking for .32, .36, .44, .45, .50, and/or.54 caliber muzzleloading bullets. Noting that trend, T/C announced the addition of the fixed-barrel Pro Hunter FX 209X50 Magnum muzzleloader to the companys muzzleloader lines.Unlike its switch-barrel Encore Pro Hunter XT counterpart, the Pro Hunter FX 209X50 Magnum is a dedicated muzzleloader thanks to a non-removable, relocated hinge pin that is incompatible with Encore and Encore Pro Hunter barrels. Swift Bullet Company is packaging its highly regarded A-frame bullet in new A-Frame Black Powder Sabots for .50 and .54 caliber muzzleloaders. Any bullet larger than 325 grains is not recommended . Great information from everyone. Speaking of the Remington 700 Ultimate Muzzleloader, the 100% copper Premier AccuTip bullet is produced by Barnes specifically for use in the Remington 700 UML. T/C Encore Pro Hunter XT. The options are limited when you are hunting in the northwest but there are still some heavy-hitting bullets forhunterslooking to chase animals with a smoke pole. Best Muzzleloader bullets - General Discussion Forum - In-Depth Outdoors Keep your powder and primers dry. Remington was trying to build a muzzleloader with a 300 yard lethal range, so they also needed a bullet that could handle up to a 200 grain powder charge. It is also available in .45 and .50 caliber allowing you to utilize this bullet regardless of your caliber preference. In my Encore I have been using a 250 gr ShockWave over 90gr. I've hunted almost everyday of my life.The rest have been wasted!! 5. The Speed Breech 3 hand-removable breech plug makes cleaning just as easy, and adjustable Williams Fiber Optics come standard as well. Encore Pro Hunter Rifle: Just How Good (Or Bad)Is It? This I shoot until I'm bored with no fouling. CVA PARAMOUNT PRO ; Best Mountain Muzzleloader. Instead of using a sabot or a plastic skirt on the base of the bullet, this bullet has an innovative design featuring a black polymer cup attached to its base that engages the rifling and seals the barrel. Indeed, Ive heard great reports from hunters with other .45 caliber muzzleloaders who have gotten outstanding results with the PowerBelt ELR. Cabelas was sold out of it as of yesterday. How did you get the hinge pin out? Lastly, because T/C sought an especially tight seal despite widely varying tolerances of 209 shotshell primers, when closing the FX it must be done smartly so as to permit lockup, otherwise, the gun appears to be ready to fire but the hammer cannot be cocked. Its not the best muzzleloader bullet out there, but its reasonably priced and will work really well for deer hunters in most situations. If you are looking for a muzzleloader elk hunting adventure, the Barnes SpitFire T-EZ is the bullet for you. Review: Encore Pro Hunter Katahdin .45-70 - Shooting Times While there is absolutely nothing wrong with using a plain old round ball or an old school conical bullet, there are plenty of other choices available for hunters who want to hunt with the absolute best muzzleloader bullets possible. Shop industry-leading muzzleloader accessories, optics, barrels, sabots, stocks, forends, . Muzzle-Loaders.com offers only items are that are considered primitive or antique weapons by the ATF and are not considered firearms. If you live in a state like Idaho that only allows 100% lead bullets during muzzleloader season, then you should really consider using the PowerBelt Pure Lead muzzleloader bullet. Elk hunting is something that our team is passionate about and we are excited to give you our muzzleloader elk bullet recommendation. Thompson Encore Bergara 50 Cal. For those reasons,thePowerBelt Platinum muzzleloading bulletsare best suited for taking longer range shots (past 200 yards) and/or for hunting larger species of game. This triple lead thread design on the Speed Breech 3 . $30.00 shipping. What distinguished the Encore from the Contender was that, due to the formers beefier frame, it could chamber high-pressure, hard-hitting cartridges favored by hunters, such as the .300 Win. This rifle loads relatively easily with the Harvester Muzzleloading .50x.45 black "Crush Rib" Sabot and a .451-.452" bullet. Likewise we are expecting very good things and maybe even better from the ELD-X. A solid aluminum PalmSaver ramrod is also included in the package to make reloading super easy. The combination of these two characteristics allows a bullet to have shot-to-shot consistency and long-range stabilization. Gonna hit the range this week with a couple bottle of Blackhorn 209, I read a ton of great things about this stuff and will try it with a few different bullets and grain loads. Get the best deals on Range & Shooting Black Powder Accessories when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. As with the receiver, the Pro Hunter FX 209X50 Magnum's 26", 0.885"-diameter fluted barrel is coated with Weather Shield to enhance its corrosion resistance, and its eight-groove, 1:28" RH . Usually watch the deer drop! They shoot awesome and are very easy to load. TC recommended it after I complained about 777.[up][up][up][up][up]. This, coupled with a well-designed breechplug, minimizes the risk to metal parts.The lines and contours of the FX mimic those of its XT counterpart, and operation is identical, too. Second, the information contained in this post is subject to change. I am shooting 3 pellets(150gr)of pyrodex and 250 shock waves with winchester 209 primers out of my T/C Encore Pro-hunter and they leave excellent blood trails with out going far at all. . Change the barrel. My preference is teflon tape on the breech plug instead of grease. or Best . This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering. Unless there is excessive play (side to side when the frame is open), its going to shoot fine and you won't have a problem with it. Best TC Encore/Pro Hunter Load???? - Modern Muzzleloader Muzzleloading 250gr Barnes Spitfire TMZ's with 100gr of Blackhorn shoots great out of my Encore. Not only is it a full bore, pure lead bullet thats permitted for use in these states, but it also reasonably priced and comes with all the other benefits of the PowerBelt series of bullets (accuracy, ease of loading, etc.). Anyone using or try the Blackhorn 209 powder in there T/C Encore & Pro Hunter muzzle loaders ? These bullets are virtually identical to the Thor Hammer bullets just listed. (weighed on scale) with a 245gr. JavaScript is disabled. Suggested Black Powder Loads For The Thompson Center System Similar to Nosler's BT Hunting center-fire-series bullets, those in the . If you only want to dip your toe into muzzleloader hunting, an $800 rifle isn't the way to go. The Encore Pro Hunter had recently come out, and it was being chambered in one . Its possible you might get a slight increase in accuracy by using Thor Hammer bullets perfectly matched to your bore diameter, but these are still excellent muzzleloader bullets and the potential accuracy difference is likely not going to be big enough to make a difference for the vast majority of hunters. The company made its humble start in 1963in Gussago, Italywhen Giuseppe Pietta made a commitment to produce guns as authentic and true-to-original as possible. Both bullets are 100% copper, which means the TMZ and TEZ are California legal muzzleloader bullets. The .40 caliber version boasts a ballistic coefficient of .360, which is remarkable for a muzzleloading projectile. Jim/Biggus, Great idea about the drill bit. I prefer MMP sabots, but the Harvesters worked better in my Encore. So is the Traditions Smackdown Bleed. Agreed, they are beautiful castings, hard to argue with a 340G chunk of lead, took a 44 Alaska moose with them a year ago. That company is basically the only remaining source of those bullets at this point and when theyre gone, theyre gone! TC Pro Hunter FX pet loads? - 24hourcampfire Copyright 2023 Muzzle-Loaders.com. Muzzleloader Powder Loads: 100 vs. 150 grains - Grand View Outdoors Advancements in bullet technology over the years have left muzzleloader projectiles almost unrecognizable. White hot does not foul the barrel as much as I'm cleaning a lot less in between shots. TC Pro Hunter .50 ML vs 20 ga slug performance? - Rokslide By placing an order, the buyer represents that he/she is in compliance with the law and will utilize the items in a lawful manner. Very impressive. Lead Bullets. Head to the range this week with American Rifleman staff as they discuss a trim little repeater from Savage Arms that comes chambered for the .22 WMR cartridge. I load 100 grains and a 300 grain XTP with Harvester sabots. I ended up at 77g by weight of Blackhorn, 250g TMZ, harvester sabot for boat tails and CCI 209M. I've done trigger jobs on Encore frames but never the FX. The Pro Hunter FX features a Weather Shield break-open action and fluted 26" barrel and includes the QLA Muzzle System for easy loading. The Thor Hammer, Hornady BoreDriver FTX, Federal B.O.R. What does everyone recommend as far as powder and how much for either of these bullets ? First: some of the links below are affiliate links. The 150-grain load penetrated 6.75 inches of gel while the 100-grain load penetrated 6.5 inches. Ive been pouring over threads in here for a couple nights now and have read a ton of good stuff. Additionally, Thor makes 247 grain and 297 grain hollow point bullets without a plastic tip. I was wondering if his hinge pin for $37.99 is what I should purchase or is there another . So, if that sounds like the sort of hunting you do, buy a pack of these bullets, use a standard load of 100gr of powder, and it will probably work really well in a bunch of different muzzleloaders at typical hunting ranges. This was with cleaning after every shot. Indiana. secure checkout. Improving the Thompson Center Encore - R & P Muzzleloading Most User . Heres my setup: Strikerfire LDR with Vortex 4-12 x 40 scope, 115gr Blackhorn 209, CCI Magnum 209 primers. Blackpowder bullets started with a round ball and over the course of a few hundred years, have developed bullets like the PowerBelt ELR and Thor Lightning. $4.90 shipping . I hope these manufacturers come out with more copper bullets for us 45 cal muzzle loaders users. For those who use Pyrodex what is the best load combination. The company boasts an impressive .45 caliber ELR muzzleloader-specific bullet that advertises just a bit over a foot of drop at 300 yards from a 200 yard zero. At least when youre first getting started, try shooting some muzzleloader bullets made by the same company that manufactured your muzzleloader. Shop high-quality sabots and bullets for your muzzleloading rifle from America's Master Gunmaker. New for 2023 the Hornady ELD-X bullet is our pick for the best new bullet on the market for this year. The CVA Wolf is one of the most popular muzzleloaders on the market, and with good reason. Some day muzzleloading will cease, but life with God never will if you believe in Jesus Christ. Nosler Jim Shockey Signature Series Ballistic Tip MZ. We assume no liability associated with misuse of our products. Directly to your inbox. Review: Thompson Encore 209 x 50 Magnum Muzzleloader, Still the Mercedes?