.452 XTP 250 gr in Muzzleloader

[swampratt]

Sent a friend off with a CVA Kodiak and some TC cheap shot sabots and a few different bullets to try.
First ones he tried were the 250 XT and decided that was perfect.

Once he got the Niokn scope on target 3 shots to do that and then sent a round down range at the target and then sent another after backing up another 25 yards he thought he missed the paper target as there was just 1 hole that he could see from the 75 yards he was at.

When he walked up to the target he seen that second bullet was just a little lower than the first making the hole just slightly larger.

He had to call me and tell me how stupid accurate it was as he could not believe it.
70 gr Pyrodex RS.

I told him bump it to 80 and see what happens.
He said he almost does not want to fool with it because it shoots so well with minimal recoil compared to some 300gr loads he had shot in other rifles.

Most of his shots are under 75 yards.

If you sabot shooters have not found a good load I have some .452" 250Gr xtp bullets I will hand you for free if you wish to try them out.

 

[AER244]

Those are great bullets. They really hurt what you hit.

 

[Okie4570]

I've used those for along time in several ML and they're great.

 

[retrieverman]

That’s some good shooting, and I agree with your buddy and wouldn’t change a thing.

I don’t push any of my muzzleloader loads too hard and am only shooting 65 grains of BH209 in the Omega. I bought some .458 250 gr SST blems from Midway a few years ago, and they shoot really well. You have to use the orange Harvester sabots with them, and they’re still a tight fit in the barrel.

 

[Blackdog]

I use .429 xtp in 240gr in a cva optima pistol with 100 grains 777 and have taken 5 deer with them and never recovered a single bullet. All deer were recovered and most did not travel far.

 

[swampratt]

Buddy got one with the 250 XTP and 70 gr Pyrodex RS load.
100 yards aimed at the neck and hit right where he aimed and bullet passed through.

He wondered which way the deer ran and said after the smoke cleared he looked and the deer was laying right where he shot it.
He said about an egg sized area was not edible but the rest was perfect.

Nice instant kill and not much blood clotted meat damage.

 

[wolfkpr]

The xtp is probably the most used sabot muzz bullet in the country.. ive recovered bullets on quartering shots with the Savage ( 2200 fps@ muzzle, equivalent of 150gr load in pyrodex), but all have exited with 100 gr pyrodex/ triple7 load. Importantly- this is entry wound with hide pulled back on ribs ( savage load) and on shoulder of a yearling ( 100gr) both about 30 yds..