What is the best sabot for deer?

[nh10ring]

I am using a Thompson Center System 1 muzzleloader (.50 cal) and shooting the recommended 90 grains of Pyrodex. In a scenario where accuracy won't be a problem, what would you recommend for an effective sabot on whitetails? I am not looking to group shots on paper, I am looking to retrieve game after one shot.

[tjen]

The Partiiton sabots work great. And lately I have been using the Heavester 280gr hard cast sabot.
Its the yardage that will make a differance in what type of bullet say over 150 yards use a tipped bullet like the SST.

[skipper34]

I am using a Thompson Center System 1 muzzleloader (.50 cal) and shooting the recommended 90 grains of Pyrodex. In a scenario where accuracy won't be a problem, what would you recommend for an effective sabot on whitetails? I am not looking to group shots on paper, I am looking to retrieve game after one shot.

Simple. Put any well-constructed sabot round into a deer's engine and retrieve accordingly. More has to do with shot-placement than type or brand of ammo. No deer will be able to survive a well-placed shot. My choice for my Encore 209X50 is the TC shockwave in 250 gr. It is very accurate out of my gun with 100 gr. Pyrodex pellets at ranges up to 200 yards.

[rooster52]

I am playng with Horady XTP mgs 300 grains with 90 grains of triple 7 and getting some good accuracy.I shoot these because of the cost of some muzzleloader bullets.I can buy these for less than half the price of Powerbelts and that lets me shoot more often.They look to me lik a good deer bullet.

[mdewitt71]

My best friend and I used a 250 grain Shockwave Sabots last year backed with 777 pellets with our Encores on some Missouri whitetail two years ago.
Awesome sub 3" groups at 100 yards easy ; he knocked a big doe off her feet at 75 yards she didnt get up......

[WMU3A]

I am playng with Horady XTP mgs 300 grains with 90 grains of triple 7 and getting some good accuracy.I shoot these because of the cost of some muzzleloader bullets.I can buy these for less than half the price of Powerbelts and that lets me shoot more often.They look to me lik a good deer bullet.

Rooster try the Hornady 240 gr XPT HP/Hornady sabots (black) 2 Triple 7 50 gr pellets...I've been using them for a few years now and they are extremly accurate in my Omega...devestating kills 9 deer,2 blk bear,and even killed an elk cow with one shot @ 150 yds

[.358 MAN]

I am using a Thompson Center System 1 muzzleloader (.50 cal) and shooting the recommended 90 grains of Pyrodex. In a scenario where accuracy won't be a problem, what would you recommend for an effective sabot on whitetails? I am not looking to group shots on paper, I am looking to retrieve game after one shot.
It's better not to use sabots. Use Powerbelt bullets, they are full bore caliber unlike a sabot. Powerbelts load alot easier even after 5-6 shots. A sabot for 50 cal is actually a 45 cal.

[tddeangelo]

That's the whole point of the sabot.....it creates a full-bore projectile with a sub-bore bullet. The idea is sound....the army even uses it in the Abrahms tank gun-system.

I have had good results with Speer 260gr hollowpoints or Traditions 245gr poly-tipped bullets. Both sitting on 90gr. of 777 powder will give groups of 1.5"-2" at 100 yards pretty readily. Deer tend to run from the shot with both, but not far and with easy blood trails.

Properly sized bullets and sabots (the same sabot does not work with all bullets in a given rifle) are not difficult to load at all. Of course, I cut my blackpowder teeth with flintlocks with patched round balls.....and if you don't clean them after 2-3 shots, good luck seating a ball properly unless your patches were undersized.

That all said, the full-bore projectile is simpler, as there is one part where a sabot system has two (bullet/sabot vs. a full-bore bullet). The sabot would, in theory, be able to generate higher velocities with lighter, smaller projectiles.

Personally, I see any muzzleloader, modern or otherwise, as reaching its limit at or before 150 yards. I know people make longer shots with modern inline rifles, but I don't personally subscribe to doing so. That being said, pick a bullet that will shoot reliably for you without any unecessary fuss and go with it. Make the shot count and you'll have meat in the freezer.

[ColtWKnight]

The best one is the one that goes through the heart and lungs of the deer, and drops it dead in its tracks. The deer wont care which one hits him, as long as it hits him cleanly.
Which ones can you shoot accurately, and with the least amount of hassle to load?

[oneshot 1]

Of all things I have had very good Luck with 240gr. T/C Cheap Shot Sabots,pushed by 100gr. RS Pyrodex.

oneshot

[.358 MAN]

That's the whole point of the sabot.....it creates a full-bore projectile with a sub-bore bullet. The idea is sound....the army even uses it in the Abrahms tank gun-system.

I have had good results with Speer 260gr hollowpoints or Traditions 245gr poly-tipped bullets. Both sitting on 90gr. of 777 powder will give groups of 1.5"-2" at 100 yards pretty readily. Deer tend to run from the shot with both, but not far and with easy blood trails.

Properly sized bullets and sabots (the same sabot does not work with all bullets in a given rifle) are not difficult to load at all. Of course, I cut my blackpowder teeth with flintlocks with patched round balls.....and if you don't clean them after 2-3 shots, good luck seating a ball properly unless your patches were undersized.

That all said, the full-bore projectile is simpler, as there is one part where a sabot system has two (bullet/sabot vs. a full-bore bullet). The sabot would, in theory, be able to generate higher velocities with lighter, smaller projectiles.

Personally, I see any muzzleloader, modern or otherwise, as reaching its limit at or before 150 yards. I know people make longer shots with modern inline rifles, but I don't personally subscribe to doing so. That being said, pick a bullet that will shoot reliably for you without any unecessary fuss and go with it. Make the shot count and you'll have meat in the freezer.Why use sub-bore bullets such as a sabot?! The sabot part is plastic and burns up. The sabot bullet for 50 cal is 45 cal. !! And the 50 cal powerbelts are true 50 cal. and load alot easier. This is all fact !!

[blkdia]

Hi guys;
I shoot 300 gr. Shockwaves, 3 triple seven pellets (150 gr) Sighted in at 100 yards, 10" low at 200 yards, Deer don't get up! I'm not going to bad mouth Powerbelts, 9 of us tried them, 8 of us couldn't get them to group through our guns, one guy likes them, not because he got great accuracy, but he thinks they are easier than sabots to load. He seems happy to hit a 9" pie plate at 100 yards, me, I like to hit a 1.5" target at 100 yards. Use what you like best, but limit your shots to your potential, not your guns' potential. LOL
Denny

[ColtWKnight]

I use those 385 grain buffalo bullets. Never did get into those fancy sabots because they were too difficult to load.

[tddeangelo]

Why use sub-bore bullets such as a sabot?! The sabot part is plastic and burns up. The sabot bullet for 50 cal is 45 cal. !! And the 50 cal powerbelts are true 50 cal. and load alot easier. This is all fact !!

Yes, the bullet is about .45 (depending).

Sabot burning up? Really? Then what is this?

http://home.comcast.net/~tddeangelo/sabot.JPG

That's the sabot that held the bullet that dropped a 120lb. doe last October. I found it in the alfalfa and picked it up as a keepsake.

The concept of a PowerBelt is similar to a foster-style shotgun slug. Size the projectile slightly small for the bore and let the force and heat of discharge flare the base to engage the rifling. The PowerBelt does not engage the rifling fully until the rifle is fired. This makes loading easy, yes. Is it the best method for obtaining accuracy? Two T/C Omegas that I've used with powerbelts on paper say that they don't like PowerBelts, turning in 100 yard groups in the range of 4-6" of a bench. The same rifles will shoot saboted bullets into 1.5". If PowerBelts shot well in those rifles, I'd use them. They don't, so I don't. I have nothing against a PowerBelt, but there's nothing wrong with a saboted bullet, either. They kill deer real dead real fast.

[.358 MAN]

Yes, the bullet is about .45 (depending).

Sabot burning up? Really? Then what is this?

http://home.comcast.net/~tddeangelo/sabot.JPG

That's the sabot that held the bullet that dropped a 120lb. doe last October. I found it in the alfalfa and picked it up as a keepsake.

The concept of a PowerBelt is similar to a foster-style shotgun slug. Size the projectile slightly small for the bore and let the force and heat of discharge flare the base to engage the rifling. The PowerBelt does not engage the rifling fully until the rifle is fired. This makes loading easy, yes. Is it the best method for obtaining accuracy? Two T/C Omegas that I've used with powerbelts on paper say that they don't like PowerBelts, turning in 100 yard groups in the range of 4-6" of a bench. The same rifles will shoot saboted bullets into 1.5". If PowerBelts shot well in those rifles, I'd use them. They don't, so I don't. I have nothing against a PowerBelt, but there's nothing wrong with a saboted bullet, either. They kill deer real dead real fast.
Not all of it burns up. But there is alot of burned plastic in the barrel making it hard to reload. Powerbelts load easy even after 5-7 shots.. If I have a 50 cal I want to shoot 50 cal bullets.

[madoktor1]

I use Hornady 250 gr. SST Low Drags with 150 gr. Pyrodex Pellets in a CVA Staghorn Mag. It is sighted in at 100 yrds. and they stack on paper. The last deer I shot was at 75 yrds. and fell like it was hit by a truck. I tried the Powerbelt Platinums and my CVA didn't like them even though it was the recommended ammo. I shot a whole pack trying to sight my scope in. Changed ammo and it took about 15 mins and 3 rounds to sight it in. Just my opinion but I would agree with some of the others in saying find the round and load your gun likes and stay with it. You won't be disappointed.

[rooster52]

Rooster try the Hornady 240 gr XPT HP/Hornady sabots (black) 2 Triple 7 50 gr pellets...I've been using them for a few years now and they are extremly accurate in my Omega...devestating kills 9 deer,2 blk bear,and even killed an elk cow with one shot @ 150 yds

I have shot a few deer with the 240/44 XTP and they shoot good in my Omega,but I have not shot any of the 240/45 bullets,but I would think they would shoot well. My Omega is not fussy,it shoots anything pretty darn good.
These 300 grain XTP I am using,shoot about 1 1/2 inch groups with 90 grains of triple 7.And they cost about 1/3 the cost of Powerbelts. I havebeen buying them for $7 for a pac of 20 ,here at a local sport shop. The Powerbelts are $23 . That redicules!

[WMU3A]

Rooster yep that is a might costly, I load the .452 XPTHP with those black Hornady sabots and 100 gr 777 (2 50 gr pellets)...I bought 6 boxes a few years ago when Midway had them on sale for around $6.50/box of 50...been shooting them up since in the Omega....I can shoot 7-9 rounds before needing to run a brush down the bore.....that takes 30 seconds at the range...never did it in the field cause how often do you get more than 1 or 2 shots a day??????? Can't figure what some guys are thinking.

[oneshot 1]

I use those 385 grain buffalo bullets. Never did get into those fancy sabots because they were too difficult to load.

I was using 385gr. Great plains bullets in my Inline.Until I was hunting one day leaned my rifle up next to a tree,went to pick it up and noticed the Bullet had worked its way up to the end of the barrel.

I known I could foul the Barrel and probably tighten it up,but I load a clean Barrel because I might leave it loaded for days.

oneshot

[dk88]

I recently starting shooting the hornady 250 gr sst sabots, I have had under 2 inch groups at 100 yards out of my remington genesis, as far as impact power I shoot the 300 gr sst slugs out of my shotgun and last year i shot a buck at 50 yards and the impact wound broke 4 ribs and the exit hole was about an inch and a half so I would have to think the 250 gr would have similar results.

[buckgitter]

Not all of it burns up. But there is alot of burned plastic in the barrel making it hard to reload. Powerbelts load easy even after 5-7 shots.. If I have a 50 cal I want to shoot 50 cal bullets.

That all depends on the sabot design and the barrel diameter. Most likely the fouling from the powder makes it harder to load. Yes the sabots do leave a trace of plastic behind but not that much.....