I shoot a inline NEF Huntsman 50 cal. 24 inch barrel, 1 n 28 twist. Going on my 1st CO elk hunt. I need help narrowing my bullets down to a few to test shoot. I bought some Maxi-balls & Great Plains to test out. But I have gotten some bad reviewed by people who said they got no blood trails & lost elk. How @ the new Hornady FPB ?
Choosing BP bullet for CO ?
- Thread starter Trigger50
- Start date
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
ive used the hornady great plains in oregon,,,that would probly be 1 of your few options for colorado as i think your limited on bullet choices,,,old school only.
I posted this same question earlyier on a nother hunting forum, from the info I got, I choose No Excuses bullet. There made by a guy from utah I beleive. He only make big grain bullets, but they are good for elk. I bought some for my 54 cal knight. Great groups at 100 yards.
Terry aka Coydog
New member
The all lead power belt bullets have worked well for me when we had to use them here in wa for big game. They grouped well and we had several one shot clean kills. If you can afford to try different bullets then experiment with what shoots best in your rifle. Good luck on your hunt.
T Bone
Well-known member
I have the exact same muzzleloader, it shoots Great Plains and FPB's extremely well.
Try the Maxi, Great Plains, FPB, and No Excuses. Shoot what works best for your rifle. No elk is going to shrug off 370 plus grains of lead if you put it through the chest.
I've only shot one elk with a muzzle loader, a cow elk at 40 yards with the TC Maxi. Complete pass through the shoulders and she went about 10 yards.
Try the Maxi, Great Plains, FPB, and No Excuses. Shoot what works best for your rifle. No elk is going to shrug off 370 plus grains of lead if you put it through the chest.
I've only shot one elk with a muzzle loader, a cow elk at 40 yards with the TC Maxi. Complete pass through the shoulders and she went about 10 yards.
Zach
Well-known member
My uncle has had the same success with cow's. PB 385gr. I believe. Shot 1 cow about 100yds. She didn't go far.
A-con
New member
I'm a fan of the 460 grain "No Excuses" , 50 caliber bullet.
Thanks for the tips. I think I will test shoot those 4 bullets mentioned. This is probably a once-in-lifetime hunt for me, so I want to do it right. I have 11 pts in the CO elk draw, and i am looking at a guided BP hunt in unit 66. I just dont want to lose a bull. Especially w the "draw blood" policy of outfitters.
Hey T-Bone, how do you like your Huntsman? I like mine. Just need a better recoil pad. Hard to get parts now. Do you now where I can find parts? I would like to get an extra breech plug, black plug puller thingy and sight before I go on this elk hunt. I put a Williams peep sight on my Huntsman and i love it.
I think I have to just settle down @ this hunt. I've a fairly expereienced hunter, and a fair shoot too. Ive just been dreaming @ this wilderness BP elk hunt for most my life, so I dont want to miss anything.
Hey T-Bone, how do you like your Huntsman? I like mine. Just need a better recoil pad. Hard to get parts now. Do you now where I can find parts? I would like to get an extra breech plug, black plug puller thingy and sight before I go on this elk hunt. I put a Williams peep sight on my Huntsman and i love it.
I think I have to just settle down @ this hunt. I've a fairly expereienced hunter, and a fair shoot too. Ive just been dreaming @ this wilderness BP elk hunt for most my life, so I dont want to miss anything.
mhkowalski
Member
Cool ! I have shot all copper slugs out of my shotgun for years. I have been very happy w them. Never lost a deer yet. I have only recovered 1 bullet. From a nice 8 pt buck I shot in WI. Shot him at 40 yds w a 12 gauge Remington Copper Solid slug. He was quartering to me. The slug entered high in the near shoulder & I recovered it in the far back quarter, just under the skin. He did run @ 150 yds, but I think that was because I was alittle high on the vitals w bullet entry. 2 of the 4 copper pedals were mushroomed out, 2 were mushroomed in. I am gonna order some Thors, & No Excuses to test shoot. Thanks.
Give the Thor a try I am using it for a once in a lifetime Unit 2 Muzzleloader hunt this year sitting on top of 95gr BH209. Accuracy was minute of elk to 275 yards with open sights. (not that I plan on shooting that far)
Also if you haven't seen them I recommend replacing the front site with a truglo globe, it is much smaller and easier to see through than any factory front sight. I replaced the rear with an adjustable williams aperature which is awesome as well
Also if you haven't seen them I recommend replacing the front site with a truglo globe, it is much smaller and easier to see through than any factory front sight. I replaced the rear with an adjustable williams aperature which is awesome as well
Ordered my "No Excuses" bullets yesterday. The guy was super nice. He called me on a sunday to fill my order. He threw in some "freebies" too. I hope they shoot as good as they say. The guy said "satisfaction guarenteed". They are a steal of a price. $25 for 50 pre-lubed.
If you want to try something else as well order the tru glo globe and ghost ring set and only put on the front site. The fiber optic front is at least half and maybe less in thickness than the normal factory sites and the target is much easier to see without the front post taking up all of your view. It also has a globe around it that you can adjust for the amount of daylight coming into the fiber optic. It is about the the thickness of a bow pin instead of a shotgun bead. Def worth the 30ish bucks IMHO
