Muzzy Hunt - Bullet Recommendations

[fap1800]

I was lucky enough to draw a NM muzzy tag for this upcoming season and this is actually my first time ever hunting elk with a muzzleloader. In fact, first time ever hunting with a muzzleloader period. I have a TC Triumph that I purchased for the possibility of drawing a CO muzzy tag as I'm kinda in no man's land with PPs. With the CO restrictions, I don't have any saboted bullets, only the Bore Drivers, but was looking at the Traditions Smackdown SSTs or maybe the Barnes Spit Fires. I guess the adage of a well placed bullet appliles, but any advantage to 250 vs 300 on an elk? Given that NM went to open sites, I'm not sure I'd be shooting too much farther than 100 yards unless conditions were perfect. Just curious what bullets the seasoned muzzy guys rely on for elk. Thanks!

 

[cowdisciple]

Interested to see the responses - I'm in the same situation for moose. People seem to like Thor and No Excuses, but everything I've been able to find is pretty anecdotal. I killed one with a Powerbelt in the neck, but I'm not really that happy with how they shoot.

There's a lot of very differently constructed bullets and not much information on how the construction affects terminal performance at muzzleloader velocities (at least that I've been able to find).

It doesn't help that muzzleloader restrictions are all over the place and consequently everyone's working with a different set of parameters.

 

[westslopelaker]

Federal 270 grain copper borlock have been a good elk and deer bullet for me.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

THOR bullets with black horn 209 powder and a Williams peep sight. Very effective and accurate.

 

[browning2480]

Federal 270 grain copper borlock have been a good elk and deer bullet for me.

This has been what our group uses. Killed many elk and Muledeer with them in Colorado. They have always worked well for us and shoot good also.

 

[5MilesBack]

Last year my daughter used the Hornady Bore Driver ELD-X on her cow moose. It didn't even make it 20 yards and fell over. Great accuracy at the range with 90gr BH. In 2017 her sister shot a big bull elk with a 338gr Powerbelt Platinum. It worked, but there was absolutely no blood anywhere on the ground or the side of the bull. I had to search with my hand to find the entrance hole. He went about 80 yards. If he had run further, it might have been real difficult to find him with no blood. The hit on the moose was high double lung (just like the elk) but there was plenty of blood on the ground and on the side of the moose. Both shots were under 40 yards and close to the same distance.

 

[muzz]

I had good luck with bh209 and the fury bullets.

 

[CMF]

It doesn't help that muzzleloader restrictions are all over the place and consequently everyone's working with a different set of parameters.

This is definitely something to consider. You can use sabots and pellets in NM but not CO, we hunted NM in 2021 with scope, pellets and powerbelts, see elk in profile pic. But then hunted CO this past season so we had to switch to loose powder and full bore bullets.
I ended up getting a new CVA MR-X put a Williams fiber optic globe sight. With BH209 it shoots Powerbelt ELR's(330) and Thor 300 almost equally as well.
My daughter took her elk in CO this year with the ELR's and it performed well.
If you know you'll eventually hunt CO, I'd find a combination that meets those requirements as well so you aren't back to the drawing board when you draw CO.

I'm not sure I'd be shooting too much farther than 100 yards unless conditions were perfect.

I think 150 is pretty doable.

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

I have been using Barnes TMZ 250gn bullets and BH 209 for a long time out of a TC Encore Pro Hunter. I added a rear peep from EABCO. Huge difference in iron sight accuracy. I have whacked several muzz bucks between 190 and 210yds with that peep and some practice.

PeepRib Peep Sight for TC Encore and Omega by E. Arthur Brown Co.

127-812 peep sight and scope base in one piece for muzzleloaders. better focus and longer sight radius with optional scope mounting base. peeprib, encore peeprib, encore sight, prohunter sight, omega peeprib, peep for encore, rip for encore, tc sight system.

eabco.com

 

[Carbonaero]

Thor 250 or 300’s for elk. Full bore conicals and loose BH209 that make a very accurate and effective load. Ive recovered the thors from elk and deer (they have not typically passed through, just stopped on the backside hide). They dont lose their weight (except the 3 grains from the plastic tip). Ive not shot sabots too much, but it seems like their advantages are diminished without the use of optics on the rifle. The .50 caliber Thor is a chunkier hunk of intention heading down range. And in my rifles they shoot within 2” at 100 at around 1850 fps.

I like the PeepRib sight too. It allows you to develop loads with a scope and then strip it off and shoot the peep sight for hunting. Good luck to you and congrats on the NM tag!

 

[ElkArcher918]

For open sight/no sabot muzzy elk hunting I would go with a good penetrating 300+ grain bullet. I have 2 of my muzzies sighted in with the Thor 300 gr Lighting (Universal fit) bullet on top of BH209. I keep my shots no further than 100-125 yds. at live game. If the state you're hunting allows sabots, consider some of the Barnes saboted bullets for elk.

 

[fap1800]

Wow. This has all been a lot of great information for me to digest and consider. Thanks, all, for the input. Truly appreciated. I have a lot of work to do.


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[SloppyJ]

I've had good accuracy with the boredrivers and 209. However, sometimes the terminal performance leaves a bit to be desired. I've seen too many powerbelts leave absolutely no blood trail for up to 75yds resulting in lost animals here in the thick woods and I wouldn't use them at all.

The harvester gold bullets have worked better than the FTX and shoot almost as good for me.

I'll be testing the barnes expander bullets this year. All behind BH 209 and cci magnum 209s.

 

[TheArdentOutdoorsman]

The Federal borelok shot great out of my TC. Also recommend the williams globe sight, big improvement over the standard fiber optic

 

[GeoHunter]

This is the Barnes Spitfire I recovered from just under the hide on the opposite side of the bull in my profile picture. 86 yard broadside shot and managed to double lung him. He went less than 100 yds after the shot. This was in NV so using 150 grains 777 pelletized powder

 

[velvet muley]

Barnes TMZ 300 or the Thor are the best I've found.

 

[5MilesBack]

The Federal borelok shot great out of my TC.

I really wanted to like the BOR Lock's, but they slide up and down the barrel in my TC. And yet it uses .500 Thors. The BOR Locks must be smaller than that.

 

[mhammond86]

Anyone on here used the Parker boredrivers? I've heard good things about them from some .

 

[cowdisciple]

Interested to see the responses - I'm in the same situation for moose. People seem to like Thor and No Excuses, but everything I've been able to find is pretty anecdotal. I killed one with a Powerbelt in the neck, but I'm not really that happy with how they shoot.

There's a lot of very differently constructed bullets and not much information on how the construction affects terminal performance at muzzleloader velocities (at least that I've been able to find).

It doesn't help that muzzleloader restrictions are all over the place and consequently everyone's working with a different set of parameters.

Filled my muzzleloader tag with a 56" bull moose last week. The 300gr Thor worked just fine. 75 yard neck shot, so probably any reasonable bullet choice would have. The Thors with Blackhorn grouped far better than other combinations I tried.