T/C XTP 240 grain accuracy issues

[samualh]

went out to shoot a new muzzleloader I bought from a farm auction almost by accident. A like new traditions lightning .50 full stainless for $100. I have a traditional Hawkins style muzzleloader but this is my first inline. Having bought the muzzleloader I went ahead and bought the boxes of T/C XTP 240 grain sabot bullets and only 6 were missing which I’m assuming are the only 6 shot through the rifle. I put a scope on the rifle and took it out today to sight it in and was having serious accuracy issues. I couldn’t hardly get the rifle to hit a 10” target at 60 yards. I then switched to the hornady boredriver 340 grain and then began to shoot about 2 moa which I’m more than happy with without working diffrent powder charges. Has anyone else had issues with these bullets? New to muzzleloading so any tips/info would be nice.

 

[KnightExtreme]

Seems some Muzzleloaders (barrel) prefer a different bullet or sabot or both. It is more finding the right combination. Maybe try a different Sabot like a Harvester Short Black or their Crush Rib and see if that is better. Or even an MMP HPH24 if you can find them as not many but MMP sell them.

Products

Harvester Muzzleloading based in Kentucky and is dedicated to providing muzzleloading hunters with top-tier sabots and bullets. Scorpion PT Gold is renowned for retaining velocity & energy at extended ranges. Accurate Scorpion MAG Bullets to bone-crushing Hard Cast heavyweights, our diverse line...

harvestermuzzleloading.com

MMP Sabots | Velocity, Energy, Shock effect | Harrison, Arkansas

MMP-Sabots

www.mmpsabots.com

Sabots don't cost much but these days s&h is some $.
Hope you find what works for your Inline Muzzleloader.
KE

 

[B Harrison]

The first cheap inline I had shot 2.5 MOA with most of what I tried.
Powerbeats shot sub 2” 3 shot groups.

The Optima 2 I have used for 16-17 years will run some Barnes bullets really close to 1”, so I’m upgrading the scope to play with it some.

More expensive guns generally shot 1.5” or better with decent bullets and good sabots.

I have never know the TXPs to shoot bad, but a 3” 100 yard group would probably be the larger end of my expectations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[onlybrowning]

Give us some info. What powder (and how much) and primer? Swabbing between shots? Confirmed that sabot and bullet combo are correct size for each other (50 cal sabots can be made for many different size bullets. Those XTP’s are likely .429)?

 

[samualh]

Tried a new powder today it was shooters world propellant universal black powder. I was using 80 grains measured by my reloading scale. I was running a brush down the bore between each shot. Looking back at the box of T/C bullets they were the magnum variety and I was shooting the sabots provided in the box. I did like the powder it was very easy to clean and did not foul much

 

[ElDiablito]

Yes, those 240 XTPs are .430. It is very common to see .429/.430 bullets shoot poorly in a .50. The sabot petals are necessarily thicker than a .45/.50 sabot and may not release the bullet quickly/consistantly/cleanly.

Throw those .430s out and get your self some .45s and Harvester sabots.

Try 777 or real black powder.

 

[samualh]

I have used pyrodex normally in the past but don’t enjoy how rough it is on the gun. Powder variety is tough to find out here in central Kansas but was recommended to try this stuff and I actually really did enjoy how easy it was to clean. The bullets are actually .44.

 

[samualh]

Sorry I forgot .44 is actually .429….

 

[ElDiablito]

Sorry I forgot .44 is actually .429….

Yep - or .430 in this case.

44 Cal .430 240 gr XTP® - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

...

www.hornady.com

 

[Chris in TN]

Yes, those 240 XTPs are .430. It is very common to see .429/.430 bullets shoot poorly in a .50. The sabot petals are necessarily thicker than a .45/.50 sabot and may not release the bullet quickly/consistantly/cleanly.

Throw those .430s out and get your self some .45s and Harvester sabots.

Try 777 or real black powder.

Yes. With muzzleloaders there's always a long list of things that could be going wrong, but as a general rule if you can avoid shooting .43s in a .50 that eliminates one potential source of issues.

I would expect any decently well-made muzzleloader in the last 30 years, to shoot decently well with a .45 caliber .452' 250 XTP in a mmp sabot over 70-85 grains of whatever loose powder you prefer. Not saying there aren't exceptions and hard cases, but that's probably where I'd start. The XTP isn't ideal for long ranges but they kill stuff quite dead at decent ranges. They'll get a little soft above maybe 1900' impact speed (I have hit stuff faster with them) and don't expand much at all in deer below maybe 1200' but between those two extremes you can kill cover a whole lot of the actual scenarios that I use a muzzleloader for.