Modern ammunition | Arkansas Democratic Newspaper

Muzzleloading bullets are a genre of their own in the hunting world, and modern designs allow hunters to achieve centerfire accuracy.

Muzzleloaders have two inherent limitations. The first is obviously the slow reload process, which limits the user to a single shot in most hunting situations. Second, muzzle velocity is much lower than centerfire cartridges, which exacerbates poor shooting technique. A centerfire bullet coming out of the muzzle at 3,200 feet per second will still hit the deer in the vital area if you flinch a little because it’s not in the air for long. A bullet traveling at less than half that speed can be completely thrown out of the vital area by any movement of the muzzle.

The bullets themselves are marvels of ballistic technology. Many modern varieties are polycarbonate-tipped spitzers, which are more aerodynamic than the round lead balls and conical lead bullets of the black powder era. Fired through a suitable barrel with an appropriate powder charge, they are lethal to deer-sized game at a distance of over 200 yards.

The longer the shot, the more wind affects the drift. Bullets with high ballistic coefficients will mitigate the effects of wind somewhat, but low speeds will reduce the value of the ballistic coefficient. The longer a bullet is in flight, the longer it is exposed to the wind.

To create a seal that prevents ignition pressure from escaping around the bullet as it moves down the barrel, many muzzleloading bullets must be used with a pan. A clog is a plastic skirt that holds the bullet in a cup. The sabot is of the correct caliber, allowing it to fit snugly against the bore wall. If it’s 50 cal. Podsabo, the bullet will be smaller in diameter. The body of the sabot forms petals that allow the sabot to open and separate from the bullet as it exits the bore, like a wad from a shot shell.

There are exceptions such as Hornady’s FPB (Flextip Projectile Blackpowder). It is a 350 grain lead bullet with a copper jacket. Notably, the FPB has a slightly flared base, engraved into the rifling. A deep notch in the rear that acts as a one-piece skirt that traps pressure in the chamber and distributes it across the bullet’s body portion rather than concentrating it on the tail.

Randy Wakeman, a well-known firearms journalist, puts groups together at 100 yards that can be covered in a quarter. Wakeman compared the FPB to the Powerbelt, a popular bullet that Wakeman doesn’t like. Indeed, the Powerbelt is a source of great hatred and deep appreciation among muzzleloader hunters. I really like this in some guns.

The Powerbelt is known for its plastic skirt, which is attached to the base of the bullet with a small plastic dowel that protrudes into the bullet. I’ve been using them for years and they work phenomenally in my Knight KRB7. My Thompson/Center Omega Z5 does not shoot Powerbelts well. It pairs perfectly with Barnes Expander MZ bullets.

Because its “skirt” is the same diameter as the bullet, Powerbelt bullets are the correct caliber. My favorite is the 245 grain copper hollow point. Fitted with 100 grains of Triple Seven pellets or 90 grains of Triple Seven loose powder, this bullet gives me excellent grouping at laser-tested ranges of 100 and 140 yards. Almost all the deer I’ve shot with muzzleloaders over the past 17 years have been much closer, from 20 to 60 yards. Any bullet would be devastating at this range, but the Powerbelt does everything it’s supposed to do and more.

On November 10th I shot a doe at about 25 yards with this combination. It sliced ​​off half of the chest with surgical smoothness, punched a giant tunnel into the heart, crushed the lung on the other side and stopped at the opposite shoulder. The skirt remained with the bullet during this journey. I found them together. The bullet was flattened and increased in diameter by about 30%. He also lost a large percentage of his mass. Being all copper, it did not spread toxic lead fragments throughout the meat.

This is the main reason I like solid copper bullets, but the Barnes Expander TMZ is even better than the Powerbelt. It has an aerodynamic polymer tip, but the copper under the tip is cut so that upon impact it expands into four neat lobes, like an expandable bowhunting broadhead. Although its frontal diameter doubles when expanded, the Expander TMZ retains almost all of its mass.

The Expander MZ is the hollow tip version. Because of the open nose, a hollow point bullet has a much lower ballistic coefficient than a tip bullet, but at typical Arkansas ranges this muzzleloader is more than adequate.

Perhaps the best of the all-copper models is the Federal Premium BOR Lock MZ. This bullet has a fiberglass backing with a cutting ring that is said to clear the bore of gunk as it moves down the bore. This makes reloading easier since you don’t have to force a new bullet through carbon and plastic contaminants. Its unique arrowhead design has a larger diameter head than the shaft. It has a polycarbonate tip and expands to six petals. Ballistic gelatin dough contains 270 g. The model retained 269 grains after going through just a 16-inch block.

Another popular bullet is the Thompson/Center Shock Wave. It has a polycarbonate tip that forms a pin. The tapered shell and locking system are similar to Hornady’s signature expansion control elements. This is Mike Romine’s favorite bullet. He uses it to kill at least one big buck every year.

A few years ago I bought every pack available on Walmart’s end of hunting season sale. This is plenty of reserve for a lot of testing, and although I only shot one deer with Shockwave, it produces impressive groups on paper.

A simple keyword search will reveal plenty of rave reviews on websites and chat rooms across the continent. Hunters love Shock Wave for deer and elk.

My favorite bullet is the 250 g Nosler Partition HG. This is a premium and very expensive bullet. It is now out of production. I bought a large bunch on clearance at a local gun store for pennies on the dollar.

Partition HG is a copper-clad hollow point consisting of two lead sections separated by an internal copper baffle. The lead in the top chamber expands upon impact. The expansion stops at the partition. The lead in the bottom chamber retains its structure and momentum continues to propel the bullet through the target for maximum penetration. Almost every frame with Partition HG passes.

My KRB7, Omega and Knight Mk. The 85 grouped this bullet well and instantly killed the one deer I shot with it. My supply is very limited, so I keep them in reserve for special hunts.