Has someone tried these on whitetail or hogs? 200gr in .50 cal sabot. I'm using tripple seven 50/50 pellets. CCI 209 primer. Plan on having my 10 yr old son have a shot at a doe this muzzy season. He didn't like the recoil of my 303. British so I figured if I keep it 50 yards max with a light bullet, 50gr pellet and small killzone. Should be enough. Any thoughts? I took 6 shots with 50gr and 50 yards to sight in scope I got last year. Recoil was not bad at all. It was getting dark so I didn't get the chance to have him shoot. So will have to work on that soon.

If you have enough velocity to expand the bullet I would expect a dead deer within 100 yards.

I have killed deer with 308 case full of FFF black powder and 45 cal patched round ball at 50 yards, it was a double lung shot through the ribs deer went less than 100 yards. Guy I hunted with killed several with same powder charge and a TC maxi ball.

Thanks for the input. I looked around online but didn't really find much using one 50gr pellet. On a different site someone had success with 240 gr bullets within close range. So with a lighter bullet I'd figure it would be substantial to 50 yards which is where my target area is. I shot a few with 100gr load and the difference between the two groups was about 3 in. I have sight set a little high at 50 yds and 50gr load was just under center so I'm good with that.

I have not used loose powder. So no experience with that yet. Someday I'd like to try a cap an ball gun. Like a Hawkin. Had one offered to me ages go before I was even into hunting. Thought to myself why the heck would I want a muzzleloader for, here I am now.

Good luck to everyone out there on this muzzy season

Settlers typically used about 50 grains of black powder with a round ball in something like a 40 or 44 caliber rifle. I would expect 50 grains to get the job done with a modern .50 cal projectile even if the expansion is less then ideal. Pistol bullets like XTP’s or maybe some hollow point power belts, I would imagine. If you don’t try it this year i will try it next year here in Missouri.

I was looking at xtp's in 240 gr but decided on the shockwaves just because it was lighter. I'd imagine the xtp's would work just fine. Those came in a 30 pack. Also by Thompson center. Maybe next year il try those. I have been trying but no luck yet. This is the last weekend I can hunt white tail. If not il try it on a hog if I happen to see one in the next couple of weeks. If I get anything il post it on here

Thank you my friend. I buy the .44 cal 240 grain Hornady XTP by the 100 round box. I also have a few of the T/C XTP’s and they look an aweful lot like copper plated cheap shot sabots. The ones I bought were definitely not XTP’s. But, same weight.

I think the .45 cal XTP would be awesome with just 50 grains of powder. Probably pushing 45 acp velocity anyway, it might work better at the slower speed. Who knows? One way to find out.

I have not shot a animal at all with a black powder rifle. The archery bug bit me right after I got started and i never looked back for three seasons. But I am coming back around to reality. The only thing that really matters to me is extending my season and increasing my opportunities with all these ml/archery only places.

I’ve used saboted .44cal Hornady XTP’s in a .50 cal muzzleloader using 2-50 gain Pyrodex pellets with great success on whitetails. Using 100grains of Pyrodex, the XTP’s broadside chest cavity shots were complete pass throughs with enlarged exit wounds. Most shots were between 30 and 60 yards. The one deer i shot head on into the chest at 40 yards was retrieved during processing in the left ham. The bullet mushroomed to a little over 50 caliber with no evidence of fragmentation.
My concern with a 50 grain load would be lack of penetration as well as no expansion.

I am also extending my season. I have only shot one buck with my muzzleloader 2yrs ago.. That was with Hornady 290gr sst 100gr powder at 40 yards, broadside, DRT, , no tracking. Complete pass through. Ive read on other forums that the sst's don't expand well. Seemed ok to me.

Main reason I planned to shoot 50 gr powder was to reduce recoil. My 10yr old son is skin an bones and complained about the kick. Unfortunately he decided he didn't want to take the shot at a deer this year. Maybe next year after some training this summer with it. He hits bullseye's with his red Ryder at 15 yds.

The shockwaves are a 40 cal bullet. So I would think velocity would be slightly higher than a 45 cal. It would be interesting to see it tested with gelatin and a Chrono. I've watched a vid on YouTube but 100gr of pyrodex was used. On another forum I came across some using 50gr loads with success. As mentioned, only one way to find out.

Commercial manufacturers of muzzleloaders print recommended loads in their manuals.
Tests should be done on ballistics gel not live animals.

Try a crossbow for him. Great deals can be had post season. Deer season just ended here in missouri and i just picked one up from Roger’s sporting goods for $199 including everything to get started. That got me a PSE Coalition crossbow, cocking rope, scope, rail lube, 3 bolts with quiver, 3 field tips. Set up, sighted in at 20 yards, chronographed, and some range time. Hits the same hole every time. Pushes a 373 grain bolt 371 fps, literally meets the advertised specs by +1 fps! Very quiet very little recoil just a bump, i got that plus bought 3 extra bolts for less than $250 out the door.

This will be my meat maker in a pinch and my kids’ main shooter

Agreed on testing with the ballistics gel. Thanks for the feedback. I have looked around some more and I think 50gr loads will have to be for plinking purposes. I will still give a review on these particular bullets.

+1 on the crossbow idea. That's a good deal. Will have to look into that one I've wanted to get into archery myself just to get in early on the season. Plus there are some public areas that are strictly bow. I've shot a ten point crossbow with the hand crank. It was nice but way out of my budget. I think my kid would really like the crossbow. I got both of my kids beginner compound bows and they enjoy it.

I can tell you this much. I shoot a 80 pound PSE Xpedite NXT, which is about the fastest compound bow you can buy. I have a 30.6” draw length. This cheep little crossbow makes the same amount of energy as my whiz bang compound bow does. It is not near as powerful as a ten point or etc. but it is definitely “enough”. I can use the same mechanical heads i shoot with my compound.

50 cal bullet un-expanded still has larger frontal diameter then most expanded <.26 calibers and below. Not thats how bullets kill but none the less a 50 cal hole in lungs is substantial. You might get in a bind on higher shots(just like archery) and blood trails but bottom half you should have good blood.

Good luck, I hope to see him with a big smile and deer

You know there are a lot of them killed every year with a .45 or .50 cal air rifle and a flat nosed meplat slug, like a heavy wadcutter, that does not expand one bit. And way less energy than 50 grains of 777, we are talking about 400 ish fpe and a flat nosed big bore wadcutter.

Season was a bust. Will have to try next year. Id like to try to take out a hog before it starts to get hot.

I don't know much about big bore air rifles besides some can get expensive. So that's very interesting about the bullet they use.

I think that bullet type would be a key factor with the 50 gr charge. Like mentioned earlier with XTP's. The Shock waves would probably do the job but not efficiently because of not expanding properly. It's also a .40 cal bullet. I measured it with a caliper so frontal area is much less than.45 or 50 cal. I honestly wouldn't mind doing a test with ballistics gel using different bullets at 50 yards but that stuff seems kinda expensive if you had to get several blocks. I don't have the funds for that kind of testing. Someone on YouTube ought to do it. Lol

Let him practice with 50 grains and the 240 grain XTP’s. Without telling him, re-sight the rifle in with 70 grains and 240 grain XTP’s. He’ll never know the difference when he’s shooting at game.

I was gonna say the same thing, but use 100 grains.

The 100 grain load is great!

good advice.
Have taken deer with my .45 Kentucky @ 50yrds or so.
Powder horn/flask has measure if not mistaken
60-70gr. with FF goex powder. It will take deer,
Also have several BP pistols. Had forgot to switch measure.
It was ruffley .22gr FF (what use in my .44 BP pistals).
So under charged with .440 ball& patch. Knew something was up.
Have a mark on my ramrod ta know ball tis seated.
Was going on hog hunt. It fired, couldn't find measure for the .45
So loaded back up. & took a hog with it.
My .50 cal online use two 50gr Pellets.
As Jim Bridger mentioned, whin shooting @ game.
90% of time ya Dont feel the kick.
Best wishs.

You might try experimenting with powder charges in the pellets, you can get a 30gr pellet in the .50 cal as well. Since you have already done the 50 gr, you can have him shoot two 30gr pellets, then a 50 and 30 and then three 30gr pellets until you work him up to 100gr. You may actually find that one of those loads is exactly the ticket for the 200 or 240gr bullets. Just a thought from my end here for whatever my opinion is worth.