….two boxes of Barnes XPB, .44 cal, 225 grain bullets for the Optima pistol. Sitting atop of a 90 grain charge of Bh209 these make a potent deer taker.
These have been sort of hard to find and I was down to 6. Then I found these. Now I can shoot a little.
31974-b1b997f67660e20b5cd9daa42cc3e398-scaled.jpg
Are you liking those better than the XTP’s?
DT
Oh, yes. These are solid copper and retain almost 100% of their weight. They do not shed their petals like some of the monolithic bullets do. And they are very, very accurate.
I use a 250 grain version of the same bullet in my Accura rifle ahead of a 77 weighed grain charge of bh209.
With either bullet on deer, if they don’t drop on the spot they don’t travel over 20 yards and then with plenty of blood. Amazingly these bullets do not create a huge amount of tissue damage, less than a comparable xtp loaded the same actually.
I’ll have to try some. 
DT
That’s one of the best feelings if you reload. Thankfully some of the hard to find items are starting to show up with frequency. I picked up some Retumbo and N570 for my 300 PRC then stumbled across some Berger 215 Hybrids all in the same week. All three of those items had been all but impossible to find. I won’t miss having to scrounge for every last component like was the norm the last couple years, at least until the next shortage.
Happy shooting.
If you prefer a lead based bullet for sabots, these Fury Star tips are a bonded bullet and come in sizes from 250 to 275 to 300 grain. Being bonded they will not come apart when they hit meat and/or bone, like XTPs can. Very good weight retention.
https://www.furycustombullets.com/shop-2/smokeless-muzzle-loader-bullets/452-star-tip-mz/
At the .452 diameter Furys they are right on the line where you may need a crush rib or a standard black sabot. Gun’s bores differ some in finished diameter but one or the other of the sabots would work with this bullet.
I’m going to be using the .40 caliber, 225 grain version of this bullet in my smokeless muzzie and will be pushing them at roughly 2400-2500 fps. Even at that velocity they will not come apart.
Both the Barnes 250 grain XPB and this Fury Star tip at 250 grains can be moved along at about 2100 fps with a 120 grain [by volume] charge of BH209 or T7 3f, which will be about max for both powders. At 110 grains in volume of either powder you’ll be moving the bullets right around 2030-2050 fps. Your best accuracy will likely fall somewhere in between a charge of 100 grains by volume and 115 grains by volume of either powder with the 250 grain pills and a black sabot.
I should note here that the Barnes XPB in 250 grain .45 cal is not available right now and hasn’t been since this time last year. A 225 grain in .45 is available and is identical to the bullets in the picture except for diameter. I’ll be ordering a couple boxes of the 225 in .45 for my Accura because I do not have a lot of the 250s the gun has hunted with. I’ve shot the .452 225 grainers in the Accura and they are really accurate with a 110 grain by volume charge of BH209 in a black sabot, just never hunted them in the long gun.
There are excellent bullet options out there, but they are spendier than the XTPs and likely a mail order product. In addition to thew Fury link, Muzzle-loaders.com, midwayusa.com, and grafs.com are some vendors that handle the Barnes bullets along with the Barnes site that probably has the best size offerings/pricing.
That’s one of the best feelings if you reload. Thankfully some of the hard to find items are starting to show up with frequency. I picked up some Retumbo and N570 for my 300 PRC then stumbled across some Berger 215 Hybrids all in the same week. All three of those items had been all but impossible to find. I won’t miss having to scrounge for every last component like was the norm the last couple years, at least until the next shortage.
Happy shooting.
No kidding. Powders are finally beginning to show up again; I’m wanting some N110 for my smokeless muzzy. I have IMR 4198 right now that charges out at 56 grains and I can perhaps up that to around 62 with a 200 grain bullet. I have
5744 that I start at 30 grains for a 200 grain bullet and that should handle a 225 grain as well but 5744 can get into some freaky pressure traces real fast and I’m not crazy about that. The N110 with either a 200 or a 225 I can load with 35 grains, get some very decent velocity and accuracy without the crazy pressures. I currently weigh 77 grains of BH209 for my Accura rifle, so even at 35 grains I’ll be getting twice the mileage from a pound of powder. To get a pound of BH I have to buy 2-8 ounce jugs of it at $75.00 each or thereabouts. I can buy 3 pounds of the N110 for that and still have enough change for a 12 pack.
The shotshell reloading primers I need for the smokeless are still hit and miss. There are plenty of the underpowered primers sold as “muzzleloader” out there but they are junk.
Things are looking up a little in the reloading department and like you James, that’s where I shop. And right back at you for Happy Shooting.
Things are looking up a little in the reloading department and like you James, that’s where I shop. And right back at you for Happy Shooting.
Thanks JJ. I have TS Customs building me one of their full custom muzzleloaders. I would expect it will be done in a couple months and once its done I’m sure I’ll have some questions for your guys that have experience with the smoke poles.
Are you going smokeless? Sidelock? Inline?
Are you going smokeless? Sidelock? Inline?
Travis is building on a Lone Peak Razor ML action, smokeless / black power capable, .45 cal Benchmark carbon barrel, KS1 Stock in Stone Instinct with Williams Western peep for the states that frown on optics. For those that don’t it won’t be much fuss to install a rail and optics.
I have a Woodman Patriot. .45 cal. McGowan Barrel, 24″. Black/smokeless. Everything metal is machined from steel on a cnc machine except the barrels. 6-1/2 pounds, less the scope which is a simple 3X9X40 Vortex.
I’m long past the out west stuff so I shoot sabots and .40 cal pills, totally smokeless, but I can go to BH209 in a blink if I want to. I know you’re set up to reload so are you going to do the 45 bullets sized to the bore? Can do some amazing things with those land riders.
Enjoy that animal…. sounds like a super nice gun.
are you going to do the 45 bullets sized to the bore?
Yes, sir. I plan to start here >>> https://www.arrowheadrifles.com/product/nsr/
The accuracy and range Travis is able to achieve with the bullets from Arrowhead are simply jaw dropping for a muzzleloader.
Those are some nice pills James.
Too many people write the muzzleloader off as an under-powered deer or elk tool. They have in fact killed every big game animal on Mother Earth. The more “custom” one builds, the more that can be expected. I wish you the best in that endeavor. Sounds like a true one-holer.
They should probably outlaw those custom smoke poles along with crossbows and livescope sonar. 
They should probably outlaw those custom smoke poles along with crossbows and livescope sonar.
Crossbows and livescope yes. Smokers? Not a chance.
LOL!! JJ
Too many people write the muzzleloader off as an under-powered deer or elk tool.
A 300 grain projectile going 2800 fps is an absolute hammer. I’m not in the camp that considers them underpowered. 
For deer I think I’ll be pushing somewhere between 2300-2500fps with a 225 grain Fury bonded. It’ll depend on where my accuracy falls inside those speed parameters. My Patriot is not set up for a brake. I forget what all you are having built into your gun James but assume a brake is a part of the built pushing a 300 grain pill that fast on the bore.
The only buck I have ever shot with a smoke pole is the buck in my profile pic. Thompson Center Pro Hunter with a 240 grain Hornady XTP dropped him in his tracks at 157 yards.
I was looking at these bullets online. Right now I’m shooting a 300 grain .430″ XTP with green sabot. I see they only have a .429″ in the XPB. Would I still use a green sabot or go bigger to fit my 50 cal and not use a sabot?
DT
.429-.430 bullets, green sabot or a green crush rib is they load hard. .451-.452 bullets, black or black crush rib.
I use regular green sabots in all of my .50 cal in-lines with the XPB bullets.
Nice smoker buck Jeff!
And yes, those 240 grain XTPs can deliver a strong message. I shot 300 grain XTPs for a while but then switched to 250 grain XTPs and had just as much terminal performance. When I switched to Barnes XPB’s I stayed with the 250 grain in the .451 XPB since I was heavy on sabots. I also began to use the 225 grain, .429 XPB in lieu of the 240XTPs in my Optima pistol. That’s what the 2 boxes of goodies are for pictured in the opening post.
Now I’m up to my neck in smokeless. No more hunting for BH209 or paying the ridiculous prices for it. The big bonus with smokeless is no more chance of corrosion from powder residue. No absolute hurry to get the gun cleaned if time is short.
Yes, I use the Harvester green crushed rib.
DT
I forget what all you are having built into your gun James but assume a brake is a part of the built
Yes, I’ll be adding a brake.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
