Muzzleloader ammo for bear ?

[antharper]

Got a trip planned for October during muzzle loader week and I’ll probably hunt with bow but may take muzzle loader also . I know several of you have good luck with ML and was just curious what your preferred ammo is . I’ve used these for deer for several years and have no complaints . Thanks , I’m still looking for my first bear and am planning on giving it my all at least one 5 day trip this season .

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

Those will do just fine!

 

[Buckman18]

Anything used for deer will be fine. Shot placement on a bear is different than a deer, and that’s what matters most.

Hillbilly talked me into trying the 385 gr TC Maxi Hunters bullets, so that’s what I’ll shoot this year.

But this is the bullet I’ve used the past several years with great luck on last years bear and an 11pt south GA buck:

 

[NCHillbilly]

You will never, never, never, never find anything better than a big heavy chunk of caliber-sized solid lead for blackpowder. Lead, weight, and blackpowder velocities just work. They keep coming out with plastic crap, sabots, bullets with plastic bases, and all that mess. If you have a faster than 1-in-62 barrel, get some 350-grain T/C Maxi-hunters, or something similar, and throw that plastic crap away. I've killed a traincar load of critters with them. They just plain work. Nobody believes because it's not new, and keeps using that plastic crap that was never intended by God to go down a muzzleloader barrel. Muzzleloaders aren't new, and they ain't centerfire rifles. Over hundreds of years, what works has been found. Don't waste your money on new, "improved" stuff.

 

[Railroader]

What he said...^^^

Get you some Hornady GP385s, and NEVER think about what to stuff in your muzzleloader, ever again.

 

[fishfryer]

You will never, never, never, never find anything better than a big heavy chunk of caliber-sized solid lead for blackpowder. Lead, weight, and blackpowder velocities just work. They keep coming out with plastic crap, sabots, bullets with plastic bases, and all that mess. If you have a faster than 1-in-62 barrel, get some 350-grain T/C Maxi-hunters, or something similar, and throw that plastic crap away. I've killed a traincar load of critters with them. They just plain work. Nobody believes because it's not new, and keeps using that plastic crap that was never intended by God to go down a muzzleloader barrel. Muzzleloaders aren't new, and they ain't centerfire rifles. Over hundreds of years, what works has been found. Don't waste your money on new, "improved" stuff.

50 or 54 caliber Maxiball pushed by 80-90 grains of 2 or 3 ffg will do the job.

 

[NCHillbilly]

50 or 54 caliber Maxiball pushed by 80-90 grains of 2 or 3 ffg will do the job.

I've never recovered but one from a deer out of I don't even know how many I've killed with them (dozens,) and that one went in the neck and was stuck under the skin on the back ham. Probably well over 36" of penetration and busted bones.

 

[Railroader]

I've never recovered but one from a deer out of I don't even know how many I've killed with them (dozens,) and that one went in the neck and was stuck under the skin on the back ham. Probably well over 36" of penetration and busted bones.

I've never gotten one out of a deer, either, but I did get one out of a pretty good sized hog once.

Busted a facing shoulder, and lodged in the thick shield on the off side.

Bullet flattened out to about the size of a quarter, maybe a bit bigger.

Knocked him flat and he hit the ground dead, about 25 yards out.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I've never gotten one out of a deer, either, but I did get one out of a pretty good sized hog once.

Busted a facing shoulder, and lodged in the thick shield on the off side.

Bullet flattened out to about the size of a quarter, maybe a bit bigger.

Knocked him flat and he hit the ground dead, about 25 yards out.

The shield on a big boar hog is an amazing thing.

 

[Big7]

You will never, never, never, never find anything better than a big heavy chunk of caliber-sized solid lead for blackpowder. Lead, weight, and blackpowder velocities just work. They keep coming out with plastic crap, sabots, bullets with plastic bases, and all that mess. If you have a faster than 1-in-62 barrel, get some 350-grain T/C Maxi-hunters, or something similar, and throw that plastic crap away. I've killed a traincar load of critters with them. They just plain work. Nobody believes because it's not new, and keeps using that plastic crap that was never intended by God to go down a muzzleloader barrel. Muzzleloaders aren't new, and they ain't centerfire rifles. Over hundreds of years, what works has been found. Don't waste your money on new, "improved" stuff.

I have a very good hunting buddy that hunts black powder.

He is a purist. He says in- line is sacrilege, and frowns upon that unless it's "regular" rifle season and he tells me the same as what @NCHillbilly is saying

Full caliber round ball and patch.
Full caliber Minié ball and patch.
Real Black Powder.

He shoots flint more than percussion.
If he's really on a roll, he won't even shoot percussion.

I know for sure he knows what he's doing and although I have never seen @NCHillbilly , I can tell he knows by all his other posts.

I'd go with these 2 guys advice.

If you need to hit a softball at a thousand yards, I'm your man... Just kidding there but I do have some long range rigs and quality "stuff". ?

 

[NCHillbilly]

I have a very good hunting buddy that hunts black powder.

He is a purist. He says in- line is sacrilege, and frowns upon that unless it's "regular" rifle season and he tells me the same as what @NCHillbilly is saying

Full caliber round ball and patch.
Full caliber Minié ball and patch.
Real Black Powder.

He shoots flint more than percussion.
If he's really on a roll, he won't even shoot percussion.

I know for sure he knows what he's doing and although I have never seen @NCHillbilly , I can tell he knows by all his other posts.

I'd go with these 2 guys advice.

If you need to hit a softball at a thousand yards, I'm your man... Just kidding there but I do have some long range rigs and quality "stuff". ?

The solid lead conicals work just fine in inlines, too. I have a buddy that has killed a lot more deer than me (and I've killed a pile of them) with an inline and 350 T/C Maxi-hunters over 90 grains of Pyrodex. He won't use anything else. He's tried all the modern plastic stuff, but says none of it compares with a big bore-diameter chunk of solid lead.

 

[jbogg]

I have had very good luck with a 250 grain Barnes T-EZ sabot bullets. Have not shot a bear with them yet, but several big hogs. I became a believer in those bullets the day I shot a nearly 300 pound Sow that was hard quartering away. She was around 70 yards out and the bullet entered just in front of her rear leg and exited through the opposite front forearm. Traveled the entire length of that pig and still went through a heavy leg bone as it exited.

 

[Railroader]

The solid lead conicals work just fine in inlines, too. I have a buddy that has killed a lot more deer than me (and I've killed a pile of them) with an inline and 350 T/C Maxi-hunters over 90 grains of Pyrodex. He won't use anything else. He's tried all the modern plastic stuff, but says none of it compares with a big bore-diameter chunk of solid lead.

Yet more truth ...

My T/C Omega shoots the GP385s into one big hole at 100, with 90gr of T7.

 

[35 Whelen]

Hornady Great Plains Bullet from MidSouth Shooters Supply. Great price!

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....i-385-grain-hollow-base-hollow-point-20-count

 

[antharper]

Hornady Great Plains Bullet from MidSouth Shooters Supply. Great price!

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....i-385-grain-hollow-base-hollow-point-20-count

Great deal , about to order a couple boxes . Maybe a stupid question but I’ve been using the plastic junk hillbilly is talking about for years . Do y’all use any extra lube or patch or anything with these

 

[35 Whelen]

Great deal , about to order a couple boxes . Maybe a stupid question but I’ve been using the plastic junk hillbilly is talking about for years . Do y’all use any extra lube or patch or anything with these

I do not. Just a "short starter" to get it down the first few inches of the barrel, then the ramrod the rest of the way.

 

[antharper]

I do not. Just a "short starter" to get it down the first few inches of the barrel, then the ramrod the rest of the way.

Thanks , that’s what I’ve been doing with the loads I’ve been using

 

[NCHillbilly]

Great deal , about to order a couple boxes . Maybe a stupid question but I’ve been using the plastic junk hillbilly is talking about for years . Do y’all use any extra lube or patch or anything with these

The T/C Maxi-hunters are pre-lubed. Don't usually even need a short starter, just a thumb and a ramrod. No patch. They're bore diameter.

 

[jaydawg]

Not saying you can’t kill one with your flex tip sst, but wouldn’t recommend it…listen to NCHB and RR… nothing but truth…I mean hey, “does a bear poop in the woods?”…

 

[Railroader]

Great deal , about to order a couple boxes . Maybe a stupid question but I’ve been using the plastic junk hillbilly is talking about for years . Do y’all use any extra lube or patch or anything with these

GPs come lubed, just shove it in!