The new favorite bullet - 50 cal guns

[wilmsmeyer]

This year saw myself, another Savage guy, a Knight disc fellow and a TC Encore guy using the 325 FTX. The 3 other guys killed 8 does and a mature buck. I killed 2 does, a buck that dropped his horns (thought it was a doe) and a muture buck that dropped his horns on his death run. This last deer was a real pig and I caught the onside lung, liver and scrapped his stomach. 70 yd run with lots of blood.

That's 13 hair tests. Longest shot was 165 yds by the disc guy. Many shots from 50-100 yds. I killed a doe at 30 yds. So we had a wide range of impact speeds. My close shot was probably doing 2400 fps and the longest shot probably had an impact speed of 1600 or so. All pass throughs. Only 1 or 2 shots were in the shoulder, the rest "archery" angles. A few deer were DRT but most did the complimentary death run...which I love to watch.

There was no "bomb" effect as I predicted. Internal organs were very damaged but entry and exit holes were nothing spectacular. The bullets seemed to hold together.

The best part is that anyone who has shot these bullets at camp has printed some amazing groups at 100 and 200 yds. The wide use of this bullet at our camp snowballed after the TC guy printed about 5 groups in a row that were cloverleafs. As we all tried this bullet out, the cloverleafs made a field of clover! Repeatability was almost boring. We all used the black crushed ribs with them.

Anyone else have a report on these? I am sold!

After all the great reports in using the BO, I am convinced that .458 bullets and BCR sabots are the ticket for consistent accuracy in our .50's. Gladly, the BO is not the only game in town!

[Dave W]

Keep up the good work Wilms!
Good to see there is another option besides the BO at a much better price. Any chance you can shoot them at 300yds?

[wilmsmeyer]

There's always a chance....but I'm probably in lock-down for a while in terms of doing much shooting. Hunting season took up every spare minute for 2 months. I am lucky to have someone in my life that pushes me out the door every morning with a hug, a kiss and the words "good luck". I literally had not seen my own house in the daylighe for 2 months between work and play.

I think I will hunker down, keep wood on the fire and stay at home.

I am also interested in the longer ranges but can't imagine getting steady enough the way I hunt to ever squeeze past 200 or so....(Although the young coyote I pounded at 175 yds off my stick, standing up... put a twinkle in my eye... ;D....squared him real good)

[jims]

It seems that smaller bulltets (.40s in .50 caliber and .44 in .50 shoot not as well), perhaps the bigger (.458) vs. .451 or .452 IS the ticket. Good to know.

[somedaysmokeless]

Wilms,
Thanks for the update. Will try some of these on my next purchase. Question though... you guys are confusing me a bit on the sabots. (BO and BCR) I assume BCR is black crushed rib and I think that's what I have already. (XTP recommened 250g .452 and black crushed rib Harvester sabot) You don't know how much these sites save us time and material when someone else just reports good (or bad) results with something they have tried. Thank you! Sounds like this might be a good load in my new SMI 50 cal Encore barrel when I finally get it put together.

[bowbender6]

The 325 FTX BCR, I shoot out of my savage at 2275 60gr N120, Bullet seams to perform perfect.3-4" hole going in and 1-2" coming out. I have shot about 10 deer in the last two years. Accuracy good as 300 BO but cheaper and easier to find. Seams to expand a little better than 300 BO but doen't fragment.

[js]

I tried them a couple of years ago in a T/C shooting BH209 and they shot nice groups. So, I gave the rig to my son for deer season and he whacked three does with it. Had one bullet come completely unglued on a broadside shot from about 75yds,IIRC. Can't explain why as it didn't hit anything but a rib going in but it was found in chunks scattered throughout the chest cavity. One of the other two made it clear through with a good amount of damage, the 3rd was found in the chest of the deer after a quartering away shot from 150yds. I haven't bothered with them since as the gun actually shoots better with the 300gr HP and BCR sabot, and that bullet has never failed us, even in the Savage at over 2350fps. Might have to test those 325s again, but this time in the Savage.

[artjr338wm]

Thanks a great deal Wilms (and all others who contributed as well) on your 325 FTX report(s). I was hoping in the worst possible way that the 325 FTX would perform at Savage velocities at least on par with the BO, as they are 1/2 the price. I am not one to worry to much about $$$ spent on the single most important part of my hunting gear, but when you shoot over 200 loads a year .55c EA VS $1+ EA the $$$ start to add up.

I will be adding them to my stable of bullets after my next visit to Cabalas as they carry the FTX OTC, year round no less.

Thanks and best of luck not just hunting, but in all things in 2011.
Arthur.

[spaniel]

Now can I say I told you so? ;D

Now if I can do this at 500 yards on a 90+ degree day with no cooling out of my Omega just popping them off trying to see where the elevation is and hoping 1 of 4 would hit (needless to say surprised at the outcome), imagine what you could do in a Savage....

[olsmokey]

Was wanting to try the 325FX. Have I couple boxes I use in my 450 Marlin. Can't use it to hunt deer so might as well put them to use. Was thinking about 7grs of 4759 under about 58grs of 4198 for cold weather. what do you guys think? Have vv110, 4759, 4227, 4895 and IMR&H 4198 to pick from. Orange MMP and HCR sabots. thanks Dave

[gunny]

Ol Smokey did you shoot any of the 325 combo,s .Im hoping to here good reports. Wilmsmeyer has done the hair test,like to here or see paper results ;D gunny

[dhayes]

I may have missed it, but what powder and grain was being used with the 325 ftx and BCR?

[tar12]

I have been preaching about the .458s for some time now.. ;D The closer you get to bore dia. the better the accuracy will be. Has anybody rung these out at 200 and 300 yds out of Savage yet?

[bigmoose]

I have yet to take this bullet to the range, Edge was kind enough to estimate the velocity of my load [71grs of H4198] at 2520FPS pressure 40 to 46.
With those figures in mind, It is almost the the same class as the 375 H&H. great company to be in.
IMHO, it will take an game in No.America.......ethically that is.

[gunny]

Wow Big Moose Thats gotta be one hell of a whop on both ends!!! I ordered some 325,s and some 250,s last night from Grafs looking forward trying them. Im hoping more will come forward with there results. gunny

[boarhog]

I have a couple boxes of the 325 FTX, and have shot a few out of my original Savage 50. Didn't get great accuracy, but then, I never really got that from anything I tried. After bulging that barrel, I converted that rifle to P-N 45. I plan to give them a more serious try in my other 2 Savage 50s.

Olsmokey's load of 7/58 4759/4198 should be a good one. I have been shooting the 300 gr Rem and BO over a 10/55 N-110/H-4198 duplex with good accuracy. I think you will get a little more speed using N-110 as the booster, than 4759, at the same weight. I have also compared H-4198 to the IMR version, with not enough difference to worry about. I have read here, that the IMR may tend to be harder to ignite, but even so, it shouldn't be a problem at all with a duplex.
Boarhog

[bigmoose]

Are you folks gettin more than 2500FPS, using duplex, If so how much more?

Rick has a load of 72-78 for a 300gr bullet using H322 and 70-74 with a 350gr bullet, I wonder what 76grs would do, Is H322 the twin to Benchmark?

[bigmoose]

Gunny,
I trust you will agree the only time you are aware of recoil is in bench shooting, The tests I run, I am concentrating on hitting the target straight on. and I don't remember the recoil. In game shooting, I'm sure you don't recall the rifle recoiling.
Once you get to be an old man, recoil [bench shooting] become a problem, In my case after shooting, what I call big boomers, I can feel the beginning of a headache coming, so I pack it up. Oh to be young and dumb again, as apposed to old and dumb.

[gunny]

Big Moose i believe that to be true. Ive got a NEF 10 ga turkey gun that kicks me into next week everytime i pull the trigger. But when a gobbler walks in front and i trip the latch it just does,nt seem to affect me that much. This year i bought a Shooters Ridge rest for bench work and i wish i would have got something like that a long time ago!

[bigmoose]

I have a lead sled, I use to mount scopes, clean rifles, I did try it for benching, I didn't like it, I felt I was no longer in charge, robot time.

I use two bags filled with rice, I've had them many many years. I'm the shooter now.
RB used a silly bag, when testing heavy loads.
The main think, is have fun, with recoil is aproblem to someone, and method that calms it is good. No 0ne wants to get beat up, but where is something very satisfying about, the push of a big boomer, you mention your 10ga. as a bully, The only rifle I ever shot that was no fun, was my .458 Lott. it was a beast on the bench.

[bigmoose]

sissy bag, some day I'll read what I wrote before sending it......someday

[hoosier]

Question for Spaniel? What load are you using in the Omega? Thanks , Hoosier