Round vs. Maxi

[antsi]

New to muzzle loaders here, and working up for deer season.

My rifle is a .50 cal carbine length cap lock with 1:48 twist.

So far I have only shot patched round balls and only Go-ex 2F. I'm getting pretty decent accuracy - grouping about 1-1.5 inches at 50 yards.

Also have some Hornady "great plains" conicals - will be trying them out this weekend.

Assuming accuracy is acceptable with both, what am I going to want to go kill Bambi with?

Which will give the flatter trajectory? The round ball is lighter/faster but the maxi ball has better aerodynamics -- which factor wins out?

Which will be more effective for a quick clean kill (assuming I do my part?)

I've heard tell of a problem with conicals slipping muzzle-ward when carrying the rifle around, and needing to re-seat the bullet every time you move to avoid space between the powder and the bullet -- is this a big deal or a non-issue?

 

[stevelyn]

The Maxi is going to be a better hunting bullet. Heavier weight, better aerodynamics, more energy and longer axis for better penetration on Bambi. The ball will theoretically shoot flatter and faster, but it also loses energy and velocity much faster, and round balls have less penetration. Some states prohibit round balls for muzzle loader hunting, so you may want to check your hunting regs.
As for the Maxi creeping muzzleward, I've never heard of this happening. It shouldn't be a problem if the bullet is correctly sized and seated.
Try different conicals to see which perform best. Working up loads for muzzleloaders is really no different than working up handloads for modern cartridge/rifle combinations. You may even want to experment with a couple of different powders and blackpowder substitutes and charge weights to find a satisfactory combination.

 

[zahc]

I like roundballs. They are accurate and shoot flat. They can be loaded with a lubricated patch (do a search on 'bore butter') so they don't leave lead. All I use is roundballs. I suggest shooting both and seeing for yourself.

actually don't bother with the conicals.

 

[antsi]

Thanks for the replies, zahc and stevelyn

Now I have shot both round and maxi.

I was using the prelubed patches with the round balls BTW. They were grouping very nicely.

The maxis do not group as nice, but I can still keep them in the black at 100 yards. Not very good for a highpower match, but probably good enough for Bambi.

 

[BigG]

The RB in .50 will kill a lot more than Bambi. It was considered a Griz load. The earlier Eastern settlers did just fine against deer with 38 - 40 caliber Kaintucky rifles. I would think the maxiball is overkill - on both ends if you have a hooked brass buttplate.

 

[rfennick]

Try using Powerbelt hollowpoints from CVA. I shoot mine out of my sidelock percussion .50 cal with excellent results on bambis. Three head shots last Dec. One about 25 yds from tree stand, one about 50 yards from ground and one about 125 yds from ground. I use 245 grain powerbelt with two 50 grain Cleanshot pellets and just enough loose pyrodex ffg in the bolster for positive ignition.