1st Time Going ML Hunting! What Grain Bullet???

[UltraMag1981]

Hey, I have bought a CVA Wolf and I will be going ML hunting next month. My question is what grain bullet and what manufacturer should I use for deer? I will be most likely be using 3 pellets of triple 7 and I would estimate that the longest shot I would have the opportunity to take would be around 100yds. The deer in the area that I will be hunting would probably average 200lbs for a decent buck.

Steve

 

[courtgreene]

i like hornady's fpb in 350grn. I have a wolf and an older cva that uses the same barrel that the wolf uses. remember that a ML is not like super-fast bullets in that you need a big hole (think more like an arrow and less like a bullet as far as killing damage is concerned). Bear in mind, I haven't actually killed anything with an ML yet, and work will probably keep me from doing so this year like it did last year, but my point is still valid. They load well, and there's no plastic to scrub out later.

 

[wombat13]

Stay away from Powerbelt's. They may or may not group in your rifle, but they always have terrible terminal ballistics. Read your manual - I have a CVA Accura and 150 grains of 777 pellets is beyond the max recommended charge. Furthermore, most folks say that their rifles are most accurate with between 90 and 100 grains.

 

[Rembrandt]

Might help if we knew what caliber you got?.....never mind I see it's listed in your signature line. For a 50 caliber, anything from 240-300+ will work fine.

 

[scythefwd]

150 gr is way more than you need. Look at it this way, muzzle energy is computed like this:

1/2bw(v*v)=me
bw = bullet weight in lbs
v = velocity

You're grandfathers .30-30 was good enough at 100y. Your .50 shooting a bullet twice as heavy and almost as fast will do it easily with 100g of powder.

I'm shooting .45 cal T/C shockwaves with a very tight sabot (hornady sst from what I hear) on 100gr of pyrodex.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I agree that 150 grains is more than necessary, but the Wolf is rated for it if you just want to.
I haven't jumped on the powerbelt bandwagon myself. I still shoot 240 grain Hornady XTP bullets with sabots. They are very accurate out of my Optima Elite, and are more than enough for whitetails.

Happy hunting.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I also use the TC Shockwaves out of my TC Pro Hunter on top of 3 pyro pellets. Groups best with those and have yet to have a deer go further than 10 yards after impact. As far as the powerbelts, I have had both good and bad experiences with them. My Old Encore barrel loved them best. Had good experience with the Ballistic tip and bad experience with the hollowpoint. Hollowpoint basically blew up on the shoulder at 45 yards and didn't penetrate. Luckily I caught up to the poor thing and got another round into the ribs.

 

[Kernel]

In my Knight rifle, I always had good luck with a .45 or .44 cal 300 gr Hornady XTP and a MMP sabot. Drops a deer like a sack of hammers.

 

[Captcurt]

Use enough bullet.

I have an inline Ruger that loves 90 grs of FF and 300 Hornaday XTP's. I have pulled off some really nice shots with this combo. I think that it chrono'd around 1300fps. That is similar to the 44 mag.

I've tried lighter bullets and don't care for them. I shot one buck from a treestand with a 200gr. and didn't get complete penetration. Since the hit was high on the back, there wasn't much of a bloodtrail. We found him 100 yards away only through some pretty impressive tracking on my partners part. Since going to the 300gr. all shots have left good bloodtrails (if they didn't drop right there.)

 

[Flyboy]

I'm fond of 370 grain T/C Maxi-Balls. I also use real black powder, not a modern propellant (70gr FFFg--shoots great in my rifle). .50 cal Hawken copy.

 

[S&Wfan]

In all my firearms I shoot the bullet and the load that shoots best in that specific specimen.

 

[Corey ACP]

I just got back from my MZ hunt. 10 days of bliss on the North Slope of the Uinta Mountains. This is truly god's country. Took my third buck in four years. I use a Thompson Thunderhawk Shadow 50 cal. An entry level piece but, it's lightweight and handy, accurate, and most importantly, it works! I use two 50 gr. pydroex pellets behind a .44 cal. 240 gr Hornady XTP in a Hornady sabot. Never have recovered a slug as all have passed completely through the deer all of which were mature Utah Mulies. Ranges have been 110 yds, 50 yds and this year at exactly 100 yds.