.44 mag pistol bullets used in Muzzleloader ????

BHLBAMA

BHLBAMA

New member
I am new to muzzleloading and I need to know which one of the pistol diamaters bullets I can use in my 50 cal inline muzzleloader. I know I can buy the sabot covers and use 44 mag pistol bullets instead of buying the overpriced and poor selection of the "muzzleloader bullets scam". I am curious whether I need the .429, .430, or .431 bullets???? I know there isnt much difference at all but if anyone know which one or all I can use safely in my muzzleloader. The 20 pack of Hornady XTB bullets that were given to me with the gun are .430. Also can I use the cast bullets with or without the gas checks in a sabot cover too or is that a NO NO??? thanks so much
 
We were shooting the .430's yesterday in a savage with sabots. They were the 240 grain XTP's for the handgun with the sabots bought separately. It was far more cost effective that way. I shoot the same in my Knight.
 
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I am new to muzzleloading and I need to know which one of the pistol diamaters bullets I can use in my 50 cal inline muzzleloader. I know I can buy the sabot covers and use 44 mag pistol bullets instead of buying the overpriced and poor selection of the "muzzleloader bullets scam". I am curious whether I need the .429, .430, or .431 bullets???? I know there isnt much difference at all but if anyone know which one or all I can use safely in my muzzleloader. The 20 pack of Hornady XTB bullets that were given to me with the gun are .430. Also can I use the cast bullets with or without the gas checks in a sabot cover too or is that a NO NO??? thanks so much



It depends on which sabot you are using I have sabots that require 44 cal and some that require 45 cal(all for a 50 call muzz). The package will say which to use.

It doesnt matter if you use cast lead or jacketed hollow poins as long as they are the caliber intended for the sabot.
 
The only real difference I think you will notice is how difficult it will be to load the larger diameter bullets. They should all work fine, IMHO.
 
Years ago, I was told my a friend who talked to a Knight rep at a gun show about what bullets to use in his .50 cal. Knight. He was told that the .45 cal bullets tended to shoot more accurately, as the petals in the sabots were thinner than those using the .429"-.430" .44 Mag bullets. They were thought to be more accurate due to the thinner petals releasing the larger diameter bullet more cleanly.

I never tried them, though, as I had plenty of .44 Mag pistol bullets and they shot well enough for my purposes.
 
44 Mag has a nominal groove diameter of .429" Jacketed bullets are usually .430 .431 are usually cast bullets. I do not think it matters in a sabot since the plastic will deform enough for the thousanth inch differance
 
thanks fellows.........so I can use 45 caliber hand guns bullets (like in 45 1911's, 45ACP, etc.) along with 44 mag bullets??? This is the 1st I have heard of this.....I really appreciate the help.
 
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thanks fellows.........so I can use 45 caliber hand guns bullets (like in 45 1911's, 45ACP, etc.) along with 44 mag bullets??? This is the 1st I have heard of this.....I really appreciate the help.


Probably not with the same sabots. The 45s are .021" larger.

Jack
 
In the past I have shot self made 320 conicals in my Knight. This year I may try some homemade 240 grn 44cal(.430) lead bullets in the plastic jacket. You can get the plastic jackets that are sized for either 44 or 45 cal bullets for a 50 cal M-L. The 44 seems the most common. I have 2 types of jackets, Hornady & Knight. The fine print lists the acceptable bullet size, usually right at .430 or .429. I would think an extra thousanth could be squeezed in. Of course it wouldn't work with a 45 cal bullet, unless you had a thinner jacket.

Yes you could just get the right plastic jackets & then choose whatever 44 cal bullet you wanted to try.
 
Several years ago, I called Knight after having trouble getting .429 bullets to group in one of their top of the line muzzle loaders. Knight told me that the larger the bullet dia the more accurate the bullet was going to be in my 50 Caliber rifle.

Bummer, I just happened to have a boat load of 44 mag bullets of Speer, Hornady, Sierra, and NOsler. As soon as I switched to a 45 caliber bulllet, to be specific, the 300g bullet, my groups went to 1"-1 1/2" at 100 yards...I felt like a real block head because it had taken me so long to "see the light".

I did have to try 8-10 types of 45 Caliber bullets to satisfy my lust for my new found knowledge. In my Knight, the 300g Bullets, especially the 300g Hornady XTP, way out performed any 180, 220, and 250g bullets.
 
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thanks fellows.........so I can use 45 caliber hand guns bullets (like in 45 1911's, 45ACP, etc.) along with 44 mag bullets??? This is the 1st I have heard of this.....I really appreciate the help.


Probably not with the same sabots. The 45s are .021" larger.

Jack



Correct. The .50 cal. guns permit the use of a .45 cal. (nominal .451" diameter) bullet with the appropriate .45 cal. sabot (for the .50 cal. muzzleloader) or the .429" diameter bullet with the appropriate .44 cal. sabot (for the .50 cal. muzzleloder) Both sabots have the same nominal .50 cal. OD, just the ID of each is different.

However, be careful about the .45 caliber bullets you sellect to use. Many of the bullet jackets designed for the .45 ACP are too thin to work effectively at the speeds obtainable with the muzzleloaders. Stick with the hunting bullets designed for the .45 Long Colt, or heavier cartridges.
 
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