[Rio_Grande]

I just bought a Traditions pursuit XLT. I got the gun sighted in on powerbelts for hunting season, but i can already tell I am gonna enjoy range shooting this gun. I want to spend some time in the spring shooting but at 20.00 for 12 rounds,, well won't be much shooting going on.

So can anyne recomend a cheaper priced round for target practice that will preform well in the 1 in 28 twist of this barrell.

Thanks, new to the site and it looks promising.

 

[Canuck Bob]

I'm real new too but being Canadian supplies are real pricey up here.

It's hard to beat patched round balls for fun and practice. The swaged Hornady or Speer balls are cheap compared to conicals and reduced loads are easy and safe for our guns.

Bulk sabots and lead pistol bullets are also affordable if a guy likes to spark quite a few rounds in a day.

I can't make any recommendations for your rifle as I'm a greenhorn but my own circumstances make the above options the cheapest while I tune my flinter and learn the new skills required.

 

[hawkeye38]

Your rifle with a 1:28 twist is meant for heavy conicals and sabots. It wouldn't work very well with a patched ball. However if you choose to try it use as light a load as you can 50 or 60 grains of powder. 1:28 twist is a fast rifling and will probably not stabilize a patched roundball very well. You could buy inexpensive 44 or 45 cal lead bullets and some inexpensive sabots and go that route.

 

[zachaliles]

ok, this is what i do for cheap shooting. a while back i was walking around sportsmans center and was looking around at the reloading section, and i caught sight of a box of .44cal(.429DIA) hard cast lead reloading bullets meant for pistols. i picked it up and it was 500 rounds for $37 and change. all i had to do after that was buy sabots to fit it. i get decent accuracy out of it, but i dont use it for hunting. i like a hollow point for massive wound channels. for that i use hornady 50-240 sabot bullets. i get great accurasy out of that. just something to think about. $37 bucks for 500 rounds, cant beat it for paper punching.

 

[hailstone]

I've used cast 240 grain SWC 44 mag bullets I cast myself in conjunction with sabots. Worked well enough that I would consider using that combo hunting deer. Also bought some Hornady sabots especially made for lead round ball usage in muzzleloaders that work very well. Even have picked them up after firing and reused several times before they start shedding petals. Suprising how accurate they are in in-line muzzleloaders considering the fast twist rate. As someone pointed out you will have to reduce powder charge with the round balls.

 

[fla shooter]

A .44 cal. Horniday XTP pistol bullet .430 dia. and a Harvester Rib Crusher sabot. Great combination in my CVA Accura, Havent shot anything with this load but hear they are lethal. Used to Shoot Power Belts but this combo is much cheaper and for me just as accurate.

 

[Pete D.]

Have a old or unused camping stove? Are you willing to cast your own? For a minimal outllay ($20 for a Lee Modern Minie mold or a mold for their REAL bullet, $16 for a Lyman pot, $17.50 for a Lyman dipper, $4.50 for Lee liquid Alox lube and Ebay for lead or maybe you have a source) you can have all the bullets you want.
Pete

 

[Rio_Grande]

Thanks for the replies

I do have the tools already to cast my own bullets. Have about 800 50 cal round balls laying on the shelf that could be easily melted down and returned to minis. I was shying away from straight lead mini or baxi because of the 1 in 28 twist. Now however knowing I can purchase sabots seperately there is no reason I can't cast some 45 cal maxi rounds and shoot away.

 

[zachaliles]

you probably already know this, but make sure you buy the correct sabots. i think theres 3 different sizes you can buy for .44 cal, im not too sure about .45 though. i had to buy .429DIA for the hard cast that i purchased.

 

[flintlock62]

You can cast your own lead bullets and simply purchase the sabot. All that expense of pellets, sabots and the like is why I stick with a traditional ML.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I make my Paper Patched conicals with the Lee C-501-440-RF. I pour them with pure lead and wrap them with paper then size them to .501. They shoot fantastic out of my guns. Ron