[roverboy]

Does anybody have any experience with Maxi-Hunters? My experience with conicals are with Maxi-Balls and Hornady Great Plain Bullets and I didn't see any expansion. They sure penetrate! They'll go through about anything. I shot one through a doe lengthwise. I just wondered if anybody noticed the exit hole was bigger. I killed 4 deer with Great Plains and 1 with Maxi-Balls and just got a .50 cal. hole in both sides, but they kill quick though.

 

[Darin115]

Maxi-Hunter

I hunted with the Maxi-Hunters years ago. I shot them one year and went back to the maxi ball. I could not get them to shoot as well as the maxi ball. I shot a deer or two with them and do remember that when shot thru the ribs the hole on both sides were almost the same size just like the maxi balls. But if you him the shoulder you get expansion.

I had a maxi ball mold and shot them forever. I once shot a doe in the chest and it went all the way thru. Total penetration. The hole was the same size going in as it was coming out.

I moved to the Powerbelt when they came out and have not looked back. They shoot great but I have had penetration issues. I am switching to the Hornady SST ML Bullets. I hear they work well.

Darin

 

[cowpoke1955]

You have to admit, you don't have to worry about expansion when you start with a .50 caliber. Think about how much a .243 or a .308 has to expand. This modern stuff where they take a smaller caliber pistol bullet and wrap it in plastic, hoping it will expand to the original caliber. Now that makes no sense to me, along with the extra cost. Too much expansion too fast will cause a lot of meat damage. If you want expansion, shoot round balls. A Maxi Ball putting a .50 caliber hole through a critter is going to put it down. I shoot only round balls and Maxi Balls. No need for anything else.

 

[KampKool]

That's why I like my .54 cal; lot's of leakage.....

 

[cowpoke1955]

That's why I have three .54 calibers myself. You just can't beat a .54.....

 

[FrontierGander]

Shoot a deer through both front shoulders and you'll see it expand. The maxi hunters dont expand for nothing in my experience.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I can't speak for the maxi hunters but for the Hornady greap plains bullets I have some experience. I have shot several deer with the 410 grain size. Here are a couple that I have taken out of deer. These were shot length wise andd went from flank to shoulder resting under the skin. These shots were about 150 yards. The 410's will open up. I don't know if I like this much. Ron

 

[mgrace]

You just can't beat a .54.....

.58 Cal.

I have a Lyman mould that casts 512 Grain Minie-Balls, a LEE that casts 475 Grain Improved minie-balls and a LEE that casts .575 Round Balls.

So far they only thing I have killed with it was paper, wood and misc. other targets.

Michael Grace

 

[broom_jm]

You have to admit, you don't have to worry about expansion when you start with a .50 caliber. Think about how much a .243 or a .308 has to expand. This modern stuff where they take a smaller caliber pistol bullet and wrap it in plastic, hoping it will expand to the original caliber. Now that makes no sense to me, along with the extra cost. Too much expansion too fast will cause a lot of meat damage. If you want expansion, shoot round balls. A Maxi Ball putting a .50 caliber hole through a critter is going to put it down. I shoot only round balls and Maxi Balls. No need for anything else.

I think it might have something to do with greater muzzle velocity, less recoil, better ballistic coefficient, flatter trajectory and excellent terminal performance from a projectile designed in the 20th century, not the 19th. If you're just shooting a deer, (a lovely, but rather frail creature) who needs a 400gr slug putting a 50 or 54 caliber hole through them? As far as that goes, the 44 and 45 caliber bullets used in sabots for modern inline ML's don't need to expand, either! However, they do a wonderful job for the indicated velocity range!

Here, take a look...

http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.broom/KatieSDoe?authkey=Gv1sRgCLq10If96pqxqAE#5387960687339008978

 

[cowpoke1955]

That may be true and that's why some states outlaw them for muzzle loading/primitive weapon season. I'm not going to get into an argument of traditional vs. modern. Everyone has their own opinion. Sort of like the sollowings of a 9mm vs. .45ACP. Each has it's pros and cons. Just have to go with what floats your boat. From the 70's, "Make love, not war".....lol.

 

[roverboy]

On the Great Plains I used the 385 gr. and never recovered one to look at. But I'm assuming they didn't expand because of the both holes looked the same. I have shot the 410 gr. but never got to hunt with them. I'm gonna try the 350 gr. Maxi-Hunters this Nov.In my CVA Staghorn the Maxi-Hunters shoot great but my old T/C New Englander slings'em everywhere. I can shoot Roundballs and it does real good. Thats with a 1-48" twist and 80 gr. Triple 7, pillow ticking patch and Crisco.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Roverboy,
Try a .50 caliber Wonder Wad (fiber wad) under the Maxis. It will help seal the bullet againt any gas blow by. If you are getting any blow by, it will throw your bullet all over and may even tumble. Just a thought before you throw in the towel on that New Englander.

 

[roverboy]

Thanks Cowpoke1955, I may try that. I do like the Big bullets a lot. Round balls are ok but I like a hammer.

 

[lawhetzel]

I used TC Maxi-Hunters for a while. I was having trouble with accuracy with the Great Plains bullets and maxi-balls. I reasoned that they were "too heavy" (translated into "too long") for my Investarm .50 with 1-48 twist. I saw the 275 grain Maxi-Hunters. They have a shallow hollow point and are somewhat shorter than the 350 grain Maxi-Hunters. I bought a couple of boxes (pretty pricey for me and I still have an unopened box) and found that they shot well. I hunted with them that fall. I shot a nice buck at about 30 yards facing head on. (It was just light enough to shoot. I could only clearly see the white patch on the front of his chest.) When hit, the buck sort of reared up, pivoted 180 degrees, and dropped DRT. Good enough for me. Though I could not find an exit wound, I was not able to recover the bullet, though admittedly, I did not really look for it when I field dressed the deer.
That winter, I found the 250 grain Lee REAL and since the mold was cheaper than a box of 20 Maxi-Hunters and is a relatively short bullet, I bought one. It casts nice bullets. They shoot well in the Investarm. I have killed several deer with them and get full penetration and quick kills. I can do a lot of shooting much cheaper than with the "store boughten" bullets.

 

[uncowboy]

I have 2 friends that made Maxi balls expand in two diferent methods. First used a Foester case trimmer with a hollow pointing bit and made hollowpoints from them and the expansion was silver dolar size. The second did a 30Cal Metplat on the front of the bullet. He made a tool to drop over the maxi ball and it let the tip of the maxi showing and he filed flat to the tool.Just like the hand tool for the 22 Rimfire. They both got great expansion but the Hollowpoints broke up and the Metplat bullets retain all ther weight and just mushroom. Both are easy to do and work dor a few hunting bullets. J.Michael