Heres something I found on a good fact web site.
giving me an opportunity to address the claims being made by Ultimate Firearms. You are not the first to question their performance claims.
FORTUNATELY, the muzzleloding hunter's quest to own and shoot the absolute best shooting and hardest hitting high performance muzzleloading big game rifle (and load) possible has resulted in the introduction of ALL of the newer rifle models we now enjoy, plus the further development of loading components for better accuary and greater knockdown power. UNFORTUANTELY, the goal of just about every muzzleloading rifle manufacturer has become to promote their rifles as the fastest and hardest hitting. The result has become what I like to refer to as published "voodoo ballistics". Quite honestly, no one can achieve the velocities claimed by a great percentage of today's modern in-line rifle makers.
Ultimate Firearms has taken such "voodoo ballistics" to a brand new level.
I caught wind of their claims about five or six months back, and did manage to talk with them on the phone. It took me less than a minute to realize that I was being fed a heap of sales hype. At that time, they were being more modest, claiming that with a four-pellet 200-grain charge of Pyrodex Pellets, they could get a 300 grain bullet out of the muzzle of their BP Express rifle at more than 2,300 f.p.s., which would produce more than 3,500 f.p.e. (Now they are claiming 2,900 f.p.s. with five Pyrodex Pellets - or a 250 grain powder charge.) They attribute the "unbelievable" velocities to a vastly improved breech plug design that greatly enhances the burn of the pelletized powder.
To all of their claims...HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING says... "IT CANNOT BE DONE!!!!"
One of the most efficient ignition systems ever devloped has been that found on the Savage "smokeless powder" muzzleloaders - the original Model 10ML and the current Model 10ML II.
Three years ago, I did all of the initial testing of this rifle for Savage Arms, determining the range of powders that shot well out of the muzzleloader, plus compiling the ballistics for them. And this included the shooting of Pyrodex and Pyrodex Pellets.
Since this rifle has been built to stand up to the pressures of smokeless powders, I knew I could not damage the rifle with ANY AMOUNT of Pyrodex...so set out to see what the absolute maximum "beneficial" charge of Pyrodex Pellets would be in this system.
I started by chronographing a 150-grain three-pellet charge of Pyrodex behind both saboted 250- and 300-grain bullets. Velocity with the 250-grain bullet was 1,955 f.p.s., the 300-grain bullet left the muzzle at 1,908 f.p.s.
I then dropped in three of the 50-grain pellets and one 30 grain pellet, for a 180-grain charge. The resulting velocity with a still lighter 240 grain bullet was only 2,014 f.p.s. Next, I dropped in four of the 50-grain Pyrodex Pellets behind the saboted 240 grain bullet (Hornady XTP-MAG) and velocity actually went backwards to 1,988 f.p.s. Before concluding nearly a week of testing with Pyrodex Pellets, I tried just about every combination of pellet charges and saboted bullets conceivable...and could not top the 2,014 f.p.s. velocity achieved with the 180-grain pellet charge behind the 240 grain saboted bullet.
I concluded that it was impossible to get a .50 caliber in-line rifle (any .50 caliber in-line rifle) to break even 2,100 f.p.s. with bullets of 240 grains and up - NO MATTER HOW MANY PYRODEX PELLETS WERE LOADED BEHIND IT! More recent testing with hotter yet Triple Seven Pellets has resulted in getting a 240-grain bullet out of the Model 10ML II at 2,018 f.p.s. when loaded with a 200-grain four-pellet charge. A three-pellet (150-grain) charge averaged 2,027 f.p.s. More is not better when it comes to the pellets, adding the weight and drag of forward unburnt pellets to that of the projectile, resulting in slower velocity.
With that said, I do feel that any breech plug that could help insure a more complete burn of the compressed pellets would likely give a a slight increase in velocity...but no where near what Ultimate Firearms is now claiming. For the record, when I tried loading four of the 50-grain Pyrodex Pellets behind a saboted 300-grain Hornady XTP, my velocity with the Savage Model 10ML II didn't even break 1,900 f.p.s., or around 400 f.p.s. slower than the velocity Ultimate Firearms is claiming with a 200-grain pellet charge and 300 grain bullet with their rifle. Now they've upped their claims to 2,900 f.p.s. with a 250-grain charge.
All I have to say to that is...YEAH, RIGHT!
As for your second question, I did use a sub-base, fashioned from the obturator cup clipped from the base of a Winchester 28-gauge "AA" wad, beneath my sabot and bullet for MOST of the shooting I have done with Hornady's new SST bullets. However, this was done primarily due to the fact that most of this shooting was done in extremely hot summer-time weather, with temperatures around 90-degrees. The sub-base simply protects the base of the sabot from the pressures created by magnum powder charges. And this is very important during hot summer weather when the plastic is softer and more pliable. Without the sub-base, accuracy tends to suffer. However, now that it is beginning to cool down, I'll be doing a lot more shooting with the sabot seated directly over the powder charge.
Benny, I just enjoy shooting too much to stay at home when it gets hot outside. Thanks a million for e-mailing in your questions. Have a great season, and be sure to send photos if you get a big one this fall. - Toby Bridges, HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING
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