Hornady FPB

[dieseldog]

I am shooting the 350 grain FPB with 2 50 grn pellets of 777. I have shot a nice whitetail buck with it and had great results the bullet mushroomed out nice and held together and reatained alot of its weight was really happy with it. How hard can a guy push this bullet can i go to 150 grn of 777? Am probably going on an elk hunt next year and planning to use this bullet, do i ineed any more powder behind it or not for elk. Just a little leery of going to too hot of a load since i shot powerbelts for years and found out what to much powder can do to those POS's.

 

[UT1031]

Your current recipe is plenty for elk! No reason to fool with a good thing.......

 

[txhunter58]

I have taken two cow elk the last two years with 90 grains of BH 209 and the 350 gr FPB. The cow last year was a BIG one. The bullet went through her shoulder blade, broke a rib, plowed through the lungs/heart, broke a rib on the far side and lodged under the skin on the far side. Both elk went less than 50 yards.

A guy who has killed way more animlas than I with a black powder (Jim Shockey) says 100 gr of black powder equivalent and a good 300 gr bullet will take down any animal in North America. I believe him.

Bottom line is you have plenty of bullet and plenty of powder. I am so much more accurate than when I try and increase the powder and get recoil shy. Much cheaper too!

The only thing I do different is use loose powder, whether it is BH or 777. Seveal reason: Cheaper, and you can tweek a load. With loose 777, my most accurate load was 95 grains. But I would be comfortable with anything from 90 to 110 grains.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[COLOelkman]

I'd agree with TX in that loose powder will often (not always) give you a more accurate load. My buddy shot 100gr. of 777 and got 1.5-2 inches (from center) consistantly. When he bumped it to 110 gr. the groups went out to 3 inches consistantly. Went back to 100 gr. and groups returned. So loose powder definately gives you more versitility to try other loads that might provide better performance. I also agree and 90-100 gr is plenty of powder to kill an elk easily. Not sure if 150 is too much but it would be for me as I like to keep my teeth intact!