Red Sparky Report post Posted June 1, 2015 I won't say much about the QLA except I have never had a problem with mine. Unless you consider better accuracy a problem. The problem you seem to be having is one I had similar to buying cast lead bullets for sabots. I bough some one time that were not .4295-.430 and they did not fit tight in the sabot so they skipped down the barrel. The thing to remember is muzzle loaders are individualized more so than regular rifles. What works for one may not be the best for another. You have a general starting point but need to fine tune to get the best accuracy out of each individual rifle. Here is an interesting article to read but I have never tried these bullets and I think you need to cut the tip off to make them legal in Colorado. http://www.chuckhawks.com/hornady_FPB.htm P.S. The T/C Maxi Hunters are geared more towards deer where the Maxi Balls are more for elk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Sparky Report post Posted June 1, 2015 One other thing is to try sabots to see if it is truly a QLA problem or if it is rifling twist issues with the full diameter conicals. If you buy a box of 240 grn. XTP's with about 80 grains of powder those should group reasonable well if it is not a QLA problem. You can do that later after getting the other problem with the conicals fixed. The other thing that has not been addressed is have you checked to make sure the open sights are tightened down? Torque the screws and make sure they have loc-tite on them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmbbulldog Report post Posted June 1, 2015 pwrguy - do you know where you plan to hunt yet? I would look into the Thor bullets and avoid powerbelts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yotebuster Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Don't own a muzzle loader but I did want to say about the comment on shooting the first bull you see. I have hunted Colo. since 85 and thats total bull crap about not having good bulls there. Glass and be patient. There are some great elk there it just takes time and finding them. Good luck.Show us some pics if these big colorado bulls you've been killing murph. Why don't you show us pics of your little rag horns you're so happy to shoot. Honestly. Show me a pic of a 300" bull you took out of Colorado if there's so many big bulls in there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmbbulldog Report post Posted June 1, 2015 CO manages for opportunity more so than premium type hunts. CO has 7 or 8 premium type units, maybe a handful RFW hunts that may be good (residents only). On average, bulls killed in CO are much smaller than that of AZ, but that's expected. That said, if you hunt hard and smart, there are plenty of bulls over 300 in every unit in the state. They are just not as easy to come by as in AZ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Sparky Report post Posted June 1, 2015 PWRGUY----Here is some light reading specifically for Colorado elk and muzzle loaders. I do not know any of these guys but it might help you some. http://forum.eastmans.com/showthread.php/4526-Best-muzzleloader-bullet-for-elk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murfys69law Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Don't own a muzzle loader but I did want to say about the comment on shooting the first bull you see. I have hunted Colo. since 85 and thats total bull crap about not having good bulls there. Glass and be patient. There are some great elk there it just takes time and finding them. Good luck.Show us some pics if these big colorado bulls you've been killing murph. Why don't you show us pics of your little rag horns you're so happy to shoot. Honestly. Show me a pic of a 300" bull you took out of Colorado if there's so many big bulls in there. I don't know what your problem is. I never said I killed a 300+ bull there. I have hunted Colorado for many years for mule deer and I have seen numerous bulls 300 or better. You telling someone to soot the first bull they see is ridiculous. Why do you think you have the right to tell someone how to hunt. That statement shows your immaturity and lack of knowledge of Colorado. "Sometimes it's better to be quiet and thought a fool...than open your mouth and remove all doubt". This post wasn't for you to dictate how someone should hunt. It was to help someone get the right muzzle loader to hunt with. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
308Nut Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Don't forget that while you may elect to weigh your charges individually (I am a fan of this for lower ES) that there is a big difference between grains and volumetric grains. Most data is based on volumetric weight so when a manufacturer lists max loads at say 100 grains, you don't weigh 100 grains. You first convert to volumetric weight which if my memory serves me right is 70% or .7. In other words 70 physical grains is equal to 100 volumetric grains. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
308Nut Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Best way to double check is use a powder measure set to a given grain setting. Fill it up then weigh the powder in an actual grain scale. Do this several times for an average. Using a sole powder measure is somewhat inconsistent. I agree with another poster about marking the ram rod for consistent seating depth. Consistent weight and depth go a long way for accuracy and lower ES. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flingingarrowsbro Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Im still waiting for pictures of 300''+ elk dead or alive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pwrguy Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Thanks Mike, I have been loading by volume only. Do you think it makes a significant difference converting and measuring by weight? Red, thanks for the link, I had read that one previously. CMB, I have already decided to skip the powerbelts, I will most likely get around to trying the Thor bullets after I finish playing with the ones I have Thanks again for all the posts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murfys69law Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Im still waiting for pictures of 300''+ elk dead or alive Here ya go. All these are recent Bulls in Col. #1.Gypsum Col. A friend sent me this last year from across the road I-70 #2. Estes Park Col. where my in-laws live. #3 Grand Lake Col. Up NW area. by Granby Col. 2012 Hunted there years ago for Mule deer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pwrguy Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Yeah, any of those would do 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murfys69law Report post Posted June 1, 2015 Yeah, any of those would do Yeah...But listen to the experts and shoot the first one you see. There are no good bulls in Col. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Sparky Report post Posted June 2, 2015 Im still waiting for pictures of 300''+ elk dead or alive Every time I post there is a picture of a 300"+ elk. Net 308" as a 5x6, if he would have had the 6th point on his right side he would be around 340". Oh wait that was in NM and not Co. so I guess he don't count. On the other hand though he was the first bull I saw. So can we start a new post called the outhouse to see whose is bigger and can aim farther and get back to the purpose of this post? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
