Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ muzzleloader bullets

[Mesabulls]

I am thinking about trying the Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ 290 grain muzzleloader sabots and possibly using them on my September elk hunt. I was wondering if anyone has shot these and if you have any feed back on them?

[huntswnm]

I used them 2 years ago on a coues hunt here in NM. I was impressed with their ease of loading as well as their grouping out to 200 yards. I was pushing them with Blackhorn 209 powder and I could easily load and shoot 6-8 in a row between cleaning. I put a Coues down at about 100 yards and needless to say it did the job. My daughter used them on a cow elk hunt here in NM last year, however she missed twice and never connected so I cannot testify to how they perform on elk.

 

jeff

[singleshot]

I tried them in front of 150 grains of Hodgdon pellets but could not get them to group as well as the 300 grain Precision Muzzle loading Bullets, with the same powder charge. The B.C. of the Precision bullets is dramatically better also. My son took a mature bull last year with the above load and he was on his feet maybe 3 seconds with a heart shot. No exit.

[Will K]

I use the Barnes Expander in 250 grain with awesome result.

[Mesabulls]

Will is that what your son used last year? If you don't mind me asking.

[Will K]

Yes Sir. Have also shot a lot of whitetails back East with them. Nothing ever seemed to talk back.

 

Will

[Mesabulls]

Lol!

[bowhnt]

I used the Spit-Fire T-EZ FB 250 grn (blue sabot) with 110 grns of Blackhorn 209, out of my T/C Encore Pro Hunter, to take the bull in my avatar @ 206 yrds. The only steps he took after the hit were backwards, before he dropped. I also took a mule deer buck on the Kaibab with this load @ 90 yrds & he dropped in his tracks. Many options out there & I tried a lot of them, but it all came together when I switched to the Blackhorn powder! good luck!!

[rugerman]

Here is the 250gr Spitfire EZ I recovered from a desert muley I killed in 2009. Frontal shot at 100 yds and recovered the bullet from the right hip. I haven't weighed it but I will someday. I can't imagine better performance from a projectile.

 

[MattMan]

My son killed his first elk at 11 years old with a 290 Barnes, non EZ loading. Same projectile, different sabot... yellow instead of blue I think. They grouped well, and two 50 grain Pyrodex pellets pushed them right about 1850 if I remember correctly. Shot his elk broadside at 125 yards, total pass through and dumped the elk in it's tracks. Two thumbs fit pretty easily in the exit hole.

 

It's the only muzzleloader bullet I've recommended for elk where sabots are allowed since.

[yotebuster]

I would stay away from the EZ load sabots. It means the sabot is softer and they're less consistent. The Barnes mulzzle bullets are awesome but use the regular sabots.

[creed]

Barnes makes an awesome bullet. 300 grain MZ Expander with 120 grains of Blackhorn 209.

[1uglydude]

I would stay away from the EZ load sabots. It means the sabot is softer and they're less consistent. The Barnes mulzzle bullets are awesome but use the regular sabots.

 

Old thread, I know, but I'm 99% certain that Barnes gives the "EZ" designation to those tipped muzzleloader bullets that are flat based, as opposed to full boat tail design. Boat tail saboted bullets are notoriously difficult to load an seat correctly, in all brands and makes. The angle on the base just doesn't line up correctly. Flat based sabots doing have the problem and generally slide in quite easily.

 

I have used both the T-EZ and the TMZ, and like them both. Recently I got a good deal on bunch of the TMZs, and took the advice I found on some of the muzzeleloading forums and purchased some aftermarket Harvester Crushed-ribbed sabots made for 50 cal boattails. The doing that really tighted up the groups for me.

 

[Mesabulls]

 

I would stay away from the EZ load sabots. It means the sabot is softer and they're less consistent. The Barnes mulzzle bullets are awesome but use the regular sabots.

 

Old thread, I know, but I'm 99% certain that Barnes gives the "EZ" designation to those tipped muzzleloader bullets that are flat based, as opposed to full boat tail design. Boat tail saboted bullets are notoriously difficult to load an seat correctly, in all brands and makes. The angle on the base just doesn't line up correctly. Flat based sabots doing have the problem and generally slide in quite easily.

 

I have used both the T-EZ and the TMZ, and like them both. Recently I got a good deal on bunch of the TMZs, and took the advice I found on some of the muzzeleloading forums and purchased some aftermarket Harvester Crushed-ribbed sabots made for 50 cal boattails. The doing that really tighted up the groups for me.

I ended up using the Spit fire T-EZ and dropped my bull at 181 yards through both lungs he dropped in his tracks.