Thompson Center questions

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I have a Thompson Center Impact 50 caliber muzzle loader I want to use this year for deer hunting. What kind of primers and bullets do you recommend to use with this gun?
Any recommendations is greatly appreciated.
 
I'd recommend 209 primers, these are very standard, and readily available. For powder, I'd use Pyrodex pellets, these are very simple and easy to use, 2 pellets gives you 100 grains, a nice load to start with, and will easily kill a deer. Remember to put them down the barrel black end first, this is the ignition end. For bullets I'd use a 250 grain sabot like the Thompson Center Shock Wave. Sabots don't need any lubrication and are easy to load. You will find lots of options out there, this is one option that's a a very simple and is a deadly combination.



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I’ll second what MM said, with one exception. You might have to try different brands of saboted bullets. I know I did. Some of them simply wouldn’t group in my TC Encore.
 
I’ve been a big fan of the Barnes MZ Expanders 250g with 3 pellets. I’ve taken deer/antelope to 211yds. In my Knight rifles, they routinely shoot into 11/2”. At 2200+FPS, these things hit really hard.
 
Power belts fragment like they're made of sand!
If you use them avoid heavy bones.

I’ve killed several deer with Powerbelts, simply because they shot the smallest groups in my TC Encore, but you are right, they will break up and they will do it on a rib bone sometimes. I never lost a deer because of it, but it was does I was shooting and the farthest killed was about 125 yards. We used to have a late MZ season for antlerless only where I hunted, that was the only reason I bought the TC Encore.
 
I didn't say they don't work, I shoot them.
I haven't lost a deer with them but I am concerned with their 'frangible' properties
A muzzleloader's bullet should do two things.
First, It must kill.
Powerbelts do that with a well placed shot.
Secondly, a muzzleloader's bullet should leave a blood trail for those shots that are marginal.
Powerbelts DO NOT DO THAT.
They load wonderfully
They shoot accurately
I busted a nice six point last Saturday and expected a blood trail but got none!
Luckily I could see him laying a short distance away
Now the job is yours to put them in the right spot on your game.
Make certain that your shot is not 'marginal' if you shoot Powerbelts
Thanks, guys, for your comments
I wonder if Okie got an exit hole with that well-placed shot?
 
I didn't say they don't work, I shoot them.
I haven't lost a deer with them but I am concerned with their 'frangible' properties
A muzzleloader's bullet should do two things.
First, It must kill.
Powerbelts do that with a well placed shot.
Secondly, a muzzleloader's bullet should leave a blood trail for those shots that are marginal.
Powerbelts DO NOT DO THAT.
They load wonderfully
They shoot accurately
I busted a nice six point last Saturday and expected a blood trail but got none!
Luckily I could see him laying a short distance away
Now the job is yours to put them in the right spot on your game.
Make certain that your shot is not 'marginal' if you shoot Powerbelts
Thanks, guys, for your comments
I wonder if Okie got an exit hole with that well-placed shot?

Yes I did...Wife didn’t get one on this one though. Pulled was all intact just under skin on off side well mushroomed. I load hers with 60 Grains of Shockeys Gold and a 245 Grain Powerbelt...didn’t matter a blind man could have found the deer by walking in the sticky leaves barefoot. The 2nd photo is the moment the bullet impacted the deer...just happened to be caught on trail cam with 5 minute motion delay. Crazy!


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This next deer left quite the trail as well...

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As did this one... hard quartering shot from offside Through shoulder and out the offside near last rib...

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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Those are some fabulous looking deer!
They don't resemble the ones that roam the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.
I am thoroughly impressed.
Thanks
 
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