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I finally got some real-world experience with Thor muzzleloader bullets on deer. Shot out of a .50 percussion rifle with the first shot at about 80 yards & a follow-up at about 15 yards. For those who aren't familiar with the Thor full-bore conicals, they're a muzzleloader bullet that require no sabot. Instead, you buy a sizing pack and use the one that fits your bore the best. It's manufactured by Barnes but sold by Thor. It has a hollow base to create the gas seal, similar to an airgun pellet. I was using the .501 hollow point 247 gr bullet over 90 grains Pyrodex. The .501 has some resistance but it's pretty easy to load. I don't even need a starter ball. This is very helpful in the field as the field rods are pretty flimsy. Patched ball loads are MUCH harder to seat than Thors.
The first shot was at 80 yards and was, admittedly, not my best shot. I took the shot while kneeling & using my trekking pole as a rest (I was hiking out with just a hope of a last opportunity). But the buck dropped immediately as the shot came in just below the spine & was a complete pass-through. Once I thaw the hide, I'll look to see if there was any expansion.
The buck tumbled downhill toward me and once it was evident that he couldn't get up, I reloaded and finished him. The second shot was at about 15 yards, behind the shoulder & he died within a few seconds. The bullet was recovered in the off-side ribs. It had completely crushed the off-side ribs but was stuck there. Fully-expanded, it was right at 1" in diameter in perfect expanded-petal form I've come to expect from Barnes's bullets.
Size-wise, the buck was smaller than I'm used to seeing. He was a 3x3 and probably weighed about 130 lb or so. Even my forkies usually weigh closer to 180 lb from the central sierras. I guess these coastal deer are a little smaller. No complaints, though. I still had to pack him out.
These muzzleloader impacts look more like what I've seen from archery where the animal doesn't really react to being hit like I'm used to seeing from centerfire. It's just a loud noise and a hole appears. But It's nonetheless effective. I'm curious to recheck my sights at the range since that first shot was not where I was expecting to hit and I know where the sights were when the shot broke. But I'm glad that even with a poor shot, the buck dropped immediately. Granted, that's no excuse for a poor shot or a license to take an iffy shot in the future. But I'm relieved that I was able to recover the buck & not prolong his suffering.
My rifle is a 1:48 twist that I've played with enough to get round ball & conicals to shoot well out of. If you have a muzzleloader with a slower twist than what is required by the newer sabots out there and need a lead-free option, the Thors may do the trick for you. They have to be ordered online and they used to sell out pretty fast so I stockpiled a few years-worth so I wouldn't be in a pinch for hunting. Mine shoot right with 295 gr lead Powerbelts so I count them as equivalents -- one for practice and one for hunting.
The first shot was at 80 yards and was, admittedly, not my best shot. I took the shot while kneeling & using my trekking pole as a rest (I was hiking out with just a hope of a last opportunity). But the buck dropped immediately as the shot came in just below the spine & was a complete pass-through. Once I thaw the hide, I'll look to see if there was any expansion.
The buck tumbled downhill toward me and once it was evident that he couldn't get up, I reloaded and finished him. The second shot was at about 15 yards, behind the shoulder & he died within a few seconds. The bullet was recovered in the off-side ribs. It had completely crushed the off-side ribs but was stuck there. Fully-expanded, it was right at 1" in diameter in perfect expanded-petal form I've come to expect from Barnes's bullets.
Size-wise, the buck was smaller than I'm used to seeing. He was a 3x3 and probably weighed about 130 lb or so. Even my forkies usually weigh closer to 180 lb from the central sierras. I guess these coastal deer are a little smaller. No complaints, though. I still had to pack him out.
These muzzleloader impacts look more like what I've seen from archery where the animal doesn't really react to being hit like I'm used to seeing from centerfire. It's just a loud noise and a hole appears. But It's nonetheless effective. I'm curious to recheck my sights at the range since that first shot was not where I was expecting to hit and I know where the sights were when the shot broke. But I'm glad that even with a poor shot, the buck dropped immediately. Granted, that's no excuse for a poor shot or a license to take an iffy shot in the future. But I'm relieved that I was able to recover the buck & not prolong his suffering.
My rifle is a 1:48 twist that I've played with enough to get round ball & conicals to shoot well out of. If you have a muzzleloader with a slower twist than what is required by the newer sabots out there and need a lead-free option, the Thors may do the trick for you. They have to be ordered online and they used to sell out pretty fast so I stockpiled a few years-worth so I wouldn't be in a pinch for hunting. Mine shoot right with 295 gr lead Powerbelts so I count them as equivalents -- one for practice and one for hunting.
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