TC 50 caliber 370 gr maxi vs hornady 50 385 great plains

[Howie1968]

I seldom shoot 50 caliber unless im using the 460 gr no excuse or the 600 gr no excuse. im really gonna have to kill a bunch of hogs and ive got 20 boxes of the tc maxi 370 and 31 boxes of the Hornady 50 385 great plains. what do you all think will penetrate more. I don't have time for a lot of penetration testing. in the tc bullet 100 gr 2f pyro is super accurate my Hornady great plains 385 likes 80 gr of pyro p. and yes ive tested with holy black and get great results I just have a lot of pyrodex I need to use up thanks in advance ill be using my tc hawken .50 with a couple other rifles waiting to get there turn

 

[Bad Karma]

Given equal velocity, the heavier bullet should out penetrate the lighter unless there’s a radical difference in the meplat, rounder, wider, hollow point or some such.

 

[Howie1968]

the great plains has a hollow point and hollow base the tc has a decent meplat and solid base im thinking the tc, ive killed well over 50 hogs with the .54 425 great plains not a problem. just wanna start hunting with my 50s as they are getting left out

 

[SDSmlf]

Whatever shoots the most accurate. Personally shoot a lot of roundball in various calibers, plus a lot of 400+ grain in 45 caliber paperpatched. 370 vs 460 vs 600 grain all will leave a nasty and fatal hole in any hog, or any other Notth America game animal. Honestly believe it comes down to the skill and accuracy of the shooter (aka, hunter).

 

[Howie1968]

if I could get roundballs to pass through the giant boars I kill id use them, in 3 yrs at least 100 hogs via muzzleloader on hogs 250 lbs or bigger the only calibers I get pass throughs on are my .58 and my .72 Kodiak double. I hunt them at bowhunting ranges less than 25 yards. ive even had people make me up harder .490 and .530 rb to help in penetration they flatten out. with saying that I get a recovery but no exit wound blood on the ground is important when hunting the thickets of East Texas. now on sows and boars 200 lbs and under my .54 with rb does well some of my rifles shoot rb better than conicals these are why im asking about the 2 50 cal bullets mentioned

 

[Walkingeagle]

I have no experience on hogs. Not many up here. The 370gr maxiball, over 90gr Pyro P, shot completely through my bull elk at 26 yards this fall, and wouldn’t surprise me if it was still going! They hit hard, and I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to try it on a hog. Let me know what you find out please.
Walk

 

[bubba.50]

Damn! That’s a pile of pork chops and bacon in them pictures.

 

[Howie1968]

I have no experience on hogs. Not many up here. The 370gr maxiball, over 90gr Pyro P, shot completely through my bull elk at 26 yards this fall, and wouldn’t surprise me if it was still going! They hit hard, and I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to try it on a hog. Let me know what you find out please.
Walk

yes sir I will, because of the shear size of an elk that's a good test, while hogs are built totally different there ribs and shoulders are massive. a big hog will be a great test

 

[nkbj]

This kinda comes under "just because" but I'm starting to experiment with solid cast cylinders with paper patch. If the cylinder is long enough and you put enough powder behind it then it will expand into the rifling, and it will penetrate, and it will go splat like a dumdum should. No grooves, just a smooth sided load it either way wadcutter.

How far away it can provide how much accuracy, reckon that depends upon too many factors to try to discuss. Just working with .40 at the moment but may get into .50.

 

[Sparkitoff]

My experience with those two conicals is in 54 caliber, so the weight is different but the construction is the same. The T/C's I have are 430 grain and the Hornady are 425 grain. With that in mind, the Maxi tend to end up with a flat front and a bend at the first band. The GPB tends to flatten the front and end up like a wadcutter. I think the HP moves the lead out or down and it shears off. This is on large animals and ballistic "tests" on different materials. A deer sized animal can rarely detain the projectile for recovery. You have a slightly different weight difference in 50 caliber, but since the construction is similar, I would expect the performance to be similar from caliber to caliber. Overall, I have had the GPB penetrate more in a straight line than the Maxi. There are some assumptions to be made: both are made from soft lead (the Hornady is but the Maxi may be from TC or a clone cast from a mold with "harder" lead); the bullet hits hard matter head on (bone); the shot placement and animal presentation is the same; the projectile is stable in flight. In my observation, the GPB will out-penetrate the Maxi under the same exact circumstances. This contradicts thoughts on conventional bullets where a HP is thought to open quickly and vastly and hamper overall penetration compared to a non-expanding type. But, it is what it is. The Maxi does expand some due to the soft lead but I think its the grease grooves that weaken it somewhat and cause it to bend and turn. I personally have not fretted much about using either on big hogs, nilgai, large introduced species and black bears. But, the biggest curve ball you are throwing is the close range. I'm shooting 50-100 yards and the performance is very similar with the Maxi tending to veer off some and bend. By the time these projectiles (in .54 remember) reach the animal they are at or below 1000 fps. You're probably 300-500 fps more at 25-yards and in .50 cal. I think the HP front on the GPB will be gone in an instant and it will continue on as a wadcutter. Not sure what to expect with the Maxi, but if it bends at slower velocity, it has the potential to bend much more severely in your circumstances. Conclusion - I'd hedge my bets on the GPB.

 

[longcruise]

I think either one is going to be perfect. Just use whatever strums your strings that day.

 

[Howie1968]

My experience with those two conicals is in 54 caliber, so the weight is different but the construction is the same. The T/C's I have are 430 grain and the Hornady are 425 grain. With that in mind, the Maxi tend to end up with a flat front and a bend at the first band. The GPB tends to flatten the front and end up like a wadcutter. I think the HP moves the lead out or down and it shears off. This is on large animals and ballistic "tests" on different materials. A deer sized animal can rarely detain the projectile for recovery. You have a slightly different weight difference in 50 caliber, but since the construction is similar, I would expect the performance to be similar from caliber to caliber. Overall, I have had the GPB penetrate more in a straight line than the Maxi. There are some assumptions to be made: both are made from soft lead (the Hornady is but the Maxi may be from TC or a clone cast from a mold with "harder" lead); the bullet hits hard matter head on (bone); the shot placement and animal presentation is the same; the projectile is stable in flight. In my observation, the GPB will out-penetrate the Maxi under the same exact circumstances. This contradicts thoughts on conventional bullets where a HP is thought to open quickly and vastly and hamper overall penetration compared to a non-expanding type. But, it is what it is. The Maxi does expand some due to the soft lead but I think its the grease grooves that weaken it somewhat and cause it to bend and turn. I personally have not fretted much about using either on big hogs, nilgai, large introduced species and black bears. But, the biggest curve ball you are throwing is the close range. I'm shooting 50-100 yards and the performance is very similar with the Maxi tending to veer off some and bend. By the time these projectiles (in .54 remember) reach the animal they are at or below 1000 fps. You're probably 300-500 fps more at 25-yards and in .50 cal. I think the HP front on the GPB will be gone in an instant and it will continue on as a wadcutter. Not sure what to expect with the Maxi, but if it bends at slower velocity, it has the potential to bend much more severely in your circumstances. Conclusion - I'd hedge my bets on the GPB.

Mr. Sparkitoff, I believe you are right .54 is my favorite conical rifle hands down, normally I have 1 of my 8 .54s in my hand and usually my white mountain carbine. I could continur hunting with my .54s but I also have 4 or 5 50s that rarely get shot except when I use my black mountain magnum with the 600 gr no excuse. that load is devastating many times ive gotten 2 for 1. I know it sounds insane but most of my life ive been a bowhunter and my limit is 25 yards I carry that over into my traditional muzzleloading hunting. the farthest I practice is at 50 yards. I shoot a lot. I noticed that I noticed that with the great plains bullet so close that's why I like hearing different advice I harvest a lot of hogs usually every time I hunt I kill one im in the woodds 5-6 days a week faithfully. I live in the woods and hunt behind my house and I have access to lots of property. thank you for your response