May 23, 2011
By Joseph von Benedikt
The new (as of 2010) Traditions muzzleloader bullet is built by
Hornady, and on-game performance will be very similar to that of Hornady's SST
By Joseph von Benedikt
The new (as of 2010) Traditions muzzleloader bullet is built by Hornady, and on-game performance will be very similar to that of Hornady's SST. In .50 caliber, two weights are available: 250 and 300 grains. Though I shot the buck in this article with the 250-grain version, I tend to prefer the heavier bullet simply for the increased momentum, downrange energy, and penetration it offers.
I hit the whitetail directly on the point of the shoulder from a slight upward angle at 28 yards. It dropped in its tracks, and to my surprise it didn't even twitch. Informal forensics showed that the bullet penetrated to the far rear side of the rib cage and stopped under the skin, wreaking havoc along its way. The recovered slug weighs 228.5 grains. It's hard to argue with that kind of result.
Advertisement
Joseph von Benedikt
Raised in a tiny Rocky Mountain town 100 miles from a stoplight or supermarket, Joseph von Benedikt began shooting competitively at age 14, gunsmithing at age 21, and guiding big game hunters professionally at age 23. While studying creative writing at the university he began publishing articles about firearms and hunting in nationally distributed magazines, as well as works of short fiction about ranch life. An editorial job offer presented an open door into the industry, along with an eye-opening two years stationed in the Petersen Publishing building in Los Angeles.
A position serving as Editor in Chief of Shooting Times magazine took von Benedikt and his young family to Illinois for four years. Homesick for the great Rocky Mountains, von Benedikt swapped his editorial seat for a position as a full-time writer and moved home to the West, where he's been writing full-time ever since, along with hosting the Backcountry Hunting Podcast.
Favorite pursuits include high-country elk and mule deer hunting, safaris in Africa, deep wilderness hunts in Alaska, and wandering old-growth forest in Europe for stag, roebuck, and wild boar.
Full Bio + |
See more articles from Joseph von Benedikt
