Hornady's SST. In .50 caliber Bullet

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.