# Anyone shoot no excuses conicals?



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

My smoke pole is an older inline .54 caliber Knight and I have discovered that it shoots conicals much better than sabots. My current load for it is a 425 grain great plains conical over 90 grains of FFS. The only .54 caliber offering no excuses has is a 535 grainer. I think that the wide meplat design of these conicals would work much better on heavy bone worst case scenario type shots than the hollow point hollow base design of the great plains bullet. I saw another thread where a guy did a bunch of torture tests with different conicals where the great plains conicals basically turned inside out and the no excuses conical mushroomed very uniformly and neatly. I have heard outstanding reports of accuracy and terminal performance with the no excuses bullet. They are priced very reasonably at $26 for 50 and are manufactured locally in Roy, Utah. 

I'd like to hear anyone's experience with these if they have used them. What do you think the penetration potential is for a .54 caliber 535 grain bullet in front of approximately 90 grains of powder. I know it will be a shoulder buster on me. Do you think it will be a shoulder buster on an elk?


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I shoot the exact same gun and am interested to see the opinions on this. I also could not get sabots to shoot well out of my Knight. I tried the Powerbelts (I know I will get heat for that), and they actually have shot very well and have done very well on the animals I have taken with them. I shoot the 348 grain hollow points with 100 grains of powder.

My Knight is a '93 RMEF gun. #32/100. Prob should not have started using it. But, in '06 I figured that it is a gun and started using it. I have taken some nice bucks with it, but have not had the chance to use it on elk yet. Will try that this year. If I don't draw the LE tag, I'll go the open muzzle hunt. Have done the open a time or 2, but have been skunked. I usually go archery elk. Went rifle elk last year for the first time in quite a few years. 
That worked out very well :mrgreen:


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

2full said:


> I shoot the exact same gun and am interested to see the opinions on this. I also could not get sabots to shoot well out of my Knight. I tried the Powerbelts (I know I will get heat for that), and they actually have shot very well and have done very well on the animals I have taken with them. I shoot the 348 grain hollow points with 100 grains of powder.
> 
> My Knight is a '93 RMEF gun. #32/100. Prob should not have started using it. But, in '06 I figured that it is a gun and started using it. I have taken some nice bucks with it, but have not had the chance to use it on elk yet. Will try that this year. If I don't draw the LE tag, I'll go the open muzzle hunt. Have done the open a time or 2, but have been skunked. I usually go archery elk. Went rifle elk last year for the first time in quite a few years.
> That worked out very well :mrgreen:


Why do you wish you hadn't started using that gun, 2full? Wish you would a .50 instead so you have a better selection of bullets? I'm kinda looking into a LE muzzle elk hunt myself and that's why I'm looking for the ultimate .54 caliber bullet. Nothing like punching a big .54 caliber hole in a critter.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

The reason I probably should not have used it that it is a numbered edition. Supposed to be a collector gun. I don't mind the 54 caliber part at all. It has literally knocked 2 of the bucks right off their feet. I have killed a 27", a 30", and a 31", and a couple of other 4 points with it. It has performed very well.


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## hondodawg (Mar 13, 2013)

I use them in my Whites 45 cal. 
Haven't killed anything yet. I use loose powder and #11 cap. Will try the percussion nipple if I ever draw again. They are hard to find. If you have friends that you can piggy back orders on than stock up. I know this reply isn't much help. But I'm limited in the projectile on the whites 45 cal.

Will say this, some of the funnest times was figuring out loads at the range.

Just talking about it makes me want to go out and make some smoke.


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## 7mm Reloaded (Aug 25, 2015)

hondodawg said:


> I use them in my Whites 45 cal.
> Haven't killed anything yet. I use loose powder and #11 cap. Will try the percussion nipple if I ever draw again. They are hard to find. If you have friends that you can piggy back orders on than stock up. I know this reply isn't much help. But I'm limited in the projectile on the whites 45 cal.
> 
> Will say this, some of the funnest times was figuring out loads at the range.
> ...


Finally someone else with a 45 cal.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I have a White .45 calb as well as my .54 knight. I killed a couple of good bucks with it in the late 90' s . I really liked it, it shot very well. But the black composite stock cracked right behind the bolt on both sides. It never was as accurate after that, so I quit shooting it. One reason I started using the .54. 
I also have a .50 Hawken I bought in the early 80's. Still shoot it once in a while.


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## CROC (Sep 12, 2007)

2full said:


> I shoot the exact same gun and am interested to see the opinions on this. I also could not get sabots to shoot well out of my Knight. I tried the Powerbelts (I know I will get heat for that), and they actually have shot very well and have done very well on the animals I have taken with them. I shoot the 348 grain hollow points with 100 grains of powder.
> 
> I shoot the same load in my knight and they are great.


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## Flylow (Nov 4, 2011)

I shoot a 460 grain No Excuses conical out of my White 50 caliber with excellent results. I have killed two deer to date with this set up and it dropped both of them in their tracks.


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## HammerDown88 (Jan 12, 2010)

I Shoot them out of my .45 White, I have killed multiple deer and a big bull all one shot kills.
I think they are a great bullet.


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## Boly (Sep 23, 2008)

Flylow said:


> I shoot a 460 grain No Excuses conical out of my White 50 caliber with excellent results. I have killed two deer to date with this set up and it dropped both of them in their tracks.


I shoot the same bullet and have had good results. What powder do you use and how many grains?


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## Firehawk (Sep 30, 2007)

I have used them in my old TC Firehawk .54 caliber. They shot absolutely terrific. They were tough on my shoulder after lighting them off with 110 grains of Pyrodex. That 535 grain bullet was extremely accurate though.

Haven't tried them in my Knight .50 caliber as it shoots sabots so well. But I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. David is a good guy that made good stuff. 

FH


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Firehawk said:


> I have used them in my old TC Firehawk .54 caliber. They shot absolutely terrific. They were tough on my shoulder after lighting them off with 110 grains of Pyrodex. That 535 grain bullet was extremely accurate though.
> 
> Haven't tried them in my Knight .50 caliber as it shoots sabots so well. But I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. David is a good guy that made good stuff.
> 
> FH


That's good to hear that they were accurate. I have no questions about there terminal performance. They should do awesome there. If accuracy is up to snuff then this bullet will probably go on a LE muzzleloader elk hunt with me sometime in the next few years.


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## Flylow (Nov 4, 2011)

Boly said:


> I shoot the same bullet and have had good results. What powder do you use and how many grains?


Hi Boly, I shoot them with 100 grains of Triple 7 FFF.


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## Boly (Sep 23, 2008)

Flylow
Thanks, I shoot 100 grains of Pyrodex P and it seems to work ok. The bullet performs great. I have only shot elk with it but I have never had one fold up and drop, they usually go 10 - 30 yds after the hit. I hoped to see them drop upon being hit but not so far.


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