The Savage 10ML-II easily generates much greater velocities with smokeless powder than is possible with any conventional black powder muzzleloader. That combined with the quicker 1:24" twist, required a longer more stabile bullet providing better ballistics. Several hundred 260 grain Dead Center .40 caliber bullets were tested.

Precision Rifle sent the new longer 260 Dead Center to several experts in the black powder industry to get their feedback. Check out their results.

Mule deer buck shot by Toby Bridges.

Toby writes "I was hunting with a new break-open muzzleloader from Mid-Western Outdoor Specialties (of Joplin, MO)(Denali). I was shooting a 110 grain charge of FFFg Triple Seven, for almost 2,100 f.p.s. from the 28-inch .50 caliber barrel.

I had spotted a group of mule deer at about a half-mile, and using a steep ridge for cover, was able to cut the distance quickly. When I eased to the top of the ridge, the deer were all inside of 200 yards. There was one better buck, but he did not offer a shot. And when this one stepped out, I hit it with my laser rangefinder, and it read 181 yards. The rifle was sighted 2" high at 100 yards, and since I was shooting slightly downhill, I held about 3-inches above "dead center" of the shoulder and squeezed off the shot.

 The buck dropped on the spot. The bullet angled slightly rearward, and exited out the opposite side. However, it had punched through the blade of the shoulder that offered the shot, and had apparently expanded well. The exit hole looked 3 times larger than the entrance hole."

Group shot by Bill Ball, the son of Henry Ball, while testing the accuracy of Serial #001 of the Ball Custom Savage Muzzleloader

Group shot by Toby Bridges 48 gr N120 with MMP MSB
Group measured .500"
 

Testimonials

Hey Ray These bullets should be named not just ( Dead but extremely Dead Dead Center. ) I have been shooting the 200 gr. 45 & 50 cal. backed with 100 gr. of Jim Shockey Gold for the last 3 years in my T/C Encore 45 & Ruger M77/50. I can shoot 3 shot groups in either gun that will measure 1 1/4" at 150 yards all day long. Out of the last 2 deer hunting season 05 &06 I have killed 3 bucks each year with this bullet. The longest run any of these deer made was 30 yards. Four of them fell dead in their tracks. The longest shot I have made was 130 yards according to my rangefinder. I have recovered 4 of these bullets all of which expanded & flatten out to about 3/4" and looked like a helicopter blade. These are the best shooting bullets I have used in my guns, after seeing the damage done by them, my son-in-law & best friend use them in their Ruger & Traditions pursuit. I hope Cecil never changes anything about these bullets because they are the most ( wicked ) bullet out there.

I especially like the great design of the little boattail and extreme accuracy of the dead centers. May everyone find the same pleasure in them either hunting or just shooting, but just remember be safe & enjoy what (God has put out there for sportsman to enjoy.)

Rick King
Piney Flats, Tenn.

 
I waited 5 months for a TC Omega and when I got it last week I tried your Dead Center bullets in 200, 220 and 240 grains. At 100 yards I had a 3-shot group of 0.6" with the 240's using 100 grains Triple Seven FFFg (photo attached). I'd never seen a muzzleloader outshoot my centerfire rifle, so the next day I tried the same load at 50 yards and got a 0.4" group!  I'll be ordering more.

Don Stanford

I just want to say thanks for making the best bullets around. Attached is a picture of a deer I harvested on my Great Uncles farm in Minnesota November 16, 2002 using a Dead Center 175g in My Knight 45 Disc Extreme pushed with 110g of 777 fff. The deer was at 160 yards walking. The shot was a pass through which hit both lungs, he traveled about 50 yards and tipped over dead. This is the third deer I've shot with these bullets and all three went less than 50 yards with great blood trails.

Thanks again,
Brett Vegoe
Minnesota

I would like to congratulate you on making /designing/marketing an amazing product. I would never have believed that a muzzle loader could be so accurate and so powerful at long range. On Thursday this week my best friend Frank of Springville Springers shot a ten point white tail buck at two hundred and forty one yards!!!! The three hundred grain dead center smashed and disabled one shoulder and punched through an off side rib. Your Dead Center bullets even get rid of the dreaded loading wrestling match of shoving the bullet down the bore. The Savage smokeless powder rifles and your Dead Center bullets are a match made in heaven. To my knowledge there is no better combination for muzzle loaders. After shooting paper and game I am wondering what the limits are of this super accurate and powerful combination. I keep checking your web site for updates on your exterior ballistics of your three hundred grain 45 caliber Dead Center bullets for 50 caliber rifles. Please publish them. I am starting to day dream about next years muzzle loading season here in Ontario and maybe a muzzle loading elk hunt in New Mexico next year. I am still shaking my head at the ability of these smokeless powder rifles using your bullets. And NO I do not work for Savage or the hunting or firearm industry ( I wish I did!)

Regards Don Katsumi
ps: TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE YARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I realize a great deal of time and effort went into making the Dead Center .45 "round". I am here to say that it performs flawlessly on whitetail deer. On opening morning, Monday Dec. 02, 2002, (Ohio) I shot a nice eight point and was astonished at the way the bullet performed. I was using a CVA Eclipse .45, Triple 7 powder, Winchester primer, and your Dead Center. I shot the Buck at about 50 yards from an elevated stand and the Buck performed a 15 yard 'death dance' before he made two complete circles and fell stiff. I was amazed at the impact and the reaction of the deer since he damn there made a back flip when shot. Even though on this occasion the bullet did not make a complete pass through the animal, the hole inside the deer cavity behind the left front shoulder was about as big as a softball. I have yet to skin the deer out, and I believe the bullet is either wedged in between the muscle and the hide or in the right shoulder blade. Thank you again for your hard work and dedication in making such a wonderful muzzleloading projectile. It makes the hunt all that much better when a person can make a fast and humane kill. Good luck in future endeavors and I know you have a customer for life.

Your hunting buddy,

Tom Moses

AM I IMPRESSED!!! I received the new barrel(1:30) for my .45 Knight and went to the range yesterday. I was using the .357 Dead Center sabot with 3 50 gr. pellets. After about 6 shots I had it on target. I then preceded to shoot a 2" group @ 100 yard dead center. Two shots were touching and the third was off (I may have pulled). I then moved the target to 200 yards and shot a 1 1/2" 3 shot group that only had a 3" drop! I can't wait for dear season! If you want I can send you a copy of the target.
Thanks for all of your help and for making such a great bullet.

Jim Poock

I have enjoyed shooting your bullets, I have purchased 300 of your Dead Center .40 cal 200 grain for my T/C Encore, very nice. I have also shot approx 200 of your QT .40 cal 250 .44 cal. Wonderful expansion on recovered bullets. I am currently working with your .40 250 grain QT, but due to Indiana law I must use a .44 cal bullet. I have now shot 150 rounds through my T/C Encore and 100 rounds with my new Omega. Enclosed is the group I attained from my Encore after using your loading and "spit patching" procedure. To say the least I am pleased. Currently the Omega is being zeroed in at 200 yards. Using 130 grains of Triple 7 and attaining 2.0 to 2.5 inch groups. I tell everyone about your product! Thanks for all the good work. Looking forward to your ballistics on the Dead Center 260 grain.

Thanks again!

Todd Wiedell

The Dead Center muzzleloading sabot bullet's higher ballistic coefficient equals higher downrange velocities which results in higher downrange kinetic energy.

The polymer tip and the cavity behind the polymer tip are designed so the Dead Center muzzleloader sabot bullet dissipates most of it's energy within the animal, while still gaining complete penetration. This should result in greater blood trails, making for easier game recovery.

The Dead Center sabot muzzleloader bullet is a streamline soft lead cold swaged boat-tail black powder bullet. The Dead Center bullet is designed to produce an entrance and an exit wound, thus leaving a good blood trail, should your game not drop in its tracks.

Each pack of Dead Center blackpowder bullets comes with a specially designed bullet pusher. The Dead Center bullet pusher is self threading, screws on the end of most ramrods and is designed to load these very sharp pointed polymer-tipped bullets without damaging the tips or the soft lead bullets.

Read what Mr. Toby Bridges has to say about the Dead Center .40 260 grain bullets he tested.

Ray, You gave me a call at work and discussed some issue with the T/C Encore. I ordered the primer adapter and some 220 40./50. Dead Centers. I also sanded down the forearm on my gun where it covers the hinge pen and tighten the butt stock. My gun has went from 4 and 5 inch groups to cutting bullet holes at 100 yds. with ease. I appreciate the advise you gave me.  I had talked with T/C but they were not helpful at all.  I will be ordering more bullets shortly and I will definitely tell others about your products. 

Thanks Again Mike Poole.

Ray, I'm back from Alaska and I had a great trip (see attached photos). I shot the 67 1/4" wide bull moose using the 340 gr Dead Center bullets in my T/C Omega. My first shot was a slight quarter away shot through both lungs at 115 yards. The bullet didn't hit any ribs in or out and the bullet was stopped by the hide on the far side. Although the moose would have died from the massive bleeding out the one side and internally, continued to reload and fire two additional shots until the bull walked out of sight. The second shot went into the lungs and stopped at the hip and the third shot went through the neck below the spine. The bull only traveled about 20 yards before collapsing. I recovered both bullets and they were flattened out. I was in shock from the size of that animal when I walked up to my first bull moose! I thought "What an I going to do now!", I was hunting by myself for 10 days due to the bad weather preventing my good friend Marlin from leaving his plane in the bush and returning to check on me. Luck prevailed! I was able to skin and bone the bull and the bears never found the kill. I had cold weather to keep the meat chilled and while I was packing the meat out to a different landing strip, I met the Weber family that was hunting there and they offered to help me pack out the last load of meat and antlers. The weather finally got nice the day before I was to fly back to Pennsylvania and I made my flight and so did my equipment, meat and antlers. What a great Alaskan experience! 

 Take care, Phil Smith

Ray, I just wanted to thank you for all the helpful advice and excellent products which lead to a successful November bull elk hunt in Arizona. The .25 ACP breech-plug conversion for my TC Encore resulted in flawless performance. The 340 grain Dead Center sabots shot amazingly accurate at the range and did a real number on the 5x5 bull elk I shot outside of Flagstaff. This set-up makes an outstanding elk gun and I'd be comfortable shooting any animal in North America with it. Your thoughtful advice in getting everything assembled is greatly appreciated. Please feel free to use my testimonial on your website. And call me up if you ever make it to Scottsdale. I owe you an elk steak dinner! 

Regards, 

Eric

Ray
 
After contacting you a few weeks ago, you helped me get my T/C Omega 50 cal tuned up and shooting great groups.
I changed to the 25ACP breach plug, started using the Triple 7 loose powder (110 gr)and 44 cal, 300 gr Dead Center bullets. After a couple sessions at the rifle range I went to Western Oklahoma and hunted with my brother.
On opening morning of the muzzle loader season, 10-24-2009, I killed this deer at 148 yards. the bullet hit where I aimed and he ran towards me for about 40 yards and expired. We recovered the bullet between his off shoulder and the hide. Turned almost inside out and looks to have retained all of it's weight. I licked a patch, cleaned the bore, reloaded and killed a doe from the same spot. She was at 160 yards when I shot and she ran less than 30 yards and piled up. This was the best buck I have ever taken with a muzzle loader.  This is a combination I will continue to shoot as long as I hunt.
 
Thank you
 
Mickey Morris
Longview, TX

I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that I am now a big fan of Dead Center Bullets. 

I went on a Elk Hunt in New Mexico this October and took with me one of the new Savage 10ML-II Muzzle Loaders capable of shooting smokeless powder along with a blister pack of your .44 X .50 260 grain Dead Center Muzzleloading Bullets. With a charge of 44 grains of XMP it pushed the Dead Center out the tube at 2,256 f.p.s with 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards. To make a long story short I shot a big 5X5 Bull Elk at 146 meters (according to my range finder) hitting him broadside in the left shoulder. The Bull ran, or rather walked, 15 yards and fell over dead. Upon inspection of the Bull the bullet went through the left shoulder breaking bone, entered and destroyed the lungs, hit the right shoulder, again breaking bone, and lodged just under the hide on the right side. All of this and it still maintained right at 60% of its weight. What more could you ask! You can believe that I am taking this combination with me on next years hunt. I’m spreading the word on your bullets wherever I can. 

Thanks, Todd Norris

Hi! Your 220 grain .50 Dead Centers and my Knight Disc Elite performed flawlessly on 2 nice caibou on my Quebec trip to Tuttlik Outfitters off the east coast of Huson's Bay. The weather was windy and rainy and I had no problems at all. I took your bullets since I have found them to shoot the most accurately in my rifle and have a great trajectory up to 200 yards. And believe me, I tried every bullet made! It wasn't necessary to shoot that far, but I was prepared!   

Thanks again! 

Ken Moist

Hello Ray,
Just wanted to let you know I have just killed my 2nd deer this year #1-Nov 6, 06 -- #2 Nov 26, 06 with the T/C Encore in 45 cal. w/209 primers, 100 gr Jim Shockey gold American power, & the best performing bullet on the market today, the 200 grain DEAD VERY DEAD CENTER. Every deer I have killed, the bullets have not exited but stayed inside and destroyed them.  I have 4 bullets I have recovered and they did everything you would want them to do, great expansion & shock from these bullets.  I also use the same bullet in my 50 cal. Ruger M 77/50. 

You can change it now to three bucks this year with the third one coming on Dec.18th with the same results and this bullet was
recovered with the results looking about the size of a quarter & about 1/8 " thick.

Thanks again for the best bullet on the market.

Richard King Tenn.

Thought I would send feedback to this Incredible product. This is truly the tightest group I have ever seen from a muzzleloader. Shot 1,2 practically same hole (these 2 shots were from mounting the scope, gun right out of the box which is a .489 group (no bore sighting). The next three shots are truly impressive as well. .713 WOW!! My father was a firearms instructor for our local police dept. and is one of the best shooters I know of, and he as well was very impressed with the accuracy. I am still amazed at the accuracy of the Savage, coupled with the Precision Products. 

Conditions: Cloudy, 11 mph crosswind, 71 deg. 40/50 260 Gr. Dead center (using the Rat seating tool) 50 cal. Magnum sub-base 44 gr. XMP 5744 65 yds. 

Brian Nelson Traffic Supervisor City of Clarksville 199 Tenth St. Clarksville TN 37043 Office (931)-645-7464 Nextel 29*51352

I included a couple of pictures of my deer from '04, in case you needed a picture for your site. I was shooting a .45 Encore with the .25 ACP Breechplug, 105 grains 777 FFFg and a 200 grain D.C. The deer grossed 162 3/8. 

Thanks again, and take care, 
Matt Epp

Hey ray here is a pic of two Delaware bucks that we shot with 200 grain dead centers in a 50 cal. with 110gr of pyrodex. We love these bullets and won't shoot anythng else..

john&andrew

Hi Ray, I just returned from another Arizona elk hunt and guess what? The .25 ACP breech plug and 340 grain Dead Center sabot did it again! Preseason practice at the range convinced me that my T/C Encore with this set-up was accurate out to at least 200-yards (the farthest you can shoot at this range). Other shooters were often puzzled to see a muzzleloader setting up at these distances but I tell you this gun is accurate! The season opened with two days of rain and snow. I didn’t do anything special to protect my rifle and it fired at the touch of the trigger when I cleared the barrel every night back at camp. I have the utmost confidence that this thing will fire under wet conditions. The third day of the hunt of my brother glassed up a bachelor herd across the canyon. After an hour long sneak this big 6x6 and I surprised each other at 40-yards and the rest is history. He is a wonderful bull and I am very pleased. Thank you again for making such excellent products available to modern muzzleloaders. Special thanks for calling me personally to address my questions when I was getting everything set-up. Your commitment to quality and service is to be commended. Please feel free to post my note and photos on your website. Regards, 

Eric Hanshew 
Scottsdale, AZ 85255

I received this email on 14 Aug 04 from Frank Langston of Allen TX:  So far my best 3 shot group came with the Dead Center .40 240 gr. 50 cal using 44 gr of AA 5744.  1st shot 1905 fps; 2nd shot 1848 fps; 3rd shot 1840 fps for a 1.58 inch group @ 100yds. I am using a stock Simmons 3x9x40 scope. When the barrel gets broke in the groups will shrink. Cleaning with a saliva patch after 5 rounds will get velocity and grouping more consistent.  Click graphic to enlarge.

Frank

I received this email on 15 Aug 04 from Frank Langston of Allen TX: The group on the lower left is the Dead Center 240 gr .40/ 50 Cal. behind 37.2 gr of N110.@ 100yds .667 inches. 89 Degrees Sunny 5 mph head wind. 1st shot 2147 fps; 2nd shot 2107 fps; 3rd shot 2066 fps The group above is a 5 shot group of Dead Center 260gr .40/50 cal behind 38 gr of N110. 1st shot 2215 fps; second shot 2201 fps; 3rd shot 2191 fps; 4th shot 2202 fps; 5th shot 2211 fps. The flyer caused this group to be 1 inch. It came on the first shot out of a clean barrel. Shot 2-5 measure .5 inch! This was almost 4 one hole hits. Only 50 shots have been fired through this new Savage. Imagine what it will do when the barrel is broken in!!!!! 

Frank Langston 
Allen Texas

Ray
Thanks so much for the time you spent with me on the phone answering all my questions.  The other day I finally got the time to shoot and try out the new VariFlame Primer Adapters.  All I can say is wow it is the first time I shot like this with a muzzle loader at 100 yards.  My hunting buddies can't believe it as well. These bullets are the real deal also the powder flask really works great and makes it simple to make your loads.  I will be calling in another order real soon. Thanks again and good shooting.  I am enclosing a picture of a group I shot.  Click image to enlarge it.

Thanks, Frank Tansley
Beachwood NJ

Wow, I finally got to try the bullets (Dead Center .45 300 for .58 cal rifle) out. They shot very well, in fact I can shoot balls, ballets or your bullets and not change my open sights. yours do seem to group better, I got a four inch group at 100 yds. I do not see to well anymore so that is pretty good for me. I probably figure 50 yds is a better bet for me. Now we shall see how they work. 

Well the bullets worked very well, I got a cow. The shot was 93 yds. according to my son's range finder. It blew blood 20 feet behind her and knocked her off her feet never to get up. Very impressed. Will try and send pictures when they get developed. I forgot the camera until I was through skinning her. Since we were at 11,000 ft. and 6 miles from the pickup, I skinned and quartered her on the spot for the pack horse.

Thanks Ron

I got your Dead Center bullets and took them to the range today. I used the VariFlame Primer Adapter; I have never seen anything group that well. I was only shooting at 25 yards though to work up a load. I settled on 110 grains of 777. All of the three shot groups are under one inch. A couple of the groups are one holers. I couldn't believe it. Going back soon to see how it is at 100 yards now that I have my load. Awesome bullets. I will only use Dead Center bullets from here on out.

Thanks again.

Todd

14 Aug 04, I tested some Dead Center .40 260 grain 50 Cal bullets in a friend of mines (Brian Roberts) Savage 10ML II.  I used Magnum Sub Bases.  Click image to enlarge.
Brian was happy with the results!

Because of its high ballistics coeficient the Dead Center shoots flatter.  A flatter trajectory means longer range. 

   

Below is a 1/2" group I shot in October 2003 using the Dead Center .357 175 grain out of my .45 caliber Omega.  Click image to enlarge it.

Here is a group I shot on 26 May 05, using the Dead Center .40 220 grain and 110 grains of 777 ffg, using my Encore .50 caliber with the .25 ACP conversion. Click on picture to enlarge.

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