bullet question

[spitzerguy]

I have CVA kodiac magnum .45 cal rifles I've had for a few years. They came with some Powerbelt bullets, and I just stuck with those through deer seasons. That is all I've ever shot. They slid down fairly easily, and do okay, but are a little bit pricey. I recently bought some Hornady SST-ML bullets and sabots (they're cheaper, and made by a company in my home state to boot). I can't force them down the bore. My 18 year old weight-lifting, football-playing son couldn't get them to pass either. I put the bullet in the sabot, then inserted the combo in the muzzle, and it hangs up on the rifling. I thought it unwise to ignite powder behind something that was that hard to move. I pictured the breech plug becoming a projectile instead, and I like to keep my eyes and brain as intact as I can, so abandoned that. I ended up removing the breech plug and pushing them out, and went back to the Powerbelt bullets. I'd like to shoot these more, using the less costly bullets if I can.

I was using Cabela's black powder solvent to clean the bore. I did not use any lube or oil or "bore butter" or such. The Powerbelt bullets passed just fine. My calipers say they are 0.455 in, while the outside of the sabot on the SST is 0.458 in. It doesn't seem like 0.003 should hang them up. What am I missing or doing wrong? How much force should I expect to exert to load these?

 

[jsteurrys]

You could try switching the the Harvester .45/40 Crush Rib Sabot as it should be easier to load than the supplied one.

 

[Widude]

Have you seen any of the 'Low Drag' or 'Easy-Glide' options in 45 cal? If so they would be worth a try.