MMP sub bases and EZ load or crushrib sabots

[GM54-120]

Normally the sub bases dont seem to give huge improvement with most 50cal guns and sabots. Ive found a few combinations that my guns like with them.

Would a sub base help seal the charge with the MMP 3 petal EZ or Crushribs? Ive checked the sub base against a Crushrib 44/50 and it appears to fit fine. The profile of the sub base and sabot cup is fine and not stepped. The nose of the sub base just touches the bottom center of this CR sabot before contacting the skirt.

Seems like a better seal with a easy load sabot could make a good combo in some bores.

I have found a great use for them though. I put them in the bottom of my range boxes so the bullet/sabot is easier to take out of the Berry's 50A&E range box.

 

[tpcollins]

I bought some awhile back but never shot them - kept wondering how could I be assured they would be in alignment when they got to the bottom of the barrel? So I super glued several to the bottom of some of my sabots from PR Bullet and they do line up pretty well - maybe I'll even shoot them some day . . . .

 

[Lee 9]

I tried them with several sabots; I am not impressed, no additional velocity, accuracy showed no improvement.

 

[wayles]

sub base

Wish they made them in .45 cal. I would try them under lite blue smooth harvester sabots and hot loads of BH209. The sabots get pretty stressed useing 130 and 140 grains of BH 209 and I start to lose accuracy. Owell maby someday as the .45 makes its way back.
wayles

 

[GM54-120]

Re: sub base

Wish they made them in .45 cal. I would try them under lite blue smooth harvester sabots and hot loads of BH209. The sabots get pretty stressed useing 130 and 140 grains of BH 209 and I start to lose accuracy. Owell maby someday as the .45 makes its way back.
wayles

I would like to try them in 45cal too but i dont load that hot in my Accura 45 and the sabots look fine with upto 110gr. If i had a Knight 45 that was rated for much hotter loads they probably would be worth a try.

Ive even loaded heavy 40cal bullets upto 260gr and the 40/45 sabots hold up just fine with my max load.

One of my 50cals can safely handle hotter loads so i might try some heavy for caliber bullets in the Crushribs and/or the old 475/50 sabots with 325gr bullets.

They do look like getting them aligned in the bore properly will be a bit tedious.

 

[tpcollins]

Re: sub base

Wish they made them in .45 cal. I would try them under lite blue smooth harvester sabots and hot loads of BH209. The sabots get pretty stressed useing 130 and 140 grains of BH 209 and I start to lose accuracy. Owell maby someday as the .45 makes its way back.
wayles

I saw online where someone used bore buttons (don't remember what size) sandwiched between the powder and the sabot to protect the base from distortion. Seems like they may have been using smokeless but a cushion is a cushion.

 

[Anonymous]

Normally the sub bases dont seem to give huge improvement with most 50cal guns and sabots. Ive found a few combinations that my guns like with them.

Would a sub base help seal the charge with the MMP 3 petal EZ or Crushribs? Ive checked the sub base against a Crushrib 44/50 and it appears to fit fine. The profile of the sub base and sabot cup is fine and not stepped. The nose of the sub base just touches the bottom center of this CR sabot before contacting the skirt.

Seems like a better seal with a easy load sabot could make a good combo in some bores.

I have found a great use for them though. I put them in the bottom of my range boxes so the bullet/sabot is easier to take out of the Berry's 50A&E range box.

The sub base's (BBSB) purpose is to protect the integrity of a sabot/bullet combination that loses accuracy when pressures reach the point that an unprotected sabot's integrity is compromised.

For instance, your working on a load that shoots great with a 100 grain powder charge. In this case, increasing the powder charge to 110 grains results in poor accuracy. Dropping in a BBSB should "buy back" that accuracy you lost as a result of increased pressures and likely you would be able to go to 120 grains and still maintain accuracy. The point at which accuracy fails in any particular gun/sabot/bullet/powder charge is not predictable.

Of course you must NEVER EXCEED THE MAXIMUM POWDER CHARGE AS STATED BY YOUR GUNS MANUFACTURER.

Alignment of the BBSB and sabot loaded over it is "automatic".

 

[Anonymous]

Re: sub base

Wish they made them in .45 cal. I would try them under lite blue smooth harvester sabots and hot loads of BH209. The sabots get pretty stressed useing 130 and 140 grains of BH 209 and I start to lose accuracy. Owell maby someday as the .45 makes its way back.
wayles

I saw online where someone used bore buttons (don't remember what size) sandwiched between the powder and the sabot to protect the base from distortion. Seems like they may have been using smokeless but a cushion is a cushion.

I often use "bore buttons" ....Wonder Wads....in load development of my 45 caliber muzzleloaders.

 

[PA RIDGE RUNNER]

My son uses bore buttons but not under a sabot. I read somewhere, maybe on the package that you are not supposed to use bore buttons under any concave based projectile. I would think that would include sabots.

 

[GM54-120]

My son uses bore buttons but not under a sabot. I read somewhere, maybe on the package that you are not supposed to use bore buttons under any concave based projectile. I would think that would include sabots.

I cant say for sure if they made any difference in my tests but they didnt hurt and Hodgdon DOES recommend a felt wad under a hollow base Hornady Great Plains conical. Its right in their T7 and Pyro data pdf file.

Those are about as concave as you can get. Using them with sabots ive used dry lube or unlubed Nitro wads. Vegetable fiber wads are probably the best and cheapest if you just want to keep the flame/residue off the base of the sabot.

 

[Lee 9]

I have tried many things in using a wad the one time it made a constructive difference was with TC Breakaway wads [which I have not used for many years]. They had one advantage which was that with a season barrel [ it is a special process which it looks like few remember] and an extra wad soaked in hot Borebutter you could shoot pyrodex all day and clean your gun when you got home.
They also had one disadvantage at the pressure level of a hundred gr of pyrodex the were at max pressure they could handle at 110 gr they shot all over the target.
I now use both MMP and Harvester wads depending on what that particular gun likes and have on problem with the sabot with heavier loads of BH than the average shooter uses.
I believe most sabot problems come from not finding the right fit with bullet and sabot to barrel. So tight the sabot is crush to the point where it loses strength is just as bad as to loose. Lee

 

[GM54-120]

Lee

I remember those and still have 2 tubes as "semi collectibles". Mainly because they were one of the first sabots on the market.

I found using and additional dry lube felt wad first they shot much better and they almost self cleaned with each shot of Pryodex. Almost no cleaning way needed for upto about 10 shots and the fouling stayed soft.

Ahhh the good old days. Very Happy

 

[GM54-120]

Oops dbl post