1 April 2022.

Photo Credits: Aaron Thesing.

Break Down:

I was first introduced to this particular bullet from a cohort of mine, Toby Bridges, owner of North American Muzzleloader Magazine, NAMLHunt.com.  Toby has been able to take some fantastic animals with this particular bullet made by Harvester, and seeing his success and viability, it got me to thinking that maybe, just maybe It was possible to get my hands on these, and throw some down range and see what kind of data I could come up with.

Weather:

Today's conditions are 39*F, with Winds out of the West, at 5 miles per hour. Humidity was at 50%, and Barometric Pressure was 30.06inHg.  I was able to register a 1" grouping at 50 yards, which is the tightest grouping I've been able to produce thus far, and I was able to register a muzzle velocity on a 3 shot group averaging 2,065 feet per second and 2,840 foot pounds of energy.

Availability:

This bullet is readily available at many Sporting Goods Stores to include, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's; Midway USA, Natchez Shooter's Supply, and HarvesterMuzzleloading.com, making this an attractive option for both Deer and Black Bear, and even Elk to around the 200 yard mark.  This also comes in as a relatively inexpensive option coming in around $15 per pack, sometimes lower, or higher depending on the retailer, but for a little over $1 per bullet this is a great option for everyone looking for accurate, and inexpensive solutions. 

Data:

Velocity | Energy

Muzzle: 2,065 fps | 2,840 fpe

50 Yards: 1,929 fps | 2,478 fpe

100 Yards: 1,799 fps | 2,156 fpe

150 Yards: 1,675 fps | 1,869 fpe

200 Yards: 1,559 fps | 1,619 fpe

250 Yards: 1,450 fps | 1,400 fpe

300 Yards: 1,350 fps | 1,214 fpe

350 Yards: 1,261 fps | 1,059 fpe

Take Aways:

I really like the accuracy of the bullet, as this has given me my tightest grouping so far of any powder or pellet combination.  There is a slight discrepancy in between the Nosler Ballistic Silvertip and the Harvester White Lightning in terms of Velocity and Kinetic Energy.  If I am being honest, I figured that the White Lightning would overtake the Nosler in terms of Muzzle Velocity and Energy, due to it having a higher Ballistic Coefficient of .290, and the Nosler having a BC of .191.  Inside of 50 yards the Nosler wins the Energy competition hands down, but when it comes to reaching out at 350 yards, the White Lightning strikes hard with 1,059 foot pounds of energy.  

This bullet was difficult to start, but slid down the barrel without much of a fight, compared to the Nosler which pushed around 30 foot pounds of force to properly seat.  I am thinking that the .43 bullet diameter on the White Lightning had something to do with this as with both bullets being the same weight, and the higher BC bullet coming in second place in terms of speed and energy I am wondering if the gas seal wasn't as tight as it was with the .458 Nosler.

If you're looking for an accurate, and good overall bullet for muzzleloading, which won't break your bank, this is one you need to look at.

-Aaron Thesing.