The Polymer Tip Advantage

Let's examine the advantages of the Polymer Tip of the QT as it relates to performance on game, ballistic performance, and accuracy.

Performance on game
Consider the polymer tip as a very large (.1875") hollow point. Immediately upon impact, the tip is driven back into the soft lead and hydraulically opens the lead into a perfect mushroom. Depending on the purpose of the bullet, the size of the mushroom is controlled by the shape of the cavity behind the polymer tip. This action takes place regardless of the remaining velocity because the polymer tip is much harder than the lead. This guarantees predictable bullet performance over the entire velocity range generated by today's muzzleloaders.

As the QT bullet diameter increases (.40 to .44 to .45) the relative explosive expansion decreases. This allows the hunter to select the appropriate combination of expansion and penetration for the animal and hunting circumstance. We have found that the 360 and 400 grain QT .45 offer comparable expansion and twice the penetration of the 195 and 215 grain QT .40. This makes them the perfect choice for larger game and more questionable shot angles.


Ballistic performance

Ballistic performance of a bullet is measured in terms of Ballistic Coefficiency (BC). The numbers are under 1.000 and the higher the better. According to the Hornady Reloading Manual Third Edition, a 240 grain XTP .44 has a BC of .141. By comparison, the 250 grain QT .44 has a BC of .251!
According to their website, the 300 grain Barnes .45 Muzzleloader EX bullet has a BC of .207. By comparison, the .45 QT 300 grain has a BC of .270 and the .44 QT 300 grain has a BC of .300. The 400 grain QT .45 has a whopping BC of .357! What this translates to is down range energy and flat trajectory. The more energy, the cleaner the harvest. The flatter the trajectory, the easier it becomes to hit the target by making distance to target estimation less critical.

In the event that you wish to compare the QT to a solid non-hollow point bullet of the same dimension, the QT would still win because the tip displaces 25 to 30 grains of lead.

Accuracy

Bullet stabilization is a key component to accuracy. Stabilization is a problem in Spitzer shaped bullets with long, heavy noses. The polymer tip of the QT weighs 1.4 grains yet it displaces between 25 and 30 grains of lead. That means that the nose of a QT Spitzer bullet is between 23.6 to 28.6 grains lighter. This not only lightens the bullet but also moves the balance point closer to the base - thus increasing stability. What this really means to you, the shooter, is the QTs are more forgiving and easier to get accuracy from your muzzleloader.

With three diameters (.40, .44, and .45) and twelve different weights there is a QT bullet that will give every muzzleloader and every hunting situation the Polymer Tip Advantage.

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