A brief history about the most common muzzleloader bullets;
The majority of muzzleloader bullets are predominantly made of lead. Legend has it that the first shot was fired in a muzzleloader around the 1300s. It was believed to be a round ball that served in muzzleloaders for hundreds of years. The past and present more successful generations are as follows:
ROUND BALL - 1st Generation
The First Generation round ball muzzleloader bullets were created around the 1300s, they were mostly cast from lead and used with patch made from fabric or leather. Muzzleloader guns had smooth bore barrels and were referred to as Muskets. Around the 1800s the smooth bore barrels were equipped with rifling inside the barrels (the word Rifle was derived from this) providing for a more accurate shot and longer distances.
CONICAL – 2nd Generation
The Second Generation bullet was invented in more or less the same period as the rifled barrel. This bullet had grooves and required lubricant.
SABOT - 3rd Generation
More than a millennium later, the Third Generation muzzleloader bullet appeared on the market. Plastic and lead mostly make up for its two parts. This bullet splits up when exiting the barrel, dropping the plastic section. Does not require patch or lube.
POWERBELT - 4th Generation
Assembled from plastic, lead or brass, and in some cases other metals, this bullet also splits up after exiting the barrel, dropping the plastic section. It does not require patch or lube.
MUZZLE EXTREME - 5th Generation
The Fifth Generation Muzzle Extreme muzzleloader bullet appeared on the market in 2013. It is a one piece bullet, with combined advantages, that no other muzzleloader bullet has.
- No separation after fired - no litter between muzzle and target
- Various weights and payloads possible - including shot, in the same size bullet
- No bullet component assembly needed
- One piece bullet can be carried in a Bandoleer
- Superior gas seal, accuracy and restricted lateral movement
- Same load depth every time - depending on the quantity pellets/powder used
- Won't come apart in Possible Bag
- Saves time when loading one piece bullet
- No lubricant required
- Safe to handle - no possible contamination
- Extreme accuracy with excellent expansion
Indeed worth to be called the "Muzzle Extreme". It's a leapfrog into the future for years to come.