Took my first deer with a 348gr powerbelt over 100gr of Shockygold. I was disappointed in the performance of the powerbelt considering that the range was 30yds from an elevated stand, the shot was at a walking deer and hit him high in the gut (my fault), and I didn't get full penetration. In fact when skinning him out bullet fragments were found against the hide on the far side.
I've shot other deer with lighter lead slugs(knights), and round balls, and lighter powder loads, and they go through deer, and ribcages, like a hot knife through butter.
I really like the way these powerbelts shoot on paper, but I have some reservations on using them for more hunting.
Has anyone had similar experiences?

Yes, I've heard of that problem with the lighter ones, but I'm suprised to hear about it on a whitetail with the bullet weight you used and the area you hit. Yes, they aren't perfect, but they have some advantages, and in my opinion you were correct in opting for the heavier bullet. Try out the 300g barnes expander or any of the heavier constructed sabots for next season. They are comparable pricewise and should shoot as well.

I was planning to use 300 gr XTP's but couldn't get the d___ bullets to load in my Omega without pounding them down! Sabots must be too thick!

I had a very BAD experience with Powerbelts and won't ever use them again.

My wife hunts as well, but was handicapped some years back by a stroke. I have oversized tree stands so that I can hunt alongside and provide an extra set of eyes since the stroke impaired her vision as well.

An hour before dark, a herd of does and yearling fawns come out within 25 yards. We're well concealed about 15 foot up into a huge oak tree. She's shooting a youth model Model 700ML .50 and I'm shooting the larger model. She picks out a fat yearling and dusts him. The herd spooks but do not sense real danger and run only about 75 yards away. A huge doe was leading the crew so I got a good rest and told my wife to watch her since I wouldn't be able to see her through the smoke. I centered the crosshairs high on the shoulder and touched it off. When the smoke cleared, she was flat on her back with 4 legs flailing the air. Figuring she was down, I nonchalantly began reloading as the herd was now scattering around us and I figured my wife could take another.

Suddenly the old doe was up and hauling ass right for us. I figured she was on a death run and as she ran almost under our stand, I saw a red streak on her left front "paddle" of the shoulder. I got down and couldn't find blood anywhere. I went to where she'd initially falling and found nothing. I trailed her fresh tracks to my tree stand and found nothing and I went down the major trail I'd seen her take and still nothing. I spent 2 hours "knowing" she'd piled up inside the woods but neverf found her.

Next day I went to the range and shot at a target on a scrap piece of 3/4 cabinet plywood. When I went down to check, if found the bullet intact, stuck to the plywood. It had tried to keyhole and the plywood stopped it. I shot 4 more times and 3 of them keyholed. I can only assume that I'd hit that doe squarely on the 'paddle' with the bullet and knocker her off her feet. When she regained her senses, she ran off. No more Powerbelts for me, that's for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by Westernmassman:
Took my first deer with a 348gr powerbelt over 100gr of Shockygold.

I didn't get full penetration. In fact when skinning him out bullet fragments were found against the hide on the far side

If the bullet passed through a full paunch it might account for the reduced penetration. What sort of velocity do you get with the 100 gr charge of Shockeygold propellant?

quote:

Originally posted by george roof:
Next day I went to the range and shot at a target on a scrap piece of 3/4 cabinet plywood. When I went down to check, if found the bullet intact, stuck to the plywood. It had tried to keyhole and the plywood stopped it. I shot 4 more times and 3 of them keyholed.

Interesting. What sort of powder and charge were you using?

I have had 348gr. powerbelts keyhole when the powder is either too light or too slow on initial light off. CVA told me that in order for the bullet to upset into the rifling the initial shock from the charge must be sharp enough to upset the bullet to the rifling. I did have the 348gr. bullet pass almost completely through a big cow elk and it went through the heart and lodged in the far side rib cage. The plastic tip was still intact.

quote:

Originally posted by Westernmassman:
I was planning to use 300 gr XTP's but couldn't get the d___ bullets to load in my Omega without pounding them down! Sabots must be too thick!

Call MMP and get some 3-Petal EZ sabots; that should do it.

Is the sabot "too thick" or your bore too small?

At that time I was using 90 grains of Pyrodex
RS and a 209 Winchester primer.

Nordrseta: No idea what velocity I'm getting, as I didn't want to trash my chrony. I am getting 1/2 inch 4 shot groups at 50 yds, and that is why I was using the combo.
Since I was using 50 gr sticks I didn't want to go up to 150gr. Of course the sticks vary so much in dimensions no telling what I am getting for each load except for the accuracy.

Couple of years ago I used the lighter .50 cal Powerbelt on a behind the shoulder side shot on a nice doe. The animal did die and was found ... but the bullet did not give full penetration and was mightily deformed.

Was using 100 gr charge in a Remington 700ML. Rifle shoots the bullet well, but the bullet does not perform well in my opinion.

I shot a doe at 70 yards with a 245gr powerbelt over 150gr load, the bullet did not exit I found fragments all in side.

Powerbelts ,in my opinion, are the worst muzzleloading projectile on the market today.
Two years ago was feast or famine year here in Missouri.Meaning you saw a dozen or more at a time or you saw none.The last day of our muzzle season I was hunting on our fathers farm. The last hour of light I saw a nice doe stepping into a creek bottom aprox.350 yds away.Figuring, "what the hell its the last day , last chance." I got down out of my stand and managed to stalk within range.(the doe helped.half way through the stalk she started towards me).Well I waited as she closed the distance.At 75-80 yds I bleated her to a stop,took carefull aim at her shoulder and fired.
After the smoke cleared ,much to my surprise I saw her going away.I waited a bit ,loosing the light fast,I went to the spot where she was standing.I found three small drops of blood,nothing else.I trailed her fresh tracks for about half a mile , expecting to find her at any moment. Sounds familiar doesnt it.
My father and I found her the next day , Long after the coyotes had. Upon closer inspection we found that the bullet had just barely got through one shoulder penetrating about 4" in all.
I was using a.50 cal., 245gr.pb with a 100gr charge of pyrodex.
I have since swiched to the TC breakaway with no further problems.
I'll NEVER ues powerbelts again.


"Revenge is a dish best served cold." Klingon proverb

Standard lead Powerbelts fragment badly with 100+grains. The only ones that seem to hold up are the 405+ grain versions. All standard Powerbelts seem to work best with 70-80 grains of blackpowder equivalent. Always test the plastic base for a nice loose fit before loading. If a tad-tight, put a pinch of gun oil on a Q-tip - remove the base and apply the oil to the nub at the bottom of the bullet & nub slot on the base. Install it again - then spin it around a few times & slip it on & off a few times. It should appear much looser now.

The tolerances for proper base fit is so small that's it's difficult for the manufacturer to be 100% right-on with every bullet in the package. If they are off a tad, they are generally too tight & can be corrected with the oil or bore butter. I don't recall the last time I seen one that was so loose - that the bullet disengaged from the base.

I am not a Powerbelt user BTW.

I have been using the powerbelt bullets for a few years now and have 6 or 7 deer with them. I dont know where you guys are aiming but all of mine but one were bang flop. I am shooting a cva .45 caliber with 295 grain powerbelt bullets and 150 grains of powder. I have shot them all at different ranges from 40 yards to 130 yards. Teh one that didnt bang flop only went about 30 yards and then went down. Most of them have been double pass thru. Actually all but one where double pass thrus. I am very happy with my powerbelt bullets and will continue to use them. you have to use what works best for you.

Maybe you are the success story that CVA bases their marketing on !

I'm with bigmike on this. Surprised to hear the problems. I've taken a few deer, all broadside pass throughs. I love the way they expand. Leave an exit hole similar to a high velocity bullet. They go right down or just a mad dash for 20 yards.

I use the 245HP version in my flintlock. I've been hunting with the renegade for 26 years and up until the powerbelts came out it was .50 in and .50 out and then follow the blood for 100 yards. Sabots I almost need a hammer to get them down the barrel and then they go sideways through the target. Hooked on the powerbelts.

I suppose I like them too, I only have two kills with these belted bullets but both have been broadside full passthroughs 225 grn. .45cal hollow point over 120 grns 777 Knight disc elite also I get 3 shot 1 1/2" groups @ 100 yds I must admit I switched to them this year for the ease of loading before killing Deer with them.

I shoot these, and have no use for anything else- the spitfire boat tail.

Been shooting the Barnes 285 over 3 'sticks' of American Pioneer (150 grains) and have never even thought of trying a different bullet. No need. These have punched through every deer I can remember no matter the distance....oh, and a few antelope too.

I keep going to Bass Pro here in Cincinnati, and there is ALWAYS a Powerbelt video playing in the ML section. I think the package always reads: "The #1 muzzleloading bullet sold" or something like that. I don't like short fat bullets to begin with. I prefer them longer...like in the above post, someone mentioned a 295 grain 45 caliber....that bullet is long and skinny compared to the short/fat powerbelts. That concept, IMO, is a strike against good penetration 100% of the time.

I used to shoot the 240 Hornady XTP in a green sabot over 100 grains of Pyrodex. Killed a few deer with it and none ever passed through and there was never a blood trail. All ran off and some made it quite a distance. The only reason I found them is because I hunted over a cut bean or corn field that was 150 acres and I would lay down in the middle of it and wait for them to cross the creek. Worked every time.

Try the Barnes bullets. My brother is shooting the same bullet (both 50 cal) but his is the 245 grain....and he is using 777 which grouped only 3" for 4 shots at 200 in Wyoming.

I've killed a few elk and mule deer with 348 grain aerotip PBs and not had a problem. Credible reports of problems such as the one by Paul M. above where the animal was found and inspected do make me think twice though.

But if we want to talk about bullet performance, we need credible reports. I've shot bullets (good bullets) that keyholed or just plain didn't shoot well in my particular rifle, just never thought to go hunting with them and then blame the bullet for the result. I always thought it was the hunter's responsibility to verify how a bullet/load worked before drawing down on an animal. Consider what keyholing does to accuracy and velocity, and throw in an animal that was shot at but not recovered. Unknowns are where the animal was hit, the velocity of the bullet, and the attitude of the bullet. No conclusions on bullet performance can be drawn from this.

Powerbelts...Junk.....any questions????

Intended for Powerbelt lovers only.....

The only dependable lead Powerbelt are the 405s and bigger. Use coppers in the sub-400 gr. varieties and don't overpower them. They seem to expand nicely using between 70 and 85 grains. If using between 86 and 150 grains of powder, buy the Platinum Powerbelts.

With either the regular or the new plastic Powerbelt bases, make sure the fit to the bullet is loose/non-binding. Put a little bore butter or gun oil on the bullet nub that attaches to the base to alleviate any pinching fit.

i've seen over 150 deer killed with 6-7 different brands of ML ,all shooting 100grns of pyrodex ,pellets or loose and have yet to see a powerbelt fail , hitem where you're supposed to and they die.we all use 295pb copperclad HP.

we've killed deer from 20-150yds and also 5-6 bear with these bullets with no problems at all.

quote:

hitem where you're supposed to and they die.

Well this is my problem with all of the PB's I have tried to shoot.

The damn things just won't shoot in the 2 rifles I have tried them in. I get minute-of-pie-plate accuracy only at 100 yards.

Maybe I just don't know what the hell I am doing!!! But I can get Hornady SST's to shoot at 2-3 inchs in same guns (.50 Encores).

i have yet to see a muzzleloader that these bullet wouldn't shoot in ,i've had friends tell me they couldn't get them to group,but everyone they brought to me has shot fine. i only use the 295pb.