Is it poor bullet performance?

dburns51 · 03-17-2010, 07:29 AM

I have read some posts and rateings regarding Powerbelt bullets and a few other brands: that have poor penetration and they fall apart inside the game animal. Is it faulty bullets, using a wrong powder charge, or the wrong grain weight bullet for the animal you are hunting that is causing these defects? The reasones I am asking is 1) I want to make a quick humane kill, 2) I am getting to old to track an animal all over God's Creation and 3) I work to hard for my money to purchase a product that does'nt work. As always thanks for your imput.

charlie brown · 03-17-2010, 07:44 AM

With powerbelts, you have to be carefull and stay within the powder limits of the bullet. I think they recommend no more than 90 grains powder for the 295 lead hollow point. For deer, that should work just fine. For elk, I want something bigger, and not such a big hollow point on it.

I have taken two elk, one with a 370 grain T/C and the other with a 385 Hornady. Can't remember what I shot my one deer with?

Later,

Marcial

cayugad · 03-17-2010, 07:50 AM

To say that powerbelts do NOT effectively harvest game animals would be a gross under statement. Too many people use them and swear by them for hunting. Also they would not sell as well as they do if they did not work.

I really think it is how they are used and under the circumstances they are used. For instance, if I had a projectile that was prone to blowing up in game animals, then I would never shoot for the shoulder or other large bone structures of the animal. Instead I would sneak it behind and let the bullet enter, expand and do it's job. So this takes shot placement and maybe passing on a shot because "something" is not right. Instead of making the shot, wounding the animals and then chasing it all over God's creation.

If I wanted a pass through for better blood trails, then I would make sure the bullet I was shooting had a history of pass through. For some reason a lot of "people posting" about the problems of powerbelts mention no blood trails, and little pass through. So again, this might not be the bullet for me.

I have NEVER harvested a game animal with a powerbelt. I have shot a LOT of them on the range. I find they are easy to load, accurate for the distances I shoot, and would I trust them... sure. But I would slip that thing in behind the shoulder, at the heart bottom of the lungs and try to knock the wind out of it.

If I wanted to make sure I was hitting a game animal hard, I would go to the copper or known expanding bullets like Barnes, Nosler, Speer, Parker, Hornady. Or, I would go to large pure lead projectiles like conical bullets or large roundball. Sure you will pay a little more for them but you will get an excellent bullet that does what you what it to do.

dburns51 · 03-17-2010, 08:04 AM

Charlie Brown & Cayugad
Thanks for the replys. I have read nothing but good about the Barnes, Hornady, and TC bullets. I would rather pay a little more and tag a game animal than go through the agony of not recovering it.

ronlaughlin · 03-17-2010, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dburns51

.............. I would rather pay a little more and tag a game animal than go through the agony of not recovering it.

Here lately i have been shooting too much; almost every day. The bullet i have been shooting a lot is the 270g Gold Dot. I choose to shoot this bullet for a couple of reasons. First, it was excellent this last season when it came to killing deer. Seven deer in 2 states fell to this bullet. I even witnessed lung shot deer fall on the spot, instead of running 75 yard or so. Second, it has been quite inexpensive to shoot. They cost me $14.60 for 50 bullet, and $5.39 for 50 sabot.

I have nothing against paying more for a better product, but in this case, more isn't better, nor necessary.

Semisane · 03-17-2010, 10:15 AM

Quote:

but in this case, more isn't better, nor necessary

Agree. Gold Dots = Premium bullet performance at an everyday bullet price.

UncleNorby · 03-17-2010, 10:20 AM

I shoot the Hornady FPBs, which are a full-bore bullet like the PowerBelt (no sabot), but a different (hollow-base) design with ballistic tip. They allegedly have a thicker jacket, and come in 2 weights, 300 and 350 gr.

I have only shot the 350 and have never failed to get a pass-through from 40-100 yds with 100 gr Pyrodex. Maybe your gun will shoot them.

MountainDevil54 · 03-17-2010, 10:58 AM

Rather than make a long post about the do's and dont's.... Heres this:
http://gandersmuzzleloadingblog.blog...ome-apart.html

lemoyne · 03-17-2010, 11:05 AM

Throwing aside all the stuff you need boots to wade through it boils down to there are lots of good bullets out there but if you want a drop them on the spot bullet the its going to be a 250 or a 270 gr Gold Dot for deer and you need to place them a couple of inches right over the top of the heart to get the results.

Kathwacckkk · 03-17-2010, 12:41 PM

"2) I am getting to old to track an animal all over God's Creation"

Then rule #1 should be practice enough to hit them in the right spot. Regardless of bullet type. There are many great bullets on the market and you will hear good and bad about all of them. I am a firm believer the bullets out in the marketplace today will do the job if the shooter does theirs. I have heard the first hand accounts, but struggle to believe a perfectly double lunged deer or heart shot animal goes more then 100 yards.

I have shot the Powerbelts 245 gr Aerotips out of my .50 cal CVA Kodiak Mag sitting on 2 50 gr pellets of 777. Ranges varied from 15 yards out to about 110. All were passthrough shots and the deer never made it passed 60 yards. I have has the same results with TC Shockwaves in my Triumph.

All that being said, find the bullet your gun likes the best, shoots the most accurately and put the bullet in the kill zone. Good luck and keep us informed.