ORIGINAL: sproulman
i used 295 powerbelt in my .50 cal flintlock t/c hawkins..i got a huge 8 point buck, biggest one in 50 years on weight/spread of horns..
i shot him behind shoulder at 20 yds ..he fell right down..bullet went thru both sides..
i may goto 348 next year,but that bullet worked fine..
i believe that any hollow point bullet is not good if you hit shoulder on hip etc..so, if you are that type of hunter, DONT USE A POWERBELT..
i ALWAYS shoot behind shoulder or buck WALKS..so, powerbelt is good one for me..
NOW, if i was type of hunter that shoots at running deer or at angle etc..
no way i would use a POWERBELT..i would use a MAXI-BALL..
so, it comes down to type of hunter you are,use ole sprouls thinking, been at it for 50 years and 36 of it with a flintlock..been there done it..
i like powerbelt best now because i dont have to mess with BORE BUTTER at 10 above zero..
Excellent wisdom Sproulman for your type of hunting---FL, no scope, most shots <=50 yards only excellent shots behind front shoulder. The only thing I would add to your logic is that as we age we start seeing less clearly, and our aim is not always perfect because we are not shooting on a rest we are shooting off handin the field. I alway aim "right behind the front shoulder" like I was bow hunting, just a you do, but sometimes on 100 yard shots I don't hit there. Therefore since I can't guarantee where my bullet will hit the buck 100% of the time (unless I take only 50 yards and under shots with my 3x9 scope on my Omega--making it sorta a waste) I want to shoot a bullet that will hold together when hitting bone or very heavy muscle.
Your number 1 criteria is ease of loading in very cold weather, which the PBs do nicely. But don't ever miss your mark with those 50 years of hunting experience eyes, you will not like what the PB does, it wounds the animal and gives you a miserable"flashback" to what you could do differently--been there done that myself.
Please review this bullet performance site for ML:
http://www.snipersparadise.com/tsmag/July03/july03.htm
and this chart:
http://www.the-gleasons.com/TSD%20Wound%20Chart-MZ.htm
I believe the Copper Magnum Black Belt is the PB with another name.
Since your shooting a FL without a scope (my guess) and most of your shots are <=50 yards, the PBs will work fine for your experienced eyes, but can you honestly recommend them to a young hunter with a scoped in-line shooting off hand at a buck 120 yards away? All you have to do is read the threads on this Forum, and they speak for themselves.
Chap Gleason VA