I am a relative newcomer to muzzleloading. Last November I shot my first deer with my Winchester Apex. I had sighted it in using two 50 grain triple seven pellets and a 295 powerbelt so that's what I used for my hunt. I believe that would be equivalent to about 85 grains of triple seven loose powder. I had practiced enough so I was confident in my shot placement. I shot a really nice sized doe broadside at about 75 yards. I waited a while, reloaded, and went to take a look. There was no blood trail near where I had shot her. I knew I had hit her just behind the shoulder so I went back to where she was hit and I could see her tracks. It was the tracks I followed to find her next to the river in some pretty heavy cover. Upon field dressing and butchering her we found several bullet fragments, all of them quite small, maybe 30 or 40 grains being the largest.
I feel very fortunate to have recovered that deer. The bullet desintegrated upon impact with a rib. I am not bashing powerbelts, just relating my experience with them. I wouldn't think at that range I was overdriving the projectile. I am going with something else next season, maybe the shockwave, I've heard good and bad about them too.
Art