ORIGINAL: sjsfire
ORIGINAL: eldeguello
The PowerBelt functional concept is OK. However, many people tend to shoot very light ones with heavy powder charges. This gives a high MV and a relkatively flat trajectory. But many who do so fail to realize that big, fat,light, high MV bullets shed velocity very fast, and consequently have less power on impact than a slower, heavier bullet would have had. Then they get disturbed at the lack of performance. Just keep in mind that black powder arms gain power by using massive-for-caliber bullets at moderate to slow velocities.
So me being new to ML, I will ask.Yoursaying Iwould be better off instead of usinga 245 grain Powerbelt areotip with 2 50gr Pyrodex pellets to switch to maybe a 295gr areotip and maybe less powder? Play around with the loose powder 80-95gr or so? Thanks
From my own experience, 385 GP conical is a great deer projectile when used with 80 grains Goex or RS. Awesome expansion and pass through penetration on double lung every time. Good combination.
Just like Eldequello said, bigger is best for downrange delivery of power, slower to moderate velocity is better.
I've not hunted with PB's yet. But functionally they are a full bore all lead conical (copper plating is not a jacket) with a generous hollowpoint, indeed quite similar to the 385 GP's I like to use, though PB's are superior in ballistic efficiency. Just like the GP's, they will expand well at low velocity, and if they are heavy, drive right through a deer without worry. If you are going to use them, you may try the 405's with 80 grains if its accurate in your rifle. IMHO, any light weight jacketed bullet which shares the same impact energy of that load, will underperform it, wasting more energy on entrance and causing inferior trauma, and exiting with less energy being imparted to wounding.
The key to getting the most out ofunjacketed hollowpointbullets is exploiting their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses.