Originally Posted by
rogerstv
Congratulations on the hog.
Not sure what you are shooting, but I had issues with Powerbelt bullet expansion. More than one bullet passed though a whitetail resulting in less than acceptable blood trail.
I switched to 250 grain T/C Shockwave and 100 grains of Blackhorn. Much better results than the Powerbelts. I shot a small buck last year with the T/C and no exit. He was quartering towards me. And, I was in a tree. Shot penetrated top of front shoulder towards rear quarter without exit. Blood trail was non-existent. Body search in the dark ensued. I found him about 50 yards away. He hopped a fairly tall fence between the scene of the crime and his resting spot. Wow, deer are amazing. Even though no exit, I am happy with the Shockwave. Have shot half dozen deer with it. All piled up in short fashion. I do not bother with bullet recovery. So, cannot comment on weight retention.
It was the Shockwaves that I have been having problems with. Great accuracy but very poor terminal performance. I will be trying my luck with a few other brands this next season. Looking at the Barnes TEZ and the LeHighs. I am also considering switching over to the Blackhorn. I have been using pyrodex pellets which are very convenient but if the blackhorn is better I'm all about what will put the deer down quick. Hate losing an animal and with the pyrodex and shockwave combo I have now lost 4 good bucks in the last 7 or 8 seasons. I have just been having a hard time changing because of how accurate they have been for me out of my Omega