RE: Powder/Bullet combination for new TC Encore 50??
I have heard that the Encore isn't a big fan of Powerbelts on other forums too.
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I would not rely on that information. I am not a Powerbelt user. I buy bulk bullets/bulk sabots... recently Speer Gold Dot 270 SPs & Harvester sabots. There are isolated incidents where any ML bullet made gets poster-complaints in multi-forums. 50 caliber Powerbelts "in all grain sizes", shoot well enough to hunt whitetails with the proper powder grains & having a fouled barrel (Powerbelt recommends).
You will also likely find that at least three different Powerbelt grain sizes will shoot with pinpoint accuracy in most Encore 50s. Using field tests, Gun Tests Magazine last year rated CCHP Powerbelts as the 2nd best ML bullet after Barnes. Yesterday, I received my copy of Blackpowder Hunting Magazine & the CCAT Powerbelts were rated the overall #1 hunting bullet using similar tests.
If all you care about is weight retention/no fragmentation, then you are not including other aspects of a good hunting bullet like accuracy, ease of loading, penetration, expansion... etc. Overall.... dependent on shot location inside of a deer, it's hard to beat non-lead Powerbelts.