i filled 2 doe tags over the christmas break while in iowa.
plenty of freezer meat.

i was shooting 348 gr. aero tip powerbelts with 85 grains of APP in my 54 cal. hawken.

both shots were under 40 yards. both were complete pass thru's.
one was quartering towards me, the other was quartering away.
both shots took out the top of the heart. 3/4" hole going in, 1 1/4" hole going out.
did not recover either bullets. hit exactly where i was aiming.
one doe ran 35 yards, the other walked 15 yards and dropped.
both left huge blood trails (looked like someone used a paint sprayer).

i thought the bullets performed fine.

i just don't like the price.
tough to enjoy a hobby/sport that costs that much.

hookset

I am in full agreement with you. I have rifles that shoot powerbelts excellent. The one problem is, their price. They are not the kind of projectile you want to go out on the range on a nice saturady afternoon and shoot all afternoon at targets. Just too expensive.

Personally,
I have moved on beyond Power Belts. I started muzzle loading 3 years ago because the place where I hunt is limited to shotgun and muzzle loading. The first two deer I killed with power belts that year showed them (to me) to be too soft and have a tendancy to break apart.

I started using Shockwaves last year and never looked back. In the past two years, my kids and I have harvested 14 deer. Three by bow, three by 20 gauge shotgun with sabots (before I modified a muzzle loader for them) and the rest by my Encore. I do not hunt with a shotgun because I just don't think it can out perform my Encore (other than followup shots, which I haven't needed). Everything shot w/ my Encore has been w/ shockwaves, my kids use the 300 grain Hornady XTP in their gun because they don't shoot a magnum load and I am not sure they would get good expansion w/ the shockwave.

I described, with pictures, our most recent experience with PBs, another blowup.
Just this week, a fellow I work with (a very dependable fellow and very competant deer hunter and shooter) shot a 100 lb doe with a PB. He said when he shot it, the doe fell, moved forward on her back legs, got up and ran off. A hunter several hundred yards away fiinished her off. When he saw the doe, there was a double fisted size hole in her shoulder, some serious jellyfied front quarter meet and cracked bones, but NONE of the lead or copper made it into the body cavity. It was like it hit the shoulder and just exploded. Thankfully another hunter had the opportunity to finish it off.

All that said, I do keep some PBs around. I keep one 295 grain PB with 2 50 grain pellets of 777 and two primers in my jacket. This is for fast reloads after the first shot. I don't swab or clean, just plop the two pellets in and then the PB and shove it home. (I could never do that w/ 110 grains of loose 777 and a shockwave) Because they load so easy and I don't need a special tip on my rod, I keep them for that purpose. Seems to me that for finishing shots they are probably ok. Knock on wood, haven't had to use the load yet.

I know some folks have great luck with them. But I have personally killed three deer with them and won't use them as a primary load ever again.
R
Hank

They are not worth the money in my book unless you only hunt with your rifle and fire 20-30 a year. I shoot 20-40 shots out of a single rifle when I go to the range it would cost me a small fortune to use powerbelts. I will use the 295g ones in 48 twist rifles for hunting only but never in my fast twist rifles where 250-300g 44cal bullets in sabots shine. My son loves them on top of two 50g Pyrodex pellets in his MDM Quikshooter and my hunting buddy shoots them in his Remington 700ml I just never saw them being worth the money and don't mind putting a little more elbow grease on the ramrod to seat my saboted round.

ahankster,You might consider trying APP or Jims Gold or Pinnicle I hear they are similar,I switched to APP myself it shoots so much cleaner that second or third shot is no problem.Lee

I shot 2 deer this year with them
Worked great

The 348 gr. Powerbelt Aerotip is about the most popular elk bullet out here in Colorado. It likely wouldn't be if sabots were legal (Shockwaves really shine), but when restricted to full caliber bullets they are accurate and load easy. I actually like the 405 a little better. And most people don't shoot any more than they have to - just sight it in and check the zero each fall before going afield. Price isn't a big deal when you only shoot five rounds a year . . .

I must agree withmost everything said. This was my first year hunting with a MLand being new to the sport, I looked for any advise that would get me going quickly and not waste time and money. My nephew recommended that I use Powerbelts. Hehad tried many other bullets and these were the best in his opinion. Ease of loading was the main benefit. So that is what I used and it worked out well for me. Second day out I shot a nice doe dead on the spot.

Although the Powerbelts did work out Ok, I am going to reset sights for Shockwaves next year. Hearing so much positive and virtually no negatives, the Shockwaves have to be one of the best if not the best. My friend uses them in his Omega and swears by the results. I've tried a couple and they do load a bit harder but I can deal with that issue.