Hoosier_Hunter1963

Let's hear your opinion's on this subject. I have my scope sighted in perfectly (or close) for the 245 Gr. Aerotip powerbelts. Now I have gotten some of the new 270 Gr. Aerotip Platinum powerbelts. How much adjustment should there be in sighting them in?

1. Little
2. Somewhat
3. Totally Different

Steve8511

I

Steve8511

I think they are both junk, low penetration and it is easy to deform this bullets. So any dent in loading throws off the accuracy. The nylon bowl at the bottom of the round does not always fall off after firing causing further accuracy problems.
They has the very best advertising campaign going but if you try any Shockwave you will never go back.

frontier gander

i love 'em. i use the 245's in my rifle also. ive taken 2 shots at deer over 140 yards away and both bullets passed through the rib cages and dropped them. If you switch to 270's there will be very very little difference in drop. If any.

IndyHunter83

There should be a ballistics chart in the backage. I'd check that. I think it gives trajectories out too 250 yds for 100 gr. and 150gr. charges. I have found with a 295 grain powerbelt theres about a 3" drop with 100 gr. and about a 1.5"-2" drop with 150gr.

Catus Magnus

Indy - take a close look at that chart, and you'll note that Powerbelts are poor performers relative to their weight and relative to their cost - especially the 245gr version. They do expand, but don't penetrate all that well. Don't misunderstand: you put them in the right place and they'll do - like any other bullet - but they won't do any better, and cost waaaay too much. I've got half a dozen left from four years ago; used one (295gr) as a reload this morning, when I needed a 2nd shot. Unfortunately deer moved as I squeezed, and I hit gut. Mess. Deer took a long time to die - my fault, bad shot, and I WAS OUT OF RELOADS - I finally snuck up and stabbed her. I'll carry more loads in field next time. Anyhow, back to the Powerbelt... at only fifty yards, it didn't make it through paunch of medium-sized doe (but to be fair, I found it in the offside ham... it broke femur).

Contrast this with the other deer shot this morning - CheapShot at about same distant when through buck's front shoulder (angling down) broke bones shredded heart and buried itself in the dirt. Deer ran a few yards - with no heart, one front shoulder - and died.

In conclusion: none of the failures this morning were anyone's fault but mine; but now I've seen first-hand what I'd only heard before, that Powerbelts are lacking when it comes to penetration. Not a very good value for their high $ cost. They'll do - I'd hunt with them - but they don't do any better than sabots. IMHO.

frontier gander

maybe its the amount of powder thats being used? i used 120 grains pyrodex rs in my rifle with those shots slightly over 140 yards. My dad used 90 grains pyrodex with a 295gn powerbelt,hit the buck in the shoulder/collar bone area, buck went 30-35 yards and was dead. My brother shot a doe from 92 yards, it was a high hit that hit her towards the spine area and we figured she was dead and just rolling around, luckily he reloaded and was ready when she popped her back into place and shoot up and started to run off. A shot to the shoulder dropped her in mid stride. And the doe that i hit with my ML'er was using 90 grains pyrodex RS and a 385 grain great plains bullet, first shot was 90 yards, again, the shot was a little high but put her down, my second shot was an easy 25 yarder, That bullet went throught one shoulder and barely made a scape on her other shoulder. Now that was a 385 grain slug and it didnt even come close to passing thought both shoulders at 25 yards. I still like the powerbelts the best, i had pure hell reloading a second shot with that great plains bullet. And if you ever buy a pack of the sabor tooth bullets " powerbelt wanna be's" you'll be kicking yourself for not paying the $4 extra for the powerbelts. Those bullets are horrible. $13 for 20 hollow point 245gn powerbelts isnt bad, especially when they are performing for you.

Catus Magnus

I hear you, FG. And to be fair... that PB this morning had to go through punch and then ham, and stopped against bone. If I'd hit where I wanted to hit - just behind front shoulder - I've little doubt that PB would have blown through ribcage, and deer would have died post hast - and if I'd made the same bad hit with Cheapshot sabot, it still would have been ugly (but probably would have blown hole in the offside). Similar shots I've made with sabots went through. In sum... I don't think PB are bad bullets, I think they're overpriced & hype, so I'm not inclined to buy them. I've killed two deer with them; all the rest with 240gr sabots. I use 90gr Pyrodex RS, regardless of bullet.

Considering performance... $4/box of 20 for CheapShots is a killer deal, esp. compared to Powerbelts at what, three times that cost? Now that I've used these plain lead Cheapshots - and seen good results on paper and on game - I've gotta tell everyone!

txhunter58

unfortunately, in my Omega, I have not found ANY full bore conicals that will shoot well. It shoots sabots well and powerbelts ok, but conicals generally will be 3-5 inch groups at 25 yards.

As to the original question, you can not answer that question consistently. In one gun, #1 will be the right answer, in another gun, #2 or #3 may be the "right" answer. Each gun likes/dislikes bullets differently. For example shooting the 338 grain platinum powerbelts vs.348 grain aerotip copper powerbelts. Both with 110 grain pyrodex: the 348's actually shoot HIGHER than the 338's at 100 yards. And the difference IN MY GUN was substantial as far as the point of impact.

Nother words, there is no correct answer until you shoot YOUR gun.

Pglasgow

Can't say for sure. But this I can tell you. I have shot 245 BB ballet, 270 BB Ballet, and 295 PB without changing the sights one iota. All were shot with the same 70 grain charge. While each wasa littledifferent in point of impact, the trajectories of all were acceptable for point blank shooting inside 100 yards.

You'll have to shoot to know for sure. Try a 3 shot group and see if you need or want to adjust the sights any. Let us know what you find out.