torridone

I am new to muzzleloading and was recommended to use the powerbelt 270grn. platinum bullets. I recently have read some posts on here complaining about the performance etc. of these bullets. I shot two deer this past weekend, both at approx. 30-40yds. The doe went maybe 10 yds. and pilled up, double lung shot with pass-through. The 11pt. buck went approximately 60yds. I shot him quartering away throught the lungs, he left a good blod trial. I did not find the bullet and am assuming it was either burried in the opposite shoulder or fragmented as some have experienced. I was hoping to find it the buck has a real nice rack and is going on the wall. Moral of the story is that I killed 2 deer with these bulletes and I feel they performed well, I was using 150grs. of 777 w/CVA Kodiak rifle. In both cases the lungs were shredded. They also shot very well at the range prior to this season. Some of the poor experiences with these bullet have me nervous, what bullets do you guys recommend?

frontier gander

im going to make a post for people and teach them the correct way to shoot a powerbelt. There have been multipul posts warning people to NOT use 150 grains of powder with a powerbelt, including the platinums. These bullets need to be driven by a charge from 70 grains to 90 grains of powder. 225-300 grain powerbelts. The heavier bullets such as the 338+ can handle a 100 grain charge and perform perfectly.
I use 80 grains triple 7 with a 225 powerbelt in the .45 and the performance is amazing and puts the deer down with a few yards.

torridone

Are you using loose or pellets? I was using the pellets and of course was not aware that they did not like 150grns. of powder. My barrel is a .50 cal. Is 270grn bullet a little much? I don't expect to shoot more than 150yds.

frontier gander

150 grains of pellets is not needed. 270 grain powerbelt is a great starting point, but i really would use loose powder and stick with around 90 grains. I only use 80 grains loose T7 and am only 4" low @ 150 yards. I sight dead on at 100 yards.
I'll make a thread with detailed info and pictures of the last deer i shot. I'll get that up once i finish lunch
Good job with those deer you shot, have any pictures of the 11 pointer?

lemoyne

The company recommendation for normal Power Belts before they came out with the platinium was 70 to 90 gr of black or RS as I remember it; I understand you shold be able to load the Platinium a little bit heaver. The principal which operates a power Blet is quite different that a sabot as the upset to the size of the barrel and fill the rifleing so they are actually a conical. Used right they can do an excellant job at 100yds or less I would suggest that even with a platinium 110 gr is more than enough since their balistic coefficiant is about .06 and more powder is more likly to cost you a deer than get you one. If they ever come out with a round nosewith a bit harder lead they might be able to handle mag loads.Lee

kdsberman

How come it is recommended to shoot 70-90 grains of powder with Powerbelts? What is the advantage? Im not doubting you by any means, i just wanna know for the future. As of right now im shooting 295gr. Powerbelt Hollowpoints with 90gr. Pyrodex and that combination works great. Thanks

frontier gander

Powerbelt recommends 60 to 90 grains of powder with the lighter weight powerbelts. Ive shot a lot of these in the past 5 years and so far the best performance ive gotten was with 80 grains triple 7. Paper targets looked great but the performance they did on the deer i shot was amazing. The expand and perform better with lower powder charges.

gleason.chapman

Read Cabela's Product Page here about AeroTip PB:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20712-cat200005&id=0012630214373a&navCount=1&amp ;podId=0012630214373&parentId=cat200005&ma sterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IH& amp;rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20000 5&hasJS=true

folks love them or they hate them.

For example:





Exploding Bullets, November 26, 2007
By Concerned777 from WI.
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"Great bullets for plinking.
After using these bullets for the past 4 years, my hunting partners and myself are looking for different bullets. They are very easy to load and the accuracy is unmatched. We have shot over 20 deer in the past 4 years. All deer have been shot, standing broadside at distances from 30 yds. out to 150 yds. All deer have been recovered, and all but 1 have had NO EXIT WOUND. We are all bow hunters and shot placement is always key to harvesting game. All shots were just behind the front shoulder, so the only bones that would be hit would be the ribs. If a bullet can’t pass thru a rib without disintegrating what good are they????"






powerbelt 50 cal 245 AeroTip, October 13, 2007
By newmex
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"I used this hybrid sabot for an elk hunt this Oct. I used tripple 7 50gr pellets (100grs) in my TC triumph. I have read that the bullet fragments on inpact. I would strongly disagree with this. I broke through ribs passing through the heart, both lungs, and broke ribs on the back side as well. The projectile lodge in the hide on the far side intack and mushroomed nicely witout signs of fragmentation. I shot at 40 yards; the big 5x5 elk droped with in 35 yards after inpact."


And really that is the issue, if they are pushed to hard they explode on a rib or anything hard. If you shoot light charges at broadside shots they are great. That is the bottom line, so join the "lovers or haters". Chap Gleason

torridone

How do you post a picture?

torridone

I've been hunting for many years and this is my best buck yet.It was opening weekend of my first muzzleloader season and I got both a buck and doe in two days. It doesn't get any better than that.