RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

444 grain powerbelt? Im 6'2 and only 160lbs, I aint that dumb enough to shove that big of bullet down the bore of my rifle:D:D A steel recoil pad doesnt absorb much recoil.

Heaviest powerbelt ive shot was a 348 grain powerbelt out of my dads hawken and also out of my .54 flintlock i had. Bullets expand to the size of silver dollars with 80 grains powder. These i tested at 100 yards on a railroad tie. Tested by accident. Didnt expect them to have that much drop!
Very good elk bullets IMO.

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

I've never been able to get good consistant accuracy with powerbelts. I've tried them in a couple rifles that did OK for a group or two, then "fliers" started showing up. Not sure of the charges I was using, but I usually start off with around 80 grains of loose powder for any load I test. I like the theory behind powerbelts, I like conicals and they are basicaly a conical with a gas seal attached.
For example - with my T/C NewEnglander I tried powerbelts. 1st group @ 50 yards was about 1" and I thought I'd found a winner. Next group was about 6"! Same rifle, same shooter, same load, why the huge difference in results?????

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

Thats why i said in the first post that rifles such as my winchester, cabelas hawken, cva bobcat, cva hawken love the powerbelts.

Could also have been the powder. I know the last pound of T7 i had, went to hell after i used half the can.

If powerbelts will shoot in your rifle or not is up to the rifle. All have a mind of their own. This thread is for those who get accuracy from them and are either new to the sport of muzzleloading or have used powerbelts and and didnt get good results on the game they shot.
So far all of my rifles love them except for my slower twist 1:66 rifles.

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

Frontier I agree with you 100% To the gentleman that had to go looking for the mamed deer, you don't know the specifics other than the slug used was a powerbelt. Shot selection, conditions, etc all of it comes in to play. To make a generalized statement they are junk, I do not buy into.

The powerbelt will perform as intended at approximately 1,500 feet per second. Anymore than that, and your pushing it too hard. In my opinion, its up to the shooter to play with their loads and determine how much powder will achieve this out of their chosen rifle.

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

Just for a hip-shot frontier, I'm shooting a CVA Wolf that I just bought. I'll give a little input into why I chose PBs to use. I bought my CVA from Cabelas and got it with the scope and kit. The kit includes Shock Wave sabots but I chose to use what CVA recommends for their guns. Yes, I know that CVA ownsthe company and makes the bullets. But, Ford doesn't recommend putting a Dodge computer chip in an F-150 do they? No, because Ford knows what will and won't work properly and best with their vehicles. As well, PBs were designed and manufactured for CVA muzzleloaders FIRST, and others second. They were made and paired to CVAs to acheive the best accuracy. I attempted to put a Shock Wave in the barrel of mine once while getting used to the gun and it stopped nearly dead before the entire bullet and sabot were into the barrel. I promptly took out the breech plug, dumped the pellets and grabbed the sabot and bullet with pliers, ripping it out. Until there's something better that's easier to load, I'll stick with what I'm using.

An accurate shot on a deer will put it down, period. When I started talking to hunters I know, guns hunters said shoot for the shoulder and the two bowhunters I know said shoot for the lungs regardless of what weapon you choose. All should remember, a 50 yard run is only 150ft. If you stand at point of impact and walk out 150ft in any direction, you still wouldn't cover 1 acre. I don't know about most people here, but I can start in one spot and walk a circular grid search of the acre around my house in about 15 to 20 minutes. From what I've seen and heard, a good lung/heart shot will have the deer down within 100yds. That's not unreasonable to search by yourself.

Don't mind hankster, that's another part of the hunting equation.I bowhunt and use a Parker bow. Parker isn't the most expensive or the most popular and doesn't even rank on most people's lists. But, it's a good bow and I like it because it gets the job done as good as anything that costs three times as much when it's used properly. In my honest opinion Matthews, Bowtech, Hoyt and a few other bows are overpriced and don't do the job any better. But, I don't beat them down because that's what someone else chooses to use. To each his own as long as he pays the bill. I wouldn't bother with someone who wants to beat down your choice of bullet. For every deer that hankster has seen lost after shot with a PB, there've probably been several dozen that look like yours. I don't care what weapon, bullet, load, arrow, broadhead or anything else....it's the hunter that makes the kill.

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

Nice post Beezer. Hit them in the boiler room.....won't matter. By the way, I don't have a $1000 setup with my bow.....but wouldn't trade it.....Browning Yukon....gets er done.

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

you mean to tell me that my $100 PSE Nova shooting on sale @ walmart,Carbon arrows wont get any respect?

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

Aint the arrow....its the Indian!:D

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

good one oldrookie

RE: How to use a Powerbelt Bullet Correctly
 

FG,
Thanks for the post. I don't shoot PB's and probably never will. But I really appreciate you putting the info. out there. Hopefully those that shoot these bullets will listen. Thanks again for the info, Greg