Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

I shot a Nice 8 point last weekend at about 15 to 20 yards. I was using a CVA eclipse with 100 grains of Pyrodex pellets, and a 295 gr. powerbelt bullet. At that distance I figured the bullet would go all the way thru him. Using this set up come to think of it, I've never had a pass thru. I hit him about middle of the body right behind the shoulder. Should I increase powder or is this normal. He ran about 80 yards and bled good. I'm just a little worried about further shots.

Thanks
Chad

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

What did the recovered bullet look like?

Read this and you'll start dropping them well within easy sighting range.

100 grains pellets on a 15-20 yard shot was over kill and you more than likely fragmented the bullet with that much powder at such a short range.
This will help you out.
http://www.huntingnet.com//forum/tm.aspx?m=2510086

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

I use 2 - 50gr 777 pellets (100gr) in my Omega with 250gr TC Shockwaves.
I would say you are using enough. Did the Powerbelt break up? I've heard of them breaking apart on impact of bone, but that was when pushing them hard with a heavier charge. You should be okay with that combo as long as you are getting good groups. I probably wouldn'tuse anyheavier a bullet than that. In my opinion that should be enough. Especially deer hunting at closer ranges. You don't need 150gr. like they are advertising on these ML's. There are cases when it could be applied, like hunting Elk at longer ranges. 100gr is plenty for most of the light to mid weight sabot/bullets or conicals if you are getting good accuracy. I shot an 8pt with my Omega during firearm season and it blew one hell of a passthrough using the TC SG Shockwaves with 100gr 777 pellets. In pellet form2 - 50gr.777 pellets are the same charge as 2 - 50gr. Pyrodex pellets. If it's loose powder the 777 is something like 15% more powerful than Pyrodex so you have to adjust to get the same load.

chris

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

At that range that may well be true with the PB's.... but who loads their ML knowing for sure they are going to make a 15-20 shot? I have my Omega sighted for 100yrds and shot a buck awhile back at about 30yrds....... I see your point but a deer may offer a shot at many different distances depending on how and where you are set up. If the powderbelts are a problem, try some Shockwaves or XTP's (the ones with the packaged sabots are hard to load). get the thinner sabots. I don;t care for the PB's for that exact reason. But I still don't think they should break up at any range pushing them with 100gr. ofany powder.If they do their junk....lol

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

Lose the Powerbelts. Tried them one season and had nothing but poor results.

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

For the reality of PB please see this:

http://www.the-gleasons.com/powerbelt_page.htm

then switch to a stronger more reliable bullet, for example:

Any Barnes, but the MZ is especially good in MLers or the TMZ
Nosler Partition
Speer Gold Dot

Chap Gleason

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

+1

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

Great Advice. Do that, problem solved. To answer your question though. Yes 100g is enough, in only 1 of my MLs do I shoot that much (most 80-90g).But unfortunatly, 100g w/a Powerbelt is too much.

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

100 grs is enough. Any more and your just wasting powder. This is the info I got from a CVA tech when I owned a Optima Pro. Suggest you try different bullets. IMO - yeah a pass through is nice, but I want all my bullet's energy transferred into the animal not into the ground on the other side of it. I hunted for years with patch and ball and rarely had a pass through. Sometimes I never even had a blood trail. But I never lost and animal I shot with my ML.

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

Just an observation and I know this goes aqainst what most have seen. I saw a deer that was shot at 15 yards with a PB and 150 grain load. The bullet did not fragment but flattened out and lodged in the skin on the opposite side of where it entered the deer. I saw the bullet, it was flat. The deer went 15 yards after impact.

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

Im currently sighted in 2" high @ 50, 1" high @ 75 and dead on @ 100yards. 4"low @ 150-168
Load is only 80 grains pyrodex P and a 225 grain powerbelt. The powerbelts put them down quick when used with lower powder charges.

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

Power Belts were designed before inlines were popular the recomended load for them was 70 to 90 gr RS Pyrodex; if youkeep using them the only way to have a reasonable chance of pass throughs is by going to a fairly heavy one possably a Platinium I personally believe they are out dated.
I suggest a more modern bullet if you want that kind of bullet a Sabortooth from the Harvestor Co. is a better design, if you want consistant pass throughs you might consider going to a sabot [the thicknessis critical so you have to check different ones out and get it right] and a 300 gr bullet a ShockWave or a Gold Dot will give the best trajectory. Lee

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

Hey I have quite a few loose PowderBelt Platnums. I think the are the 280gr. ones. Would have to check the chart or weigh 'em. Need to get a new scale old one quit. If anyone is interested I will make a good deal on them. They are currently in a a huge pill bottle. I accept PayPal with credit, debit, whatever you have through PayPal. Send me a PM if interested. USA or Canada only.

chris

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

I wouldworry about a projectile that I have to load the rifle according to the distance I shoot, or what works best for the projectile performance. I appreciate the work Frontier Gander did with powerbelts and I personally think he has made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of powerbelts and why they work and don't work.

My CVA Staghorn Magnum is a good example of this problem. When I shoot powerbelts on the range ... the absolute best accuracy comes with 90 grains of Pyrodex RS or Goex 3f. 90 grains of Triple Se7en 2f is also very good with this projectile but the Goex is better. Still, if were I to drop to 80 grains or increase to 100 grains, the accuracy of the powerbelt suffers greatly. So I am kind of stuck with what load can be used. My normal shots where I hunt are 10-55 yards. 20 - 35 being the average. So the question is, with say 90 grains of 3f Goex what is that 245 grain powerbelt or the 295 grain all lead hollow point going to do if I wanted to take a shoulder shot to plant them? Is it going to splatter and fragment and perhaps not cause a killing shot? Where I hunt, planting them is critical. If they are not dropped, they tend to run off in the tangle, and that is the last place I want to go after a deer.

So I tend to believe that powerbelts might not be a good option for me from what I have learned. Nosler, Speer, BullShop, Remington, and others, I am positive I can break a deer down andplant it. I can not say after reading some posts on powerbelts that I have that same confidence. This scenario might also hold true for people that hunt areas where they are not allowed to cross fences to recover deer. I used to hunt a place like that as well.

Just a thought to throw out to the forum.

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

Just another tidbit of info. I was using my 50 cal. TC Carbine before I started shooting inlines. I only used 70gr. Pyro P with a .490 patched roundball. I dropped a 7 pt in his tracks at 65 yrds with the old style iron sites. No peep. and it was almost darl....lol Just an example of what a relatively small amount of powder can accomplish. This was a few years back and I had the fever big time. Today I probably wouldn't have taken the same shot with that old Carbine at 65 yrds. But like I said, I musta been ok cause I dropped him. Maybe a little luck involved in that shot with that particular rifle, but what can you or I say??? I got him..... had to finish him off with a second shot but he didn't get any farter than where he stood when I shot him.

chris

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

If had a dollar for every story I have either heard or witnessed (as in having to help track) a deer that did a bunch of running around after being shot with a powerbelt, I would have easily over $100.I would surmise that these were possibly cases where the velocity of the powerbelt was too high.

Frontier Gander has outlined a really good approach to shooting powerbelts, in short don't push them too fast (that also caveat if a lowered charge still holds accuracy).

For me I would rather hunt with the load combination that is the absolute most accurate. Not the load that needs to be reduced in order to be more effective, unless that yeilded the greatest accuracy. I also work loads for at least 100 yards (farther if the ML I am carrying is scoped). So I want the confidence that my load of choice will perform at 15 yards and 100+ yards.

RE: Is 100 Gr.s of Pyrodex Pellets enough?
 

It must have not hit any ribs or bone, just flesh into the vitals, in whichcase I would expect massive expansion, boom/flopand the bullet to be in the offside.
Chap Gleason