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

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

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

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

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

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

+1

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.

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.

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.