348 grain Powerbelt
12-24-2007, 05:30 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 14
348 grain Powerbelt
Ive been shooting 295 grain hollow point powerbelts with 80 grains of loose JSG. Had pretty good results. I bought some 348 grain Hollow point Powerbelts to play with. Should I start with the same 80 grain load or go up or down. I'm new to this stuff so I'm just having a blast playing with it.
12-24-2007, 05:50 PM
#2
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location:
Posts: 5,180
RE: 348 grain Powerbelt
stay the same. I did some shooting with the 348 grain all lead, and the bullet hit a railroad tie @ 100 yards, expanded to the size of a half dollar! Thats a great load for expansion.
Also penetraded 2" into the railroad tie and blew out the side of it.
Also penetraded 2" into the railroad tie and blew out the side of it.
12-24-2007, 06:32 PM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
RE: 348 grain Powerbelt
BigSarge
So how are you liking that new Optima? This muzzleloading thing will "git ya" if you are not careful.
When you start feeling comfortable handling and shooting that gun you also might want to start trying new components... you do not mention whether you are using pellets or loose powder, but loose powder will save you a lot of money + allow you to develope loads that give you the best accuracy.
Same for Power Belts, they are an excellent starter bullet because they are easy to load anddo shoot well, but if you are not locked into conicals by your state game laws - then their is a wide range of bullets that will serve you perhaps better. If you can shoot a sabot/projectile combination then you might want to expreriment with some Speer Gold Dots. The big thing is to find the correct sabot to go down your barrel. Probably the better beginning choice here is the Harvester "crush rib" and a.452/300 grain Speer Gold, they are not as expensive as PB's and make it more affordable to shoot paper and are abosolutely devastating on deer. Therehave been several accounts recorded on this site by various members.
I guess that is one of the real benefits of a ML, all the experimenting you can do without costing an arm and a leg.
Have fun....
So how are you liking that new Optima? This muzzleloading thing will "git ya" if you are not careful.
When you start feeling comfortable handling and shooting that gun you also might want to start trying new components... you do not mention whether you are using pellets or loose powder, but loose powder will save you a lot of money + allow you to develope loads that give you the best accuracy.
Same for Power Belts, they are an excellent starter bullet because they are easy to load anddo shoot well, but if you are not locked into conicals by your state game laws - then their is a wide range of bullets that will serve you perhaps better. If you can shoot a sabot/projectile combination then you might want to expreriment with some Speer Gold Dots. The big thing is to find the correct sabot to go down your barrel. Probably the better beginning choice here is the Harvester "crush rib" and a.452/300 grain Speer Gold, they are not as expensive as PB's and make it more affordable to shoot paper and are abosolutely devastating on deer. Therehave been several accounts recorded on this site by various members.
I guess that is one of the real benefits of a ML, all the experimenting you can do without costing an arm and a leg.
Have fun....
12-24-2007, 06:39 PM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: 348 grain Powerbelt
I would stick with the same powder charge...
Muzzleloaders for some reason, I don't care who shoots them, always brings out a smile. Maybe it is the spark, smoke, boom, or what but people that start shooting them for some reason really enjoy them. Have fun with your rifle.
Muzzleloaders for some reason, I don't care who shoots them, always brings out a smile. Maybe it is the spark, smoke, boom, or what but people that start shooting them for some reason really enjoy them. Have fun with your rifle.
12-24-2007, 07:32 PM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 426
RE: 348 grain Powerbelt
ORIGINAL: BigSarge
Ive been shooting 295 grain hollow point powerbelts with 80 grains of loose JSG. Had pretty good results. I bought some 348 grain Hollow point Powerbelts to play with. Should I start with the same 80 grain load or go up or down. I'm new to this stuff so I'm just having a blast playing with it.
Ive been shooting 295 grain hollow point powerbelts with 80 grains of loose JSG. Had pretty good results. I bought some 348 grain Hollow point Powerbelts to play with. Should I start with the same 80 grain load or go up or down. I'm new to this stuff so I'm just having a blast playing with it.
Whats scary, Theres a lot of people out there that dont know what the manuals for. Ah just to tell me how to clean it is all.
12-25-2007, 09:53 AM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
RE: 348 grain Powerbelt
Speaking of cleaning ,I have read complaints about the insides [action] of the Optima rusting up bad and your not supposed to take them apart to clean them. I would flush them out every time I cleaned it first with something that would clean out the corrosive residue then with WD40 then oil; the ounce of prevention is better than the pound of cure. Lee
12-25-2007, 09:53 AM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 14
RE: 348 grain Powerbelt
Thanks for the advice. I'll start off with the same load. I have the Optima Pro and so far I like it. Its my first muzzleloder so I really dont have anything to compare it with yet. PS: I do know what the owners manual is and I did read it. Heck I even read the instructions with the bullets and the powder.