45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

i now use the 195 grain hollowpoint powerbelt with 150 grain pyrodex thinking about changing any thoughts

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

Check out the thread "how to use powerbelts correctly". It should give you tons of good advice. Otherwise I'd lean towards the precision rifle dead centers, speers gold dots and maybe some of the barnes bullets. I know precision rifle has one for the .45 caliber, not sure of the others. Chap? If you are insistent on the powerbelt, drop your powder charge to almost half what you are using now. Good luck, Greg

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

What gun????

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

tc omega

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

PB's were designed for use with 70 to 90 gr of powder, if you have a 45 the sabot for 45/40 and a 200gr 10mm XTP would give you a real interesting comparison, or you might try the sabortooth. If you have a 50cal there are many choices all most all better than PB's. Lee

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

I'd agree on dropping the charge to about 80-90 gr.
I'm at my son's for Christmas and he told me this story:
He was using the .50 cal 295 gr. Powerbelt with 90-100 gr Pyrodex. After hunting one day he decided to see what kind of penetration they got. He shot into a 6" tree with the 90 gr, then tried 2 pellets, then tried 3 pellets.
One of the first two shots took a chunk off the side of the tree - nomeasurable penetration, since it tore off sideways. The 100 gr load penetrated the tree 4", but the 150 gr load only penetrated 2". It flattened out so much on impact that it couldn't continue good penetration. He also said the recoil was atrocious!
Admittedly, that was a tree - but many have testfied to the fact that a similar thing happens when a Powerbelt driven by charges over 100 gr hit a deer-sized game.
Back down on the charge, enjoy a much reduced recoil, and get better performance from your Powerbelts.

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

If I had an Omega and it was legal where I hunted, I would be shooting a 200 grain Shockwave. Powerbelts are too expensive, and I would rather let the rifle do what it was designed to do.. shoot a projectile at high speeds in a flatter trajectory.

If the shooting was close quarter stuff, I might also consider a 200 grain XTP and again, shoot them. Although if you are getting good accuracy with your powerbelts, and like the ease of loading, then lower the powder charge a little and you should be fine.

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

Try the 300g Platinum PB's with 60grains of powder. Good from30 to 120 yards;)
This load willNOT fragment, and will push all the way thru.


Below is what happens to powerbelts when you push them to fast. Fired from 45cal Disc Elite, using 3FgPinnacle powder. All dug out of wet sandy clay @ 120yards.

The first bullet(Left) is a 275 HP/PB, at 60g powder, 100g powder, 120g powder.

The second bullet(Right) is a 300g Platinum PB, at120g and 60g of powder.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/lanenebraska/bul6.jpg?t=1198705736













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RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

In .45 I would go with the 275 grain PB Aerotip and about 80-100 grains of powder (if PowerBelts were the only thing on the menu).

RE: 45 cal powder/bullet combo?
 

Bullet selection for the .45 cal is sparce, they make a Barnes MZ for the .45:

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0003540052

that is one of the best, if it will shoot well in your gun. Hornady XTPs would stay together better than a PB, but they separate from their jackets at hight speed (i.e. close shots):

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00072XTP24520

If ya wanted to get a bit more range than the Hornady XTP, then there is a .45 Hornady SST:
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0000367132


A better bullet would be the Speer Gold Dot at .400 diameter, 180g (there are 100 in a box of these bullets for $22, that is 22 cents each, you can beat that):

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000214406

you of course would mate this with a Sabot designed for .45 cal bullets such as Harvester Crushed rib:
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00072H14540BR

or Harvester Black:
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00072H4540B

Those are your choices and all are better than a PB in my opinion, but that is mine only, not a universal truth. Best Wishes on your bullet selection.
Chap Gleason