I have seen alot of writings in here about how power belts bullets should not be used with over 90grs of powder. I shoot 110grs pyrodex p out of my optima elite 50 cal, so this past weekend i bought some tc shockwaves 250gr superglide bonded spirepoints. I was throughly impressed with the accuracy of these bullets. My groups were within an inch at 100 yards and and when backed off to 200 yards my groups were within a 4 inch group. What i want to know is if anyone out yonder has any experience with how well these bullets perform on deer? Do they fragment at close range? Do they expand well at the longer ranges? Any information that might be useful.
Thanks a bunch
greg

The bonded version is good, from what I have read. I know exactly what you mean by the accuracy of the SW, I shot my only 5 group all touching with that bullet. They are one accurate bullet. As for penetration, expansion and shoot thru the bonded are better in the 250g, because the unbonded 250 fragment bad. The definitive test for me was done by the LeftHand on the Savage forum, here are the results:

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?board=Savage&action=display&thre ad=6223

his conclusion is the 300g unbonded SW is superior to the 250g bonded. Read all his bullet tests:

Baliistic Gel Tests by thelefthand
http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1202260559 (250g bonded SW, your bullet)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1202258389 (250g SST)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1202426992 (250 bonded SW again)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1202426240 (250g SW with 3/4" pine board rib simulation)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1202170673 (.17 Remington 25g HP)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1203185985 (TMZ 245g)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1204079792 (250g SST, 2x4 oak)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?....read=1206923789 (300g bonded SW)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.c.cg....read=1206924145 (300g SST)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.c.cg....read=1206924572 (290g TMZ)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.c.cg....read=1206924946 (300g XTP Mag)

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?board=Savage&action=display&thre ad=6222 (300g bonded SW)

He tested 250g and 300g bonded and unbonded SW. Bottom line is the 300 unbonded is the best for whitetail based on his tests.

I believe your problem will be with 250g bonded is non-expansion on close rib/bow shots and pencil shoot thru, i.e. shoot all the way thru without expansion. Therefore long trailing job and deer that run 150 and 200 yards, they will die of course, but it is hard to follow a high hit in the lungs with no expansion.
Chap

In my experience with Shockwaves (250 grain) I have not seen any bullet fragementation and my deer have all been boom flop. I shot a doe at 5 yards one year and she went down hard. The bullet was a pass through and was not recovered.I was as still as I could be and she just stopped were the gun was aimed. Just lucky. I have shot deer at 70 and 100 yds and they all fell within 10 yards of being hit. All have been pass throughs. I use a 300 grain bonded bullet for hogs when I get the chance to goto Texas and it drops them in their tracks. Great bullet and no problems. All bullets are up in cost so expect to pay more but worth it in the end. I shoot a Traditions with 100 grain pyrodex pellets, 250 grain shockwave orginals with supplied sabots, Remington Kleenbore 209 primer, I do not fire a primer before loading just use the clean barrel and it's right on. From what I've seen on power belts I'd stay away, too many deer lost.

I have not shot anything with them. I have read the reports of how some like them and some hate them. I still think it boils down to shot placement. Would I use them? In a heart beat, and I fully intend to hunt with them this year as I have a Wolverine that really likes them.

I used them a couple of times last year in my Omega. I dropped a Mulie at about 70 yards . He never took a step, he was just knocked down and didn't move.. I have been practicing with them in my Triumph. They are extremely accurate out to 200 yards. That's the farthest I've shot them. I have shot both 250's and 300's. Bonded and regular. I like the 250 bonded personally. I plan on hunting with them during rifle season. My wife is shooting 295 gr. Powerbelts in my Genesis and always 100 grains of 777.I've taken 7 or 8 deer with that combination. You can shoot powerbelts with more than 90 grains,I always have. I switch to conicals and round balls in my traditional guns during Muzzleloader season and for my Refuge hunt..I'll let you know the results of the Shockwaves in a week or so as Doe season is Oct. 4th. I'm looking forward to venison steak that night Lord willing

All bullets will fragment, if you push them faster than they are designed for both centerfire and muzzleloaders...

I have killed 8 deer with the standard Shockwaves and my hunting buddy has killed 5 more...Ranges are from 10 steps to 143 yards...

If anything, the Shockwave is a little "hard"...With lung shots,they run 80-125 yards, almost always exit, but the blood trail can be sparse...
My gun loves them and they do shoot flatter than the PowerBelts and 300gr Barnes MZ that I used to use...
If shots are within 125 yards, I'd go with the Barnes...I have farms with soybean fields, so some shots run longer than the norm...

I shoot 90grs of Pyrodex R-S and my buddy shoots 90grs of 777...

The pics that Chapman put up show a velocity of 2400fps...I'm assuming that's out of a Savage, with smokeless powder to reach that velociity...
I'm thinking that's where the fragmentation comes in...You won't reach that velocity with 100grs of black powder, Pyrodex or 777...I'd bet it would
be closer to 1800fps...

So...With a Savage and smokeless powder and the higher velocities, I'd shoot the bonded...With the other black powders, I'd go with the standard
Shockwaves...

btw...My deer don't usually run...I pop them in the shoulder and don't have to worry about the blood trail...

Blood trail can be sparse is not good for many, I hunt properties near horse farms and can't risk a nice buck jumping the fence and dying in the middle of that horse farm.

Your correct on the Savage, your corrected on FPS of mine with 4198, however back east here I like 5744 which is about 2000 fps. The hardness of the head is the issue, it doesn't open on lungs, kills them no doubt, but sparce blood trails is not good.

You know exactly how to hunt with that bullet, just like Frontieer Gander know how to hunt with PBs, normal guys buying a Triumph and shooting 3 pellets are going to loose deer on bow shots with the SW. The are a most accurate bullet, but I believe they have the two issues I mentioned above. You yourself said they are "hard", that is not good on bow shots, which is where mosts normal guys shoot for. Chap

Well, for what it's worth, I've never had any trouble with the tiny 200g SST/Shockwaves killing deer

Took 4 last year at 150, 50,40, and 35 yards. Bullet traveling at 1950fps muzzle velocity. All heart-lung shots. 3 boom-flops, and the buck at 150 yards took a couple of steps and keeled over

The hydrostatic shock was just like my 30-06, jellified both lungs, pass thru on all but the 35yarder(quartering away-WHAT a MESS[]).

gleason.chapman
I believe that each bullet has what I would like to call an efficiency range; for instance the power belt works good from 1200 to about 1500 fps the 250 Gold Dot works good from 1800 to 2100 fps the new FPB works good from 1700 to 2000 fps and the SW and SST work good from 1900 to 2200 fps. Of course this is just my opinion from about 40 deer taken with a muzzle loader and a bunch of testing with several different mediums, I also believe that there are very few "bad" bullets on the market today its just that people insist on using them out side the parameters that they work well in. I also have come to believe that these limits have to be established by testing and actual use on live animals because the figures put out by the companies that make them do not appear to apply to muzzleloading rifles. What do you think ? Lee

Well you know me always on the outside looking in.... I have nothing against SST/SW's at all but.... what is the point - at ML speeds and ML ranges- they are a gimmick (I no that is harsh) but the reason they were built in the first place was we (the shooting public) believed you needed a pointy bullet to hunt with a ML - like a centerfire bullet. What about all these guys that hunt and shoot just as well and often just as far with those big old hunks of lead - traveling a whole lot slower

If your shooting beyond 200 yards they ceryainly might be an advantage but how many normal ML shooters can or shouldreally beshooting that range? Does the SST/SW type bullets give a lot of a false sense of power and range. There are such better and more effictive bullets available to choose from that give excellent terminal performance from 10 to 200 yards.

I have said this before and I truly believe it - thebulletthat isthe best bullet in the world for shooting a piece ofpaper accurately may not be the best hunting bullet to shoot an animal withat all.

We have a respondsibilty to be more than .5 MOA with a bullet while hunting.

OK - I am off my soap box - sorry