grain for deer and ??beear
07-21-2017, 11:22 AM
#51
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
I have a ton of info regarding powerbelts in general. The 338gr Platinum is one I have always had a high recommendation on.
Pushing them ( powerbelts ) with 80- 90gr or sometimes less, is recommended for the lighter weight powerbelts. Back in the day with folks were heavily on this forum and coming here to ask about them, I did a ton of testing with the most popular 245 and 295gr powerbelts.
I've shot the 245 and 295gr powerbelts with 150gr of pyrodex rs and have experienced very little expansion on a couple deer. These shots however were well over 120 yards.
In all the years of hunting, We've recovered 3 powerbelts from animals and that is it.
Pushing them ( powerbelts ) with 80- 90gr or sometimes less, is recommended for the lighter weight powerbelts. Back in the day with folks were heavily on this forum and coming here to ask about them, I did a ton of testing with the most popular 245 and 295gr powerbelts.
I've shot the 245 and 295gr powerbelts with 150gr of pyrodex rs and have experienced very little expansion on a couple deer. These shots however were well over 120 yards.
In all the years of hunting, We've recovered 3 powerbelts from animals and that is it.
07-21-2017, 12:38 PM
#52
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 261
Each one of us choose what muzzleloader, powder, bullet, 209 primer or cap to shoot. We choose these things for a variety of reasons... availability (Wal-Mart) lol, recommendations, forums like this one, etc. I know when I bought my first Accura goose neck, I fell in love with everything about it. I also killed my first black powder deer with a CVA Hunterbolt and a Powerbelt bullet. I'm in no way advertising for CVA or Powerbelt bullets, It's just what works for me and It's what I trust... with good reason... I have put horns on the wall and venison in the freezer for many years using this combo. I would never lie to anyone about what I think works... It's a CVA goose neck Accura and a Powerbelt bullet of some variety for me... this year it will be the 270 grain Platinum. once again,,, I'll be sure and post my results this hunting season.
07-21-2017, 12:41 PM
#53
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 991
MountainDevil54, that quote was taken from one of your reports on the 338 platinum specifically. Not another powerbelt. The first part, you are stating that it is a tough bullet and stood up well in your torture tests, yet the very next paragraph, the one I posted, you tell folks to load it down and to stay off heavy bone. That just doesn't cut the mustard for me.
07-21-2017, 12:46 PM
#54
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
Every 338gr Platinum I've recovered was in perfect shape.
If you don't shoot them, that's your choice.
My 338 platinum with 110gr JSG was a great shooting load and dropped a buck where he stood and exited.
If folks want load info help, they come to me for it and I do my best to provide them to the best of my knowledge.
If you don't shoot them, that's your choice.
My 338 platinum with 110gr JSG was a great shooting load and dropped a buck where he stood and exited.
If folks want load info help, they come to me for it and I do my best to provide them to the best of my knowledge.
07-21-2017, 02:18 PM
#55
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Near a lake with no fish
Posts: 1,077
Just out of curiosity, exactly what's the total number of big game animals YOU have shot with the 338gr Platinum?
07-21-2017, 02:25 PM
#56
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
Not many, I have to change bullets often in order to test.
Boys lets get down to it! Get the hell over it already! Shoot what you shoot and leave everyone else alone. You people do this at least 5 times a year. We get that you don't like powerbelts. If you don't shoot them, you have no reason to bother folks that do. This forum is to dead to put up with this foolishness you boys bring up over and over again just to start irritating people. If you don't like them, don't shoot them. I've been using them off and on since 2002.
If you want to dress up in a $300 scentloc suite, wear your wee rubber boots, shoot your high powdered scope inline with streamlined bullets, go for it.
Boys lets get down to it! Get the hell over it already! Shoot what you shoot and leave everyone else alone. You people do this at least 5 times a year. We get that you don't like powerbelts. If you don't shoot them, you have no reason to bother folks that do. This forum is to dead to put up with this foolishness you boys bring up over and over again just to start irritating people. If you don't like them, don't shoot them. I've been using them off and on since 2002.
If you want to dress up in a $300 scentloc suite, wear your wee rubber boots, shoot your high powdered scope inline with streamlined bullets, go for it.
07-21-2017, 02:50 PM
#57
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Near a lake with no fish
Posts: 1,077
Here's what the OP asked. Plain and simple.
Without looking back over all the posts, recommendations were made. However when it comes to PB bullets, there will always be many negative responses. Very seasoned shooters and hunters avoid those bullets for the reasons others have mentioned. Matters not what web site you visit, you'll find the same responses.
See a pattern there?
This I will say, there are MANY very seasoned muzzleloader shooters and hunters responding, not just on this forum but all forums. Many of these shooters/hunters have harvested MANY big game animals and they understand bullets and bullet performances. That said and knowing it takes two to create an argument, if the seasoned hunters try to steer shooters away from it, don't argue the issue. Problem resolved.
Not many, I have to change bullets often in order to test.
Boys lets get down to it! Get the hell over it already! Shoot what you shoot and leave everyone else alone. You people do this at least 5 times a year. We get that you don't like powerbelts. If you don't shoot them, you have no reason to bother folks that do. This forum is to dead to put up with this foolishness you boys bring up over and over again just to start irritating people. If you don't like them, don't shoot them. I've been using them off and on since 2002.
If you want to dress up in a $300 scentloc suite, wear your wee rubber boots, shoot your high powdered scope inline with streamlined bullets, go for it.
Boys lets get down to it! Get the hell over it already! Shoot what you shoot and leave everyone else alone. You people do this at least 5 times a year. We get that you don't like powerbelts. If you don't shoot them, you have no reason to bother folks that do. This forum is to dead to put up with this foolishness you boys bring up over and over again just to start irritating people. If you don't like them, don't shoot them. I've been using them off and on since 2002.
If you want to dress up in a $300 scentloc suite, wear your wee rubber boots, shoot your high powdered scope inline with streamlined bullets, go for it.
See a pattern there?
This I will say, there are MANY very seasoned muzzleloader shooters and hunters responding, not just on this forum but all forums. Many of these shooters/hunters have harvested MANY big game animals and they understand bullets and bullet performances. That said and knowing it takes two to create an argument, if the seasoned hunters try to steer shooters away from it, don't argue the issue. Problem resolved.
07-21-2017, 03:08 PM
#58
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
visit bass pro, midway, cabelas and read the powerbelt reviews. Most of them are all positive.
I've actually USED them for more years than you have complained about them.
I know how they work, we've downed a lot of deer and elk with them since '02. I've shot other brands that I personally will not use again, but if I have to use a powerbelt for whatever reason, theres no doubt in the back of my head that I will come home with meat.
No bullet will make up for your crappy shooting.
I've actually USED them for more years than you have complained about them.
I know how they work, we've downed a lot of deer and elk with them since '02. I've shot other brands that I personally will not use again, but if I have to use a powerbelt for whatever reason, theres no doubt in the back of my head that I will come home with meat.
No bullet will make up for your crappy shooting.
07-21-2017, 03:55 PM
#59
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 991
So how about you answer to your flawed report. You yourself stated that one needs to stay off bone and to load it down because it is a lead conical and like all pure lead conicals it will expand to fast at higher speeds or on contact with heavy bone. Those were your words not mine. Now, just what is an adult black bears shoulder made of? Pretty damn heavy bone. Even the scapula on an adult male is pretty thick. Your experience with black bear must be with the little 160-200 pound little fellows. Mine is with the 400-500+ pound ones that can take your head off with a single swipe.
This argument got started by advising someone with little black bear hunting experience to use a proven poor penetrating bullet from a single shot muzzleloader. That borders on a serious safety issue in my book. I've had the audacity and pure stupidity to hunt them with round ball but even my round ball mixes come in to 8.5-9 BHN and they punch pretty well through bone. I certainly wouldn't recommend and inexperienced bear hunter to use them any more than I would recommend anyone to use any poor performing bullet. That is the main point. And any bullet that even the advertisers say you need to load down and stay off heavy bone is not a bullet I would recommend. It's just that simple.
This argument got started by advising someone with little black bear hunting experience to use a proven poor penetrating bullet from a single shot muzzleloader. That borders on a serious safety issue in my book. I've had the audacity and pure stupidity to hunt them with round ball but even my round ball mixes come in to 8.5-9 BHN and they punch pretty well through bone. I certainly wouldn't recommend and inexperienced bear hunter to use them any more than I would recommend anyone to use any poor performing bullet. That is the main point. And any bullet that even the advertisers say you need to load down and stay off heavy bone is not a bullet I would recommend. It's just that simple.
07-21-2017, 03:56 PM
#60
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Near a lake with no fish
Posts: 1,077
Which is it? You, or others you're claiming? In one statement you say "not many"????
Bulk retail store reviews give nothing. The majority of those providing reviews, are happy to hit an 8" paper plate at 50yds. However when you have seasoned hunters providing negative responses on every web site known, well there's your sign. Google "problems with PB bullets". There's more negative reviews than you'll be able to read in a month.
Yeah there are some "crappy" shooters out there. Some of them are just PP shots, while others shoot PP bullets.