Powerbelt hollowpoints.

[Wildwzl]

OK guys. I bought a new Omega a while back and have been lucky enough to bag three nice deer with it in the last few weeks.
Ive been using Powerbelt hollow points, the 295 gr., with 2 triple seven pellets.
Im a little concerned about the performance of these bullets.
The first deer I shot with one of these bullets was a large 7 point that was coming directly towards me, uphill, at about 25 yards. I slipped the bullet in between the shoulder blade and the body of the deer . The deer jumped up and ran into some heavy brush and died about 30 yards away. No blood trail because the bullet failed to exit the deer and only made a small entry hole high on his shoulder. Upon cutting the deer up it was obvious that the bullet had pretty much disintegrated. There were shards of copper plating and lead between the shoulder blade and body of the deer and only a few small holes inside the body cavity where some of the pieces managed to enter the chest cavity and hit the lungs and heart.

The second deer was a small button buck that only presented me a neck shot, again facing directly towards me at about 60 yards. I aimed at and hit it in the white patch under its throat, off to one side of the spine. The bullet expanded so much that it just about decapitated the deer. Im talking a small one here folks. The bullet had massive expansion and disintegration after traveling through mostly meat and only glancing the neck bones.

The third deer was a much larger button buck that was quartering towards me at about 35 yards. I hit this deer directly in the shoulder blade and although he only made about 20 yards before he fell over, again there was no exit hole and the bullet had disintegrated against the shoulder blade. Massive damage, I had to throw that shoulder away. Again only pieces had managed to enter the chest cavity and hit the heart and lungs.

I realize that the bullets ultimately did their job. All the deer died and were recovered but I am concerned that these bullets are disintegrating and failing to enter the body cavity in one piece. In a way I am lucky I made good shots. As mentioned in other threads on this board, shot placement made up for bad bullet performance .
I dont like that though. We all know that sometimes the bullet doesnt hit exactly where you want it to. The lack of penetration and exit holes could make for a really hard tracking situation here where I hunt. Its so thick in a lot of places that a deer could be on the ground 5-10 feet away and you wont see it. I need a good blood trail in a situation like that.
For the past few years I was shooting TC Shockwaves in an older TC Thunderhawk on top of two 777 pellets and had good terminal performance, exit holes and blood trail. Less expansion but I never lost a deer with them. Most deer shot with the Shockwaves dropped on the spot or only went a few yards before flopping over.
I think I will go back to a polymer tipped bullet like the Shockwaves next year.
Anyone else use and notice what I perceive to be a problem with the Powerbelt hollow points?

[bigbuckchaser10]

i took my first blackpowder deer this year using powerbelt,100 grains of powder.it was a 50 yard broadside shot .i hit forward on front shoulder but caught onelung,there was snow on the ground so blood trail not an issue.exit wound was small but deer only went 25 yards before dropping.

[RemingtonMan]

Yes I know exactly what you are talking about, my brother shot a big 130pd doe from about 35yds with muzzleoader using the 295gr powerbelt, it completely disintegrated going through only one side of the deer. When skinned out I noticed that the bullet completed shattered leaving fragments of the bullet into the lungs and heart, and did not get a pass through but the one shoulder was about ruined. It looked like someone took a baseball and shoved it into the side of the deer, nasty hole. I think next year I will be trying harvester muzzleloader bullets, Ive been told they hold together and dont fragment a whole lot.

[davecz]

Try the barnes expander or spitfire, these bullets will stay together almost 100% weight retention by design, and you will almost always get a complete pass thru, the way they are design you will get great expansion also, Barnes makes some of the best bullets for any type of weapon, also if you like to expieriment, try using some of their pistol bullets in MMP sabots, great performance and awsome grouping. Never tried powerbelts, but have not heard good things. Another one you might try are the hornadys sabots.

[truk]

i will second the barnes!

[Tony204ing]

i often complain about my lightfield shotgun slugs not getting a pass through.I have had a couple guys tell me that you dont want it because the energy of the bullet is leaving the body with it.Dosent make since to me.Im slightly red green color blind and have an extremley hard time seeing the red blood on green leaves and dirt.There have been many times i was thankfull for the massive exit wound to leave me bucket loads of blood to follow.Back to the powerbelts.I killed three deer this past season with them in 295 gr.I got one pass through but the deer was about 10 yards away.

[RemingtonMan]

Have you tried or heard about the sabertooth muzzleloader bullets perform on deer? I was thinking about trying them out next muzzleloader season!

[FrontierGander]

for close shots ranging from 10 yards on out to 80 yards with the 245-295gr Powerbelt, A MAXIMUM load of 80gr Pyrodex/American pioneer,Goex should be used. For powder such as Triple 7, blackhorn 209 and Blackmag, You need to lower your charge to 70gr as they are much hotter than the other powders listed.

Pure lead is great for expansion but when you add a huge hollow point to it and push it to fast, you will get over expansion/fragmentation. In other words, A small Granade.

[nhhc]

I have been using the Hornady 240 grain SST,, with 100 grains of powder I am getting complete pass threw with great blood trials,, both deer I shot went less than 10 yards. I am sighted in 1" low at 50 yards, dead on at 100 yards and at 150 yards Im 4 " low and at 200 Im 10 inches low.
If your looking for great pass threw also try Dead center bullets, they make a 50 cal sabot with a 357 cal, 195 grain bullet. They hold only 5" drop at 200 yards.

[silvergts1998]

This is good stuff to know. I heard the same thing about these bullets. I am going to switch.

[gregrn43]

your load is to hot for the power belts. Drop down to 80grs and you shouldnt have that problem. If you want to keep shooting 100grs try using the PB platium bullets, they are supposed to be a bit more sturdy built. Or you could change bullets all together. Like mentioned above Barnes are very will constructed bullets.

[Bone_Collector]

I know no one has posted here since February, but i just bought some 250 GR. Hornady bullets, which will be a switch from the power belt bullets i was shooting (245 GR). I made the switch for the same reasons listed in this post (no pass through, bullet fragmentation, etc). I was shooting 150 grains of triple 7 behind the power belts, which I learned was a bad idea, but i have heard good things about Hornady's bullets, so i went in that direction.

I guess my biggest question is how much powder I should use. I hunt in Tennessee and most shots are 15-100 yards.

thanks,

[backwoodsman]

Triple 7 ie:777 is supposed to be downloaded 15% from the load you shoot with Goex or Pyrodex. Buddy loves the powerbelts but I havent been impressed. If Im shooting conicals I prefer big lead. 385gr. Buffalo bullets. Out to 100 yards with a 100 gr charge of 777 they pass thru leaving massive blood trials. In my sidelocks I prefer patched round balls.

[ncboy]

I personally dont like hollow points for hunting because they do just as you said, they dont pass through. Try the solid tips. 245gn.

[backwoodsman]

Hollow points work fine for hunting. You have to make sure the caliber, gauge and weight of the bullet/slug is sufficient for the game hunted. I like .45 ACP bullets loaded into plastic sabots in the Bobcat's and inlines with 70gr 777 for the bobs and 100gr-125gr 777 for the inlines(150 gr rated inlines). Very few times did this combination not result in a complete pass thru. I still shoot saboted hollowpoints on the rare occasions I use inlines for extreme long range blackpowder/muzzleloader season. Out to 100 yards in my inlines I like the 385gr. Buffalo bullet. In my traditional sidelocks I shoot patched round ball like I stated before but I do use the hollow points when Im hunting open fields out to 150 yards and a few took deer out to 175 yards. I dont like the Power Belts for anything. I just left a Dunhams and theyve inceased in price from $15 to $22 also.