Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Strike 2 for powerbelts

I got a set just like that.Although not as shiny.

4ager: Honestly never timed the reloads, but what I do like is that I can start them with my finger and not have to use my starter and lean on my ramrod to seat them like I would with the other Sabot/bullet. The less I have to deal with up in a tree stand in December the better I like it!

Yeah. I cant speak for the PB cause I've never shot one. for me, the big solft slow lead really just works so damned well at modest ranges that I have stopped using anything else. Going on a decade now I dont htink Ive shot more than a couple deer with something other than a 460 or 495grain .451 out of my white.

I switched from powerbelts to the Hornady SSTs too.

A little harder to load, but, they are more accurate out of my TC encore.

Dropped a nice 10 point at ~70 yards this year, DRT.

Now is the time of year to get Powerbelts cheap. Walmart usually puts them on closeout. Stay away from purchasing less than 295 grains - stay away from the lead version and also the copper aerotips (my opinion).

I have 295 copper HPs that work fine and the 300gr Platinums (top-tier bullet there). I refuse to pay more than a dollar for the Platinums and the copper HPs might be as low as 65 cents right now at Walmart.

Other than that, I shoot Hornady XTPs in 300gr (44-cal). Also use Precision Polymer Tip QTs in 185gr (50/40s blue sabot). I recently purchased a 50-pk of the Horandy FTX in 200gr (44-cal). They are being saved for the range in 2017 spring. I heard they shoot real well in Knight inlines, using the green Harvester Crush Rib sabot.

First mule deer I shot with a 348 PB at 130 yards did exactly the same thing. So did my buddy's elk this year, and one or two I've shot in the past with the same bullet.

IMO the 300xtp is an under rated bullet for sabot shooters. Its not new or fancy, but it does everything required inexpensively and is, as they say, 'boringly consistent'.

Do you like the 185's? What barrel twist are you using them in, and hows accuracy?

I used the 250QT's for a while, but never re ordered more as I gravitated towards the other gun shooting the big conicals.

I like the margin of error of 110 grains more oomph behind the same caliber bullet.

I like the way you think

Most of the problems people have with Powerbelts are with the lighter ones.

bore butter
interior and exterior

WAUGH! BORE BUTTER. You cook good rabbit pilgrim.

and #13 cleaner.

contact lens cleaner indeed.

Not trying to be argumentative, but I used the 338 grain Powerbelt Platinum with 110 grains of Blackhorn 209 Dec. 19th to kill a big Iowa whitetail at 111 yards. The deer was quartering toward me, and I hit him just off of the onside shoulder. the bullet penetrated 18-20 inches and made a bleeding hole through the offside ribs and hide. The bullet got hung up in the hide, and was found while caping the head and hide. This is the expanded bullet. I'm very satisfied with the bullet performance.

Ron

I like when they dump all the energy. Good shot.

Looks perfect.

I've run the 195 gr Powerbelts with 100 gr 777 through my 45 cal CVA into a couple whitetails and not had the best results either.

As a matter of fact on NYD 2015 I put one into the neck of a fawn at about 100 yds and recovered it.

Today a buddy put a 250 gr Hornady SST Sabot from his 50 cal TC pushed by 100 gr buckhorn 209 straight into the brisket and through the heart at 50 yds:





It penetrated deeply & retained a lot (haven't weighed it yet) of weight despite the high impact velocity.

I'll be trying those in my .45 and in my .50 the Barnes Spitfire TMZ.

My biggest problem with SSTs, Shockwaves, and Barnes bullets, is how hard they are to load down the barrel. a real chore. Of course this was with my T/C.

Ron

You will not be disappointed with the Barnes. I have run the 250 spitfires in my Savage @ 2500fps with a max load of 4198 (Only for muzzleloaders design for smokeless) they hit like Thor's Hammer.

I won't buy PB either after having less than optimal results.