# No More Powerbelts for Me



## Ga.Bowhunter (Oct 10, 2010)

Well I can say. After this season of Muzzleloading. I will no longer use powerbelt platnum bullets. I put one down Sat. But didn't know it till I didn't stop looking. 9:30am deer slowly came in. Leveled down and pulled the trigger. After the smoke cleared and a reload. Walked over to where it was. No hair, blood, or nothing. @ 50 yrd shot, darn Icould not have missed! Walked a 20 yrd circle around spot, nothing. Well told myself "you can't give up". Walked another 20yrds bigger. Nothing! Then another 10yrds out there it laid. Perfect shot, right smack dab behind rt frnt shoulder, exit behind lft frnt shoulder. Took out both lungs. Not a drop of blood to find, but all over both sides. Bullet entered and exited same size. Don't beleave it even opened up. I was hunting from a grnd blind so there was no downward angle. I will be changing bullets.

Shotting a CVA Optima  100 grn Piro. pellets


----------



## kwarner (Oct 10, 2010)

Had that happen to me last year shootin powerbelts.  Deer only went about 20 yards and no blood.  Slug was lodged in opposite shoulders hide.


----------



## kwarner (Oct 10, 2010)

But with that being said I killed one the year before at over 100 yards with blood and a complete passthru.  So I don't know.  Both dead the same I suppose


----------



## Nitro (Oct 10, 2010)

Barnes Expanders.

I have a friend who owns a MAJOR hunting and fishing store. He got so many horror stories on big game and Powerbelts that he refuses to carry them.


----------



## fishtail (Oct 10, 2010)

First off, I'm no fan of the Powerbelts, never liked the idea of the projectile having to ride on the wad instead of contacting the rifling or being encased in a sabot. 
Is it possible, the ones you used are intended for heavier game, say Elk, etc, and the projectile actually did it's job not expanding on smaller deer sized animals?


----------



## fishtail (Oct 10, 2010)

Which ones were you using?


----------



## ETK (Oct 10, 2010)

Try the 295 grain hollow points.


----------



## Dead Eye Eddy (Oct 10, 2010)

ETK said:


> Try the 295 grain hollow points.



X2.  Only had one bad experience.  Not sure if I missed but don't think so.  Couldn't find any sign of a hit and never smelled the deer in the following weeks.


----------



## stiles1682 (Oct 10, 2010)

I shot one today with the 295 grain hollowpoints and it did similar.  But I had a ton of blood right where I shot it then didnt find anymore till I found the deer. But that could be my fault too cause I didnt really look for blood cause I was lookin for it.  She ran bout 45 yds and piled up.  I also only use 100 grains of powder and I think that helps. I dont like the aero tip bullets, they dont expand but the hollowpoints do.  Ive found all I shot with these bullets when I do my part.


----------



## Great_White_Hunter (Oct 11, 2010)

Cant get deader than dead


----------



## RipperIII (Oct 11, 2010)

seriously? a .50cal hole clean through the deer and not a drop of blood?
The only two deer that I've shot with my .50cal 295gr. platinum bullets bled like a fire hose...and only one was a clean pass through.
I don't care if they expand or not, a hole that size is gonna kill,(in the heart lung area)  and blood will be around to be found...
Lewis and Clarke did alright with those lil lead balls didn't they?


----------



## one hogman (Oct 11, 2010)

*powerbelts*

I have had poor results with the copper coated Powerbelts on hollow point and Aero tip, the bullets just about exploded in the animal and never exited deer and hog, I have witnessed this with a friends deer also, this woth 100 and 150 grain loads, never used the Platinum over $1.50 per bullet?? I don't use them anymore, Hornady makes a SST bullet with a high speed low drag sabot that loads easy, shoots flatter and more accurate in my three guns than the Powerbelts at half the price or less.


----------



## Eyeluv2hunt (Oct 11, 2010)

I made the switch 2 years ago from the 295's (aerotip) to Hornady 240 XTP's. Accurate in my CVA with a 100gr 777 load.

This shot was from a buck last year at 90 yards. Quartering away through the opposing shoulder and lodged just under the skin on the oposing side. Pretty good expansion.






I have heard about the Barnes bullets as well, they just dont shoot well in my Optima Pro for some reason.

Good luck with it . At least you recovered your deer .


----------



## FrontierGander (Oct 12, 2010)

most likely  a high shot IMO.  Heck i shot an elk at 140 yards with a simple round ball with 80gr pyrodex rs and she bled like a mofo for 60 yards.

A high lung shot means the lungs first have to fill up with blood before it starts to pump it out of the body and on the ground. 

No bullet will make up for shot placement IMO.


----------



## FrontierGander (Oct 12, 2010)

Forgot to mention how much ground a deer can travel even after a deadly hit. They are so juiced up that some times it takes them longer to figure out they are dead. A 30 yard recovery is a very small amount as well.


----------



## Apex Predator (Oct 12, 2010)

I shot two yesterday am with a 245 grain aerotip ahead of 90 grains of Jim Shockey's Gold.  A 90# doe and a 120# buck.  Both shots were quartering towards me, and the bullet entered slightly too far back on each deer.  Both bullets exited, created massive wound channels, and each deer left a good 75 yard blood trail.


----------



## georgia_home (Oct 12, 2010)

i aint a fan of powerbelts, but maybe the angle had something to do with it. i'd bet the internal bleeding was huge. maybe fat, or just a slightly high hit kept the blood inside. i think that could maybe happen with any bullet.

that being said, i love the hornady xtp's. i have 2 ml's and use them in both, though in different grains.


----------



## FireHunter174 (Oct 12, 2010)

I was blessed with another nanny doe yesterday evening after work.  Shooting my Optima with 100 gr 777, 295 gr Aerotip.  She was slightly quartering towards me and uphill.  Shot her right behind the shoulder and exited opposite side from the mid-ribcage.  She bled real good and ran about 35-40 yd.  That's #2 since I've changed from the Powerbelt Hollow points to Aerotips and I'm pretty pleased so far.  I seem to get better blood and quicker kills.


----------



## pasinthrough (Oct 12, 2010)

Nitro said:


> Barnes Expanders.


 

When I was shooting one, I loved these bullets!  I used the 250 grain solid copper with that huge hollow point.  100 grains of powder and it knocked holes in 'em!


----------



## nwgahunter (Oct 12, 2010)

I use the Precision Rifle's Dead Center 240gr. I haven't shot anything with them yet but I'll let you know. They are all lead with a polymer tip. I suspect they will be deadly from what I have read. I know they will nearly stack at 100yds with 100gr of BH. 

Hopefully will provide pictures after thie w/e in KY.


----------



## watermedic (Oct 12, 2010)

Nothing wrong with the bullet. 

Something wrong with the shot placement.

Shoot them in the lower third of the chest if you want them to leave a blood trail.


----------



## the ben pearson hunter (Oct 12, 2010)

from my experiences if your hunting on the ground you need to shoot deer low with a gun or bow even if you only hit them midway up the body the cavity still has to fill up with blood before it leaks


----------



## castaway (Oct 12, 2010)

Have had bad luck with powerbelts out of my optima.


----------



## Bruz (Oct 12, 2010)

A level mid to high shot requires the body cavity to fill with blood before leaking....the bullet did it's job....the deer is dead. That being said I shoot Barnes. 

This deer was shot with a PowerBelt 245 with 150gr of 777...Iron Sights at about 65 yards I believe.  When I hunt ground blinds I take spine shots rather than vitals for this reason. 








Bruz


----------



## Buford_Dawg (Oct 12, 2010)

*I have had great success with the 245 aerotips*

Shot at 5 deer, all 5 deer dead within 50 yards.  I didnt have to look for bloodtrails on any of them as they all feel dead in sight of the stand.  I shoot a CVA Optima with 100 of 777.


----------



## Ga.Bowhunter (Oct 14, 2010)

RipperIII said:


> seriously? a .50cal hole clean through the deer and not a drop of blood?
> The only two deer that I've shot with my .50cal 295gr. platinum bullets bled like a fire hose...and only one was a clean pass through.
> I don't care if they expand or not, a hole that size is gonna kill,(in the heart lung area)  and blood will be around to be found...
> Lewis and Clarke did alright with those lil lead balls didn't they?



I hope your not saying that I'm full of it. There was"NO" blood on the ground anywhere. Except where the deer lay dead. I'M NOT BLIND or STUPID!


----------



## Ga.Bowhunter (Oct 14, 2010)

As far as shot placement. I'm 52 yrs old have bin hunting since I was 12. I am not an expert and I don't know everything. I have shot alot of deer. And no matter where they were shot I 've ALLWAYS had hair and blood at impact sight. That is what I find strange. Also I don't need lessons on where to shoot a deer. The shot was not to high or wrong angle. It was a perfectly broadside shot. Wasn't trying to stir the pot , just saying I now don't care for aero tip  powerbelts. I thank you all for the input. I've learnd alot.

Thanks,
Cowboy


----------



## RipperIII (Oct 14, 2010)

Ga.Bowhunter said:


> I hope your not saying that I'm full of it. There was"NO" blood on the ground anywhere. Except where the deer lay dead. I'M NOT BLIND or STUPID!



No, not saying that you are full of it,...just saying that I find that hard to believe given my limited experience, maybe one day I'll double punch one only to have it run off and not be recovered with no blood trail that I could find,...hope it doesn't happen but maybe it will, yours is not the only story that I've read here at the forums about deer that get away from good kill shots with no blood to be found, from powerbelts to .270 cal slugs
so chalk it up to bad luck.


----------



## FireHunter174 (Oct 14, 2010)

I think everybody should quit buying powerbelts!



More for me! 


No, seriously.  Our local Wal-mart has been sold out of all muzzleloader projectiles for the last few days.  I'm down to two bullets!  Hope I don't need more for tomorrow morning's hunt.


----------



## Public Land Prowler (Oct 14, 2010)

I never had a pass thru with powerbelts..245's or 295's,but all deer went down within sight...I shoot T/C shockwaves right now since I stepped up to a gun with 1:28 twist.The powerbelts were amazing with my 1:32 twist gun..I do believe however I am going to switch to the barnes TMZ when the shockwaves run out after seeing the barnes in action with my 300 win mag,and 12 rifled slug gun..


----------

