# Powerbelts and Blood...plus a buck story



## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

I know these bullets have been debated before, but looking for opinions and other observations from powerbelt users.

The day after Thanksgiving I was hunting with my buddy in a blind we have in the middle of a picked bean field. We went out about 12:30 and decided to sit all day since the deer have been active in this field all day. We had a great day. About 80 turkeys were our first visitors, including a group of about 25 longbeards, some very large, and then 15 jakes, followed by the rest being hens. It was cool to watch them pick around only a few yards from the blind. Shortly after, 4 fawns entered the field, so they hung around a long time. Some more does came out of the swamp that borders the field and made a quick entry and exit. Soon, about 200 yds away I caught movement coming from the swamp, from a slightly larger deer. When it popped his head up I could tell it was a buck, not a monster, but a fairly respectable deer for being 1 1/2 years old. After checking a licking branch he began to wonder out from the swamp and into the field. I wanted a closer shot for my buddy, so we waited and waited. It was 4 pm and we decided he wasn't coming any closer than 150 yds. I asked my buddy if he wanted to take a shot with my smokepole, since I knew it was very capable of shooting dead on at theat distance. ( am sighted in for 3 inches high at 100 yds and I took a frontal upper neck, (aiming for the top of the white patch) shot at a doe at 120 earlier in the morning and dropped her in her tracks). So I switched seats with him and handed him the gun. 150 yds, he asked me where to aim, I told him to aim for the heart. He touched it off and the buck took off on a dead sprint, tail down, and passing the other 12 or so deer that had filtered into the field on his run. We got out of the blind and looked for blood at the spot of the hit, and where he entered the swamp. We checked all of the trails he could have used and all of the snow on them was clean. After a long search, the only explanation was a miss...but he looked like he was on a death sprint when he ran away. We agreed to get my uncles and come back for the search in the morning. We started checking the trails again, and I began walking down one and found him piled up about 70yds from where he stood at the shot. We had almost stepped on him the night before. A respectable 5 pt, and my buddies 3rd buck of his hunting career, as well as his biggest. The shot was right where he had the crosshairs, right on the heart, which was shredded upon inspection. No exit hole, and very small entrance hole. Just happy we recovered his deer.

Now the Bullet/Load issue. I got a new gun this year, and switched my bullets, because I couldn't get my old SST shockwaves to shoot out of it. I am shooting Powerbelt 245 grain hollowpoints with 2 50gr. triple seven pellets, and the gun shoots them like a dream for accuracy and at great distances also. I know that the optimal performance of the bullet is not going to hold up at 150 yds, but there was no blood...0!!! and no exit, but the heart was mush...It was a low cavity hit, and I was amazed we couldn't find a drop anywhere. It seems like something would have to come out. I love how my CVA Kodiak is shooting these bullets, but now am very skeptical on the performance of the bullets. I have tried multiple loads out of the gun and the PBs are the only bullet it really likes. In other words I'm torn on what to do for the upcoming blackpowder season.

Any of you guys had problems with the Powerbelts and getting good blood? Or have you had success with leaving decent trails. I know that 150 yds is a pretty good distance, and the bullet is losing force, but shouldn't there be some blood? 
Just hunting for some insight and experiences from guys shooting these bullets, or those who used to shoot them...thanks
Alex

Have any of you guys had similar experiences with powerbelts?


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## rlf (Jun 1, 2005)

I have had good success with them. I even shoot the small 45. cal 175 grain i think. I have shot about 5 deer with them so far and had great blood trails every time including the best blood trai i have ever seen with any weapon. It was probably just one of those wierd hits that seems to leave no blood i have seen or heard of deer shot with about every gun load imaginable that left no blood like that.


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## NBman (Feb 29, 2004)

There has been much debate with the powerbelt bullets but i have yet to have a problem with them. I shoot the 270 gr platinum aerotip out of my CVA Kodiak with 150 gr of powder and have no complaints


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

When I went from 245s to 295s my problems ended. Have shot several deer with them and 2 were complete pass thrus..........

CVA Kodiak Magnum with the 295s and two 50 grain pellets of pyrodex....


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## BTC (Dec 4, 2001)

Last year I was using 245 hollow point powerbelts with 100 grain of pyrodex pellets, I shot a 7-point at approximately 12 yards from my tree stand and watched him run no more than 40 yards and drop. When I got down I checked for blood and found nothing at the point of impact, so I continued following the path the deer had taken and found no blood what so ever the whole way. If I had not put a good shot on him, and saw him drop, I would have thought for sure I had missed him:SHOCKED:, after all this was only at 12 yards. After I arrived at the deer I inspected him and found only a small entrance hole with NO exit hole, which confused me immensly. If at 12 yards I didn't get a pass thru, than a longer shot and track would be quite challenging, and quite possibly lower my chances of retrieving the deer if the same thing would've happened again with no blood trail and without me seeing the animal expire. This year I decided to switch loads and I chose the 250 grain Hornady SST sabots with 150 grain of triple seven pellets out of my CVA Optima Pro and I couldn't be happier. The deer I took this year on opening morning was at about 45 yards and I had a complete pass thru, good blood trail, and after about 40 yards found the deer. The entrance hole was bigger than the powerbelts and the exit hole was about what a 30.06 rifle has done for me in the past. When I sighted in the this year with the Hornady and 100 grain of pellet, at 100 yards it was shooting good groups but was about 4 inches higher than the powerbelts with the same amount of powder. So then I switched to 150 grain of powder and dialed in with that, then moved in to 50 yards and was shooting good groups which were only about one inch high above the bullseye, so they are flying really flat as well.


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

The fundamental problem is that it's a pointed lead bullet. The copper plating is just for show. A lead bullet should have as flat a nose as practical to create a larger permanent wound channel.

For further research on the practical side you could search this very site for lot's of stories of inconsistent performance. For more theoretical info, look into the reasons why most cast bullets designed for hunting have flat points or meplats.


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## Ninja (Feb 20, 2005)

mparks said:


> The fundamental problem is that it's a pointed lead bullet. The copper plating is just for show. A lead bullet should have as flat a nose as practical to create a larger permanent wound channel.
> 
> For further research on the practical side you could search this very site for lot's of stories of inconsistent performance. For more theoretical info, look into the reasons why most cast bullets designed for hunting have flat points or meplats.


Exactly.

Bonded bullets may be your answer.....keep experimenting with different loads to find an accurate one.


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

I had terrible luck with them. They load easy and were accurate, just didnt perform on game for me. Shot at least 4 with them with the same results you speak of. All my shots were inside 100 yds though. I got entry and exit wounds, but no expansion what so ever and very minescule blood trails. Id follow the tracks in the snow, then find pin drops and sometimes itd open up the last 20 yds...The trails were long too....80-100 yds on heart/lung shots...Switched to the SST's you talked about and never looked back.

As others have stated there is lots of reading on these projectiles. If you go to the reloading, ML forum you can find a thread on PB's. I even have links posted to past discussions about them. Im sure its in the first 5 pages of the forum. Look for 300 gr PB AT's


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## QuakrTrakr (Apr 4, 2001)

Powerbelts, blah, blah, blah. :sad: Go ahead and keep using them, you'll sooner or later lose a deer to them. Or many deer to them, depending how soon you switch to a real bullet.


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## JAS (Nov 16, 2005)

I had the same exact thing happen to me two years ago. I shot a 5 point in the front shoulder quartering to me and it came out the back opposite side. I could tell the buck was hit but found ZERO blood despite the deer running like that for 100 yards (stumbled upon the buck to find it). I was like you and was torn because the accuracy was awesome. But I came to the conclusion that bullet performance is even more important than split hair accuracy. What is the point of accuracy if it doesnt allow you to find the game you hit? I was lucky because there was snow and could follow tracks somewhat in the thick stuff where he went. Now after this incident (which was hard to believe if you seen the hit), I am sure that I hit a doe the year before and couldnt find her. They suck.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Why do people keep using these things? (I know, I know....they're easy to load) There are so many good choices to choose from that these things are unnecessary. People, if your going to continue to use this inferior product, at least go with the heaviest grain PB that will shoot well for you.


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## walleyechaser (Jan 12, 2001)

I'll be very happy when I hear they're out of business.
Until then I'm just glad a lot of hunters seek the advice of others before using this junk!


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## mikieday (Jan 20, 2004)

i have shot many many deer with them and i have never had a issue

Mikie


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## steelhead05 (Mar 24, 2003)

I told you time and time again to jump up to a 150 gr charge and stop using tripple 7 it doesnt burn as hot...that extra 50 gr of powder will help expand that bullet with then helps out on blood..right now your just piercing the deer and its leaving a little hole with it is bleeding inside of it..i have the same gun and no problems on blood..also try the 295 gr powerbelt


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## NoWake (Feb 7, 2006)

I switched this year after reading way to many horror stories about the powerbelts. Fortunately I never lost a deer to one, but I didn't feel like tempting fate any longer. I believe the guys who have had good luck with them, but I also believe those who have had bad. I never win a coin toss so I want something that stacks the odds in my favor much better.


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## rdwings926 (Oct 15, 2007)

i have used the 295's w 150grains the last 2 seasons with good results both at range and in field...one was a neck out of a treestand @ 45 yrds, needless to say down on the spot...the other was a dbl lung from the ground at 90 yrds, it hit like a ton of bricks, very impressive exit diameter, again down on the spot...

saying that i believe where there is smoke there is fire (no pun intended) and am concerned w many of the hunter reviews i have read here and elsewhere...this will be my last season with them, i'll be switching...


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## QuakrTrakr (Apr 4, 2001)

NoWake said:


> I switched this year after reading way to many horror stories about the powerbelts. Fortunately I never lost a deer to one, but I didn't feel like tempting fate any longer. I believe the guys who have had good luck with them, but I also believe those who have had bad. I never win a coin toss so I want something that stacks the odds in my favor much better.


Congrats on the good choice! What did you switch to?


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## steelhead007 (Nov 27, 2007)

i have had great luck using the 270 platinums over 100gr 777 loose out of my apex which i believe is the same as a cva kodiak.i shot a doe a couple years ago using 250gr shockwaves at about 30 yrds knew she was done blood and hair on the ground at impact then nothing i mean nothing found her 2 days later while hunting only about 75 yrds away.made me sick but it happens at times hunting with a bow,rifle or muzzleloader.shot a buck last year with the bow pulled the shot as he was walking gut shot when we went out to get him lots of blood for a while then nothing it stopped completely figured he was headed for the pond and was right found him the guts were out and had plugged the holes.i am sticking with my powerbelt platinums!!!!


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## NoWake (Feb 7, 2006)

QuakrTrakr said:


> Congrats on the good choice! What did you switch to?


I am using 100 gr. of American Pioneer and 250 gr. shockwaves this year. I've seen far fewer complaints about the shockwave, but have seen a few. I haven't gotten much range time with them yet so I will keep shots inside of 100 yds. for this year. Next year I want to play around with some different combinations and would like to get something nailed down to where I am confident to 200 yds. It's kind of funny, I am fairly new to inlines, but right now I am more confident with my slug gun at greater distances than I am my muzzy. I know the potential is there I just haven't got enough range time with it yet.


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## maverickbassets (Apr 4, 2007)

I shoot the PB 295 and have had good luck. At times I don't get a pass through, but it is often because the bullet expand too quickly and splinters not because it doesn't expand. 

I am interested if anyone has tried the harvester bullets? Sabertooth specifically http://www.harvesterbullets.com/sabertooth.htm 

They are supposed to be a better bullet with the same loading concept.


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