Anybody Chronograph a Powerbelt??

[Coltdriver]

I took my .50 cal TC Encore out today and with the rear sight as low as it would go I was getting a good group at 100 yards.

Has anybody chronographed one??  I was shooting 295 Grain Powerbelts over 100 grains of 777.

I don't think I would trust myself past 150 yards.  I am pretty sure it will pass through whatever it hits but the open sights required in Colorado make that pretty challenging.

I was hitting about 4 inches high consistently at 100 yards.

What kind of range are you all getting??

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

drop your charge. 100g t7 is to hot for that. Im from colorado and hunting places from steamboat springs, McCoy colorado, Spanish peaks "Southern colorado" And never needed more than 80g of powder  for shooting out to 150 yards.

Please try this so you'll have better knowledge of what can happen with 100+ grains of powder.
http://www.gbofreeforums.com/ThePowerbeltForum/index.php

4" high would be you about 2 to 3 inches low at 200 yards with that 100g triple 7 load.

Anything under 70 yards, that bullet will come apart like someone pokin a balloon with a pin with that hot of load.

You could always try the 348 powerbelt, That one will handle the charge.  Hope you are using that 295 on deer and not elk.

[montveil]

I have the ballistics for 100 1nd 150 yard for Powerbelts BUT they are in Excel and this forum does not support that format.
 If someone knows how to get around I will try.
I tried to copy and paste but it is a jumble

[Semisane]

I don't use Excel.  Can you save it to a JPEG file?  Or, print it then scan it to JPEG.

[montveil]

Can't convert to word, pdf or jpg but will forward one for 150 yds in pdf

[montveil]

attached is the pdf file for 150 yds

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

http://powerbeltbullets.com/ballistic.html

[DCRthe3rd]

I bought some 50 cal 245 grain hp awhile ago on sale and plan on trying them in my huntsman , this is good info to have , I am looking for a pass threw shot , my plan was 85 grains of loose but maybe I will try 80 instead
The 240gr  saboted xtp's would pass threw with 85 grains but I stopped using saboted rds

[vabowhntr]

Never got a passthrough with the deer I killed with them.  Usually with the 348 gr and 85-90 gr of Pyro RS.   The bullet would mushroom until it was the size and shape of a quarter and about as thin.  It would always hand up on the far hide.  The deer never went far though.  Wouldn't even try to shoot a deer with less than a 295 gr PB, just not enough lead for the size of the HP (the aerotips are just HP with the plastic tip shoved in it).  I would really like some 350gr w/o the HP, which you don't need with the soft lead.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

"Wouldn't even try to shoot a deer with less than a 295 gr PB, just not enough lead for the size of the HP (the aerotips are just HP with the plastic tip shoved in it)"

People once tried telling me that. I took a great sized doe with the 45cal 225g powerbelt aerotip with 80g fffg triple 7 @ 80 yards.


I can pee farther than the distance she traveled after being hit.

If you want pass through with a powerbelt, Go the the lungs. I prefer the shoulder/heart shot as if bleeds them out quick and leaves an easy to follow trail.

Also forgot to mention that the Aerotip helps control over expanding of the bullet.

[Coltdriver]

I had read about overpowering the Powerbelt and having them come apart or perform poorly.

I will be hunting in Colorado, probably on the plains.  It will be a serious challenge to get within 150 yards of a deer! 

But I am going to try going to the 90 grain charge to see if the accuracy improves.  Its probably as much my old eyes as anything.  Hitting in a 6 inch circle consistently at 100 yards was pretty amazing to me for open sights.

You can not use a scope on a BP rifle to hunt here during BP season.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

For me, I find that a brown cardboard sheet with either a 2 or 3" orange dot makes it a lot easier to focus. What part of colorado?

[Coltdriver]

I have applied for a deer tag for BP season in GMU 55 (gunnison) and 144 in the southeast corner of the state.  Both have pretty small draws but I think fewer people try for the plains.  We will see.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

Man i'll tell you what, You want a performing Powerbelt that can handle a 100g charge and punch through sand at 20 yards and hold together? Go with the 270g Powerbelt Platinum! These suckers are awesome and beefed up greatly.  I can easily take a recovered 295g powerbelt and fold it in half while the smaller 270g platinum i cant even budge!  This has been the ONLY powerbelt to pass my 20 yard 90 and 100 grain charge tests.

[ratgunner]

Bigblock,lots of good info here.Thanks and it should be posted in the traditional section as well.I hunt with a T/C Hawken and shot a whitetail last fall useing 245 grn. PB's .Shot this deer twice and it was 40yards and 60 yards shots.Triple7 loose powder 85 grns. No exits, no blood trail but the lungs and heart were destroyed.I wasnt sure what went wrong till now.Next year I'll be useing the 295 grn PB's .I like the PB bullets they are easy to load and accurate,just wasnt happy with performace on game.I hope to see how the 295's and 85 grns of Triple7 work.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

295g powerbelt with 85g should do just fine.  Those 245's are weird. I shot a doe at 146 yards with 120g pyrodex rs and it went into the neck and exited in front of the shoulder, But with the closer range shots and even 90g pyrodex they do seem to come apart quickly.

You should really consider the 270g platinum, it puts the copper series to shame. They do cost a few bucks more but when it comes to hunting season, its money well spent.

Cant post modern powerbelts in traditional section due to the rules. Thats a round ball, lead conical only place.

I do have the Powerbelt round ball that i could post info on. I'll have to get some more info on those and then post in here.

[jager]

Coltdriver - I have your gun; your load; plus a chronograph. That load clocks (on average) at 1770fps. I've also used 100gr of H777 (FFFg) with the 295gr Powerbelt for about 30fps more velocity and just a bit more accurate. I've shot a few deer with this load and have not recovered a single bullet; however,  I haven't  shot anything larger to date.

[ratgunner]

I thought about the platinums but last year I read several reports that they werent mushrooming at all,just penciling through on deer.I dont know what caused that,maybe impact velocity was too low.They may have been shooting too far?

[Coltdriver]

Jager I sincerely appreciate the info!  I can now calculate about what the trajectory should be and see how far out I can make it work.

That is, by the way, a lot faster than I thought it would be!  I can see why the softer powerbelts would come apart.

[30-06man]

I am not a expert on powerbelts but I do know if you push them with a higher velocity they will not expand well. Some have had the best of luck with em but others haven't. Shot placement is still a huge factor also.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

I thought about the platinums but last year I read several reports that they werent mushrooming at all,just penciling through on deer.I dont know what caused that,maybe impact velocity was too low.They may have been shooting too far?

Thats good to hear. Most people want pass through shots.  Anything with a 1/2" hole through both lungs/heart isnt going far.  When you get a good mushroom like the powerbelts offer, you some times dont get pass through and the bullet ends up under the hide. I prefer the big hole and the bullet under the hide.  I like to recover the bullet and see how it performed and held up.  If those platinum's do shoot right through, thats good news to those who are wanting pass through.