Opinions on powerbelt bullets?

[Alpinehunter]

I bought a knight bighorn .50 cal a while back and I just recently had a chance to shoot it.
I'm shooting powerbelt 295 grain pure lead hollowpoint bullets.  The first two shots went great and then
while loading up the third load the bullet got stuck in the barrel. Anyone else ever have this problem?

[rasbo]

I bought a knight bighorn .50 cal a while back and I just recently had a chance to shoot it.
I'm shooting powerbelt 295 grain pure lead hollowpoint bullets.  The first two shots went great and then
while loading up the third load the bullet got stuck in the barrel. Anyone else ever have this problem?

never,I use the same bullet..

[bearpaw]

You need to clean muzzy's real often when shooting. This can happen with any brand of projectile. I would put your ramrod down the barrel and put it against a tree or something solid and push hard, you need to get the projectile down against the powder to shoot it. If you can't get it seated I would use a puller and get it out, then clean before loading again.

(some barrels are tighter than others)

[rasbo]

You need to clean muzzy's real often when shooting. This can happen with any brand of projectile. I would put your ramrod down the barrel and put it against a tree or something solid and push hard, you need to get the projectile down against the powder to shoot it. If you can't get it seated I would use a puller and get it out, then clean before loading again.

(some barrels are tighter than others)

thats a universal statement,LOL I run a patch or wire down my gun about every 5th shot...do you have a bullet puller

[MountainDevil54]

swab between shots, your bullet simply got caught up in the crud ring.

[Nilehunter]

swab between shots, your bullet simply got caught up in the crud ring.

Spit on a patch and run it through after each shot.  Works for me.

[Kowsrule30]

I shoot the all lead and copper coated in the same grain.... I can shoot 6-7 before I have any trouble loading at all....  Must be a little tighter bore...

[bearpaw]

When out shooting a lot I have ran a brush down the bore once to clear fowling between shots, it's quick and your bore is dry.

On Northwest Outdoors Radio they say the world record grizzly that Steve West shot was recently taken with a powerbelt.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=99581.msg1346223;topicseen#new

[Rooster1981]

My wife shoots powerbelts through her 54 cal inline. She hasnt killed anything yet with that gun, hopefullly she will spend  a little more time in the woods this year and wack a doe with it so we can see how well they do. She shoots the 348 grn solid tips, the are very accurate and load well in her gun.

[Alpinehunter]

I managed to get the bullet out ok and it was only going to be my third shot.  I have been told every three to five shots to run a few patches through it, but I didn't even make it to three. I'm hoping it was just a freak thing but I guess time at the range will tell. I was just curious if this was something that might have been a result of me using the wrong bullet for my gun. Thanks for all the info.

[Bunnell]

what powder were you using?

[Alpinehunter]

Triple Seven 100grains

[billythekidrock]

I managed to get the bullet out ok and it was only going to be my third shot.  I have been told every three to five shots to run a few patches through it, but I didn't even make it to three. I'm hoping it was just a freak thing but I guess time at the range will tell. I was just curious if this was something that might have been a result of me using the wrong bullet for my gun. Thanks for all the info.

Run a spit patch through it after every shot. I do this with my Knight and don't have a problem even after 25-30 shots.

[Sabotloader]

I bought a knight bighorn .50 cal a while back and I just recently had a chance to shoot it.
I'm shooting powerbelt 295 grain pure lead hollowpoint bullets.  The first two shots went great and then
while loading up the third load the bullet got stuck in the barrel. Anyone else ever have this problem?

Make up some windex patches for the range work and spit patch while hunting...  Windex works great for cleaning also...

[Heredoggydoggy]

I tried them one year, and they didn't seal the bore real good, and the powder got wet on the first day's hunt.  Pulled the bullet and got the wet powder out.  Should have seen me snapping caps in the motel parking lot trying to dry out the barrel for the next day's hunt!  Never bought any again.

[dawhunt]

I've used them for yrs in my Austin&Halleck 50 cal,they worked fine.
Bob

[snowshoes22]

Go heavy i made the mistake of using the 245 grain jacketed aerotips. They explode like a coyote bullet. I killed 2 mule deer bucks with them but was not happy with performance. Both required follow up shots when the first shots should have been lethal.

[threedwizard]

I like the windex idea. I'll need to try it. I have a Knight 52 extreme and run a spit patch every other shot. I can go about 10 rounds this way, then need to brush and clean. I use the Knight hot shots or Barnes bullets.

[Sabotloader]

I like the windex idea. I'll need to try it. I have a Knight 52 extreme and run a spit patch every other shot. I can go about 10 rounds this way, then need to brush and clean. I use the Knight hot shots or Barnes bullets.

With the windex patrch you really ahould not need to run a brush at all.  I shoot extended range trips and ony use the windex patch - in fact i use the same patch several times.  The real key for patching while shooting is not to get the patch TO WET - just barely damp... For cleaning a really wet patch actaully for of them works very well.

I do not know which bore oil you might use but if you will use a synthetic bore oil that will help reduce the 'crud' the bore collects....

 

[Kowsrule30]

I tried them one year, and they didn't seal the bore real good, and the powder got wet on the first day's hunt.  Pulled the bullet and got the wet powder out.  Should have seen me snapping caps in the motel parking lot trying to dry out the barrel for the next day's hunt!  Never bought any again.

Put a piece of tape over the end of your barrel when ml hunting in any kind of wet conditions.... It will not effect the bullet from my testings.... I usually do it all the time... It's a big bore.... Cleaning my gun one night after the hunt I found a twig lodged in my barrel that held a mess of Tamarack needles in with it.... They hardly even fell out when turned upside down.... Have no idea what would've happened if I shot at game with it like that.... 

[Heredoggydoggy]

I tried them one year, and they didn't seal the bore real good, and the powder got wet on the first day's hunt.  Pulled the bullet and got the wet powder out.  Should have seen me snapping caps in the motel parking lot trying to dry out the barrel for the next day's hunt!  Never bought any again.

Put a piece of tape over the end of your barrel when ml hunting in any kind of wet conditions.... It will not effect the bullet from my testings.... I usually do it all the time... It's a big bore.... Cleaning my gun one night after the hunt I found a twig lodged in my barrel that held a mess of Tamarack needles in with it.... They hardly even fell out when turned upside down.... Have no idea what would've happened if I shot at game with it like that....

The bullet probably would have just pushed the stick out of the barrel on its way out.  Black Powder guns aren't as sensitive to barrel obstructions as modern guns are.  Since the Powerbelt incident, I found out that I have to fire a squib load to foul the barrel of my 54 so the bullet stays put.  One day I was hunting in the rain, and was carrying my rifle with the muzzle down, and just happened to look at the muzzle and the T/C style slug had slid all the way down the bore to the muzzle.  A little longer and it would have fallen out.  Imagine what would have happened if it had fallen out, and then I shot at a big buck!