powerbelt FAILURE!

[kerrdog]

I'ml offering none of my wisdom until I see a dang deer!

[huntnphool]

No issues this year with mine.

[Damnimissed]

They may perform ok if you hit absolutely no bone whatsoever, and at a medium range. I killed a bull this year at about 100 yds with a 348 gr aero tip, and the only reason it went down is because on the second shot I blew his hip out. 3rd shot in the neck at 20 yrs put him down for the count but didnt kill him, and didnt pass through...switching to 300 gr bloodlines this year.

[duckmen1]

I shot a deer at about 50 yards that blew clean through both shoulder bones with a pass through. Dropped in tracks.
Hit a different deer in the shoulder and it made it over 400 yards on to private land.
348 gr all lead powerbelt

[Heredoggydoggy]

I stopped using Powerbelts when I ended the day of hunting with a wet powder charge because they didn't fit tightly in my .54 cal. charcoal burner.  Unless I fired a fouling load to dirty up the barrel, they wouldn't even stay in the bore!  Switched to T/C lead slugs and never had a problem after that.... 

[duckmen1]

Also shot 2 other deer both pass throughs and deer went 5 yards and 20 yards.

[Jonathan_S]

They may perform ok if you hit absolutely no bone whatsoever, and at a medium range. I killed a bull this year at about 100 yds with a 348 gr aero tip, and the only reason it went down is because on the second shot I blew his hip out. 3rd shot in the neck at 20 yrs put him down for the count but didnt kill him, and didnt pass through...switching to 300 gr bloodlines this year.

I blew through both shoulders on a mule deer at 80 yards.  Dead on the spot.

[Damnimissed]

Keep shooting them then. They appeal to the eye, and are easy to load, but I think they're junk, personally. Some of my buddies have had similar experiences with them. Elk are just way to tough of animals to trust a bullet that basically explodes when it hits some bone. I need a tough bullet that has controlled expansion and will stay together. They may be ok for deer, but not a bull elk IMO.

[bobcat]

I agree- Powerbelts are too soft for elk. At least the all-lead ones. The copper jacketed Powerbelts might be better but I have no experience with them.

[Jonathan_S]

Keep shooting them then. They appeal to the eye, and are easy to load, but I think they're junk, personally. Some of my buddies have had similar experiences with them. Elk are just way to tough of animals to trust a bullet that basically explodes when it hits some bone. I need a tough bullet that has controlled expansion and will stay together. They may be ok for deer, but not a bull elk IMO.

I completely agree with you.  I have only experienced their performance with deer and black bear.  If I muzzleload for elk again, I will go to a solid copper because the vast majority of complaints come from experiences with elk.  I'd rather be safe.   

I think I stated earlier that I load with only 90 grains of pyrodex and that may be why mine don't come apart.  If I had a high charge I might not have had the success that I've had   

[Peregrine]

Valuable thread - I'm glad I could read the input from others.  I have never used Powerbelts on elk; however, I have had awesome success on deer with the copper plated ballistic tip Powerbelts.  Super accurate and great mushrooming regardless of bone, muscle etc.  Lead Powerbelts were awful on deer though---no weight retention whatsoever.

[BiggLuke]

OP...
This is the reason why I always use solid Lead Powerbelts.