Enough Powder?

[OutHouse]

I've been shooting Power Belt Pure Lead conical bullets that weigh 405 grains. I have been shooting a short barreled .54 caliber Hawken style rifle with 90 grains of pyrodex. Seems to be shooting great but last year the bullet did not pass through the animal at very short range. Am I using enough powder? Please, any and all suggestions appreciated.

[wadu1]

I don't use pyrodex, just FFG. My .54 likes 110 grains pushing 405 gr power belts or buffalo bullets. I'm shooting a Thompson Hawkins full size. Only one recovered bullet on a 4X4 bull that I got a spine shot down hill, half of the bullet was in the backbone the other half was in the left front shoulder near the elbow. 

[OutHouse]

I don't use pyrodex, just FFG. My .54 likes 110 grains pushing 405 gr power belts or buffalo bullets. I'm shooting a Thompson Hawkins full size. Only one recovered bullet on a 4X4 bull that I got a spine shot down hill, half of the bullet was in the backbone the other half was in the left front shoulder near the elbow. 

Thanks for the advice. So if you were shooting my set-up would you up the powder to 110 or  because it's shooting fine at 90 grains would you leave it the same? I guess it cannot hurt to up the powder.

[Dan-o]

IMO, 90 grains is a rather light charge, but it will certainly kill. 

Personally, I prefer a heftier charge in my ML, but then I like my 7mm mag for deer and I know guys who kill bigger ddeer than me with a 243. 

[OutHouse]

IMO, 90 grains is a rather light charge, but it will certainly kill. 

Personally, I prefer a heftier charge in my ML, but then I like my 7mm mag for deer and I know guys who kill bigger ddeer than me with a 243.

Makes sense. Didn;t get a pass through last year from a 10 yard shot (and 10 yards might be longer than it actually was). Would you use 100, 110, or more?

[Dan-o]

I shoot max load that still groups well. But that's just a personal choice.   

[Sabotloader]

IMO, 90 grains is a rather light charge, but it will certainly kill. 

Personally, I prefer a heftier charge in my ML, but then I like my 7mm mag for deer and I know guys who kill bigger ddeer than me with a 243.

Makes sense. Didn;t get a pass through last year from a 10 yard shot (and 10 yards might be longer than it actually was). Would you use 100, 110, or more?

One thing I would point out... anytime you are pushing a non-lubed soft lead conical up a bore at a velocity exceeding 1200 fps, you are leading the barrel so make sure you are getting the lead out.

I shoot a Bull Shop .503x460 grain with 90 grains of T7 powder which pushes the bullet out at 1500 fps - but it also is a lubed conical.

It is pretty common knowledge that if you over shoot a Power Belt you can actually blow the bullet up internally IF you hit a bone.  Velocity is not a friend of Power Belts.  There is a real possibility that the bullet that failed to exit may have came apart internally.  Especially at that short range.  One of the reasons that we go so heavy with soft lead bullets is to over-ride the velocity effects of shooting soft lead.

Personally, I think you are far ahead staying with your 90 grain load..

This is a ballistic sheet compiled from information that got shooting a 400 grain Bull Shop from my TC...  This was with 100 grains of T7 which provides about 10% more velocity than does any of the Pyro's.

[OutHouse]

IMO, 90 grains is a rather light charge, but it will certainly kill. 

Personally, I prefer a heftier charge in my ML, but then I like my 7mm mag for deer and I know guys who kill bigger ddeer than me with a 243.

Makes sense. Didn;t get a pass through last year from a 10 yard shot (and 10 yards might be longer than it actually was). Would you use 100, 110, or more?

One thing I would point out... anytime you are pushing a non-lubed soft lead conical up a bore at a velocity exceeding 1200 fps, you are leading the barrel so make sure you are getting the lead out.

I shoot a Bull Shop .503x460 grain with 90 grains of T7 powder which pushes the bullet out at 1500 fps - but it also is a lubed conical.

It is pretty common knowledge that if you over shoot a Power Belt you can actually blow the bullet up internally IF you hit a bone.  Velocity is not a friend of Power Belts.  There is a real possibility that the bullet that failed to exit may have came apart internally.  Especially at that short range.  One of the reasons that we go so heavy with soft lead bullets is to over-ride the velocity effects of shooting soft lead.

Personally, I think you are far ahead staying with your 90 grain load..

This is a ballistic sheet compiled from information that got shooting a 400 grain Bull Shop from my TC...  This was with 100 grains of T7 which provides about 10% more velocity than does any of the Pyro's.

Thanks, very informative. I guess I will be lubing the bullet from now on. Also, the bullet from last year actually crumpled and spread out pretty wide while losing some fragments along the way but stayed mostly intact. It hit a rib and then a second rib. Quick killer though.

[reelamin]

When shooting high expansion bullets more velocity (more powder) creates less penetration at close range.  Sure it helps at longer ranges (Velocity Drops) but it hurts on the low end.  But generally you will get a lot more internal "shock" with the rapid expansion at close ranges.  So, maybe not the complete pass through but a lot more damage is done.

[OutHouse]

When shooting high expansion bullets more velocity (more powder) creates less penetration at close range.  Sure it helps at longer ranges (Velocity Drops) but it hurts on the low end.  But generally you will get a lot more internal "shock" with the rapid expansion at close ranges.  So, maybe not the complete pass through but a lot more damage is done.

Makes sense to me. Lungs were done for and somehow the liver was turned to gravy without being directly hit.

[Sabotloader]

OutHouse

Thanks, very informative. I guess I will be lubing the bullet from now on. Also, the bullet from last year actually crumpled and spread out pretty wide while losing some fragments along the way but stayed mostly intact. It hit a rib and then a second rib. Quick killer though.
[/quote]

One thing you might consider is the possible switch from the all lead PB to the AreoLite PB.  Reports are that is a tougher bullet.



http://www.powerbeltbullets.com/Aerolite-Muzzleloading-Bullets.php