Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: duckmen1 on July 27, 2021, 09:50:27 PM

Title: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: duckmen1 on July 27, 2021, 09:50:27 PM: Has anybody had any experience with these bullets? Looking at setting up a muzzleloader for elk hunting. What are your past experiences with performance. This gun has shot all lead powerbelt 348 grains with good accuracy but looking for a tougher bullet for elk. And thought about running a similar style bullet to what I have ran in the past with the gun. They advertise it being the best magnum bullet and penetrating bullet they have. Not looking to push more than 100 to 110 grains of pyrodex loose. I had better accuracy with powerbelts then saboted bullets in years past but haven't shot the gun in a few years. I have a Thompson center system 1. I believe it is a 1:38 twist. Open to hearing any past experience with the platinum series and thoughts one might have. I don't wan't to be afraid about performance if an elks shoulder is hit. Thanks for any feedback or any other thoughts one might have for the twist rate. Short on time so don't want to go through the sizing process that sometimes comes with full bore bullets. Thanks for the help
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: huntnnw on July 27, 2021, 10:09:41 PM: looked at the Barnes line? hard to beat a all copper in a muzzy. Wont fragment and lots of penetration
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Pete112288 on July 27, 2021, 10:15:19 PM: First off I will say I dont have experience with the platinum bullets but I do with the copper ones that are tipped. I shot the 348 grain in mine. Same twist rate with 100 grains loose 777. Shot amazing. Preformed horrible. Flat as a pancake with only 8 inches or so of penetration on a broadside elk with the only bone contact being 1 rib bone. Then following year took 3 shots over several miles of tracking to finally put a smaller cow on the ground.
I switched up to Harvester Hardcast 330 grain. Again same twist rate as your gun. It is in a sabot. I lube the sabot with bore butter. If I do my part off a bench with open peep sights and a 6 o'clock hold I can keep 1-2 inch groups at 100 yards. Shooting 90 grains 777. 3 bulls and 3 deer since. None went more than 20 yards. All complete pass through. Lots of damage too. 2 shots on elk were 135 yards and 155 yards. Then on the third I had a steep quartering away shot that entered behind the last rib on one side and exited through the shoulder on the far side.
They are really cheap too for the amazing performance that I have seen. I buy in bulk from the Harvester website. 50 sabots and 50 bullets with shipping I believe kept me under $30.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Dan-o on July 27, 2021, 10:34:31 PM: Quote from: Pete112288 on July 27, 2021, 10:15:19 PM
First off I will say I dont have experience with the platinum bullets but I do with the copper ones that are tipped. I shot the 348 grain in mine. Same twist rate with 100 grains loose 777. Shot amazing. Preformed horrible. Flat as a pancake with only 8 inches or so of penetration on a broadside elk with the only bone contact being 1 rib bone. Then following year took 3 shots over several miles of tracking to finally put a smaller cow on the ground.
I switched up to Harvester Hardcast 330 grain. Again same twist rate as your gun. It is in a sabot. I lube the sabot with bore butter. If I do my part off a bench with open peep sights and a 6 o'clock hold I can keep 1-2 inch groups at 100 yards. Shooting 90 grains 777. 3 bulls and 3 deer since. None went more than 20 yards. All complete pass through. Lots of damage too. 2 shots on elk were 135 yards and 155 yards. Then on the third I had a steep quartering away shot that entered behind the last rib on one side and exited through the shoulder on the far side.
They are really cheap too for the amazing performance that I have seen. I buy in bulk from the Harvester website. 50 sabots and 50 bullets with shipping I believe kept me under $30.

I also shoot the Harvester Hardcast, but I shoot the 400 grain.

Absolutely devastating wound channel on elk.
We've shot 25+ elk with them, and I am a huge fan.

I bought about a million of them (me and 3 sons).

If you want me to ship you 10 on my dime so you can try them, PM me your name/address.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Twispriver on July 27, 2021, 11:06:32 PM: My hunting partner and I have both used them and they shoot great out of our Knight Bighorn rifles and we've both killed animals with them with the same results. On both the bear my partner shot and the cow elk I shot the bullets went completely through on broadside shots with what appeared from the exit holes to be very little, if any expansion. Lots of internal damage and no fragments found during butchering. Neither shot impacted large bones and both animals died quickly so there were no blood trails.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: duckmen1 on July 27, 2021, 11:11:20 PM: Thanks for the help guys. I have thought about harvester hard cast in the past in other guns but never considered it with the twist rate in this gun. But after hearing what you are saying I may have to go this route. I do like what I have heard about these bullets in the past and now what I am hearing from you guys, and I do have to say the price is amazing. I feel more confident in a hard cast bullet that will penetrate on an elks shoulder.

I appreciate the offer Dan-o. I think I will go ahead and place an order on harvester site and try my luck. Hopefully shipping will be relatively quick with season coming up. Need to get some range time in.

I will say in the past I would have probably went with the 400s for me but due to some circumstances I think I will go with 330s to try to reduce some recoil. This will be shot with a smaller framed shooter for the upcoming elk season.

I will keep you posted on range results of how they group.

If I can't get the harvester bullets to group I may try the Platinum bullets. With past experience I would never consider any other bullet from powerbelts for elk.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: duckmen1 on July 27, 2021, 11:29:32 PM: When buying the 330 gr harvester hardcast in bulk looks like the .451/.452 harvester crush ribbed sabots in bulk are the way to go, over the other sabots listed. That's what they use in their pre packaged boxes of 20.

Just ordered bulk 2 packs of 50 for 300gr hardcast and crush rib sabots. And being time crunched did faster shipping which hurt a bit but worth it.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Pete112288 on July 29, 2021, 10:14:30 PM: I dont know what the faster shipping runs but I did have an issue last time I ordered from Harvester. They over charged me on shipping. I just assumed they had hiked the cost for one reason or another. But I got a call within 24 hours of placing my order from them. They caught the issue and said they could refund the excess charge but also offered instead to include extra products of the same that I ordered. I opted for that. They included enough extra rounds and sabots that if you broke down the cost it gave me a little more product than the overcharge would have bought. Amazing customer service. The guy I talked to seemed to be all about the customer. Like it should be.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: duckmen1 on July 31, 2021, 06:48:57 PM: Bullets arrived today. There customer service did amazing and they did an added bonus for me as well with a note to go with it. Very fast shipping. Very happy with harvester company. Can't wait to see how they shoot.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Dan-o on July 31, 2021, 08:36:04 PM: Quote from: duckmen1 on July 31, 2021, 06:48:57 PM
Bullets arrived today. There customer service did amazing and they did an added bonus for me as well with a note to go with it. Very fast shipping. Very happy with harvester company. Can't wait to see how they shoot.

I hope they shoot good for you.

They leave an unbelievably devastating wound channel on an elk.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: duckmen1 on August 04, 2021, 02:42:42 PM: Update on the Harvester hard cast bullets. So to tell the story a little about how this went. The shooter is brand new to muzzleloading and I was using my gun to introduce him to muzzleloading for his first potential season with a muzzleloader. So many variables to how this range session could have played out. Taught him a lot about the basics of muzzleloading as well as the 6 oclock hold with an open site peep system. Starting out at 25 yards and working our way out to 130 yards. Didn't know how the load would perform or how the shooter would shoot while testing the load. Let's just say this load did awesome. At 100 yards he was grouping about 2.5 inches and at 130 yards he was grouping right at 3 inches and the gun was just about perfect sighted in with minimal adjustment. He was even practicing offhand at 50 yards after the bench session putting shots within 2 inches of each other. He can flat out shoot and so can the load. He is shooting much better than others I have watched shoot in the past! Thanks for the recommendations. Confidence is high for him and I also have a new load the gun loves. Super excited on how this turned out and it is thanks to you guys and your recommendations to go with a bullet that I had high confidence in performance but was hesitant due to twist rate of gun. Ended up twist rate did not play a negative factor here though.

Current load
330 grain harvester hard cast lead
Crush rib sabots
100 grains pyrodex RS loose powder
German musket caps
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: TikkaT3-270Shortmag on August 12, 2021, 12:23:11 PM: I've killed 3 bulls in a row with the Powerbelt platinum 270 grain.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: blackpowderhunter on September 14, 2021, 08:31:20 AM: so many people overlook the harvester hard cast... love them, they pack a PUNCH.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: duckmen1 on October 06, 2021, 10:43:44 AM: Update about performance of hard cast bullet performance.

100 Grain Pyrodex RS Loose
German Musket Caps
330 Gr Harvester Hard Cast lead

TC system 1 50 cal muzzy

4x4 bull elk at 105 yards quartered away. Entered perfect center height. A few ribs back from shoulder. Exited front of far shoulder. Double lung shot. Complete pass through. Perfect shot placement. Only made it a few yards and fell over in sight. Blood trail for the 10 yards was amazing. Penetration of the bullet and wound channel was awesome. Chest cavity trauma and blood loss in cavity was awesome. Probably the best performance on elk with a muzzy that I have seen. Super impressed. Thanks for the recommendations by fellow Hunt wa members to try these out.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: blackpowderhunter on October 06, 2021, 11:04:43 AM: glad to hear.
my buddy had similar results on his spike with the 330 grain this past week :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Dan-o on October 06, 2021, 11:59:32 AM: Quote from: duckmen1 on October 06, 2021, 10:43:44 AM
Update about performance of hard cast bullet performance.

100 Grain Pyrodex RS Loose
German Musket Caps
330 Gr Harvester Hard Cast lead

TC system 1 50 cal muzzy

4x4 bull elk at 105 yards quartered away. Entered perfect center height. A few ribs back from shoulder. Exited front of far shoulder. Double lung shot. Complete pass through. Perfect shot placement. Only made it a few yards and fell over in sight. Blood trail for the 10 yards was amazing. Penetration of the bullet and wound channel was awesome. Chest cavity trauma and blood loss in cavity was awesome. Probably the best performance on elk with a muzzy that I have seen. Super impressed. Thanks for the recommendations by fellow Hunt wa members to try these out.

Nice!

They do leave a nasty wound channel, and tend to leave short blood trails. :tup:
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: dub870 on October 06, 2021, 12:01:45 PM: I had the 330 platinums and they shot good enough out of my CVA Optima but I went with the Thors instead. I gave them to my friend with the same gun and it was shooting 12 inch groups at 25 yards. He happened to have a pack of the lead 405gr powerbelts and they shot great in his gun.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: huntnfmly on October 06, 2021, 02:14:46 PM: Quote from: dub870 on October 06, 2021, 12:01:45 PM
I had the 330 platinums and they shot good enough out of my CVA Optima but I went with the Thors instead. I gave them to my friend with the same gun and it was shooting 12 inch groups at 25 yards. He happened to have a pack of the lead 405gr powerbelts and they shot great in his gun.
12 inch groups at 25yrds😲
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: PsoasHunter on November 21, 2021, 09:51:31 PM: Anyone running these Hardcast bullets in a knight bighorn? 330 or 400, and what powder if you don't mind me asking? I've killed all 5 elk I've shot at with 358 gr all lead powerbelts. Never had to track one more than about 20 yards, but I've also never had an exit wound and therefore poor blood trails, so I have some concerns there. These Harvester bullets sound legit, but a 1 year old at home makes for limited range time to work up a new load.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: duckmen1 on November 21, 2021, 10:02:36 PM: We have a few knights that we will probably try and do load development for with the hardcast for upcoming seasons. Haven't tried yet in the knight rifles. But have had great success with accuracy and performance in a rifle with a less desirable twist rate than the knight so have high hopes for my other shooters using there knight rifles. Great bullets, company, performance, cost, and everything else associated with them.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: hal on November 22, 2021, 09:15:57 AM: shooting a T/C with 295's. 6" group @ 100 yards. Easy to load and unload. have some 245's and 330's to try for next year.
Shooting two 50gr 777 pellets.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Dark2Dark on November 28, 2021, 05:57:10 PM: What’s the benefit of the six o clock hold? Why not just use a transitional open sight? I’m always impressed by how your eye/brain/body make the peep/ghost ring work so precisely. But that’s all predicated on your eye centering it…. What am I missing?
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Mr Mykiss on November 29, 2021, 04:56:28 PM: Quote from: Dark2Dark on November 28, 2021, 05:57:10 PM
What’s the benefit of the six o clock hold? Why not just use a transitional open sight? I’m always impressed by how your eye/brain/body make the peep/ghost ring work so precisely. But that’s all predicated on your eye centering it…. What am I missing?
I think its so you can see what you're aiming at instead of covering it.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: msg on November 29, 2021, 05:25:57 PM: Knight Disc Extreme, 295 Powerbelt Platinums , 3 50grain 777 pellets. Rear peep and Lee Shaver globe and crosshair front. I have several flattened out chunks of lead from the past found on the opposite side hide. This setup blows completely thru at reasonable ranges. I have no experience with with longer ranges but got to believe it is a great setup. Accuracy is unbelievable compared to stock fibre optics. One of my hunting partners has the almost identicle setup. Last year shot a blacktail in the head at 120 yards bedded down. Yesterday shot a coyote on a dead run at 130 yds.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Irish_hunter93 on July 12, 2022, 03:36:35 AM: I shoot the 338 grain platinums in my cva optima and I love em, easy to load, never had a flyer, 110 grains of blackhorn 209 powder for a charge, and they flat out deer on their ass.

I'm a happy camper with em

.50 cal mind you
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: grundy53 on July 12, 2022, 11:16:50 AM: Thanks to this thread I just order a pile of the 330 gr harvesters

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: rasbo on July 12, 2022, 12:59:57 PM: Quote from: Dan-o on July 27, 2021, 10:34:31 PM
Quote from: Pete112288 on July 27, 2021, 10:15:19 PM
First off I will say I dont have experience with the platinum bullets but I do with the copper ones that are tipped. I shot the 348 grain in mine. Same twist rate with 100 grains loose 777. Shot amazing. Preformed horrible. Flat as a pancake with only 8 inches or so of penetration on a broadside elk with the only bone contact being 1 rib bone. Then following year took 3 shots over several miles of tracking to finally put a smaller cow on the ground.
I switched up to Harvester Hardcast 330 grain. Again same twist rate as your gun. It is in a sabot. I lube the sabot with bore butter. If I do my part off a bench with open peep sights and a 6 o'clock hold I can keep 1-2 inch groups at 100 yards. Shooting 90 grains 777. 3 bulls and 3 deer since. None went more than 20 yards. All complete pass through. Lots of damage too. 2 shots on elk were 135 yards and 155 yards. Then on the third I had a steep quartering away shot that entered behind the last rib on one side and exited through the shoulder on the far side.
They are really cheap too for the amazing performance that I have seen. I buy in bulk from the Harvester website. 50 sabots and 50 bullets with shipping I believe kept me under $30.

I also shoot the Harvester Hardcast, but I shoot the 400 grain.

Absolutely devastating wound channel on elk.
We've shot 25+ elk with them, and I am a huge fan.

I bought about a million of them (me and 3 sons).

If you want me to ship you 10 on my dime so you can try them, PM me your name/address.
you guys have me fired up on these harvesters,I called to talk with them and the gentleman is sending me some free to try out,I went with the 330 hardcast. Are any of you using pellets over loose powder? I've always used loose because a guy I hunted with had problems with them not igniting.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Dan-o on July 12, 2022, 01:14:41 PM: Quote from: rasbo on July 12, 2022, 12:59:57 PM
Quote from: Dan-o on July 27, 2021, 10:34:31 PM
Quote from: Pete112288 on July 27, 2021, 10:15:19 PM
First off I will say I dont have experience with the platinum bullets but I do with the copper ones that are tipped. I shot the 348 grain in mine. Same twist rate with 100 grains loose 777. Shot amazing. Preformed horrible. Flat as a pancake with only 8 inches or so of penetration on a broadside elk with the only bone contact being 1 rib bone. Then following year took 3 shots over several miles of tracking to finally put a smaller cow on the ground.
I switched up to Harvester Hardcast 330 grain. Again same twist rate as your gun. It is in a sabot. I lube the sabot with bore butter. If I do my part off a bench with open peep sights and a 6 o'clock hold I can keep 1-2 inch groups at 100 yards. Shooting 90 grains 777. 3 bulls and 3 deer since. None went more than 20 yards. All complete pass through. Lots of damage too. 2 shots on elk were 135 yards and 155 yards. Then on the third I had a steep quartering away shot that entered behind the last rib on one side and exited through the shoulder on the far side.
They are really cheap too for the amazing performance that I have seen. I buy in bulk from the Harvester website. 50 sabots and 50 bullets with shipping I believe kept me under $30.

I also shoot the Harvester Hardcast, but I shoot the 400 grain.

Absolutely devastating wound channel on elk.
We've shot 25+ elk with them, and I am a huge fan.

I bought about a million of them (me and 3 sons).

If you want me to ship you 10 on my dime so you can try them, PM me your name/address.
you guys have me fired up on these harvesters,I called to talk with them and the gentleman is sending me some free to try out,I went with the 330 hardcast. Are any of you using pellets over loose powder? I've always used loose because a guy I hunted with had problems with them not igniting.

I'm lazy, so I have shifted mostly to pellets.

I just love these Harvesters.....
I try to be careful with my shots, but I have never lost an elk or had a long trailing job.
If you do your part, they are devastating.
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: MountainDevil54 on July 16, 2022, 04:37:01 PM: CVA Mountain Stalker .50cal 1:38 twist, 100gr Pyrodex RS, 20 yard torture test into wet sand. The 338gr Platinum is a beast and one I highly recommend for Elk.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Cx5ffMtf/Powerbelt-Insert138.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dt4y1ZWY/338-100gr-20yrd.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Title: Re: Powerbelt Platinum Muzzleloading Bullets
Post by: Dan-o on July 16, 2022, 06:54:44 PM: Quote from: MountainDevil54 on July 16, 2022, 04:37:01 PM
CVA Mountain Stalker .50cal 1:38 twist, 100gr Pyrodex RS, 20 yard torture test into wet sand. The 338gr Platinum is a beast and one I highly recommend for Elk.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Cx5ffMtf/Powerbelt-Insert138.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dt4y1ZWY/338-100gr-20yrd.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

That looks exactly like you'd want them to perform.

Very cool.