Anyone had issues with the 245 hollow point. I was a fan until saturday. Shot a nice buck where the neck meets the shoulder, 30yds he dropped in his tracks, didnt even flinch. When i was climbing down he jumped up like nothing had happened, never to be seen again. My hunting partner lost one last week with the powerbelt, and another friend had one run 200yds and had to find it with a dog. We are all good shots and smart hunters. And the more i investigate i hear more and more of the same stories. I am on the way to buy some hornady ballistic tips now. I just wanted to send out the warning that i wish i had recieved before this season. Good luck to all!!
Powerbelt
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I'm changing bullets before MD's later ML season. Think I'm gonna go with the T/C shockwaves.
I shot a doe through the shoulder @ 15 yds with a 295 PB and couldn't find blood or any other sign. She ran off without a problem and I searched for a while before giving up. No reason not to find her it was around noon and never ran out of light. She was found by a buddy a few days later just past the area I searched with her back facing where I came from making her hard to see.
The shot went right through both shoulders and should have knocked her off her feet but didn't and she ran 200 yds.
The other doe I shot with one this year was a liver/gut shot, but recovered. Still no blood within 50-75 yds of the impact area and it was right along the lower diaphram...shoulda bled.
-D
I shot a doe through the shoulder @ 15 yds with a 295 PB and couldn't find blood or any other sign. She ran off without a problem and I searched for a while before giving up. No reason not to find her it was around noon and never ran out of light. She was found by a buddy a few days later just past the area I searched with her back facing where I came from making her hard to see.
The shot went right through both shoulders and should have knocked her off her feet but didn't and she ran 200 yds.
The other doe I shot with one this year was a liver/gut shot, but recovered. Still no blood within 50-75 yds of the impact area and it was right along the lower diaphram...shoulda bled.
-D
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TC ( Thompson Ceter) Mag Sabots You get 30 bullets for under 14.oo and they are deadly and pattern very well. I have shot them thru Knights and my Traditions. Never will change from these bad boys. They mushroom to almost twice the size. Good luck!
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I've shot a few with P/Belts and had the same problem.
Last year a doe ran past me before dark, so I took the shot 15 yds away. Never found a drop of blood. I looked for it in the dark, but knew it ran into a thicket. Hunted the next morning, figuring I missed the deer the night before. I walked around a bit and found my deer. It turned out to be a spike. It ran about a total of 50-60 yds. It was too dark to find it in the thicket the night before. Luckily I hadn't shot any bucks the next mrning.
The deer was hit perfect, but never left a drop of blood.
Last year a doe ran past me before dark, so I took the shot 15 yds away. Never found a drop of blood. I looked for it in the dark, but knew it ran into a thicket. Hunted the next morning, figuring I missed the deer the night before. I walked around a bit and found my deer. It turned out to be a spike. It ran about a total of 50-60 yds. It was too dark to find it in the thicket the night before. Luckily I hadn't shot any bucks the next mrning.
The deer was hit perfect, but never left a drop of blood.
I've never been a fan of the PB's even before they were known as Powerbelts. They used to be called Blackbelts a long time ago. Short fat bullets like the 245gr PB just dont do it like the many other options out there...XTP's, SST's, Shockwaves, or any of the Precision Rifle bullets for ex. Sorry bout your luck!
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I've been shooting 348 Powerbelts for the last 3 seasons. Out of the 9 deer I've shot with them, I had one run about 30 yards. The other 8 dropped and never kicked. The 348 is like hitting them with a sledge hammer.
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I shot an 8 ptr last season through the lungs at about 45 yds with my .45 Rem. using one of the smaller grain power belts and 100gr of pellets, it ran maybe 65 yards. I used to use Remington core-lokts in my Rem. .54 but they are hard to find. At 70 yards I have a two inch group with the power belts in my .45, they are pretty good. Those have the plastic penatrator tip in yellow. I shot some hollow points in my .54 that were garbage (those were red plastic belts).
I switched to power belts this year and was really pleased with how tight they would group with my Encore.
Performance is still suspect. On longer shots deer seem to go down pretty quickly. Inside 50 yards they seem to run a good ways (over 100 yards). All shots were heart/lung much more blood on the ground with the longer shots.
Just an observation
Performance is still suspect. On longer shots deer seem to go down pretty quickly. Inside 50 yards they seem to run a good ways (over 100 yards). All shots were heart/lung much more blood on the ground with the longer shots.
Just an observation
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hornaday makes the best muzzleloader bullets. xtp,s, sst,s and tc shockwaves which is the same thing as the sst with a different color tip.
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I use Winchester Partition/Hollow Points
[Q]choptank originally wrote:
TC ( Thompson Ceter) Mag Sabots You get 30 bullets for under 14.oo and they are deadly and pattern very well. I have shot them thru Knights and my Traditions. Never will change from these bad boys. They mushroom to almost twice the size. Good luck!
[/Q]
I agree. These sabots are awesome. I've killed deer from 10 yards to 95 yards with these bad boys and never had a problem. They expand to about the size of a quarter and knock deer on thier arsh! Haven't had a deer go more than 20 yards. Uh oh... sounds like I'm jynxing myself.
TC ( Thompson Ceter) Mag Sabots You get 30 bullets for under 14.oo and they are deadly and pattern very well. I have shot them thru Knights and my Traditions. Never will change from these bad boys. They mushroom to almost twice the size. Good luck!
[/Q]
I agree. These sabots are awesome. I've killed deer from 10 yards to 95 yards with these bad boys and never had a problem. They expand to about the size of a quarter and knock deer on thier arsh! Haven't had a deer go more than 20 yards. Uh oh... sounds like I'm jynxing myself.
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I sighted my gun in with Knight 300 grain lead hollow points, and have not had a deer get away. Most have dropped in their tracks, or run a short ways. They expand to the size of a quarter and cost about 12.00$ for 20 sabots. The only problem is, I couldn't find them this year, I shoot a knight, and don't want to change bullets,
A friend of mine swore by the powerbelts, and switched bullets every year. First the lead hollow pt., then the copper coated hp. to finally the aero tip. He gave me the leftover's after he switched to the aero tips. They didn't pattern good in my gun so I never switched. I don't like the fact that being easy to load gives me no gas seal in my gun. This year he sold the aero tips and switched to Dead Center Sabots. These bullets are supposed to not have much drop off at 150yrd like most others do. He's killed 2 so far and say's they are awsome.
I sighted my son's new USA Knight in with the new Alpha Gold 300, hollow pt. made by Spitzer. This is an all lead bullet that is supposed to provide unrivaled ballistics, trajectory, and downrange energy. They cost about a dollar a bullet and come with a loading tool. He killed his first deer at 25yrds with a double lung shot. The deer ran about 40yrd, ran into a tree and did a back flip. The blood was everywhere about 20yrd past the the site of the shot.
These guns, and bullets have gotten to be like hi-powered rifle's. It's going to take perfect hits to drop them in their tracks. Most of the time a deer will run a short ways after you shoot them with a hi-powered rifle because it's so fast he doesn't know he's dead yet. I think the same thing is happening with todays muzzle loaders because, there isn't much difference.
Just My Opinion,
BILL
A friend of mine swore by the powerbelts, and switched bullets every year. First the lead hollow pt., then the copper coated hp. to finally the aero tip. He gave me the leftover's after he switched to the aero tips. They didn't pattern good in my gun so I never switched. I don't like the fact that being easy to load gives me no gas seal in my gun. This year he sold the aero tips and switched to Dead Center Sabots. These bullets are supposed to not have much drop off at 150yrd like most others do. He's killed 2 so far and say's they are awsome.
I sighted my son's new USA Knight in with the new Alpha Gold 300, hollow pt. made by Spitzer. This is an all lead bullet that is supposed to provide unrivaled ballistics, trajectory, and downrange energy. They cost about a dollar a bullet and come with a loading tool. He killed his first deer at 25yrds with a double lung shot. The deer ran about 40yrd, ran into a tree and did a back flip. The blood was everywhere about 20yrd past the the site of the shot.
These guns, and bullets have gotten to be like hi-powered rifle's. It's going to take perfect hits to drop them in their tracks. Most of the time a deer will run a short ways after you shoot them with a hi-powered rifle because it's so fast he doesn't know he's dead yet. I think the same thing is happening with todays muzzle loaders because, there isn't much difference.
Just My Opinion,
BILL
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111 Posts
Shot a doe during early Muzzleloader with the same bullet. Hit her right below the ear in the head, and it didnt exit. 65 yard shot. She did drop. Had to go up to her and slice her throat.
Karl
Karl
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I have shot several deer with my Knight with 2 50 gr. pellets using the Hornady 245 Sabots with VERY minimal expansion at close distances. Have only shot one shot one at past 50-60 yards. My brother in law killed his first tis year using the PB. All of mine but the long one and his have had MINIMAL at best blood trails. The long one bled like a stuck pig. All very good chest shots.
I wonder if these full metal jacket type (Covered in copper even the serrated hollow points) bullets are being shot too hot to do their work.
I find it interesting that the Winchester partition gold slugs were offered in a silver model for the shorter range hunter. I believe their wording was that the Gold are good for 100+ the silver for 50-100 and the regular slugs for under 50. The reason being that with all the power, and they do hit hard, that the gold would not open properly at the lower ranges. Hence the slightly lower powered Silvers.
I shot a doe a few years ago at about 60 yards with the gold, went clean through the lower chest and through a half rotten 3" dia. log on the ground. The bullet went through the log the same size with no (that I could tell) expansion. Luckily the deer only went 50 yards due to a nicked heart.
I wonder if these full metal jacket type (Covered in copper even the serrated hollow points) bullets are being shot too hot to do their work.
I find it interesting that the Winchester partition gold slugs were offered in a silver model for the shorter range hunter. I believe their wording was that the Gold are good for 100+ the silver for 50-100 and the regular slugs for under 50. The reason being that with all the power, and they do hit hard, that the gold would not open properly at the lower ranges. Hence the slightly lower powered Silvers.
I shot a doe a few years ago at about 60 yards with the gold, went clean through the lower chest and through a half rotten 3" dia. log on the ground. The bullet went through the log the same size with no (that I could tell) expansion. Luckily the deer only went 50 yards due to a nicked heart.
Stickin Em is right on - can't go wrong w/ the 348 w/ 150 grains burning behind it. I, too, have had every deer but one drop dead in its tracks when hammered by this combination. The one that ran? Well, downhill only about 30yds, very steep downhill, more like a tumble than a run - hehe! [grin]
MY first bp 6 pinter this year fell to a 250gr T/C with the yellow balistic tip and 100gr powder.
quartering frontal shot entered in front of left shoulder exit through read of right shoulder. He dropped like a dish rag on the spot. Nice and clean. If he had run (He couldn't) he would have been a easy track even for me.
quartering frontal shot entered in front of left shoulder exit through read of right shoulder. He dropped like a dish rag on the spot. Nice and clean. If he had run (He couldn't) he would have been a easy track even for me.
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My cousin used my .45 Rem MLS yesterday evening and shot a nice 8 ptr in James City County. We saw it in Aug. and Sept in velvet with another 8 ptr. It's rack is 18.25 inches wide, 14 inches tall with good mass at the base. My gun was loaded with two 50 gr. pellets of pyrodex, and one power belt with the yellow penatrator tip. I am not sure of the grain because the sticker is torn off of the pack but it is the smallest size available I think. The shot was about 60 yards and the bullet hit in front of the right shoulder. It did not exit but exploded one of the lungs. The deer moved 0 yards, it fell like a sack of potatoes and never flinched! Put that in your book.[grin]
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