now let's talk muzzleloader bullets

[Silkcitymedic]

Hornady sst 250gr with two 777 pellets. 

[Turkeyslayer]

290 grain power built has killed many dropped a few in there tracks but most with a double lung have ran about 10-15 yards

[jerseyhunter]

always shot 245 gr powerbelts /w 2pellets nothing went more than 30yds most dropped in their tracks 

[Merkel]

I’ve only used powerbelts in my CVA Optima but found 245 grain work better than 295 with 2 charges of white hots. 

[Buckeyes11]

Hornandy SST 250 grains and 2 pyrodex pellets. Zero issues 

[NotJust22s]

I like these from my old Renege.

https://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com/

[mazzgolf]

Alot are complaining that the PowerBelt bullets are "fragile" due to the soft lead they use - they don't mushroom, but instead fragment and lose mass, polluting the meat with small lead shards as it does so. That is the thing I'm more interested in.

Anyway, again, I have absolutely no experience, which is why I asked. I'm just getting this from the Googling I'm doing and reading other hunting forums out there (just google "powerbelts suck" - there was one thread on another hunting forum where someone said, "Don't tell me this is another 'powerbelts suck' thread" and compared it to the Rage debate among bow hunters lol)... so I figured ask here what you all experienced in the field (if you even bother looking for the bullet).

Take a look at @Bigmac's picture - that's a nice mushroom, and the mass looks mostly intact just looking at the petals and the base. That's what people are complaining that they are NOT seeing with the PowerBelts.

[smittty]

Any of you guys using vent liners 

[Tarhunt]

1 minute ago, smittty said:

Any of you guys using vent liners 

Only with my Savage ML. 

[ub1243]

I am sponsored by CVA, and wouldn't shoot the Powerbelts. Too inconsistent on deer. I used them for over 10 years, probably 15 years. All different styles. 

I moved to TC Shockwave bullets for a number of years. Great bullet. I recommend to friends looking to get away from the Powerbelts. 

I received a new Accura MRX this past summer. They sent 330gr ELR .50cal bullets. I am impressed. Sighted at 100 yards, i have a 5" drop at 150 yards. using 120gr loose Pyrodex. 

Shot deer with it this winter. Impressive expansion. Great blood trails. My new go to bullet. 

[mazzgolf]

3 minutes ago, ub1243 said:

I am sponsored by CVA, and wouldn't shoot the Powerbelts. Too inconsistent on deer.

When you say "too inconsistent on deer" - I take it that means accuracy isn't the problem, right? But its the expansion/fragmentation issue I mentioned? Or do you mean something else?

[archer36]

Well, the longer the thread goes on, the more confused you will be.  You will find no consensus. As I mentioned in my first post, there is no one "silver bullet". Go with your instincts and test it out. There are dozens of loads/bullets that will do the job. 

[ub1243]

Just now, mazzgolf said:

When you say "too inconsistent on deer" - I take it that means accuracy isn't the problem, right? But its the expansion/fragmentation issue I mentioned? Or do you mean something else?

Performance on the deer. They load easy and hit the paper with a pretty consistent pattern. 

I butcher my own deer. I see the jackets just under the hide on entry. Many times with the skirt still attached. Complete fragmentation. No exit, so you just have the higher entry hole for blood. Some say the entire energy dump was in the deer. But as posted by someone else, lead fragments all over. My best Powerbelt bullet was the all lead, no jacket 348gr bullets. 

I am a fan of the ELR. They like to be pushed. Over 100gr of powder. Not sure why, but i have seen a few posts about them liking the 120gr to 150 gr charges. So i went with the 120gr charge of loose powder. 

[nmc02]

This is easy.....I don't need to read the above posts. I figure you have several recommendations for the WORST bullet >>>>> power belts SUCK. Complete garbage.

Buy Barnes TMZs and you will be shooting the best bullet made.

[mazzgolf]

9 minutes ago, ub1243 said:

I see the jackets just under the hide on entry. Many times with the skirt still attached. Complete fragmentation. No exit, so you just have the higher entry hole for blood. Some say the entire energy dump was in the deer. But as posted by someone else, lead fragments all over

Yup. OK. That's exactly the complaints I'm seeing by a lot of people on other forums. Not everyone - some people love PowerBelts. But there are a lot of people that complain about what you just described. So, I guess it is kinda like Rage