In need of Muzzleloader advice

[T. J. Mercer]

Wise ones,

I am at my wit's end.
More than once, I have taken well-placed shots on wall-mounter bucks, and I never get pass-through. Friends have told me it's a problem with PowerBelts.

I'm shooting 100 gr of White Hots with 270 gr PowerBelts. I have no struggle with accuracy.

My shots this far:
15 yds (harvested after 100 yd run, ZERO blood trail, got lucky to see the white belly across a ravine)
20 yds (never ran, just stood there, licked the air and fell over -- very strange)
25 yds (quartering away, shot just behind the shoulder blade, should have exited -- never found a drop, I know I hit it -- never recovered -- this was Monday)
65 yds -- knocked it over -- spent 11 min making a crop circle before springing up and teaching me the most valuable lesson of always reloading -- never recovered it

The pic is the one I didn't recover this week. Looking back at camera pics, I realize he might only be 2.5, but all that bone in the moment ...

I'd like to know if others have had similar experiences,
if I'm doing something wrong, or
if you have suggestions.

Thanks, and I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[44 mag]

I would ditch the power belts. I had the same experience with my biggest deer I have ever killed about a decade ago. I got lucky and stumbled upon the deer. Accuracy was great but I can't deal with no blood trail. I switched to a harvester that I found at Rule King. Accuracy was on par with the power belts and blood trail was very good so I bought all they had that year.

 

[TNJones4530]

I'm the last one to take advice from but from what I've read I would just ditch the powerbelts.. heard for the most part they just fragment everywhere. Barnes T-EZ or Thor bullets are what I constantly read good reviews about. Only shot one deer with a Barnes T-EZ but won't be going back anytime soon.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Never apologize for a deer that you choose to shoot. If it gets you excited and it makes you happy then go for it, you don't kill deer for someone else. Well, I guess I do… my wife says that we need one more for the freezer

Your friend is right, get rid of the power belts

Get Hornady 325 FTXs and black Crish Rib sabots or orange MMP sabots. Loose 777, Shooters World Multi Purpose Black, or BH209 to your rifle's liking. You will get pass throughs

 

[backyardtndeer]

Bullet performance matters. I used 45 caliber 240 grain xtp mags and killed several deer with them. All of them that I ever shot bled very well. My wife killed several with them as well.

 

[East TN Hunter]

I had the same experience with power belts

 

[Jcalder]

I don't think I've ever heard a person say powerbelts shoot poorly. But they sure don't kill good! Move on and shoot a Barnes, or fury, or Parker

 

[redblood]

Hornady xtps- 240 to 250 gr

Time proven

 

[TN Larry]

I've heard many issues with power belts not passing through. I'd switch to Hornady xtp or Barnes.

For the deer that laid on the ground for 11 mins, you most likely shocked his spine due to shot placement. As you said valuable lesson, but if they're moving, reload and put another one in him. There's too many stories like this one.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

I always have used Hornaday XTP 250 grain in a TC sabot. Have never had a problem with a blood trail when I did my part right.

 

[cbhunter]

PowerBelts are part of the problem, yes.

But keep in mind that muzzleloaders just don't have great blood trails. (In general, overall)

There are many bullets superior to what you are shooting but if you hit any bone, you may or may not get exit entry with any of them.

I shout Barnes and they kill. But even with a clean pass through, double lung shot, they may not bleed a drop for the first 50-70 yds. It's just way different that rifle cartridges blood trails. And yes there are outlier situations that can make arguments on every single statement that I or anyone else have made

 

[Carlos]

Another 240gr XTP user here.
They've not let me down yet.

 

[knightrider]

Switch to anything but powerbelts and im no fan of the white crap either

 

[ttf909]

Get rid of powerbelts. They are junk and most of your problem. Then measure blackhorn 209 granular powder and ditch the preformed powder.

 

[ttf909]

Another 240gr XTP user here.
They've not let me down yet.

The xtp are not designed for the velocity that these rifles are reaching .

 

[deerhunter10]

Get rid of powerbelts imo. But overall what you are describing isn't uncommon for a ml at all. Ive shot many different types of bullets and powder combinations. With 50cal and 45 cal. And it's not uncommon just is what it is. I shoot Shockwave at the moment but like the Hornadys and shoot them out of my 45. I will say I get way better performance out of loose powder. I will never shoot pellets ever again switched for a year several years ago and hated them.

 

[ETN Deer]

I've had great success with Barnes and Blackhorn 209.

 

[TboneD]

I've got the most confidence in copper monolithics in a sabot like Barnes Xpanders or what I happen to be using now, the Hornady MonoFlex. I've got several of those you're welcome to try if you'd like. Copper monolithics are known for reliable expansion at both high and low velocity and nine out of ten times will make a deer leak from two holes. Having said that, if your gun will shoot full size heavy conicals like the Hornady Great Plains they're also quite reliable if you don't mind more of a rainbow trajectory. I've also got several of those and some BH209 you can try if you'd like.

Best,
Dave

 

[Gravey]

Hornady xtps- 240 to 250 gr

Time proven

What he said. That's the only thing I've ever shot out of mine. 240 gr XTP. If I made a change I'd go to 300 gr.

 

[Hardwoodmaterials]

If you can find some Barnes Expanders you will like the blood trails they leave. Every deer I have shot with them have left blood trails that anyone can follow. I have only managed to recover one and it was on a buck shot quartering toward me and the bullet lodged in his offside ham. It looked just like the pictures in the advertisements.