Powerbelt performance

[RidgeRunner13]

I know this has been talked about quite a bit. Just thought I'd share my experience. Shot a buck Saturday at about 40 yards. I had a narrow window to shoot through and his head was down. I shot him between the shoulders and he dropped right there. While gutting him I found the bullet. There was the entrance hole and no exit hole. The bullet pancaked and was floating around in his lower abdomen. I was using 295gr hollow points from Powerbelt. If that deer had been able to run off, I likely wouldn't have been able to find him. I shot a deer two years ago from the ground and the bullet destroyed everything inside with no exit hole. That shot entrance was right behind the shoulder and the bullet fragmented open entering even rupturing the stomach on a broadside shot. I believe I'll be switch bullets to Barnes next year.

 

[GOODWIN]

Sounds like it worked

 

[Hardwoodmaterials]

I have a silver and black Powerbelt that I cut out of a deer and it looks like you could reload it and shoot it again. The bullet still has the plastic tip but the base is missing. I saw a lump on the bucks back just in front of his hams, cut the hide and the bullet was between the hide and meat. My buddy said it was a broadside shot at about 50yds and had no idea how the bullet made its way up there.

 

[archer19]

I know this has been talked about quite a bit. Just thought I'd share my experience. Shot a buck Saturday at about 40 yards. I had a narrow window to shoot through and his head was down. I shot him between the shoulders and he dropped right there. While gutting him I found the bullet. There was the entrance hole and no exit hole. The bullet pancaked and was floating around in his lower abdomen. I was using 295gr hollow points from Powerbelt. If that deer had been able to run off, I likely wouldn't have been able to find him. I shot a deer two years ago from the ground and the bullet destroyed everything inside with no exit hole. That shot entrance was right behind the shoulder and the bullet fragmented open entering even rupturing the stomach on a broadside shot. I believe I'll be switch bullets to Barnes next year.

All mine have done exact same…,
When it goes in and every organ gets exploded
You don't need a bloodtrail.

 

[ttf909]

That's kinda like the old ballistic silver tip winchesters. Yes most of the time they do massive trauma and it's d.r.t . However that one time it hits a rib or shoulder there is zero blood trail to follow. Its not if but when.

 

[muddyboots]

Yep it's the one time it don't work that gets u.

 

[TNJones4530]

Small sample size… one deer. But swapped to Barnes T-EZ 295 this year and shot one this weekend .. 15 yards and these were the 3 different trails walking to her. Two holes.

 

[RidgeRunner13]

Sounds like it worked

It worked, don't get me wrong. But the one time it doesn't drop them very well may cost me.

 

[skipperbrown]

I had a similar experience last year. Shot a doe at 50/60 yards on the shoulder in the morning and when the smoke cleared, the doe was gone. No blood trail and I couldn't find any hair. On my 4th pass searching, I found her about 80 yards from where I shot. My placement was right above the lungs. Never found a drop of blood.

If it had been at close of hunting hours, I probably wouldn't have found her. There was a entrance and exit wound so I thought I had a passthrough. While butchering I found a mass of bullet in the far shoulder. It weighed 245 grains. I guess the other 50 grains pushed on through. It seems that with these bullets the deer either drops or runs about 50-80 yards without any blood trail. Once I use these bullets up, I think I will go with something else.

 

[RockMcL]

If this post offends anyone instead of making them reflect on how to be a better hunter that is not my intention but suggest maybe you need to reflect on why your offended...

There is always an unspoken element to these bullet performance posts. It is important to know what the bullets are doing under various shot scenarios but much of what I hear on poor bullet performance is nothing more than expecting a magic bullet to fix a poor shot.

Quit shooting and start shooting a specific target inside that real-life 3 dimension deer. Wait for the shot and know your gun, bullet performance, and your expected projectile path through the deer. Quit breaking the deer and start killing them. Quit watching YouTube hunts and emulating and learn your target.

Invest in a program/app like shot simulator and learn. Pay more attention to the visual than the narrative the program provides. After an informed 25-50 shots and deer autopsies you will be amazed at your growth.

All that said, as far as bullets go I am a bonded core, fat and slow kind of guy in general even regular cartridge rifles. The slow is relative and just my personal dislike of replacing barrels wore out by more velocity & energy than needed for my targets...

By the way the original post on this read mentioned a well thought out shoot and proper placement

 

[BLOODTRAIL]

I've been using the power belt 245 grain aero tip with 100 grain 777 with no issues so far but have read many bad stories about their performance. Think I may try the Barnes TEZ 295 next year that bloodtrail was awesome

 

[K-dub]

I personally hate power belts. I shot one once and upon reloading found that the sabot never cleared the barrel. That could have been a disaster if I loaded one on on top of it

 

[ROVERBOY]

I've never used Powerbelts but, shot one years ago behind shoulder with a 250 gr. Shockwave, and it ran about 10 yards and stood there about 15 seconds, then fell over. I thought I'd missed. Weird.

 

[SES]

In 20+ years of shooting powerbelts, I've never lost a deer. Not one. But I shoot the heavy ones. 50 yards is probably the farthest one has ever gone. I don't pull the trigger though, unless I have perfect shot. That's with any firearm I'm using.

 

[archer19]

In 20+ years of shooting powerbelts, I've never lost a deer. Not one. But I shoot the heavy ones. 50 yards is probably the farthest one has ever gone. I don't pull the trigger though, unless I have perfect shot. That's with any firearm I'm using.

Same here. Plenty with no blood trail.
But at 50yds and piled up don't need one.
Pump not working equal zero blood.
I did shoot a doe at 90-100 yds uphill…….
It ran bout 40 yds and stood for about 5 seconds.
Did a total body shake then rolled straight down to me.
I'm not switching until I'm dead, run out, or they don't sell them anymore.