I would be surprised if they group differently. When I used powerbelts the hp and aerotip grouped the same from my Encore. They were the 295's but they were interchangeable for poi.
The flat point with a wide meplate would be interesting
Powerbelt Platinum
- Thread starter BSK
- Start date
I would be surprised if they group differently. When I used powerbelts the hp and aerotip grouped the same from my Encore. They were the 295's but they were interchangeable for poi.
The flat point with a wide meplate would be interesting
BSK
Well-Known Member
What shocked me was when I moved up from the 295 aerotip to the 405 aerotip, my POI was exactly the same at 75 yards. I thought the much heavier bullet would drop like a rock. But apparently not at 75 yards. I'm sure it does beyond that though.
Hope this image is not too graphic but this is what I mean by impressive wound channel.
Finger size in, fat finger size out. I am ok with a 45 sabot when I get pass-through with a 1/2" to 3/4" exit. The image shows internal wound channel evidence. This was a medium hard cast 255gn Keith style-ish...in a sabot. Just an experiment one year based on availability/convenience when setting up for the year. Shoots point of aim with my Hornaday 250 gns which has about the same channel effect/penitration. I have run everything from 80-120 gn volume of various powders over the years but pretty much whatever powder/volume gave true accuracy for that year...
Finger size in, fat finger size out. I am ok with a 45 sabot when I get pass-through with a 1/2" to 3/4" exit. The image shows internal wound channel evidence. This was a medium hard cast 255gn Keith style-ish...in a sabot. Just an experiment one year based on availability/convenience when setting up for the year. Shoots point of aim with my Hornaday 250 gns which has about the same channel effect/penitration. I have run everything from 80-120 gn volume of various powders over the years but pretty much whatever powder/volume gave true accuracy for that year...
CHRIS WILSON
Well-Known Member
Yep, shot 410 gr, flat point, Great Plains conicals for several season until they quit making that weight. They always produced an exit wound.....and pretty impressive one's considering it was a flat point conical and not a hollow point.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Always wished my gun would shoot Great Plains bullets. They looked like good bullets and I heard a lot of good things from those using them. But they just wouldn't group well out of my MZ.
A tell you what, MZs seem to be the finickiest guns about bullet design. One bullet will fly great out of one MZ but not out of another MZ of the very same make and model. I see this kind of thing all the time. With centerfires, I've seen one brand of ammo fly well and another not, but usually if one brand works in a gun, it will work well in another rifle of the same make and model.
CHRIS WILSON
Well-Known Member
The rifle I was shooting them out of was an older model CVA Optima with about 80 gr, by volume, of Triple 7. The 410 gr, Great Plains shot really well. I never could get the 385 gr versions to shoot near as good out of that rifle and gave up on them. Personally, I think they should have dropped the 385 gr and kept the 410 gr. I might revisit the 385 gr. out of the Optima V2 I have now though. I've been wanting to work up something for more of a short range/brush load. Who knows, it might shoot fine out of that rifle.
Last edited:
Polarkraft
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2015
- Messages
- 276
Small exit wound. I've never not found them as they usually go less than 50yards, but on a bad shot it could get rough.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Amazing. Whenever I get a 50-caliber exit hole, blood is pouring out that wound like it's being poured from a pitcher. But then I'm usually hunting from an elevated position shooting downwards hence the exit wound is low on the opposite side, where blood will start flowing immediately.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Well, it appears to be true that Powerbelt Platinums require a high powder charge to fly properly (for the skirt to engage the rifling). My brother shot Platinums the other day and said he couldn't even hit the paper at 100 yards with only 100 grains of loose 777. Once he increased the charge to 120 grains, he started shooting a group, but not as tight a group as with the aerotips. I suspect an even higher charge would tighten the group some. But I bet my gun couldn't even burn that much black powder in a 28" barrel.
I'd say that definitely makes the difference. I've shot deer from the ground with power belts that I almost didn't find due to no blood at all.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Not arguing that. I had to quit using the 295 grn Powerbelts because they were NEVER going through, even on does broadside at 15 yards. But with the old 50-cal conicals, always had exit wounds just pouring blood.
squirrel_hunter
Well-Known Member
When i bought mine new CVA. All they had was powerbelts. I didnt buy any because of the bad stories. I went by another store they had hornady 250gr sst. I bought some glad i did. Turn out to be very accurate bullets. I am using 84 grs by weight of blackhorn. I have only killed 2 deer. Both dropped in there tracks. I would like to try some hornady 290gr bore driver.
BSK
Well-Known Member
I'm just too old-school. No way in Hades I'm shooting a 45-caliber bullet out of a 50-caliber gun. I want a 50-caliber hole in and out.
348Winchester
Well-Known Member
I have used many of the different Powerbelts over the last 17 years or so. I started with the 245 grain hollow points. They did not give enough penetration. Went up to the 270 grain platinum and had inconsistent results. Some gave full penetration, some did not. Moved up to the 295 grain hollow point and still very few pass throughs. Finally went to the 348 grain hollow point and started getting consistent pass throughs but little to no expansion. Finally settled on the 348 pure lead hollow point. It passes through and leaves a good exit wound. The blood trails are very good. I use 100 grains of Triple-7. Powerbelt bullets deliver excellent accuracy in my rifle and load very easily as well. Try the 348 grain pure lead hollow points. You will probably find your solution.
BSK
Well-Known Member
I bought a card of the 405 pure lead flat points a couple years ago. Haven't shot them yet, but hoping they produce the same accuracy as the Aerotips (I use the 405 grn Aerotips). Unfortunately, it appears they aren't producing the flat points anymore, as they are always sold out and have been for over a year. They are also sold out of the 405 grn pure lead hollow points. All they have in the pure lead line is the hollow point 348. Right now, that's my only option from Powerbelt.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Talked to Powerbelt, and they told me the HP's have more rapid expansion than the aerotips. And I certainly don't want more rapid expansion.
That's good info on the Hp vs Areotip. It's odd that every other bullet maker uses a tip to promote expansion but CVA is the opposite.
I've never figured out your hang up on expansion, but to each their own. If a bullet stays together and expands you have larger blood trails, which is why I shoot good bullets. I much prefer that to a non expanding hole in and hole out bullet.
The worst blood trails I've ever had were from the old .50 maxi ball bullets that were going slow enough to not expanded. The nose of a bullet plays a bigger role on the damage than the diameter of the bullet, which is why a wide flat nose bullet carves a hole and a round nose bullet doesn't do much damage.
Marshall Stanton had a great article on nose profile and wound channels from handguns.
Set up some 1 gallon jugs of water and shoot each with a HP and an aerotip. At muzzleloader velocities I'd be surprised if there was any difference because they're going so slow.
I kill most of my deer from 0-50yds in thickets, give me an expanding .44 or .45 cal bullet that retains weight over a non expanding .50 cal bullet 100% of the time.
The difference in diameter from a .45 cal to a .50 cal is about the thickness of your thumbnail, if that's the determining factor in having a good blood trail or not there are bigger issues at play.
There is the entrance on a deer this year from a .429" 270gr Speer Gold Dot over 65grs by weight of BH209. The exit doesn't look much different. For the 20yds she made it the blood trail was heavy. A .50 cal bullet wouldn't have made a lick of difference.
By using a lighter and stronger bullet I get extra velocity and extra velocity creates more tissue damage Which makes more blood to leak.
Im going to the .429" 225gr Barnes next year I think.
Attachments
Last edited:
