are powerbelts any good on deer

[Bkusch53]

They are inconsistent . I have had good luck and bad. I am now using Barnes tez with outstanding results on the last 10 deer I have shot , most drop where they stand

2nd on the Barnes 250tez. Shot a spike last weekend and he went about 30 yds but the key thing was an awesome blood trail

 

[MrTom]

I understand that you're a newbie to muzzleloading, but asking that question about them bullets will bring out that reaction no matter where you ask it.
Like Shorty said, they will kill a deer, 90% of us ( including me ) used them in the very early stages of our muzzleloading experience, but as soon as most of us discovered they either don't perform ( open & expand ) or they grenade on impact, we quickly left them where they belong & started looking for better bullets. They are a cheaply made, overpriced, plated bullet. I shot them for a decade, not knowing any better & they were avail in every store that carried any muzzleloading supplies. I gave away the last 5 or 6 pks that I had. I said this o FB recently regarding them; the only ppl that say that PB's are " good bullets " are ppl that have no clue as to what a well made, bonded cup & core bullet are & how they should perform. Of course some of the PB fanboys got butthurt about it, but it does not negate the fact that every single word of what & said is 100% true & that it wasn't a slap in anyones face.

Excellent explaination.

 

[bronko220002]

Only used them on one deer and she was recovered. Not impressed. I now use either the Barnes 290 TEZ in some of my inlines or a cast bullet in my sidelocks. I have just started using bore riding bullets in my Knight and my CVA SML

 

[kb2112]

Ive used the 295 on several deer without any issue. The only problem I ever had was the unplated 295. It fragmented on a doe, and I was pulling chunks of lead out of the opposite shoulder meat and the loins with a heart shot. I wanted more accuracy from my gun, so I switched away from them. They shot minute of whitetail out to 100 yards. You just need to make sure that the skirt doesnt separate from the head by checking with your ramrod.

 

[LBAhunter]

They work. We all used them at some time in our lives, some still do. I found them to have a grenade effect and wasted a lot of meat. In my opinion there are many more viable bullets out there. Good luck as that is half the fun of muzzleloading, trying to find the rite bullet powder combo for your gun..

I've never shot them. I started with Harvester Scorpions, I think that what they're called, then Barnes.

 

[Slingingslugs]

I agree with almost all these comments. Yes they kill. Yes they are accurate. Yes they are finicky. In my opinion they are very speed dependent. To fast and to hard of a target they blow up. To slow with no bone they will not mushroom. And I've seen a lot of people not use the right combo. 75% of inline muzzleloader hunters shoot pellets. 100 or 150 grain. I see people shooting the platinums ( designed for velocities given by 150 grain charges at moderate ranges) with 100 grain charges and get zero expansion past 50 yards and I also see people use aerolites (design for 100 grain charge at moderate ranges) with 150 grain charges at close range and get fragmentation without penatration. If I was forced to shoot them again, stick with the heavier hollow point originals and keep the speed moderate.

 

[bluebanana]

I moved from PB to Barnes and couldn't be happier. I just use the old PBs for sighting-in and target practice.

 

[Va Hunter]

I tried power belts and they didn’t impress me at all. Very few deer dropped on the spot and little or no blood trail. Switched to Barnes 250tez with great results. Very few deer didn’t drop on the spot and runners dropped within sight. Here’s a 250 TEZ I recovered from a buck I shot at about 125 yards. Funny thing is he was 10 feet from my 4 wheeler stomping his foot and bobbing his head. Bullet went just behind his left should, through his right shoulder and lodged just beneath his hide.

 

[Harley469]

Stick with the 270gr Powerbelt Platinums and you will probably have pretty good results. I don't personally use them anymore simply because I am either shooting smokeless powder loads or patch and ball. That being said, my daughter and the two boys I take hunting all use the 270gr Powerbelt Platinums with two 50gr pellets of Triple Seven and the results have always been excellent- ranging from 20yrds to around 100yrds. Very simple, with great results.

 

[Slingingslugs]

I have to add that the opinion in my post is based on shooting these little 100-150 pound Florida deer. Getting good bullet performance on a larger 200+ pound northern deer might be totally different. I have not used them but I hear better things about the newer all lead and the all copper variants.

 

[LBAhunter]

I agree with almost all these comments. Yes they kill. Yes they are accurate. Yes they are finicky. In my opinion they are very speed dependent. To fast and to hard of a target they blow up. To slow with no bone they will not mushroom. And I've seen a lot of people not use the right combo. 75% of inline muzzleloader hunters shoot pellets. 100 or 150 grain. I see people shooting the platinums ( designed for velocities given by 150 grain charges at moderate ranges) with 100 grain charges and get zero expansion past 50 yards and I also see people use aerolites (design for 100 grain charge at moderate ranges) with 150 grain charges at close range and get fragmentation without penatration. If I was forced to shoot them again, stick with the heavier hollow point originals and keep the speed moderate.

Or just shoot a Barnes 250 Expander with whatever powder you want. You won't have to worry about the bullet, just getting the volume/weight of powder or how many pellets to use right.

 

[Slingingslugs]

Or just shoot a Barnes 250 Expander with whatever powder you want. You won't have to worry about the bullet, just getting the volume/weight of powder or how many pellets to use right.

I've been shooting Barnes in my bh209 shooters for years. Zero complaints. Still shoot xtp's in my sabot shooting no. 11 guns with real black and bullet to bore pure lead or fury's in my 777 guns with 209's

 

[LBAhunter]

I've been shooting Barnes in my bh209 shooters for years. Zero complaints. Still shoot xtp's in my sabot shooting no. 11 guns with real black and bullet to bore pure lead or fury's in my 777 guns with 209's

I pretty much have switched to Fury bullets in everything. I like Barnes but availability is the issue. I can in touch with Dennis at Fury, tell him what I want, and have it in a short amount of time.

 

[jeffpenland123]

In a Nitrofire i believe you’ll be shooting 100gr or 120gr of T8(bh209) powder charge. Thats just too much for powerbelts imho. They work pretty good with a lighter Powder load, like 70-80 of Pyrodex or even T7, like phalanx said. But i just bet them Nitrofires will splatter them. They are pretty often a very accurate bullet tho. Try out the Bor-lock or Bore Drivers or something else like it, way better hot bullet.

ok yeah i have heard much over 100 grains of powder is too much to sling powerbelt with they would be about 2000 fps with the 120 and about 1900 with the 100 grain charge. also they do load 8 grain charges but they are harder to get cause they just come out with those like in 2022 instead of the 100 and 120 that come out in 2020. thanks for the info god bless.

 

[jeffpenland123]

Lots of better options as just about everyone has said. That’s a great point the @michiganmuzzy makes - you won’t be able to use a small enough charge to use Powerbelts. Those 100 and 120 gr Fireschticks would be pushing them way too hard.

they also load 80 grn charges but they are harder to get the only place i can find them is midwayusa thank you. god bless.

 

[jeffpenland123]

I moved from PB to Barnes and couldn't be happier. I just use the old PBs for sighting-in and target practice.

i have the barnes expander mz 300 grain hollow point flat base.

 

[jeffpenland123]

Stick with the 270gr Powerbelt Platinums and you will probably have pretty good results. I don't personally use them anymore simply because I am either shooting smokeless powder loads or patch and ball. That being said, my daughter and the two boys I take hunting all use the 270gr Powerbelt Platinums with two 50gr pellets of Triple Seven and the results have always been excellent- ranging from 20yrds to around 100yrds. Very simple, with great results.

will they be good with 120 grain charge

 

[jeffpenland123]

i have the 300 grain expander hollow point

 

[jeffpenland123]

Or just shoot a Barnes 250 Expander with whatever powder you want. You won't have to worry about the bullet, just getting the volume/weight of powder or how many pellets to use right.

i have 300 grain barne expanders mz hollow point.

 

[LBAhunter]

i have 300 grain barne expanders mz hollow point.

Or just shoot a Barnes 300 Expander with whatever powder you want. You won't have to worry about the bullet, just getting the volume/weight of powder or how many pellets to use right.