Powerbelt elr 50 cal expansion test

[ronlaughlin]

Energy is not a factor in the scenario... it is the contact size of the object as it enters the water.

The only way one can 'know' that, is if both objects have the same energy.

 

[eekjellander]

I got bored watching it rain today so I set up a 50 yard test range in my back yard.
I bought a pack of elr s at wal mart hoping powerbelt had changed something up and gotten this one right. I’ll post pics and let y’all be the judge

I shot it into 5 water jugs backed up by a bag of play sand. Distance was 50 yards The load was the 325 grain elr 50 cal with 71.1 grains (weighed) of fffg 777 with a cci 209 m primer. It went through all 5 jugs and stuck in the sand about 2 inches View attachment 10536View attachment 10537

They look impressive but the power belts I used were 50 cal hollow point /245 gr . My cast Great Plains or the Lee Real are a few examples of wide mega plate cast bullets doing what they do best ,kill stuff . The power belts mentioned do that for me ,furthest with a inline 50 powerbelt was 174yds ranged .I" m sure there are pointy bullets that reach out much further but I don"t shoot much further so I do not opine on those . I know Power Belts work for my application ,and that was all I said ,your experience is not mine/Ed

 

[GregK]

Yep exactly. They are tackdrivers. I guess I’ll use them to check zero on my scope.

325gr elr from an elk shot from 186 yards with 170gr bh209.

NOTE........... PARAMOUNT PRO RIFLE

View attachment 10538

Can you walk us through the bullet path as it passed through the animal, the damage that it did internally, and the animals distance to recovery? I doubt that it will change my mind about anything but I’d still like to know

 

[ENCORE50A]

Can you walk us through the bullet path as it passed through the animal, the damage that it did internally, and the animals distance to recovery? I doubt that it will change my mind about anything but I’d still like to know

'.............. went through a bull elk at 186 yards.. sent from a cva paramount pro colorado at 2400fps. Hit ribs in and out and was resting in the off side shoulder blade. '

 

[ram2]

I have no clue why you may think my post could have changed your response, nor did I quote you?

I tried them and I continue to hold by my statement, which is easily identified by countless others all over the internet. Do they work for some, certainly they do. Yup, load up a couple pellets, drop a powerdunk down the bore and go whack some big bucks.
Powerdunk "X" must be shot no faster than "A" velocity. Powerdunk "Y" must have at least "B" velocity to function. Then the over inflated price for a plated lead bullet.
If they work for you, by all means continue using them.

The powerbelt designs are intended for different applications. For example, the platinum powerbelts are designed for use with "magnum" loads (120grains+). The Aerolites are designed for use with loads 100grains and below.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I wonder if they will ever make a platinum ELR?

 

[michiganmuzzy]

MM, just me but I hate lead! I just wish Idaho would see the light! But you are on to something lead bullets are less expensive.

Ive wondered about why California wont let you use lead but Utah only wants you to use lead. Seems like they would be on the same page, being nearby.

 

[GregK]

'.............. went through a bull elk at 186 yards.. sent from a cva paramount pro colorado at 2400fps. Hit ribs in and out and was resting in the off side shoulder blade. '

Performed better than I expected. Thanks for the info

 

[lwh723]

Powerbelts are fantastic to huntwtih . . . I would highly suggest hunting
I don't know why Powerbelts get a bad name, Kind of reminds me of the Savage ML10 -ii
and its bad name.

10ml2 got a bad rap because the barrels in a lot of them flat out sucked. They definitely put out some that drove tacks but a lot of them looked like the bore was hand cut with a file.

 

[bamawoodsman]

I would like to see real hunting scenario results at normal muzzy velocities. Say around 1800 to 1900 mv Encore50a posted a pic of his elr he took an elk with at very high velocity. Thanks for that post. That bullet really dumped all of its energy and only maintained half weight. As you can see in my pics the xpander opened fully at twice the distance with the same load and the elr didn’t open at all in half the distance I like the concept of powerbelts and would like to start shooting them again ,that’s why I was testing the elr ,but I shot an elk with a 295 aero tip a few years ago and I was not impressed. Luckily I shot high back and hit the main artery but the bullet stayed in the bull and barely expanded.

 

[ENCORE50A]

I would like to see real hunting scenario results at normal muzzy velocities. Say around 1800 to 1900 mv Encore50a posted a pic of his elr he took an elk with at very high velocity. Thanks for that post. That bullet really dumped all of its energy and only maintained half weight. As you can see in my pics the xpander opened fully at twice the distance with the same load and the elr didn’t open at all in half the distance I like the concept of powerbelts and would like to start shooting them again ,that’s why I was testing the elr ,but I shot an elk with a 295 aero tip a few years ago and I was not impressed. Luckily I shot high back and hit the main artery but the bullet stayed in the bull and barely expanded.

For the record.............. I did not shoot that bullet or elk.

 

[sdporter]

Ive wondered about why California wont let you use lead but Utah only wants you to use lead. Seems like they would be on the same page, being nearby.

Utah doesn’t much care what we use, but there is a unit here, the Zion unit, that wants you to use non lead ammunition because of the California Condor. I guess they winter there.
They’re afraid they will ingest lead from dead animals that weren’t recovered and die. They even send you a $50 voucher for a box of non lead ammo if you draw a big game permit for that unit.

 

[WV Hunter]

325gr elr from an elk shot from 186 yards with 170gr bh209.

NOTE........... PARAMOUNT PRO RIFLE

View attachment 10538

My shoulder hurts just thinking about a 325gr bullet over 170gr BH209.

I personally believe there would be many other better bullet options, w much less powder.

 

[bamawoodsman]

There’s no way I would shoot that load. I have several bullets that will open up at 100 yards with 71 grains of 777

My shoulder hurts just thinking about a 325gr bullet over 170gr BH209.

I personally believe there would be many other better bullet options, w much less powder.

Thats way too much for me too. I have several bullets that open up at 100 yards completely with 71 grains of 777

 

[ENCORE50A]

My shoulder hurts just thinking about a 325gr bullet over 170gr BH209.

I personally believe there would be many other better bullet options, w much less powder.

I believe the hunter was using a LR Customs muzzle brake, making 170grsV feel like a puppy.

 

[Dodgefreak8]

Hey everyone just found this forum. I'm the one that took the elk with that 325gr powerbelt. Here are a couple pictures of the damage inside. The shot went through the ribs kind of high and landed in the off side shoulder just under the hide. It hit a bunch of bone. The shot was 186 yards perfect broadside. My paramount is pushing these 325gr bullet as 2415fps with 119gr by weight of bh209. The bull was really sick immediately after the shot and fell down while I reloaded about 40 yards from the shot. His cows were pushing him hard to leave. I was actually very impressed with the bullet given what it hit. I also took a mule deer buck at 185 yards this season and it was a pass through. Buck dropped where it stood and never moved. Here are some photos. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

 

[bamawoodsman]

Great animals! Nice shooting too! That bullet did the job my test velocity was way slower. I figure my mv was around 1600 FPS

 

[700motherlover]

Is it possible the slug is breaking up at higher twist rate? I am often recovering < 300 grain projectiles from the ELR 325's, after penetrating greater than 7 inches of lumber. Shot with 91 grains of BH209 in a 26 inch barrel with a 1:28 out of my 700ML.