Powerbelt

5683 Views 42 Replies 11 Participants Last post by GMB54-120, Nov 4, 2019

GMB54-120

Discussion Starter · Oct 30, 2019 (Edited)

The most over priced plated bullet on the market. At $25/15 for the Platinums you would hope it did better than this with just 80gr of BH209. No wonder they turn inside out with "magnum" loads". This is the 45cal 300gr which is not all that bad with milder amounts of powder but how does it stand up to bullets a fraction of the cost and the same load of BH209?

Retained 257gr

Speer 300gr DeepCurl ($15.29/50 at Grafs)
Retained all its weight and its also plated

300gr XTP non mag version $18/50
Retained 285gr

How about a $40ish/100 cheapazz 330gr Lyman 457122 HP i can get. This is the el cheapo bullet i like to shoot in my 45cal.

Drops at 346gr from the mold in pure lead and...
Retained 340gr even with a big honking HP. The mushroom is 15/16"

Same bullet cast with a flat point pin in the mold instead. Drops at 360gr and retained 354gr

Powerbelt...more like PowerRipoff even when adding 15cent each for the sabot needed in the 50cals. Aerolites cost even more and come apart easier due to a larger HP cavity than the Platinums. Why guys shoot these things is a mystery to me. The BC on the vast majority blows biscuits. You can buy cheap conicals from Bullshop or NoExcuses that perform just as well and load just as easy.

Youve been duped by the sales guy at Cabelas selling you the line of "take 2-3 pellets, a PB and call me in the morning" because they got no clue. Its what they have been told to sell you at the far higher markup than bulk sabots and bullets.

If you want to shoot a premium bullet buy a real premium bullet. A 250gr Monoflex or Barnes is about the same cost and performs exactly like it should with any powder charge of 80gr or more.

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rat

· #2 · Oct 30, 2019

What are you shooting those into? BG?

CamoNinja

· #3 · Oct 30, 2019

rat said:
What are you shooting those into? BG?

Obviously Hawaiian Punch jugs of water.

GMB54-120

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 30, 2019 (Edited)

The media is just a thin shelving wood in front of water jugs but its the comparison that is whats important. How one plated bullet clearly blows away another that cost more than twice as much. The negative reviews of PBs coming apart on game are endless. The testing clearly gives some indication why its happening. It clearly shows cheaper bullets with better construction and true premium price bullets like most Barnes doing exactly what they do when recovered from game.

All bullets were shot with the same loads of 80gr of BH209 at the same distance of 25 yards. Impact at that distance would simulate a more common 100gr load impacting at maybe 100 yards or so. There are some comparison of 50gr loads also.

How about a 245gr PB HP...What a joke of a bullet. Turns into a pancake. Lost 70grs of its weight

Vs a cheap 44cal 240gr DeepCurl HP ($22/100) retained nearly all its weight and penetrated further too

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CamoNinja

· #5 · Oct 30, 2019

I think people shoot them for the accuracy. All about shot placement. I do love me some copper Barnes tho. Only a caveman would shoot something he intends to eat, or feed his kids, with a known poison.

GMB54-120

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 30, 2019

I would actually shoot the 45cal 300gr if they fit in my current rifles but they dont. My current bores are slightly too tight for them. Ive got around 60 of them cheap. They were very accurate in my old Accura 45 and Knight Elite. The el cheapo Lyman bullet though is just as accurate in my current 45s and amazing on deer. blows a nice hole in and out every time on boiler room broad side shots

I shoot it with a simple load of 70gr of BH209 for a mild 1300-1400fps. Plenty of energy for deer to at least 125 yards. If i want to shoot lead further i use a heavier bullet but i normally go for jacketed, Barnes or Lehigh.

Thats 5 shots btw

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GMB54-120

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 30, 2019

Checkout Lehigh if you want another copper option for 45cal. They fracture instead of mushroom but the base keeps penetrating. $20/25
https://www.lehighdefense.com/all/400-controlled-fracturing-muzzleloader-195gr-bullet

http://www.rchs61.org/MVI_Lehigh195g80.m4v

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oneshot 1

· #8 · Oct 31, 2019

I had plans using Maxi Bullets this year my 45Cal. likes them and I'm sure the Pure Soft Lead will expand just fine.

Used a 180Gr. XTP with Sabot killed a 450 pound Boar at 80 yards. 80Gr. Pyrodex RS.

oneshot

The Big Grin likes 100Gr. Broadhead.

oneshot 1

· #9 · Oct 31, 2019

I had plans using Maxi Bullets this year my 45Cal. likes them and I'm sure the Pure Soft Lead will expand just fine.

Used a 180Gr. XTP with Sabot killed a 450 pound Boar at 80 yards. 80Gr. Pyrodex RS.

oneshot

The Big Grin likes 100Gr. Broadhead.

oneshot 1

· #10 · Oct 31, 2019

I had plans using Maxi Bullets this year my 45Cal. likes them and I'm sure the Pure Soft Lead will expand just fine.

Used a 180Gr. XTP with Sabot killed a 450 pound Boar at 80 yards. 80Gr. Pyrodex RS.

oneshot

The Big Grin likes 100Gr. Broadhead.

techteacher

· #11 · Oct 31, 2019

CamoNinja said:
I think people shoot them for the accuracy. All about shot placement. I do love me some copper Barnes tho. Only a caveman would shoot something he intends to eat, or feed his kids, with a known poison.

Powerbelts are the worst grouping bullets I ha e ever shot. They are junk in more Jan one way. They look like a great concept that's what sells them.

Mailman

· #12 · Oct 31, 2019 (Edited)

techteacher said:
Powerbelts are the worst grouping bullets I ha e ever shot. They are junk in more Jan one way. They look like a great concept that's what sells them.

I gave them a try because of all the hype on the TV hunting shows. I never got better than a 3 shot 4 inch group at 100 yards. I guess that's minute of deer for some hunters but not this guy.

I tried many different bullets for grouping before I found just the right recipe for my Knight KRB7. Much better IMO.

Gauge Measuring instrument Font Gas Electronic device

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GMB54-120

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 31, 2019 (Edited)

Many people just dont know any better. They think "minute of deer" is all a ML can do. Iffun i can smack a pie plate a 50 yurds im all set Cletus!!! Yeeehaawww!!

If mine wont keep 3 in 1.5" at 100 yards they get a new home. I got a brush gun that will do that. So a typical size ML better do that or better.

Green Mountain 54-120 brush gun. 300gr Barnes

That load will blow through a deer like butter every single time and cost about a buck a bullet.
Exit side--------------------------------------------------Entrance side

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CamoNinja

· #14 · Oct 31, 2019

GMB54-120 said:
Many people just dont know any better. They think "minute of deer" is all a ML can do. Iffun i can smack a pie plate a 50 yurds im all set Cletus!!! Yeeehaawww!!

If mine wont keep 3 in 1.5" at 100 yards they get a new home. I got a brush gun that will do that. So a typical size ML better do that or better.

Green Mountain 54-120 brush gun. 300gr Barnes

That load will blow through a deer like butter every single time and cost about a buck a bullet.
Exit side--------------------------------------------------Entrance side

Some would argue that when you are shooting a low KE weapon to begin with, a pass thru is a waste of valuable energy that could have been delivered to the deer instead of a tree in the other side. Perhaps a bullet that delivers ALL of the KE by mushrooming flat and partially fragmenting is actually delivering more killing power than a pass thru. I know that deer shot with a cup and core bullet from 06 seem to die much quicker than those shot with a copper Barnes from my 338.

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Mailman

· #15 · Oct 31, 2019

Apples to Oranges right there!

UrbanHunter

· #16 · Oct 31, 2019

GMB, you still use sabots or not?
Not that I shoot that much, but I've never shot anything but .45's in my .50 (with various sabots).
Obviously, I'm giving up some mass there.

CamoNinja

· #17 · Oct 31, 2019

Mailman said:
Apples to Oranges right there!

How you figure? Both shoot a bullet at the same speed. One is bigger and designed for penetration while one is smaller and designed for expansion

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Mailman

· #18 · Oct 31, 2019

Penetration....Expansion.....Apples to Oranges.

CamoNinja

· #19 · Oct 31, 2019

Mailman said:
Penetration....Expansion.....Apples to Oranges.

Like a lead PowerBelt vs 300gr Barnes??!!

fstchkn

· #20 · Oct 31, 2019

CamoNinja said:
Some would argue that when you are shooting a low KE weapon to begin with, a pass thru is a waste of valuable energy that could have been delivered to the deer instead of a tree in the other side. Perhaps a bullet that delivers ALL of the KE by mushrooming flat and partially fragmenting is actually delivering more killing power than a pass thru. I know that deer shot with a cup and core bullet from 06 seem to die much quicker than those shot with a copper Barnes from my 338.

KE doesn't kill anything, the work done with it does. All those little fragments from a cup and core all work at making those kills quicker. Although I have no personal experience with mono bullets, it seems to be a common repeated theme that game shot with cup and core bullets go down faster.

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