power belt platinum

[Kato_Guy]

Has anyone tried these new bullets?

I know two people that tried them and couldn't get a group for the life of them. Whats the deal? Are they designed for a certain powder charge or what?

[arcticap]

You know, a bullet needs to have a proportional weight distribution, and proper dimensions to spin well. I guess that there's always a chance that your friend's rifles don't have optimal barrel twist, powder charge etc...but a decent bullet should shoot acceptably in a wide selection of rifles within certain set limits, or it becomes not worth buying and trying. Just like with .22's, sometimes the cheaper ones will shoot better than the more expensive ones.
I don't usually like to spend too much money on bullets, and still often wonder if any performance advantage is worth the money, but there often seems to be so much marketing hype. Maybe it's just capitalism.
The bottom line is that if they don't shoot straight, they must be unstable & wobbling after they leave the barrel. Back to proportions and weight distribution, etc...
Look at Laser Cast Bullets or similiar companies, at least they send out samples to let people try them out first, just so they will come back and buy some once they're satisfied.
Maybe they're just not engaging the rifling properly due to..... materials, design or performance?

[Kato_Guy]

one gun was a thompson omega which i believe is 1:28 and the other gun is a traditions something. Both are great shooters with the 295 gr powerbelt aero tips but the 270gr platinum are nothing to speak of.

I guess I was wondering if anyone else had experienced the same thing. I guess it is still early!

[BigV]

power belt platinum

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Has anyone tried these new bullets?

I know two people that tried them and couldn't get a group for the life of them. Whats the deal? Are they designed for a certain powder charge or what?

If you send me a couple hundred of them I wll test and report back my findings!

[Wild Bill Bucks]

I posted a few minutes ago, and it didn't seem to go through, so if this shows up as a double post, I apologize.

The most important thing in the field is accuracy. Without it, it really doesn't matter about anything else. After spending MEGA bucks, trying all the new stuff, my advice is to find a bullet that shoots in your rifle, and stay with it. Nothing else matters in the field. Lead or copper, heavy or light, sabot or pure lead, conical or whatever. POI is the only thing in the field that will take game. All the new stuff out there is to get your money. If your bullet will hit what you are shooting at within an inch, then why do you need to try the new stuff.

[Kato_Guy]

Thats what I told my dad!! But he said he likes to try new things, but he just wasted 20 dollars. Mine loves 295gr powerbelt and 100gr powder and would not try anything else unless minnesota allows scopes and am looking for tighter groups! I was just shocked to see two muzzle loaders not shoot those new platinums very good and wanted to see if anyone else saw the same thing!

thanks

[Wild Bill Bucks]

KG,

When I first got into muzzleloading years ago,I had a following of people who would go to the range, just to be there when I would figure out, the new stuff, I bought wouldn't work, and would give them away. Not being one who is shy about spending a few bucks on my hobbies, they would talk me into buying a bunch of bullets or sabots or powder or you name it, and then follow me to the range, and wait on the hand outs.

That was back in my younger, dumber days (Yesterday) Since then I got a little smarter, and figured out, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I haven't heard to many people who like the performance on any of the power belt bullets. The pointed tip is pretty much worthless unless you can drive your bullet at 2300fps, and the expansion on game isn't that great either, from what I have heard. My suggestion, is to find a good saboted bullet that will shoot accuratly in your rifle and stay with it.(Unless you have a fat wallet)

[Kato_Guy]

wbb,

OK just a few questions for you. What kind of powder and primers do you use? I had recently switched to jim shockey powder because I like that its easy to clean. I was thinking of switching to rem clean bore primers or the 777 primers. Just curious to what some people use and whatnot.

thanks

[P-990]

After my experience with shooting them, I'm surprised at how many people use the Powerbelts. My coworkers shoot them and love how easy they are to load. But they all know they'd better just pay me the money up-front if we're going to be shooting for money!

My experience with Powerbelts is so-so groups out of my Encore. Tried loose Pyro, pelletized Pyro and 777, no joy. About 2.5" at 50 yards was all they'd do. Never bothered at 100, didn't see the point in wasting my time. Might try GOEX next.

Saw the Platinums and went into sticker-shock. Not even worth trying at the price, IMO.

Now I shoot Goex FFg and Rem 209s tossing either T/C's 240gr Mag Express or 250gr Shockwave. The Shockwaves are kind of expensive; I forgot to grab a box of Hornady SSTs at the gunshop the other day. More bullets for the same price! (Nobody around here has the 30-ct of the Shockwaves.)

I find it ironic that my muzzleloader shoots the best with the new-tech bullet/sabot and good ol' fashioned REAL blackpowder! It also shoots well with Pyro RS. Funny, my coworkers told me "You bought that rifle for the convenience of shooting pellets." I tell them, "NO!! I bought it to have one of the most accurate and reliable muzzleloaders around!"

Guess it just goes to show ya that you should leave NO stone unturned in the search for perfection.

[Kato_Guy]

for your accurate muzzle loader, do you have a scope on it? I don't so kinda look at it like if i can put all my bullets in a pie plate at 100 its pretty good! A deer's lungs aren't bigger so what the heck! If minnesota ever passes scopes on ML I would look for more precision.

I was just curious on if anyone else had problems with the power belt platinems. I would be shooting the tc shockwaves but I like how the powerbelts go down!! And I am no sniper and 2-3 inch group at 100 yards with open sights is good enough for me

Thanks for the conversation and help guys!!

Ok I was just looking on cabelasa website and saw american powder had premeasured loose powder what do you think of that?? I just don't want to buy all that measuring crap and carry it around!!

[P-990]

Kato-Guy,

My rifle is unscoped, with a peep sight rear and fire sight front. Like I said, my coworkers know to just pay me upfront if we're going to shoot for money! I've got some targets around here with 3 shots touching, almost one-holers, with my Encore. 50 yards, benched, 110gr Pyro RS and a 240gr Mag Express sabot.

As for premeasured vs. loose, I just use these things: http://www.foxridgeoutfitters.com/de...7&product=4228

They work great, and with the recessed QLA on the TC muzzleloaders, driving that sabot into the barrel is pretty quick and easy.

PS: I can't get my rifle to group with pellets, so I've stopped bothering.

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Whatt 990's saying is right on with most. Only difference between my encore and his, is that it likes the 777 pellets better than BP or Pyro.

I'm using 240 grain JHP form Hornady packed in a Thompson Max Sabot. 100 grains of 777, and Federal 209 primers.

Only Change I'm going to try is the new Winchester 777 Primers that are out this year. They are not supposed to foul as bad, and are not suppossed to push the bullet down the barrel any, while waiting on the powder to go off. I think that might tighten groups up just a little more. I'll let you know when I try them out. It's going to be hard to get much better, than what I am shooting now though. I like open sight, but don't have the eye sight for it anymore, so I mounted a scope on my encore. 2.5 X 10 Simmons.
It is giving me same hole groups at 50 yards, and about 1" to 1 1/2" groups at 100.( according on how my shooting is on any given day)

Be sure and spit clean your barrel between shots, when using sabots. They will load and have much better accuracy from shot to shot. A lot of guys like a bullet that goes down smooth because they don't like to clean out between shots. These are probably those guys giving 990 their money at the range.

[P-990]

Be sure and spit clean your barrel between shots, when using sabots. They will load and have much better accuracy from shot to shot. A lot of guys like a bullet that goes down smooth because they don't like to clean out between shots. These are probably those guys giving 990 their money at the range.

Agreed! At least the spit clean. I've been trying to figure out a field-expediant cleaning approach, and the spit-patch seems to be the best bet so far, for my money.

At the range, looking for best-groups, I prefer to swab with either TC No. 13 or the new T-17. Then a dry patch, followed by a patch lightly coated with TC Bore Butter. This seems to cut down fouling and make the sabots load with greater ease. Also, and this may just be my imagination, I seem to get better accuracy.

I'm also beginning to look at the side of the "fire a fouling shot" camp, as my rifle, at least when using Goex and the 250 Shockwaves, tosses shot #1 out to the left and a little low. All others group on top of each other though, their intimacy dictated by powder charge.

Also, I've not had luck with ANYTHING using charges heavier than about 110-115gr of Pyrodex. Haven't tried the Goex that hot yet, but I might. Of course, the potential for one-holers at 90gr kind of makes me want to just stay there!

[Wild Bill Bucks]

990,

I was having the same result with #1 shot, and was using lightly coated barrel with bore butter. My local gun dealer, told me that the rep. for Thompson told him, not to use bore butter between shots, so I stopped. Has something to do with the faster twist rate on their in-line rifles. Now the only time I use bore butter is for storage after hunting season.

When I quit using bore butter between shots, and just load over a clean barrel, I pop one primer down the barrel for fouling, without a powder charge, and load. My first shot is very accurate this way.

I think what happens is that the bore butter gets down in the riflings so deep that it takes the first shot to clear it out, therefore all shots after that, are right on.

Might try a one primer foul with no bore butter, and see if that helps your first shot.

When I know I will be target shooting a lot during a week or so, after cleaning I will use rem oil in the barrel. It seems to be easier to get out with a dry patch, and after fouling with one primer, seems to keep first shot accurate.