What type of load are you shooting for elk hunting take in consideration that I will be hunting Elk in Colorado so sabots are not legal. I would like to know weight and amount of powder. Last trip I had guy a cabela's set us up with 265 gr powerbelts with 150 gr of powder. This was all wrong shot a bull at 35 yards found bubbly blood but no animal. Came back and a new guy told us we should have been shooting heavier bullet, those powerbelts we too light and just decinagreat on inpact with that much powder. What is right load I don't want this to happen again!!!!
Muzzelloaders and Elk what do you shot?
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thecrittergitter
Well-known member
We found the No Excuse bullets to be pretty damn tough to beat. We shoot the 460 grain bullets with 95 grains of 777 powder. Very accurate, very big thud. We have taken 2bulls the past 3 years with them, both being 360+ bulls and they put the hammer on them pretty damn good. SHould have been 3 bulls that big but I blew that by missing a couple.........
Powerbelts are absolute junk from what we have seen. At least for elk. the Platinum ones are definately better but i think the No Excuses bullets and the Hornady Great Plains are where its at for elk in a non Sabot state.
Powerbelts are absolute junk from what we have seen. At least for elk. the Platinum ones are definately better but i think the No Excuses bullets and the Hornady Great Plains are where its at for elk in a non Sabot state.
Drake4
Well-known member
Critter has some pretty good videos of those No Excuse bullets in action from this fall.
I bet if you ask nicely he would post them up.
Big O
Member
Found the opposite of Critter. I use 300 gr. Powerbelt Platinum w/ 2 pellets of Pyrodex. Tried 3 pellets and was not as accurate. Don't need to shoot that far here in Wa. with open sights only, can't really see that far anyway.
Shooting that combo out of my Knight Bighorn is absolute deadly for us. My bull this year ran about 30 yds after a 75 yd shot. Amazes me how accurate this combo is for open sight black powder.
Good luck.
Shooting that combo out of my Knight Bighorn is absolute deadly for us. My bull this year ran about 30 yds after a 75 yd shot. Amazes me how accurate this combo is for open sight black powder.
Good luck.
thecrittergitter
Well-known member
Critter has some pretty good videos of those No Excuse bullets in action from this fall.
Those videos only depict a shortfall by gun operator im sure..............no depiction of the actual bullet performance on elk. Bullet performance in nothing but air is pretty boring no matter what bullet you are shooting
I shot a bull with the powerbelts in 2007, shot it at 60 yards, perfect right behind shoulder. Bull went about 80 yards and stood there for about 15 minutes. It finally laid down and 40 minutes after the first shot i was able to sneak close enough for a second shot. Second one hit about 3" from the first and finally killed it. Neither of the two bullets even made it to the ribs on the opposite side.
I agree though that the Platinums are slightly better than the regular powerbelts.
A-con
New member
Power Belts have a reputation for being fragile, and blowing up when pushed at higher speeds with heavy charges. Rule of thumb, never use more that 110 grains of powder with a power belt, and for elk, use the larger bullets over 325 grains, and no hollow points.
No Excuses is, by all accounts, an excellent bullet;
http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com/
Another Colorado option;
http://www.prbullet.com/ul50.htm
Once again, stick with heavy solids, no light weight or hollow points.
No Excuses is, by all accounts, an excellent bullet;
http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com/
Another Colorado option;
http://www.prbullet.com/ul50.htm
Once again, stick with heavy solids, no light weight or hollow points.
Big O
Member
That's why this site is so great, all the new info. gained.
I have no reason to switch from Powerbelts and cross my fingers I don't need one, but good to know about the No Excuse bullets. How do they slide down the barrel after a shot or two?
I have no reason to switch from Powerbelts and cross my fingers I don't need one, but good to know about the No Excuse bullets. How do they slide down the barrel after a shot or two?
wgiles
Member
If you can't use sabots, you are pretty much screwed for bullet choice. I have been shooting 250 gr. Barnes solid copper Spitfire T-EZ sabot bullets over 80 gr. equivalent Blackhorn 209. This combination will put a 3/4" hole in a 3" hardwood tree (at close range). I don't know whether BH 209 is legal for Colorado. It wasn't legal in NM until recently. Most of my shots are at close range, so I don't see any need to load heavier. I will admit that there are no elk in my state, but I'm confident in the Barnes bullets and BH 209.
Bambistew
Well-known member
Pretty much screwed for bullet choice? You only need one... 460gr No Excuses and 80-100 of powder. I can't find a single reason why I would go back to sabots even if I had the choice.
Powerbelts are junk... don't waste your money. For the same price as 15 you can get a box of 50 NE and have piece of mind that they won't fail.
I can't find a single reason why I would go back to sabots even if I had the choice.Powerbelts are junk... don't waste your money. For the same price as 15 you can get a box of 50 NE and have piece of mind that they won't fail.
thecrittergitter
Well-known member
No butter at all, and i know cause i shot 3 shots in one day without even a spit patch
Bambi is right, actually is where i got the lead on the No Excuses. 100 yards is no problem at all, neither is 150 if you are confident to there. I'm not, 100 is max for me. Bambi's bull was one of those big bulls i was talking about, course his bull came in so close that more smoke hit the bull than lead
They are as accurate as anyone shooting open sights in my mind. Knight rifles seem to shoot those better than about anything else from what we've seen.
They don't sell them in stores, just from their website from what i recall.
Mudranger1
Well-known member
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might have to look into those....was considering the powerbelts since I moved to Colorado but now I have options
A-con
New member
Some other “Colorado” options.
http://thorbullets.com/
http://www.hornady.com/store/50-Cal-300-gr-FPB/
http://thorbullets.com/
http://www.hornady.com/store/50-Cal-300-gr-FPB/
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
not sure about colorado regulations but in oregon im using hornady great plains conical in my .54,80 grains of 777 and it did well.too much powder and a light bullet i dont think is a good combo for elk,my great plains is 425 gr all lead hollow point.dropped me a nice buck with it this year and a nice antelope last year with it.
Mudranger1
Well-known member
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a-con both of those look like they use sabots....?
A-con
New member
No, both of those are .50 cal, full bore bullets.
The THOR is all copper, like a Barns, and comes in .501, .502 & .503.
The Hornady is a jacketed lead..
Bambistew
Well-known member
What does buying so many have to do with anything?
Your going to punch a hole through a deer bigger than the wound channel created by typical high powered rifle even if it doesn't expand. The couple deer I shot with them made it about 50 yards.
I will say that power belts are good for gophers and small deer, but after personally seeing their performance on about a dozen animals... I would never use them on an elk hunt. Theyight work for you a time or two but I'd be really pissed if I lost a big ass bull because the soft POS PB failed to penetrate. I have a couple on my loading bench that I recovered fron two seperate does. Penitration was about 6 inches. That would get you one lung on an elk and I you'd probably lose it.
Long range for me is 150 yards even with a scope. A 460 gr bullet will pass complely through a deer at that range and I wouldnt be scared to shoot an elk at that range either.
Speed isn't how a muzz kills... The big ass hole it puts in animals does.
