Powerbelt vs Barnes

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

10-25-2011, 09:38 AM

#21

nchawkeye

Giant Nontypical

Join Date: Nov 2004

Posts: 5,425

Gotta agree with Corey, patched round balls just about wiped out deer herds in the 1800s...

With modern inlines, I'd put my money on the 240gr .44 caliber Hornday XTP as the bullet that has slayed more deer than any out of an inline...

Your little area of the world might like PowerBelts but many more don't...Too many deer shot with little or no blood to track took care of that...

10-25-2011, 12:23 PM

#22

Muley Hunter

Giant Nontypical

Thread Starter

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: Colorado

Posts: 9,557

Quote:

Originally Posted by builder459

I am sure he sells a whole bunch of PB's, most shops do. only since most of the shops and the people who buy them, don't know any better lmao.the point is a PB isn't even in the same class as a Barnes or thor period.the gel tests are worthless in evaluating a bullets performance on deer. if you doubt this , then just look at all the reviews from hunters on Barnes performance and a PB's performance..did you see Jons review on the new Aerolite prior to the hunting season? it wasn't exactly a good one and the actual performance he got on the deer he shot with it was horrible.field tests are what counts in the end not gel..

Jon loves to use 110gr of BH 209. Maybe that's too much for proper expansion. It might shoot better groups, but most guys aren't hunting paper targets. A little bigger group with good expansion might be a better hunting load.

I'm not sure why Barnes would show a test that made them look bad. I know they were showing their bullet expanded better, but they forgot it wasn't penetrating very good.

As for why guys in my area are buying PB's? Probably because they're killing animals.
It's hard to sell Thors to hunters if they can't buy them in a store, and you have to get a sample pack first.

So, what's a Colorado hunter suppose to use. Thors are not easily available for Joe Hunter, FPB's are .503 and don't fit any kind of tight barrel. He stocks them, but nobody buys them. That leaves big heavy lead conicals, or PB's. They buy the PB's and kill animals. Good enough.

10-25-2011, 12:45 PM

#23

MountainDevil54

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Boncarbo,Colorado

Posts: 9,186

yep 110gr with the 250gr Aerolite Powerbelt is my go to deer load. Only shot one deer with them and it fragged but guess what? It put him down quickly and with a great blood trail.

10-25-2011, 01:02 PM

#24

Muley Hunter

Giant Nontypical

Thread Starter

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: Colorado

Posts: 9,557

Imagine the blood trail if he had a hole in both sides.

10-25-2011, 04:58 PM

#25

donjose

Fork Horn

Join Date: Aug 2010

Posts: 369

Maybe sometimes its better to dump all the energy in the target rather than have a extra hole ? Just saying

10-25-2011, 05:22 PM

#26

MountainDevil54

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Boncarbo,Colorado

Posts: 9,186

Jason, exactly!

Its like having a grenade pushing through you on one side and then exploding deep in your chest cavity. It aint gonna live for long!

10-25-2011, 06:14 PM

#27

Muley Hunter

Giant Nontypical

Thread Starter

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: Colorado

Posts: 9,557

Everybody has to get together. One of the biggest complaints about a PB is no exit wound, and no blood trail.

Now it's ok.

10-25-2011, 06:17 PM

#28

builder459

Nontypical Buck

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: Yucca Valley,Ca

Posts: 2,496

Quote:

Originally Posted by MountainDevil54

Jason, exactly!

Its like having a grenade pushing through you on one side and then exploding deep in your chest cavity. It aint gonna live for long!

Jon, tell that to all the people who have lost deer with that exploding bullet. for the life of me, i just can't see anyone using these bullets. the new Aerolites are worse than the old ones.

10-25-2011, 06:22 PM

#29

MountainDevil54

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Boncarbo,Colorado

Posts: 9,186

Actually the Aerolite was completely gone and left the second best blood trail ever that ive had to follow. The first was my 348gr custom tipped powerbelt.