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Powerbelt question

duckrookie
On Monday of Ohio's muzzle loader season I shot a buck at about 60 yards with my .50 CVA MagHunter using a 295gr Powerbelt (copper clad hollow point) with 100gr Pyrodex Pellets. I saw the buck lurch so I knew he was hit. He ran straight at me, stopped at 15 yards, then turned and ran off. When he turned I saw no blood on his side at all. I followed up on the trail and still found zero blood. About 40 yards later I found him piled up dead as can be. When I gutted him his lungs were destroyed so I was very happy with that but not happy with the lack of a blood trail. There was no exit wound. A buddy of mine shooting the same weight & charge but in Aerotips had the same thing with a doe.

After reading some reviews I have found several people having the same issue but some talk of great blood trails. Should I chalk this up to a one time deal or should I look into different alternatives?

Thanks,
d r
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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • elkoholic
    Is it possible you hit bone on the far side?

    I had 338 platnim aerotip (100 gr 777) go almost end to end on a big bull elk. It didn't exit but after traveling through an elk the long way I really can't complain.
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  • bull300wsm
    Not to be a sa or anything like that but I don't see the problem. Your animal, from your description, only traveled about 75-80 yards. That should be an easy recovery, although I don't know what kind of terrain you hunt in. I have a friend who shot a mule deer at about 100 yards several years ago with a 300 ultra mag. His bullet didn't exit either but the deer dropped right there. If you watch any of the hunting shows you will see a lot of deer run pretty far after they have been shot...
    Anyways nice shooting and congratulations...bull
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  • steve45
    Ive shot 4 elk and two deer with muzzleloaders. Ive seen several others shot with them. Whether using round balls, maxi-balls or sabots we rarely find a blood trail. I almost always walk from the dead animal back to the place where it was shot looking for one.
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  • allen griggs
    Believe me, you can get a blood trail with a muzzleloader.
    I have shot 7 deer and 6 wild hogs with the patched round ball in a .50 Hawken.
    I made lung shots every time.
    In every case, the blood trail could have been followed by a blind man!
    Huge, 4 and 5 inch diameter splotches of blood, on both sides of the trail.
    Of course you didn't need much of a blood trail, none of this game made 50 yards.

    Those platinum Powerbelts are designed for better penetration, especially on elk, so you would probably get them to exit deer.

    Of course, then you might complain about lack of expansion.

    I use the 250 SST, I get good penetration and good expansion. It almost always exits, good blood trail.
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  • steve45
    Allen, The deer that I shot were both facing me, so I shot front to back with no exit wounds. The Elk were 3 lung shots and one that went low and hit the heart. In all cases the bullets exited but the Elks hide seemed to cover the hole and not allow the blood out. The Elk shots were from 10 to 60 yds. The animals were hit hard and did'nt go far, but I dont look for blood trails anymore I watch the animal.
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