elk load??

[Wink]

Do you think a 50 cal 348 grain Power Belt with 80 grains of fff is sufficient for elk? If not what would you suggest.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I don't know much about jacketed conicals in muzzleloaders, but 80 gr of FFFg will do the job IF the thing holds together well enough. You're approximating a .50-90 Sharps round with that load, and that's a slapper at close range.

Placement is everything, distance/remaining energy is next. How far you intending on trying to shoot?

 

[Wink]

The powerbelt is not a true jacketed bullet but has a small plastic gas seal at its base. I was thinking at shots out to 75 yds.

 

[BS]

The powerbelt is not a true jacketed bullet but has a small plastic gas seal at its base. I was thinking at shots out to 75 yds.

I would think it would do just fine at 75 and under,but I really let the gun deside on what load to use. Some guns shoot well with 2F and some with 3F.

My 50 with a 27" barrel and a 1 in 30 twist shoots Maxi and Great Plains 410s best using 115FF.

Also don't use the 295s for Elk , they tend to expand way too much. I also prefer a solid and not a hollow point. You need penatration, not expansion. :grin:

What lenght barrel and twist are you shooting?

 

[Wink]

BS, I may be using a TC Hawken 50 I'm on the fence about buying it, I wasnt sure if a 50 would be sufficient for elk. I do like the way the powerbelts perform in my other sidelock. Does anyone know are these bullets legal in Colorado? Their web site says that they are.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Wink: your 348 gr. power belt bullet should be good enough, provided you have a round nose or flat nose( semiwadcutter) profile. You don't want an expanding bullet on these heavy boned animals. 350 grains of lead is a lot of lead moving down the way. It doesn't have to go very fast to keep on going when it hits flesh. You are shooting a light .50-90 load, but those guns killed a lot of elk, and buffalo. If your load is accurate, use it. You can always do penetration tests, and range tests to see if you want to increase the load. The Old Mountainman, Jim Bridge had a powder measure that threw 50 grains of powder. He told a biographer that he use one measure in his .54 hawken for shooting deer and antelope; 2 measures for mountain lions, Elk, and black bear, and 3 measures for grizzley bear. I doubt many experienced shooters and hunters could argue much with his choice of loads. Line that load up so it breaks a foreleg either coming or going into the lungs, or heart, and you should have your elk. If it is close enough, shoot him in the neck where it connects to the shoulders and give the largest target for hitting the vertebrae.

 

Powerbelts are legal in Colorado.Are you trying for a bull or a cow license?I am putting in for buck and cow elk for ML season.Since I am a resident I can find the critters before season starts :blah: :blah: If your gonna hunt in southwest colorado maybe i'll see ya in the hills.Good luck on the draw and your hunt :thumbsup:

 

[BS]

BS, I may be using a TC Hawken 50 I'm on the fence about buying it, I wasnt sure if a 50 would be sufficient for elk. I do like the way the powerbelts perform in my other sidelock. Does anyone know are these bullets legal in Colorado? Their web site says that they are.

Well this is my feeling about shooting bullets in a 50.....I like a 1in30 or faster, if you are going to shoot round balls [54 min].......1 in 66 or slower. A 1 in 48 is just sort of in the middle.

 

[tg]

I have found that 80-90 gr of 3f with a PRB will work well on elk, and falls more into the "Keeping Tradition Alive" thing at the top of the page...and save the lectures about how long conicals have ben around, the ones mentioned here are modern all the way...

 

[nessmuk]

One of our group used a t/c 50 cal with 80 gr. of 2f and a patched round ball to get his 5X5 in 2001. Distance about 55 yds with a double lung shot.

 

Thats good to hear.Thats what im going to use this year.How far did it run?

 

[Vostok]

Wink;

Saboted rounds including power belts are not legal in the state of Colorado during the MUZZLELOADER ONLY season. You can only use patched round ball and all lead conicals. However, you can use a muzzleloader with sabots or power belts during the general cartrige rifle season.

Hope that helps.

 

Regulations state-Must be single barrel that fires a single roundball or conical projectile the length of wich does not exceed twice the diameter.A friend of mine was checked by the warden for license and what ammo used.He showed him a powerbelt.He kept hunting.No citation

 

[Vostok]

Crowhop - Thanks for the info. I was going to write the DOW on this subject to see what they say. I had been told by a friend who had them confiscated during he muzzleloading season that the DOW considered powerbelts as sabots. I think that is a pretty thin association, but since I wasn't there I have to take him on his word. It might also be one of those cases of "field officer interpretation" of the regs.

I'll post the DOW's response when I get it for everyone's benefit.

Thanks again.

 

[tg]

"It might also be one of those cases of "field officer interpretation" of the regs."

Yet another reason to stick with the tried and true and unmistakeably leagal (cal.may vary by state) round ball

 

Thats what I am going to use.The regs actually state that a patch is not a sabot. :youcrazy: DUH

 

[tg]

Good luck on your hunt, just think archery and you will find yourself within range and bring home the meat.

 

[Vostok]

Crowhop et. al. - I stand corrected, I wrote the Colorado DOW and they gave me this response regarding powerbelt usage during the muzzleloader only season. Here it is in its' entirety:
**************************************************
Hi,
Yes powerbelts are legal during muzzleloading season. If you have any questions please let me know.


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************************************************

Now if you will please excuse me I need to go shoot that crow I'm having for dinner.

:redface:

 

[nessmuk]

It took 3 steps and stood there for a minute or so and fell over dead.

 

[Billhuntz]

I don't think I'll use power belts on anything bigger that deer. I killed a nice big bodied 8 point this year, (yes muzzleloader) with a power belt. When i cleaned the deer the bullet was about non-existant. All I found was the plastic patch with a little lead attached. I wouldn't count on much mass making it to the vitals on an elk.