Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Elk hunting question?

I am borrowing a CVA Staghorn Magnum for this season. I want to use Powerbelt bullets. What bullet weight would you use,what brand powder would you use, primer brand, and how many grains of powder would you start with to determine best load? I have hunted blackpowder back in PA, but only flintlock. Before loading fire 2-3 caps to dry out the back of the barrel? I will be hunting Colorado, so no pellets or sabots. All and any information is appreciated.

338gr Platinum without a doubt. 90-100gr Pyrodex RS or Triple 7 and stay away from the shoulder, tuck it in nice and tight and lower so you get blood flow faster.

No pointing in telling you to try the hornady FPB or Thor since those barrels are so tight on the older guns.

Another option and a great one, 410gr hornady great plains bullet with 80gr pyrodex rs.

When I used powerbelts for elk, I used 95 gr of 777 under a 405 gr aerotip. With pyrodex, you might go as high as 105 gr powder, but don't exceed 100 gr with 777. If you push them too hard they will come apart. Less powder means more penetration. That combo will get you out to 150 yards.

You also might see if your gun would shoot the 460 gr No excuses bullet with 85-95 gr of powder. You have to order them direct, but they are much less expensive than powerbelts and they are great elk medicine.

370 grain prelubed TC Maxi ball and 777powder.....and some game bags..!

I use the 295 gr Power Belts ( either Aero tip or hollow points) in my inline, Black powder, 100gr. Std Winchester 209 primers
That CVA might not shoot the Maxi ball as well. Most in-lines need a better tolerance bullet.

You can get snookered into all these advertising hypes of $35/10 ounces of 209 powder, special primers, and super tough bullets, but they are not needed.

I am usually a proponent of heavier bullets, but don't think the heavier PB's are needed. Bullet placement as always is a lot more important that the type.

Hard to argue with success.

Yep, slip a 295 powerbelt behind the shoulder through the chest and you can't get better results. However, I shot a cow on a steep uphill angle at 120 yards and I hit directly over the elbow bone. With a 295 powerbelt, I feel pretty sure I would have never recovered that cow elk. With a bigger bullet (350 gr FPB) the bullet broke that bone, a rib, and went through the heart. Down in 30 yards.

There is really very little difference in trajectory out to 150 yards with the bigger bullets, so for myself for elk, I can't see using a smaller one. But as stated, you can't argue with success for the one who has used it successfully.

Bullets are kind of like the group of blind men describing the elephant. Depends on your point of view and personal experiences. In my experience, elk have not always presented me with ideal shots. With a bigger, tougher bullet, I am not afraid to take shots that I should pass on with a smaller, less tough bullet and my absolute max range in Colorado (open sights only) is 150 yards, so trajectory is not an issue.

I shot a cow a little low one year.She was looking right at me. It clipped her brisket and then it continued aft ,hitting the big femur bone. The 295 gr PB shattered that bone. It was high enough hit that it did enough internal damage to be fatal, but she made a death run and fell in a beaver pond a she crossed the dam. I did shoot her again to keep her flailing around in the mud as she was dieing. I think that back leg bone is heavier than any front leg bone

Yep, bullets and elephants. Just use what makes you comfortable and you have a great track record

The 295's should work just fine, I used 348gr. aero tip when I shot my Elk. 80yd shot, no tracking needed.

As much as i enjoy powerbelts, theres no way i'd ever suggest someone use a factory 295gr powerbelt, we have them coming apart in deer on chest shots, so....

Now you rig that 295 with one of my custom inserts i used to make, that sucker was good for MOOSE! lol

Before you go further, please post how much powder were you pushing those PB's with? I bet over 100 grs.

PB's coming apart are just like those who push regular C&C bullets to fast. Use them within the design parameters they are intended for and they work quite well.

90gr in a sidelock with a 65ish yard shot.

Its just a huge flaw in that massive hollow point, i designed a tip that inserted into that hole and had a thread on it so when the bullet impacted, the soft lead had something to bite onto and bold to. That made the powerbelt good for 20 yards with a 245gr powerbelt and 100gr charge. Try that with a 348 factory powerbelt at 20 yards with a 100gr charge and... SPLAT.

I use the Aerotip

aerotip is still a hollow point. In fact, that smooth shaft on the aerotip causes more issues because they turn sideways when they mushroom, cuts into the center of the bullet and weakens it more.

I'd show pics but photobucket turned into ebay and wants $30 a year to upgrade bandwidth It resets next month.

I don't shoot many deer with a ML, about 1 a year, but the 295's work quite well me. I'm mostly a elk hunter. and have killed more than a few elk with a lot of different chamberings, including using 295's PB.

I guess the elk I kill are a might easier to kill. Maybe because I don't take shoulder or big bone shots
They sure don't go splat and hold together from my experience using 100 gr of BP.

However, good luck to you. Guess I'll just keep bumbling along as I have been for 40-50 years killing an elk every year.

I shot a mulie buck at 25 yards with a 348 and 100 grains of 777. The only thing that went SPLAT was lung tissue on sagebrush for about 30 yards behind the deer.

sure a lung shot, no problem. I got the same thing with a doe at maybe 100 yards with a 348gr powerbelt.

Try it on something big at close range with the 245.

Smoke, you are talking to a guy (bigblock) who used to be the biggest fan of powerbelts. If he changed his mind on them, you can be sure he has seen some issues. Glad your luck has been better, and you are right, if you don't push them hard they work better! Less is more with pure soft lead bullets.

I hear ya tx. If/when I have a failure with them I'll switch too. Just haven't gotten there yet, and I have put some through elk shoulder bones.

A 80yd. shot with a Knight muzzleloader shooting a 348gr. power belt at, 100gr. pyrodex RS loose and a winchester 209 primerI

I was able to recover the bullet from the elk, hit one rib dead center on the opposite side and was lying right under the hide. It still weighed 240gr.


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