XTP or XTP mag?

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ohihunter2014

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I have a 50cal Optima V2 using BH209 and either crush rib or smooth sabots. I shot a medium doe with a .452 300gr XTP 2 years ago and it blew the heart into pieces and left a great blood trail. I am in need of new bullets and was wondering would it be more economical to switch to .430 240gr XTP because that's what I shoot in my 44mag rifle or stick with .452? I know several guys that wont use .430 240gr because they have lost several deer using them. I am also playing with the idea of a Sierra bullet in .429 240gr. Whats your favorite combo?
 
May I ask why stop using the 300 gr8 xtp?


I load for 45-70 300gr HP and 44mag Handi rifle 240gr XTP. I figured I could cut some cost and switch from the .452 300gr XTP to a bullet I can use in the 44mag. I would think the .458 bullet maybe a little too large. I also should have asked should I switch to a XTP mag or just run a normal XTP?
 
I have personal experience with this! Unless you're going after elk, moose or large black bear or any large thick skinned heavy boned critter - stay with the plane old XTP!!! The .452/300gr. XTP Mag will hardly expand (if at all) on thin skinned deer or hogs, even the large hogs (275+lbs.) and tends to just blow right through. These were shot from a .45 LC handgun at 1080 fps and a .460 S&W at 1850 fps. A 45 caliber hole in something is no joke, but the terminal performance is just not there. Where I live there are tons of hogs, the damn things destroy areas of my yard/pasture just about every full moon night. They are also my absolute favorite hunting test media for bullets and broadheads, and a good mature male hog is a very well put together critter. By no means these immortal beasts people make them out to be, .22 Mag has killed them by the hundreds, but a well built critter non the less. The .452 Mag XTP is NO BUENO. . .stick with the standard XTP and you'll be fine.
 
Agreed the mag is just not fragile enough to expand on deer. Especially for muzzleloader speeds. A buddy of mine uses the 240 xtp 430 and he took a nice back last week. See rean 20 yards and folded. Bullet was not recovered and the exit hole was over a half inch around. Bullet must have expanded well shot was through both lungs through the ribs
 
I don't have any experience with the 240gr XTP although I do have experience with the .430 300gr XTP. The .430 300gr in a smooth green Harvester sabot is super accurate with 90gr of Bh209 and will bring game down no problem. But not great blood trails and very very few pass threw. A bud of mine has killed countless deer with the .430 240gr XTP 2 T7 pellets (100gr) and swears by them but I have never been with him or seen a blood trail so I can't say for sure how they work.
Have you thought about the Speer 270gr .249 IMHO the Speer is just a better bullet holds together expands well and complete pass threw with 110gr of BH209 another bud uses this combo and he said he has had to track one very far and will never change as long as Speer continues to make this bullet. I have hunted with him and I think the furthest one has gone was 25-30yds when I was with him.
Good luck with whatever you choose to shot and let us know how it does for you.
 
Stick with the standard 240 gr XTP, have killed a ton of deer with them, organs are usually jelly and have never recovered a bullet always a pass thru..killed a few with the .430 300 gr xtp and never recovered a bullet, ranges from 25 yds to 80. Had good blood trails on all of them that made it over 35 yds.
 
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