240gr xtp mag 100yd bullet expansion test

[LittleGump72]

I am not trying to hijack Ron's bullet tests because I completely respect the tests that he does. I am in covid quarantine and wanted to try something.
So anyway here is the setup:
¼ inch plywood with a piece of cardboard taped on the front.
Front water jug was filled with bread dough (thought the dough might represent internal organs better than water)
Next 4 jugs were filled with water
Wood backstop on the back


Gun:
NEF Huntsman 50cal
Load:
240gr xtp mag
Harvester crush rib sabot
80gr Bh209
Distance approximately 100yds

Bullet passed through all of the jugs, bounced off of the backstop and was found approximately 6ft in front of the first jug.
I have taken many deer with this bullet at ranges under 50yds but, I think I will pass on any 100yd shots at deer with this load, as there was absolutely no expansion. The bullet looks the same as it did when I loaded it.

 

[GM54-120]

Ive warned about that with that bullet many times.

 

[bmfox30]

Nice test and write up.

 

[HC]

The results were to be expected.

 

[Slingingslugs]

I heard a story from a friend recently about a guy that loaded up 2 reasonably fresh road killed deer and took them home and perched them up and used them for test dummies after experiencing a no hair no blood no dead deer situation using a garbage of a projectile(personal opinion) called a powerbelt. Dont know what he concluded from his test but it was a decent idea I thought. Cant really replicate a test better I would think...

 

[52Bore]

You’re load is 1700fps (BH209 data) and at 100yds your down to 1400fps.

Rons reduced test with this bullet is about 1250fps - similar results, even with your bread pudding. Good job.

 

[ronlaughlin]

Interesting

 

[LittleGump72]

I would say the results were disappointing. The bullet I have used many times wouldn't have performed the way I would want or need it to at farther ranges if I chose to shoot those extended ranges. It's a good thing I like to let them get in close.

 

[MrTom]

I've taken a mess of deer with the .44 cal 240 regular XTP and got very good expansion with them using up to a 77 weighed grain 209 load. I think the jacket is thinner and easier to get to expand with the standard, non- magnum version. I've got both the standard and the magnum bullets but use them only for paper now. I recovered a .44 cal 240 from a deer and have it somewhere here and its about three times its un-shot diameter. The deer it came from was taken at about 140 yards.

 

[Okie Hog]

Great test and writeup than ended as i suspected. Yep, that's why it's called a (magnum bullet).

 

[WV Hunter]

Good test.

If it was me, I'd switch to the regular XTP 250gr. They always seem to work well, even at longer ranges...and should shoot very similar in your rifle I would think.

 

[LittleGump72]

Based on Ron's bullet tests and the suggestion by WV Hunter, I am gonna look into 3 different bullets.
250gr XTP
240gr DCHP
300gr DCHP

Just looking for a bullet that I can feel confident that it will expand at ranges between 20 and 100 yards. Although most shots will be at 50yrd or less. I would hate to pass on a (perfect in my opinion)broadside,calm,standing still shot at 70 to 100 yards just because I wasn't sure if the bullet would expand.

 

[HC]

All of the above mentioned are good choices. I personally prefer the 300 gr deep curl with a healthy charge of powder pushing it.

 

[WV Hunter]

I've shot a bunch with the 240 deep curl, they work great also. Some as close as 20yds, out to about 100, but that is with 100gr pyrodex (probably similar to 80gr BH). Keep in mind they are a .44/.429, so you'd need a different sabot (green) than the .45/.452 (black). The 300gr is very similar to 240, just heavier.

Also, the Speer jacketed hollow point 260's are great also, they are .451 so will work with a black sabot. I've shot a couple dozen with them, great performance out to 125.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the 250gr Deep Curls.

 

[sabotloader]

I used the Speer Gold Dots for awhile before switching to the Lehighs that I currently use. I have often called them a 'poor mans Nosler Partition' because of the way they expand. They really worked well for me the year I used them.

This picture is a factory representation of the controlled expansion the Gold Dot uses. You can see the button at the bottom of the expansion that controls the bullets expansion.

This picture represents a test that I did with the Deep Curl and the XTP

Here is factory explanation

Now.... theoretically the Deep Curl is a Gold Dot renamed. That I do not know for sure!

 

[LittleGump72]

I am kinda leaning towards the 240gr DC. Once they are available I plan on getting some.

 

[GM54-120]

Try the 45 260gr Uni Cor part#4481. They are cheap when available. I paid around $12/50 the last time i found them.
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/17363
https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/new-260g-speer-hp.35311/

 

[LittleGump72]

I have some of the 260gr. If I remember correctly I couldn't get the accuracy from them that I wanted. Maybe need to try them again using different sabots.