300gr XTP Blackhorn 209 loads?

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ohihunter2014

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Whats your favorite BH209 load using 300gr XTP in 50cal? I am shooting an Optima V2. I am running low on BH209 and bullets, so cant do a lot of load development.
 
I’m using 90 grains by volume with MMP HPH-24 sabots. I use XTP’s as well as Speer Deep Curls - .452 300 grain. I don’t have long range opportunities, and had good groups with 90gr, so didn’t feel a need for 100 grains+ of BH209. In my Optima V2, I had the best luck with the HPH-24 sabots, no matter the bullet (Barnes expanders, hornady xtp and sst, Deep curls, harvester scorpions). Tried 4 other sabots (MMP-12, black crush rib, red 3 petal EZ, knight high pressure) that were too loose/too tight for my liking, or just didn’t quite group as well.
 
you're going to get many different answers. These guns are all different. Go to the range and shoot. Eventually the rifle will tell you the combination it likes.
 
.452 I think most of the time people try to push there bullet way to hard. Remember you are shooting a bullet made for pistol velocity not high powers rifle velocity. If it were me I would start with 75 or 80gr by volume and work from there in 5gr increments until you hit the sweet spot of your rifle/load and remember 75 to 80gr is plenty of power behind your 300gr bullet to kill anything out to 100 - 125yds it has been proven time and time again. Good luck
Happy Holidays and let us know how things go.
 
The 300gr XTPs are intended for the hotter loads like 45LC +P in Rugers or T/Cs and faster cartridges. You wont get squat for speed from a SAAMI spec 45LC load with a 300gr bullet. It will hold up just fine to any smoker load your rifle can handle. It not gunna grenade or turn into a pancake like a 300gr PB pushed that fast.
 
Savage guys have been shooting that bullet for ages because it does so well and costs so little. Put it in the boiler room and you got 2 holes nearly every single time. Any cup and core bullet makes a mess with a bad hit.
 
I shoot 300gr xtp "452" with 80gr Measured not weighed, i get about a 1.5 to 2 inch groop at 100 yards. Never had a deer go more than about 30 yards. My accura pr seems to shoot almost any bullet well with 80gr of bh209. Bh209 is an amazing power well worth the price. I can even shoot the 240gr traditions plinker for fun and coyotes with amazing Accuracy out to 150+ yards.
 
300 xtp mags.....100 gr BH209.

I'm getting pass thrus but not real good blood trails.....normally behind the shoulder....maybe I need to aim directly at the shoulder???

Thoughts?
 
300 xtp mags.....100 gr BH209.

I'm getting pass thrus but not real good blood trails.....normally behind the shoulder....maybe I need to aim directly at the shoulder???

Thoughts?

Only if you like to waste more meat. Blood trail isnt just the bullet. Its also the angle the bullet enters and leaves. Hit and exit too high your blood trails are poor. Ive never had a need to use the XTP MAGs. You will probably get a larger exit hole with the regular XTP or Speer DeepCurl.
 
I've got some .430, 300 gr XTPs that I'll be playing with after first of the year. I'll let you know how things go.
 
Go with the Speer Deep Curls 300gr or 270gr way better bullet holds together expands well and complete pass threw.
 
Only if you like to waste more meat. Blood trail isnt just the bullet. Its also the angle the bullet enters and leaves. Hit and exit too high your blood trails are poor. Ive never had a need to use the XTP MAGs. You will probably get a larger exit hole with the regular XTP or Speer DeepCurl.
You're right on the money with your reply on shot placement. The first thing from my perspective is to not have the deer ( in this case ) run so far that you need to rely on a blood trail to locate it. I know full well like every other life long hunter that sooner or later you're going to have a good hit & the deer will run a good distance anyway. I hit a deer low & right at the diaphragm area. It blew out a hole big enough for most of the upper chest cavity & most of the lower guts were hanging out & dragging the ground & that dang deer ran 110yards like that leavin a blood trail that looked like a mop was used to make it. One time I was hunting with my Rem model 141 .35 cal. Pump, I was out of the sledgehammer loads I normally used ( Rem. 200gr soft points ) I had 5 180gr soft points. I shot 2 deer out of the heard , 1dropped in his tracks & the other I hit a hair back to far & a lil high so I double lunged it about perfectly center lung. It ran 250yards across the neighboring corn field & didn't leave any blood trail that I could find from the place of impact to where it dropped. Very fortunately I was in one of my permanent stands & I never lost sight of it, or I could have list it all together. Those are two extremely rare times when I've had game hit & take off outta sight. I place a lot of neck shots that drops them in their tracks & no blown up insides & ruined meat.
 
The heart and the great vessels are in the lower third of the chest directly above the front leg. Shoot there and you will get a great blood trail, however, it will be very short.
 
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