300gr XTP Mag

[james 14]

Had a chance to shoot a buck last night with the 300gr XTP Mag. Sorry I don't have a pic as it was dark and the skeeters were about to carry me away. I was shooting it sabotless over 120gr of BH209. He was about 75 yards away and quartering towards me. He was about to get downwind so I stopped him and took the shot. I've heard reports about this bullet not expanding as much as some would like. I had no complaints as the buck dropped in his tracks. The bullet entered just above the shoulder joint and exited mid-rib just before stomach. The exit hole wasn't huge but, then again, a 45 cal bullet creates quite a hole all on its own. What I require from my bullet is that it exits and causes some trauma on the way through...but it has to exit. The shoulder was busted up quite well and from what I could tell in the dark as 1000 needles sucked blood out of my back the internal organs took quite a bit of damage.

A cold front comes through tomorrow and I'll be out again Wednesday and Thursday. I'm waiting for a bigger one now but may try to put another in the freezer depending on when he walks out. If it's a meat deer I'll put one through the ribs to see how the bullet performs. If it's a big one he's getting it in the shoulder again.

 

[LarryBud]

Congrats.

XTP Mag has a great reputation. I bet a 120 of BH and a 300 grain bullet gets your attention and I'm sure it does the job on deer.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Congrats! Good report :yeah:

 

[WV Hunter]

I think any complaints are probably due to most folks not pushing them as hard. With 120gr BH you should have no performance issues. The good thing about the XTP is you can choose mag or not, based on your setup. Congrats and good luck! :yeah:

 

[Widude]

I have used the .400 Cal, 200 grn XTP out of my 45 on deer and coyotes. It has worked fine, I'd think your 300 grain bullet would pack a good punch.

 

[james 14]

I think any complaints are probably due to most folks not pushing them as hard. With 120gr BH you should have no performance issues. The good thing about the XTP is you can choose mag or not, based on your setup. Congrats and good luck! :yeah:

I went with the mag due to the slightly higher BC (probably due to it only having one cannelure compared to two on the non-mag). I pretty much have to use 120gr or it's not really worth using compared to other options. Fortunately it groups well if I do my part.

I have used the .400 Cal, 200 grn XTP out of my 45 on deer and coyotes. It has worked fine, I'd think your 300 grain bullet would pack a good punch.

I've used the 200gr on many a deer. I'd still be using it if I weren't trying to avoid a sabot and looking for a little more downrange energy. It's a great bullet.

Congrats.

XTP Mag has a great reputation. I bet a 120 of BH and a 300 grain bullet gets your attention and I'm sure it does the job on deer.

It's not too bad on the shoulder but I do have a good pad on the stock. What I really have to watch for is scope-bite.

 

[silentstalker]

I also shoot the 300 gr. XTP msg. I use a sabot and 100 gr. BH 209.

We have killed several mule deer with them and they work tremendously well.

I am curious as to you set up that accurately shouts one without a sabot. How does that work?

 

[Tannhauser]

I use a 300 gr XTP Mag. I like it because a stout charge of BH209 will push it fast enough to expand but I have no concern about it grenading on a close shot, which the same charge might do on a close shot with regular 300 gr XTP.

 

[edmehlig]

You should try the regular 300gr XP. You may be surprised at the results without using 120gr of BH209. Less recoil with the same effect on game.

 

[MrTom]

I also shoot the 300 gr. XTP msg. I use a sabot and 100 gr. BH 209.

We have killed several mule deer with them and they work tremendously well.

I am curious as to you set up that accurately shouts one without a sabot. How does that work?

In his signature you'll see he is shooting [I assume this was the gun] a .45. He's likely knurling the bullets to shoot sabotless.

 

[silentstalker]

Right on. Sorry I am using tapatalk and can not see his signature.

 

[james 14]

I ended up shooting another one last night. He was about 15 yards before I could finally get him to stop broadside. I about had to yell at him which was odd because I grunted him in in the first place. Didn't want to shoot him head-on because I wanted to see what the bullet would do through ribs. Well by the time he stopped he was at an awkward angle under me and there might've been some brush in front. The sun was at my back and caused a glare on the eye-piece of my scope. I'm not exactly sure what the bullet did. There were two entrance holes (it looked like), it also seemed the bullet angled straight through rather than downward and his leg was almost completely blown off at the shoulder joint on the opposite side.
It's possible I caught a limb about 5ft in front of the deer but it seems that 2000ish fps is starting to push the envelope with this bullet. It looked like a bomb went off where his heart was. It was really the opposite of what I expected which was more of a hole in and hole out. Hopefully I'll get to shoot another next Saturday to keep enlarging my sample size.

 

[ShawnT]

I ended up shooting another one last night. He was about 15 yards before I could finally get him to stop broadside. I about had to yell at him which was odd because I grunted him in in the first place. Didn't want to shoot him head-on because I wanted to see what the bullet would do through ribs. Well by the time he stopped he was at an awkward angle under me and there might've been some brush in front. The sun was at my back and caused a glare on the eye-piece of my scope. I'm not exactly sure what the bullet did. There were two entrance holes (it looked like), it also seemed the bullet angled straight through rather than downward and his leg was almost completely blown off at the shoulder joint on the opposite side.
It's possible I caught a limb about 5ft in front of the deer but it seems that 2000ish fps is starting to push the envelope with this bullet. It looked like a bomb went off where his heart was. It was really the opposite of what I expected which was more of a hole in and hole out. Hopefully I'll get to shoot another next Saturday to keep enlarging my sample size.

Be you hit a limb and the bullet had a chunk break off.

I had a similar result once but with a hard lead HP. I was sitting on the ground on a bench on the side of a hill and the buck came in behind me. I could not get up as he was about 30 yards behind me when he stopped. I had twisted around from the waist as far as I could when I first saw him and ,best I can figure, twisted back a bit during recoil and actually center punched a small tree that the shot should had just cleared. The bullet split in 2 pieces and both hit him. He was standing right behind this little tree when he stopped. One piece hit him in the neck and the other just behind the shoulder that I was aiming at. He dropped DRT. When I saw 2 separate holes I stood scratching my head for a few minutes and then looked back as saw this.

Side the bullet entered. My nephew pointing at the hole.