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I was digging thru some of my treasures and found these four XTP's that were recovered from animals I'd taken with either my Accura or the Optima pistol.
The two at the top are .44 cal 240 grainers from the pistol: The one on the left came from a doe and actually left the animal's others side and was laying on the snow about three yards behind where she was hit/dropped after connecting solidly with both shoulders near the elbows from about 18 yards. The one on the right was a quartering to me shot that hit in the front left area of the chest and was under the hide in front of the opposite hind quarter after a 40 yard shot.
The bottom two are both .45 300 grainers: The one on the left was from a 10 point buck taken three years ago when I somehow ran out of my usual 300 grain .44 cal hunting bullets and had to use the .45. This shot again was quartering to me and hit just in front of the right shoulder and was also found near the opposite hind quarter. The bullet on the left came from a big bodied nine point that was starting to quarter away [about a 1 o:clock angle] from me offering a shot at the right shoulder and neck area. The bullet connected high in the shoulder and plowed thru to the spinal column where it followed it forward and the bullets was found nudged up against the jaw bone. This deer was taken in the last 15 minutes of the last day of the season at the onset of a huge snow storm. I've never seen another deer pile up like this one did. He was about 15 yards from me at the shot sneaking thru a tangle of buckthorn.
We refer to terminal performance often here and these are four instances with Hornady's XTP bullets in two different calibers and are proof that they do work well and as they're supposed to. It is interesting to see how bullets react to bone and softer tissues. The .44 cal bullets from the pistol were moved along with a 63 grain weighed charge of 209 powder in green crush ribs. The .45 cals were in front of 77 grains weighed charges of 209 powder and wearing black smooth sabots.
The two at the top are .44 cal 240 grainers from the pistol: The one on the left came from a doe and actually left the animal's others side and was laying on the snow about three yards behind where she was hit/dropped after connecting solidly with both shoulders near the elbows from about 18 yards. The one on the right was a quartering to me shot that hit in the front left area of the chest and was under the hide in front of the opposite hind quarter after a 40 yard shot.
The bottom two are both .45 300 grainers: The one on the left was from a 10 point buck taken three years ago when I somehow ran out of my usual 300 grain .44 cal hunting bullets and had to use the .45. This shot again was quartering to me and hit just in front of the right shoulder and was also found near the opposite hind quarter. The bullet on the left came from a big bodied nine point that was starting to quarter away [about a 1 o:clock angle] from me offering a shot at the right shoulder and neck area. The bullet connected high in the shoulder and plowed thru to the spinal column where it followed it forward and the bullets was found nudged up against the jaw bone. This deer was taken in the last 15 minutes of the last day of the season at the onset of a huge snow storm. I've never seen another deer pile up like this one did. He was about 15 yards from me at the shot sneaking thru a tangle of buckthorn.
We refer to terminal performance often here and these are four instances with Hornady's XTP bullets in two different calibers and are proof that they do work well and as they're supposed to. It is interesting to see how bullets react to bone and softer tissues. The .44 cal bullets from the pistol were moved along with a 63 grain weighed charge of 209 powder in green crush ribs. The .45 cals were in front of 77 grains weighed charges of 209 powder and wearing black smooth sabots.