Hornady XTP 230 grain ?

[JeffB1961]

sorry i'm i'm being a PITA asking about another bullet , but i found a very wallet friendly option ... i hope ......

i found .451 diameter Hornady XTP 230 grain bullets for $27 for a box of 100 . the 240 XTP's seem to get some luv around here and i'm wondering if the 230's are also liked by folks here . they'll be used in a 2003 .50 cal. optima . what would be the recommended sabot for them ? i'll be using pyrodex powder and federal primers .

thanks , jeff

 

[MrTom]

I'd start with Harvester black sabots. May want to have the black crush ribs handy too. That's sort of a short bullet so I'd start with a milder volume charge of about 60-70 grains and work up from there 5 grains at a time.

 

[rangerod]

I'd start with Harvester black sabots. May want to have the black crush ribs handy too. That's sort of a short bullet so I'd start with a milder volume charge of about 60-70 grains and work up from there 5 grains at a time.

X2

 

[JeffB1961]

less powder means the powder i have will last longer and since the scope i'll be using is probably over rated on it's eye relief that means less chance of getting scoped . should this still be good for deer at 100 yards with the lighter charge you suggested ?

thanks

 

[MrTom]

XTP's are excellent deer bullets. That 230 grain bullet is pretty short but with somewhat slower velocities with powder charges like I suggested they should stay fairly stable and accurate while still functioning as the bullets are designed to. Honestly a solid copper bullet in the same weight range would be a longer bullets and longer bullets in the .50 cal seem to be more stable. I've shot 225 grain Barnes XPB copper bullets out of my Accura V2 with charges of 77 weighed grains of BH209 powder [110 grains by volume] and they whistle right along very accurately but they are a longer bullet. Your 230 grain pills will be fine as long as you don't try to drive them too fast. I don't think I'd go much over 90 grains by volume and expect decent accuracy but then too every gun is different and you may see great accuracy if you jack up the powder charge a bit. Spend some time at the range with varying charges, that's your best bet. Pyrodex is a lot tamer than BH209 or even T7 with a slower burn curve so I think you have plenty of room to play with.

 

[JeffB1961]

if i bumped up to the 250 grain .452 hornady xtp would that potentially be a little more accurate and be more likely to make a exit hole ?
would i still use the harvester black crush sabot or would something different be better ?

 

[MrTom]

Myself I'd do the 250 grain, or even the 240, over the 230. I hunt with a 250 grain Barnes and its heck on deer. Before I switched to the Barnes I shot and hunted a 250 grain XTP and took lots of deer with the bullet. With the 250 grain I'd be using the black harvester crush rib sabot, but that's in my gun so you'll still likely want to have both the plain black and black crush rib to trial your gun.

 

[GM54-120]

230gr is a 45ACP bullet and very fragile even at mild ML speeds. The 45cal 240gr is a XTP MAG and TOUGH. The 250gr XTP is just right for most shooters.

 

[MrTom]

230gr is a 45ACP bullet and very fragile even at mild ML speeds. The 45cal 240gr is a XTP MAG and TOUGH. The 250gr XTP is just right for most shooters.

I missed this last night on the 240 grain bullet. My reference to the 240 was using a .44 cal bullet in a green sabot, not the .45 cal.

 

[Okie Hog]

230gr is a 45ACP bullet and very fragile even at mild ML speeds.

^^^Yes

Years ago Hornady had a chart with recommended velocities of the various XTP bullets. The recommended maximum velocity of the .451 230 grain bullet was 1,200 feet per second. i won't use that bullet on deer or hogs.

For years i used the 240 grain .430 bullet on deer and hogs. It worked well for me.

 

[JeffB1961]

thanks folks glad i asked !
i'll be ordering the 250's when i place my order on the 3rd .
i'll be ordering other stuff for the old optima also .

take care , jeff

 

[Bphunter1974]

My 11 year old granddaughters muzzleloader load. 1 inch groups at 100 is 250 grain .452 xtp over 80 grains by volume blackhorn 209 with black harvester sabot. Went completely through a 70 lb doe at 90 yards dead right there never took a step.

 

[gmstack]

We need more ladies in the sport congrats to your granddaughter and you for mentoring her.

 

[Bphunter1974]

She's ate up with it. Calls me everyday to talk about our next adventure. Anything outdoors she's on it.

 

[gmstack]

Fantastic, once we hunters get started it becomes a lifelong passion. Good hunting and good luck.

g

 

[JeffB1961]

when sighting in the 250 with crushed rib sabot at 50 yards approximately how high should the point of impact be to be close enough at 100 yards to still be on paper to re-sight my scope for that distance ? i'll be shooting a 2003 optima and guessing i'll be using 80ish grains of pyrodex rs ... maybe T7 (gotta play with charge size to find what's the most accurate) ? 2-3 inches maybe ?????

 

[ElDiablo]

when sighting in the 250 with crushed rib sabot at 50 yards approximately how high should the point of impact be to be close enough at 100 yards to still be on paper to re-sight my scope for that distance ? i'll be shooting a 2003 optima and guessing i'll be using 80ish grains of pyrodex rs ... maybe T7 (gotta play with charge size to find what's the most accurate) ? 2-3 inches maybe ?????

Should be closer to +3/4” at 50 for a 100 zero I would think.

 

[Bphunter1974]

when sighting in the 250 with crushed rib sabot at 50 yards approximately how high should the point of impact be to be close enough at 100 yards to still be on paper to re-sight my scope for that distance ? i'll be shooting a 2003 optima and guessing i'll be using 80ish grains of pyrodex rs ... maybe T7 (gotta play with charge size to find what's the most accurate) ? 2-3 inches maybe ?????

I'd guess 2 inches low at 100 yards I can't remember when we sighted in grandaughters

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Just a thought on the 230 XTP.
Yup, rated to 1200 fps. Yup, has a cave of a hollow point.
But! I've long held that because the jacket isn't compromised by the rifling, the bullet can take higher velocities without failing. The rifling stria are, in effect, stress risers and jackets can split following them them during expansion.
I nce shot a big doe with a Winchester .45 caliber 230 grain h.p. Talk about a Hollow point! At 1600 fps, I got full penetration on a front quartering shot. The lungs were goo..good...
I recovered several of those bullets from the dirt and was amazed that they held their cores and expanded to nearly an inch across.
I believe the Hornadys are at least as tough.
I've shot deer with the 180 and 200 gain .40 XTPs. The 180s left the muzzle at 1800 fps and the 200s at 1700. Recovered 1 180 out of a fine fat 8 pointer. Went in the left side ribs and wound up under the hide of the right ham. Not too shabby for a wee pistol bullet at WAY above its rating. The other 180 WA a pass through.
The 200, not rated for as high velocity as the 180, was epic!
At 10-12 yards, I popped a doe. At the shot, she retracted her landing gear and dropped. Not a twitch.
The 200 hit the ball of her shoulder joint, a rib, went through her chest like a blender, and didn't exit. I couldn't find it.
Some would say it failed. The late doe says otherwise. Hitting a ball joint it tough on any bullet and this one was doing about 500 fps faster than it was rated.
If you don't go crazy with the powder, these lower velocity rated bullets can be most impressive on critters.
The 230 grin .45 XTP is also very accurate in my 1-38 Firehawk. I do have to switch to a regular Harvester sabot though. Crush ribs not giving enough load tension due to the shorter bearing surface of the 230.

 

[JeffB1961]

thanks folks . according to UPS tracking my midway order is supposed to be delivered today . i have 100 XTP 250's and 100 black crush sabots along with stuff for cleaning and a new breech plug and the BP wrench in that order . i got 3 lbs. of 777 fffg and 400 federal 209a primers locally . so i should be shooting in a few days