Hornady XTP Bullet Confusion

[duurmeehr]

I am kicking around trying the XTP bullet a lot are raving about in my new .50 CVA Optima V2 but am confused about what bullet is what.

I had a box of these in my hand:

https://www.hornady.com/muzzleloading/xtp-muzzleloading#!/
It says it is a 44 caliber .430" bullet in a green sabot at 240 grains but it says nothing about "MAG".

What I keep hearing is that I need a "MAG" bullet for the 50 caliber muzzleloader to hold together better??

The only bullet I can find that is called a "MAG" bullet in 240 grains is a 45 caliber bullet at .452" which I guess is not sold as a muzzleloader bullet as such with a matching sabot?

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/handgun/45-cal-452-240-gr-xtp-mag#!/
If that is the bullet how would I determine what sabot to fit my CVA .50 bore and where do I procure it or is trial and error?

I was thinking that Hornady would sell it with a sabot in a kit but maybe not.

Any observations will be appreciated.

 

[GM54-120]

XTP MAG is used for .45cal XTPs. There is a 45cal 240gr and a 300gr in MAG. There is a 45cal 250gr and a 300gr in standard XTP. You dont need MAGs. The 44cal bullets are all labeled just XTP.

45cal XTP MAGS are made for 454 Cassul and higher type loads. Those are faster than a 44mag with a similar weight bullet. Kinda funny that someone said you need MAGs for a ML when the 44cal bullets aint MAGs. Tell you what, i bet hundreds of thousands of deer have fallen to the lowly 300gr XTP and punched two holes.....What more do you require?

Hornady did sell them with sabots. They called them American Whitetail or something like that.

 

[Ron Huff]

I shoot the 240 Grain .430 XTP in a Green Harvestor Crush Rib Sabot. Great combo in my 50 MK 85.

 

[bronko220002]

Out of my Accura V2 I shoot either a .430" 300 gr XTP with a Harvester green crush rib sabot or a .452" 300 gr XTP with a Harvester black crush rib sabot. both bullets shoot to the same POI out to 100 yards and are good deer thumpers.

 

[ElDiablo]

Just in case the colors are confusing - the green sabots (by MMP or Harvester) are made for use in .50 muzzleloaders with .44 (.429-.430”) bullets and the blacks are for use in a .50 with .45 (.451-.452”) bullets.

You may find that your rifle shoots something in a green sabot better than a black or vice versa. Many, including myself, have found the .45 caliber bullets in a black sabot to be more accurate. One theory is that the sabot petals are thinner and separate from the bullet more quickly which is generally better for accuracy.

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

Just in case the colors are confusing - the green sabots (by MMP or Harvester) are made for use in .50 muzzleloaders with .44 (.429-.430”) bullets and the blacks are for use in a .50 with .45 (.451-.452”) bullets.

You may find that your rifle shoots something in a green sabot better than a black or vice versa. Many, including myself, have found the .45 caliber bullets in a black sabot to be more accurate. One theory is that the sabot petals are thinner and separate from the bullet more quickly which is generally better for accuracy.

This is good advise I use the same set up as Eldiablo. There is no magnum bullet it's just a larger amount of powder to get a faster speed down range to target and for bullet expansion in the animal. I use 3 whotehots 240 xtp in black sabot and I have clover groups at 100yrds all day long and I swab after every 4 shots with dry patch . Get the gun to group on target and
have fun experimenting with different loads of powder you will find what works for that gun .welcome to fun of muzzys.

 

[GM54-120]

I use 3 whotehots 240 xtp in black sabot

Then you are using the 45cal 240gr XTP MAG unless they started making a 45cal 240gr XTP. They did make a couple oddballs for MLs but cant remember what the weights were.

 

[Steelheader323]

Standard 300 grain xtp bought in bulk with harvester black crush rib sabot..2 Holes, a lot of blood, only went 20 yards. One of the cheapest most effective modern muzzleloader projectiles in the market. Inside 200 yards I see no point in spending money on anything else unless I wanted to shoot solid monolithic bullets

 

[GM54-120]

Only thing ive seen better for cheap is the Speer 300gr DeepCurl but they have been a PITA to get for many years. Want 2 holes and better expansion than the SST....Just get a 300gr XTP for less $$$$.

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

Then you are using the 45cal 240gr XTP MAG unless they started making a 45cal 240gr XTP. They did make a couple oddballs for MLs but cant remember what the weights were.

Yes you need a tighter fit to bore . Try different sabots colors ribbed or smooth kind of like condoms find what she likes . You need to get a vernier caliper and measure your bullet diameter so you can track what your bore likes

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

Then you are using the 45cal 240gr XTP MAG unless they started making a 45cal 240gr XTP. They did make a couple oddballs for MLs but cant remember what the weights were.

One is 44 cal and the mag is 45 cal just a little tighter for more pressure to grab the rifeling at higher speed.

 

[GM54-120]

 

[kerryman71]

I am kicking around trying the XTP bullet a lot are raving about in my new .50 CVA Optima V2 but am confused about what bullet is what.

I had a box of these in my hand:

https://www.hornady.com/muzzleloading/xtp-muzzleloading#!/
It says it is a 44 caliber .430" bullet in a green sabot at 240 grains but it says nothing about "MAG".

What I keep hearing is that I need a "MAG" bullet for the 50 caliber muzzleloader to hold together better??

The only bullet I can find that is called a "MAG" bullet in 240 grains is a 45 caliber bullet at .452" which I guess is not sold as a muzzleloader bullet as such with a matching sabot?

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/handgun/45-cal-452-240-gr-xtp-mag#!/
If that is the bullet how would I determine what sabot to fit my CVA .50 bore and where do I procure it or is trial and error?

I was thinking that Hornady would sell it with a sabot in a kit but maybe not.

Any observations will be appreciated.

Eventually when you find which one works best for you, you can buy the bullets and sabots to go along with them. I just bought 100 each of the 44 240 grain XTP and 45 250 grain XTPs. One box was 29 dollars, the other 33. I bought 50 Harvester black and 50 Harvester green sabots for 8.99 each. Comes out to about 50 cents per round...then add the 500 dollar bottle of BH209

 

[Jbrown69]

I am kicking around trying the XTP bullet a lot are raving about in my new .50 CVA Optima V2 but am confused about what bullet is what.

I had a box of these in my hand:

https://www.hornady.com/muzzleloading/xtp-muzzleloading#!/
It says it is a 44 caliber .430" bullet in a green sabot at 240 grains but it says nothing about "MAG".

What I keep hearing is that I need a "MAG" bullet for the 50 caliber muzzleloader to hold together better??

The only bullet I can find that is called a "MAG" bullet in 240 grains is a 45 caliber bullet at .452" which I guess is not sold as a muzzleloader bullet as such with a matching sabot?

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/handgun/45-cal-452-240-gr-xtp-mag#!/
If that is the bullet how would I determine what sabot to fit my CVA .50 bore and where do I procure it or is trial and error?

I was thinking that Hornady would sell it with a sabot in a kit but maybe not.

Any observations will be appreciated.

They are the bullets. I used the 452 bullets for a long time. The problem is you need a sabot that loads this bullet in you gun snugly but you should not have to beat it down the bore. The answer will only be found by trying different sabots. Try the sabots that come with the bullet and if they load acceptable you are good, no you are lucky! Harvester makes crushed ribbed sabots that load easy and Traditions and Thompson Center makes easy glides. You can check these easy with your Optima by pulling your breech plug and putting the bullet into you sabot and push it through. If you have a snug bullet but not extremely hard to load you can then try them for accuracy. Unless you use blackhorn, I suggest swabbing in between shots with a slightly damp patch as fouling will make the loading harder and affect accuracy.

 

[Okie Hog]

You don't need an XTP magnum bullet for whitetail deer.

Got back into muzzleloading hunting in 2000. Killed a few dozen deer and truckloads of wild hogs using the 240 grain .430 bullet in the black sabot.

 

[duurmeehr]

Only thing ive seen better for cheap is the Speer 300gr DeepCurl but they have been a PITA to get for many years. Want 2 holes and better expansion than the SST....Just get a 300gr XTP for less $$$$.

I originally sighted in with the 240 grain SST with 2 pellets of T7. It shoots an 1.5" at 100 yards with a measured muzzle velocity of 1695 fps which is good for now. I haven't seen anything I wanted to shoot yet so I have no field experience with penetration and expansion with the SST. Are you thinking I will have a problem with pass through or expansion with that SST?

 

[duurmeehr]

Just in case the colors are confusing - the green sabots (by MMP or Harvester) are made for use in .50 muzzleloaders with .44 (.429-.430”) bullets and the blacks are for use in a .50 with .45 (.451-.452”) bullets.

You may find that your rifle shoots something in a green sabot better than a black or vice versa. Many, including myself, have found the .45 caliber bullets in a black sabot to be more accurate. One theory is that the sabot petals are thinner and separate from the bullet more quickly which is generally better for accuracy.

OK, I get it now. Green for .44 caliber, black for .45 caliber.

 

[jd24.5.48]

I'm shooting the 45 240s in the black sabot with 80grn by volume of blackhorn. My accura V2 lr is a tack driver at 100yds! Shot 2 doe last year and the 1st one went 25yds max and the 2nd one was DRT! 1st shot was 40yds and the 2nd shot was 70yds!

 

[GM54-120]

You guys using light loads and 240gr XTP MAGs will eventually learn the hard way. Even guys shooting Savage MLIIs back in the day avoided them and shot 250gr and 300gr standard XTPs instead. Once they slow down, they hardly expand at all. So dont be too confident your 60 yards bang flops are still gunna happen at 120yards. The jacket on those bullets are thicker than SSTs.

 

[jd24.5.48]

You guys using light loads and 240gr XTP MAGs will eventually learn the hard way. Even guys shooting Savage MLIIs back in the day avoided them and shot 250gr and 300gr standard XTPs instead. Once they slow down, they hardly expand at all. So dont be too confident your 60 yards bang flops are still gunna happen at 120yards. The jacket on those bullets are thicker than SSTs.

I've been using the xtp 240s for well over 10 years now and haven't had any problems with em yet! All of my shots are under 100yds. The areas that I hunt just don't allow for anything further. However I do want to try the 300grn xtp and see what kind of accuracy I can get with my accura V2 lr.