Hornady XTP Bullet Confusion

[GM54-120]

Youve been using XTP MAGs. Not XTPs.

 

[SteveH]

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.

Fully agree. At some speeds/distances, the MAG version of the XTP can pencil through. The regular XTPs have much more reliable expansion although they also are more likely to break up/fragment than the MAGs. But I will take that over the chance of no expansion.

Of course the true solution is to use Speer Gold Dots/Deepcurls in either 240 or 300 grains which ballistically perform very similar to XTPs, have better expansion, and do not fall apart (bonded jacket). If you can find them. . .

 

[GM54-120]

Ive blown up the 250gr GoldDot without even a max load. The 45cal 250gr has a huge HP and made for low end 45 Colt speeds. The 300gr is fine and most of the 44cal DeepCurls/GoldDots are fine too.......................... Now if you like shooting milder loads the 250gr GoldDot is excellent.

Neither one really suited my needs but the Speer 45cal 260gr does. Its plenty tough for upper end loads and dirt cheap when you can find them.

 

[10gaugemag]

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

.429 or .452?

 

[Steelheader323]

.452

 

[Wilbar]

I’ve been using the XTP’s for many years, 240 and 300 gr, 44 and 45 cal, never tried a “mag”, I buy my bullets in bulk (100) and buy sabots separately. I have six ML’s and they all have their own character. My White’s are .504 and like the 45 cal with black crush sabots. My Knight likes the 240, 44 cal with a green sabot. The Savage shoots either the 240 or 300 XTP or SST with orange and red sabots. Experiment with different loads and different bullets. I’ve been playing around with Barnes lately also for fun in my Encore. Good luck and have fun with it.

 

[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.

MidwayUSA has the box you mentioned having in your hand on sale for $11.99 for 20, plus free shipping. Not a bad price, especially if you want to try a small amount out to see if you like them.

 

[Smyrnagc]

I’ve been using the XTP’s for many years, 240 and 300 gr, 44 and 45 cal, never tried a “mag”, I buy my bullets in bulk (100) and buy sabots separately. I have six ML’s and they all have their own character. My White’s are .504 and like the 45 cal with black crush sabots. My Knight likes the 240, 44 cal with a green sabot. The Savage shoots either the 240 or 300 XTP or SST with orange and red sabots. Experiment with different loads and different bullets. I’ve been playing around with Barnes lately also for fun in my Encore. Good luck and have fun with it.

That's some good stuff right there!!!

 

[doulos]

Really dont need XTP mags for deer. Ive killed about 3 dozen with the regular 300 grain XTP in .452 and only recovered 2. And they were perfectly mushroomed. Ive killed at least half a dozen with the .430 300grain and about 10 with the .452 250. Have only recovered one or two of those. I use modest charges of 90 grains Blackhorn or 100 of Pyrodex ,777. The XTP is the most underrated muzzleloading bullet out there. Ive never been disappointed in it.

 

[Grumpy706]

Ive blown up the 250gr GoldDot without even a max load. The 45cal 250gr has a huge HP and made for low end 45 Colt speeds. The 300gr is fine and most of the 44cal DeepCurls/GoldDots are fine too.......................... Now if you like shooting milder loads the 250gr GoldDot is excellent.

Neither one really suited my needs but the Speer 45cal 260gr does. Its plenty tough for upper end loads and dirt cheap when you can find them.

I agree with this statement. I’ve been shooting the Speer 45caliber 260gr JHP for about 20 years. Perfect expansion and penetration on Whitetails and Mulies. I run them at just over 1850fps. Longest shot was 110 yards. Best part is they’re cheap. 25$/per 100. Black Crushribs another 9$. Have fun and good luck

 

[BlackSmoke]

I killed my biggest muzzleloader buck with a 300 grain XTP at 220 yards a few years ago and I am perfectly content with them, and I have the 200, 240, 250 and 300 grain XTP’s on hand already. Some 45 cal most in 44 cal.

I am doing some Omega load development here within the next week and wondered what you guys think about the 44 caliber Sierra and the Speer Pistol bullets. I bought them so cheap I couldn’t pass on them.

I am ordering sabots today and plan on going with “crushed rib” in both black and green. Both Omega barrels are tight with standard sabots.

 

[HC]

I’ve had really good results using the 44cal bullets (240 & 300 gr) in harvester crushrib green sabots. It seems that a stout load helps the sabots to leave the bullet sooner.

 

[doulos]

I killed my biggest muzzleloader buck with a 300 grain XTP at 220 yards a few years ago and I am perfectly content with them, and I have the 200, 240, 250 and 300 grain XTP’s on hand already. Some 45 cal most in 44 cal.

I am doing some Omega load development here within the next week and wondered what you guys think about the 44 caliber Sierra and the Speer Pistol bullets. I bought them so cheap I couldn’t pass on them.

I am ordering sabots today and plan on going with “crushed rib” in both black and green. Both Omega barrels are tight with standard sabots.

Have not used the Speer Pistol bullets to kill anything. But have killed deer with the Sierra .44 in 240 grain. I believe they were called Sportsmaster bullets. I killed a large bodied buck with that bullet out of a .44 cal Contender Pistol. Actually hit him with 2 shots. First shot facing me at about 65 yards I blew it and shot under his brisket but hit him in the back leg. He stumbled and started running UP hill. I reloaded and put one in the boiler room. He went down in 20 yards. Recovered both bullets. Bullet that broke his rear leg came apart and separated from jacket. Recovered it under hide in his leg. Second one entered behind nearside shoulder ,it broke the offside shoulder and came to rest under hide. It stayed together. You couldnt ask for more from a JHP. But I would not use that bullet out of my inlines. I believe the 240 grain would generate much more velocity than my Contender. However I would be more comfortable with the 300 grain version of the Sierra in an inline muzzy. They seem OK but one deer is a small sample size for me to switch from the Hornady 250 or 300. But if I couldnt find the Hornady I would try them. Or try some of my own hardcast bullets in sabots.

 

[GoexBlackhorn]

I prefer the lighter powder loads and recommend the 44-cal 240/300gr offerings by XTP. Per dollar spent on muzzleloader bullets, XTP is the best buy out there.... period / exclamation point. For me, it's the 44-cal in 240/300gr.

(my lighter load options)...I tend to use either....
two 777 pellets (one 50gr / one 30gr)
two 50gr White Hot pellets
80gr Goex FFF or competitor-equivalent loose powder

Never found any instant ignition consistency using Blackhorn 209. Spent a boatload of money trying different ways to make this powder perform correctly in humid Great Lakes region.
Pyrodex was another failure. That powder even more filthy than real black.

Stay away from the Jim Shockey / American Pioneer powders. They guarantee to disappoint users.