03mossy
The 300 grain XTP is my standard bullet with the short MMP sabot and 58 grains of N120 or 43 grains of 4759. I zero at 100, get 9" of drop at 200 and 15" at 250. Drop is predictable, but drift is harder to figure. 300 grainers are affected less in the wind and that's why they're my standard. It's not as sexy as a ballistic tip, but when I squeeze the trigger my interest is in killing not love making. Never shot at a deer that was moving and never without sticks or a rest. At 75 yards or less, I generally shoot them in the neck and beyond that range it's going to be a lung shot. The bullets have always been complete pass throughs and finding the deer has not been a problem, but that is probably a function of the terrain I hunt.
I should probably learn to shoot without the sticks, but habits that deliver the right results are hard to change. If I ever get to shoot with the Rifleman, I'll gladly take some lessons. I used to ask about bullet speed, and eventually bought a chrony, but I've only used it a few times and don't seem to have much interest in it.
Best regards -
Cob