ORIGINAL: LeftyBuckmaster
I was just wondering if anyone had used the Hornady xtp bullet saboted in their ML and what results they got with deer sized game or larger. Also were you using 44 or 45 caliber bullets. Are they accurate at longer ranges at 200-300 yards.
The XTP is primarlily as pistol bullet. Please see the chart below for expansion velocity of the various XTPs. The 300g retains more energy and shoots thru better than the light one, therefore better blood trails.Sometimes they loose their jacket causing weight loss and lack of penetration, they are unbonded. I am not saying they don't kill, I am just giving you the facts so you can make an informed choice. They are like $25 for 100 so they are one of the least expensive bullets out there. The 300g Gold Dot, is bonded, cost is $17 for 50, so a bit more expsensive, but the don't fragment nearly as bad as the XTP.There are some that believe that "a little bit of fragmentaion" is a good thing, like 75% weight retention. I am not one of those believers. They do kill deer, they are a good bullet, if they are accurate in your guy, by all means use them.There some that shoot the XTP/Mag, which is designed for higher velocity, like 3 pellets, however they are known to not expand on close shots.
If you want to shoot 200 to 300 yards you need to go to an ShockWave or an SST (Super Shock Tipped), to get a higher ballistic Coefficient and shoot a LOT at those distances so you know bullet drop. MLer "fall off the shelf" at really 175 yards and beyond. Your basically shooting a 45/70 rifle bullet, look up ballistics in any handloading manual and see the design performance of the 45/70, which is about 2000 fps an 200 yards max. Of course with tang sights the old 45/70 in a Sharps did some amazing things for folks that knew their bullet drop (Quiggly Down Under). Big bullets going slow kill very effectively. It sounds like you wanna shoot long distances (Open fields in the mid west), buy a Savage and shoot smokeless, then you can get there no problem. 200 is easy, 250 is possible, some guys shoot 300 with solid rests, very accurate guns (3" at 200 yards, 4" at 300) and knowing their bullet drop.
Chap
This may also help to point out the differences in XTPs:
Starting on the left is a regular 300gr XTP, then a 300gr XTP Mag, then (a bullet some of you have never seen) a 240gr TC PTX (this bullet was made for TC by Hornady and is the daddy of the SST ML, production was ended after the SST/Shockwave came out) and then the Hornady .458 300gr HP. The above was taken from here:
http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Savage&thre ad=9748&page=1#92603
Notice jacket thickness, base thickness and expansion cavity.