This is a Tough one to answer as for nearly 20 years I have used the 240gr XTP with Powder grades from 150gr's to 100gr's with both Powder and Pellets and used only the XTP and a MLer for Hunting.
A Tough question, why? Because I have never seen a shot on a Deer duplicated by being shot in the exact same place, they have all been different, some close, but different.
I have had massive Blood Trail's that anyone could follow and then hardly any Blood down to specks and then some just did'nt bleed but did'nt go far either, but they Majority expired anywhere from 0-40yds, some further.
I have had Deer with there Heart Blown apart that ran 100yds and some went 15yds, Deer with Mushed Lungs do the same, some bled a-lot, some did'nt.
So Im confused more to the reason why a Deer that was hit in the exact same spot at the same distance, with the exact same Bullet and Powder Combo had a Massive Blood Trail and ran 15 yds, while another ran 100yds with no blood and another dropped on the spot, while another, another and another, ect, ect, ect, all did different things?
So would it be right for me to say the 240gr XTP that hit a few Deer and left a 2 foot wide Blood Trail and ran only 20yds was the Best Bullet for me, as one that had no blood and ran 100yds with the same bullet was still dead but had completely different results. I cant answer this, all I know is I found each and every one and they all expired after the shot.
If we had the exact same results on each and every Deer we shot with the exact same Bullet and Powder Combo, then we could answer this question. But for me no 2 shots have ever been exactly the same, some close, but all different.
I think no matter what Bullet Powder Combo you use you will always have different results.
We did a few Deer Drives the last few Day's as our Weather has been BAD, LOT's and LOT's of SNOW and WIND, so we figured with the Weather this way and our Gun Season ending this Sunday we better get the Deer up and moving and fill some Tag's.
My Buddy shot a Buck at 20yds with a (Foster Type) 1oz Winchester Slug. He hit the Buck Broadside just a tad far back, clipped a Lung and got the Liver. As we inspected the Hit Sight we only saw one Very Tiny Speck of Blood, we waited for a Hour befor we took up the Search as the Snow was comming down fast and hard.
125yds into the Tracking Job we found the Buck piled up. The extrance and exit holes were the size of Half Dollars, yet the Buck never blead untill it fell. With the size of the entrance and exit holes you'd think he would have left a blood trail anyone could follow, especially with Snow, but he did'nt, why? The same day another Buddy shot another Buck with a different Shotgun but the same Winchester 1oz Slug, the shot was almost the same distance and in the same location on the animal, this Buck Blead like Crazy and went only about 10-15yds, again why?
I dont think anyone can answer this or prove that there is the (Perfect Bullet) out there. Sometimes the bullet works Perfect and other times the same Bullet does something different.
In about an Hour Im heading out to do some more Deer Drives, and with any Luck we'll score on some Deer. I'll have My Camera with me and take some pics of what may happen. I'll have a MLer, so will another Friend and the rest will have Shotguns.
(BP)