RE: recovered bullets
 

"110 is the max I've ever shot just because I don't feel like the extra 40 grainshas any added bonus(for me). Guess that's why I've never had one blow up on me."

100 grains of Pyrodex pellets or 100 grains of loose Pyrodex is what i use with the 240 grain .44 caliber XTP in my CVA Staghorn. They have performed in an outstanding manner for me.For a couple of yearsi did use 130-150 grains of Pyrodex and the .44 caliber XTP bullet. Never had any problem with that bullet killing at high velocity either.

There is a lot of bad hype out there about the 240 grain XTP bullet and the 250 grain SST bullet.If you are capable of putting either bullet in the right spot it will kill well for you.

i have tracked a lot of wounded deer for other hunters: We listen to them wail and caterwaul about every muzzleloader bullet made. These guys are always looking for that magic bullet that will turn a gut shot into a bang flop. That bullet ain't out there. Asurprisingly large number of hunters will not even look for blood or attempt to track a wounded animal.

Afew years ago i saw a guy put a bad shoton a 6x6 elk. He and his buddy failed to track the animal. Asked them why. They said it was not badly wounded and would survive. Tried to tell them that the animal was badly wounded but they would not listen. Asked them if i found it could i keep it. Theylaughed and said yes. Followed the blood trail about one-quarter mile and there was that elk-dead and mine.

RE: recovered bullets
 

Chap

Saw you post early this morning, but did not have time to get his in until this afternnon.

Here is what Speer shows for their "ideal" expansion...

RE: recovered bullets
 

TNHagies

I hope you did not take anything I posted as saying the Hornady would not perform, it was never meant that way at all. I know the Hornady's have worked for bunches of people and they will continue to work for them - no doubt in my mind... But I also believe that the Gold Dot is a better performing bullet in most conditions - only because of my torture experiments which is nothing like shooting an animal. I have just proven to myself that the Gold Dot is a tougher bullet - but it should be because it is bonded and the XTP's are not.

I could not agree with you more... It is a matter of confidence - if you can not hunt with confidence maybe you should not be out there. As I have said I lost my confidence in Hornady's 25 years ago and have never trusted them since, but i was also probably asking that bullet to do more than it was designed for then and now.

RE: recovered bullets
 

Of all the XTP's I believe the 44cal 240 and 300 are the best for high speed I have used the with 130 gr RS with out a problem. Part of the problem is people want to lump the whole brand together it just does not work that way each bullet is made for a particular velocity, the commen use of these particular ones is the 44Mag and Super Mag the only one that are actually better high velocity bullets are the Gold Dots and the specality bullets Designed for mag muzzle loaders and the A frame and all copper Barns ,Nosler ect. which to me are overly expensive,when a Shock Wave or Gold Dot or XTP or several others would do the job very neatly. For long range and high velocity the 50/40 200gr Shock Wave really dont have any compitition. Its closest competitor is the 40 cal 200gr XTP in a blue sabot, now there is the meanest XTP of all after that I guess the 250 Shock Wave and then some of the expensive one. Lee

RE: recovered bullets
 

LEE

10-4 - that is the only XTP I can shoot with confidence, then maybe the .430/300 grain XTP because it has two canurling (sp) rings to help hold the lead in the copper..

RE: recovered bullets
 

I live and hunt in Pennsylvania and use an RMC Flintlock loaded with Goex 2f. My hunting loads are 90 grains in a 24" barrel, and 100 grains in the 28" barrel. Twist rates are 1:28. The first deer I took with it last year was around 70 yards or so using the 28" barrel and 100 grains of Goex 2f and a Hornady xtp 300 grain. The deer was small and impact was through the neck and out behind the off shoulder and the shot was from a treestand. It went down right now and was dead instantly but when skinning it there was little blood inside and the exit hole was not very large. I don't think it expanded much and the performance left me thinking about a bullet that would expand a little more not less; I guess it would be leaving the muzzle around 1500 f.p.s. if I was lucky. I think I need the 300 grains but I need something that opens up a bit more easily.

We can't use the .40 cal. bullets in the blue sabots because it needs to be at least 44 caliber. I bought some .430 200 grain xtp's to try out for that reason. They show on the chart to be a bit tougher than the .40 cal. 200 grainers but was hopeful they would perform close to what the .40 cal. bullets do. Anyone have any experience with this bullet on deer?

RE: recovered bullets
 

so what your saying, is people had problems with one cal. of the xtp, they write the whole brand off, or vise versa. that could be why I can't any 45 cal. xtps in any gunshops in my area, I may have try some 44 cal. xtps and gold dots, funny thing to they run a little cheaper.

RE: recovered bullets
 

Mossie

I would agree with you a lot... .452/300 grain XTP, XTP Mag and .430/300 grain XTP might be a bit much for the slender whitetail. The bullet is in and out before it has much chance to do any thing... The .430/240 and the .452/250 (regular 250 not the mag version) should work a lot better...

But;

I would bet the bank that the .452/250 Gold Dot and even the 300 Grain Gold dot would do the job + you are assured that the bullet will stay together at any range. Chap and Semisane both have chosen to use the 300 GD both for ballistic reasons... I still would use the 250 on white... with that deep hollow point cavity it has got to open and open fast but yet still get retain weight to drive the bullet through.

RE: recovered bullets
 

UC, Your right I was talking about hard cast bullets, not pure lead. Thanks. Chap Gleason

RE: recovered bullets
 

Beautiful, I agree it is ideal, not flattened out like a pancake, it is fully expanded. I would like to see the side, it should show the shank fully intact. This is generating a lot of good debate on the "perfect bullet", not just a recoved bullet. Chap