XTP Performance on Whitetails?
07-12-2009, 05:16 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Saxonburg Pa
Posts: 3,925
I have shot Hogs, Whitetails, Coyotes, and fox with XTP'S. They are an excellant bullet at moderate velocities. They are a pistol bullet and weren't designed to shoot at high speeds.
I used them ranging from two 777 pellets to 110grns of 777 by volume. I mostly used a short black MMP sabot as well. That combination hooks up very well. The results have been excellent.
Alot of people like to say it's a cheap bullet. Well i can tell you it works like an expensive bullet on game. You cant go wrong for Whitetails with an XTP.
BTW- I have read were the mag XTP"S did not work well on Deer size game. I can't confirm that. I alway's used the standard XTP.
I used them ranging from two 777 pellets to 110grns of 777 by volume. I mostly used a short black MMP sabot as well. That combination hooks up very well. The results have been excellent.
Alot of people like to say it's a cheap bullet. Well i can tell you it works like an expensive bullet on game. You cant go wrong for Whitetails with an XTP.
BTW- I have read were the mag XTP"S did not work well on Deer size game. I can't confirm that. I alway's used the standard XTP.
07-12-2009, 06:04 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 123
I have shot Hogs, Whitetails, Coyotes, and fox with XTP'S. They are an excellant bullet at moderate velocities. They are a pistol bullet and weren't designed to shoot at high speeds.
I used them ranging from two 777 pellets to 110grns of 777 by volume. I mostly used a short black MMP sabot as well. That combination hooks up very well. The results have been excellent.
Alot of people like to say it's a cheap bullet. Well i can tell you it works like an expensive bullet on game. You cant go wrong for Whitetails with an XTP.
BTW- I have read were the mag XTP"S did not work well on Deer size game. I can't confirm that. I alway's used the standard XTP.
I used them ranging from two 777 pellets to 110grns of 777 by volume. I mostly used a short black MMP sabot as well. That combination hooks up very well. The results have been excellent.
Alot of people like to say it's a cheap bullet. Well i can tell you it works like an expensive bullet on game. You cant go wrong for Whitetails with an XTP.
BTW- I have read were the mag XTP"S did not work well on Deer size game. I can't confirm that. I alway's used the standard XTP.
Have you used the 240 grain or 300 grain XTP's?
07-12-2009, 06:08 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
I used the 250 gr XTP on about 17 deer and hogs, they worked quite well with 110 gr RS. I tried some heavier loads but they started coming apart to much to suit me so I tried the mag with 130 and 140 gr RS it work well on the deer but I could not get the accuracy I wanted.
I tried a number of different bullets and am going to try some new ones this year, but at the moment my stand by go to bullet is a 250 gr Gold Dot for deer, it is reasonable priced and shoots well for me but the real reason I like it so well is I get bang flops with it. There are a number of bullets that work quite well, I like the Nosler partition and the Lehigh [which I will be using this year. But the truth of the matter is I like to shoot a lot so for a lot of my shooting I need a combination of accuracy and capability with a good enough price that fits the shooting budget. Lee
I tried a number of different bullets and am going to try some new ones this year, but at the moment my stand by go to bullet is a 250 gr Gold Dot for deer, it is reasonable priced and shoots well for me but the real reason I like it so well is I get bang flops with it. There are a number of bullets that work quite well, I like the Nosler partition and the Lehigh [which I will be using this year. But the truth of the matter is I like to shoot a lot so for a lot of my shooting I need a combination of accuracy and capability with a good enough price that fits the shooting budget. Lee
07-12-2009, 06:52 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Comance county, OK
Posts: 11,408
Have you used the 240 grain or 300 grain XTP's?
i have used the 240 grain .430 XTP on deer and hogs since my return to muzzleloading in 2000. Have killed dozens of hogs and over 15 deer with that bullet: Most were bang flops or near bang flops. Never had a deer or hog escape after being shot with that bullet. Most of my shots with the 240 grain .430 XTP bullet used two Pyrodex pellets or 100 grains of loose Pyrodex RS.
Had a few long tracking escapades when i failed to put the bullet in the right place: That is my fault.
BTW- I have read were the mag XTP"S did not work well on Deer size game.
07-12-2009, 07:06 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Camp Lejeune, NC
Posts: 3,869
There are a lot of people who have had excellent results with them. IMO, I would use them to shoot paper with for practice being that they're cheap. But as far as harvesting game, I choose to trust a more expensive, high performance, bullet for that. Harvesting an animal is too important to let something as easily controlled as my bullet performance go to chance. XTP's have worked great for some and others have had issues with them. When I have an animal I want to harvest in my sights, I don't want to think about whether or not my bullet is going to perform correctly. There are certain instances when being cheap can be rewarding. IMO, bullets is not one of those instances.
07-12-2009, 07:53 AM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Comance county, OK
Posts: 11,408
This is one of the 300 grain XTP magnum bullets that failed to expand upon hitting dense moist red clay. Yep, this is not a good test of a bullet. However, all the other types of bullets that i dug out of that bank expanded nicely.
07-12-2009, 08:09 AM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Comance county, OK
Posts: 11,408
In the hands of a good hunter making a long range shot; a premium centerfire rifle bullet might make a difference. Many of my hunting friends in the 50s and 60s in WV harvested big buck deer with .25-20 and .32-20 rifles. They did it because they knew the limitations of their guns and they put the bullet in the right place.
Quite often the expensive bullets do not perform any better than the XTP and other cheaper bullets. Some hunters hunters think that their expensive well advertised bullet is a magic bullet that will turn a gut shot into a bang flop every time.
Every year i track a dozen or so wounded elk, deer and hogs for other hunters. Most of those animals are gut shot. Watched a guy shoot a big bull elk at a distance of about 100 yards. Saw dust fly off the animal when the gun cracked-too far back.
Had an argument with the guy when he said he didn't hit the animal. He claimed that his Nosler Partition bullet would have dropped the elk in its tracks had he hit it. Asked him if i could have the elk if i found it and he just drove off.
Tracked that big bull elk about one-quarter mile, found it, called the game warden who gave me permission to bring it in and keep it. Voila'-400 pounds of good elk meat free. Saw the elk "hunter" a few days later and told him about it. He had the guts to demand the antlers: i told him where to go.
Quite often the expensive bullets do not perform any better than the XTP and other cheaper bullets. Some hunters hunters think that their expensive well advertised bullet is a magic bullet that will turn a gut shot into a bang flop every time.
Every year i track a dozen or so wounded elk, deer and hogs for other hunters. Most of those animals are gut shot. Watched a guy shoot a big bull elk at a distance of about 100 yards. Saw dust fly off the animal when the gun cracked-too far back.
Had an argument with the guy when he said he didn't hit the animal. He claimed that his Nosler Partition bullet would have dropped the elk in its tracks had he hit it. Asked him if i could have the elk if i found it and he just drove off.
Tracked that big bull elk about one-quarter mile, found it, called the game warden who gave me permission to bring it in and keep it. Voila'-400 pounds of good elk meat free. Saw the elk "hunter" a few days later and told him about it. He had the guts to demand the antlers: i told him where to go.
07-12-2009, 09:47 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,482
I've taken 3 deer with the .40 cal 200 grain XTP.
Deer #1: 2 Triple Seven pellets, range 108 yards = DRT
Deer #2: 80 grains loose Triple Seven, range 102 yards = DRT
Deer #3: 95 grains loose Triple Seven, range 90 yards = 70 yard tracking job w/good blood trail (deer was hit in liver)
I've been very happy with them- no complaints with performance or accuracy. However, I am considering switching to a "pointy" bullet to get a flatter trajectory & long range performance since I hunt in a place where lots of long shots are possible.
Deer #1: 2 Triple Seven pellets, range 108 yards = DRT
Deer #2: 80 grains loose Triple Seven, range 102 yards = DRT
Deer #3: 95 grains loose Triple Seven, range 90 yards = 70 yard tracking job w/good blood trail (deer was hit in liver)
I've been very happy with them- no complaints with performance or accuracy. However, I am considering switching to a "pointy" bullet to get a flatter trajectory & long range performance since I hunt in a place where lots of long shots are possible.
07-12-2009, 11:15 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Camp Lejeune, NC
Posts: 3,869
In the hands of a good hunter making a long range shot; a premium centerfire rifle bullet might make a difference. Many of my hunting friends in the 50s and 60s in WV harvested big buck deer with .25-20 and .32-20 rifles. They did it because they knew the limitations of their guns and they put the bullet in the right place.
Quite often the expensive bullets do not perform any better than the XTP and other cheaper bullets. Some hunters hunters think that their expensive well advertised bullet is a magic bullet that will turn a gut shot into a bang flop every time.
Every year i track a dozen or so wounded elk, deer and hogs for other hunters. Most of those animals are gut shot. Watched a guy shoot a big bull elk at a distance of about 100 yards. Saw dust fly off the animal when the gun cracked-too far back.
Had an argument with the guy when he said he didn't hit the animal. He claimed that his Nosler Partition bullet would have dropped the elk in its tracks had he hit it. Asked him if i could have the elk if i found it and he just drove off.
Tracked that big bull elk about one-quarter mile, found it, called the game warden who gave me permission to bring it in and keep it. Voila'-400 pounds of good elk meat free. Saw the elk "hunter" a few days later and told him about it. He had the guts to demand the antlers: i told him where to go.
Quite often the expensive bullets do not perform any better than the XTP and other cheaper bullets. Some hunters hunters think that their expensive well advertised bullet is a magic bullet that will turn a gut shot into a bang flop every time.
Every year i track a dozen or so wounded elk, deer and hogs for other hunters. Most of those animals are gut shot. Watched a guy shoot a big bull elk at a distance of about 100 yards. Saw dust fly off the animal when the gun cracked-too far back.
Had an argument with the guy when he said he didn't hit the animal. He claimed that his Nosler Partition bullet would have dropped the elk in its tracks had he hit it. Asked him if i could have the elk if i found it and he just drove off.
Tracked that big bull elk about one-quarter mile, found it, called the game warden who gave me permission to bring it in and keep it. Voila'-400 pounds of good elk meat free. Saw the elk "hunter" a few days later and told him about it. He had the guts to demand the antlers: i told him where to go.