Will this expand on deer?
 

I am very new at muzzleloading (2nd yr - no kills yet) so bear with me - I may be overthinking this..

I am shooting a T/C Triumph, 90 gr of Black Mag 3, and a Hornady 250 gr, .452 XTP (non Mag) bullet and MMP 3 petal ez load sabots

I picked the XTP because I saw it mentioned on quite a few forums as being a good bullet - BUT I never took into consideration what velocities it will expand at..

From Hornady the 250 gr XPT expand from 800 to 1600 fps. From looking at the BM# website 90 gr of BM3 should be around 1900 fps (at the muzzle - and assuming its not over stated)..

From 25 to 75 yrds do you think this will expand on deer?



thanks

brian

I have no idea just getting into ml hunting. I am going to get a triumph this week and was wondering what your thoughts on it are. Also what made you choose that bullet over the shockwaves.
Good hunting.

I use the 240gr XTP and I have shot deer close with these, 10-30yds and they do the job, fist size entrance holes. As for expansion they dont expand all that much but they do a great job!
(BP)

For the ranges you hunt, and from reading all the past encounters the XTP has had, I think you might have picked a perfect bullet. You should get excellent accuracy and great expansion with that bullet. Put that thing in the boiler room and you will be eating venison.

They will expand fine at the ranges you list and a bit further. As will non-bonded SST/SWs, Barnes, Nosler, Speer, etc etc.

Most of the bullets out there today are good. Shoot what is accurate in your gun.

I have always used the 240gr non-mags and have had mixed results. When I used to use them in my T/C Thunderhawk, I had great success. I started to lose confidence in them when I switched to my CVA Wolf, but have gained confidence back in them after learning why I lost some performance with them. I used to shoot 80gr of Pyrodex in the Thunderhawk. I stepped it up to 120gr of T7 in the Wolf and ended up with fragmenting bullets. I have since gone back down to 80gr of T7. So far, so good. I would think that the 250s would more likely fragment at higher speeds than the 240s or 300s due to the chart you're referring to?

Mike

thatguybme, I have used that bullet for many years. I have always had good results with it. Those are the exact ranges that I hunt and I've killed deer with it at 10 yards and about 75-80 yards. They performed the same.

But as Spaniel said, most bullets now-a-days will work just fine as long as you gun shoots them accuratly.

Thanks for all the responses.. I can sleep easy now..


so far I love the gun... The reason I got it was for primary two things 1) the advertised 3.5 to 4 lb trigger (which in my opinon it meets) and 2) easy the breech plug removal..

Accuracy has been very good so far.. I shot 3 shots yesterday at 75 yds and they were sorta a cloverleaf with about 1/2" between holes.. Not the what some ppl like, but more than adequate for my hunting needs..

One thing I am NOT doing is using the bore butter.. I use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and windshield washer fluid on the wet patches and then a dry one.. If it wont be shot for a while I will gun a clean patch with CLP down the barrel.

I read about the T/C having tight bores and I tried the yellow TC Super Glide (slide?) sabots and the accuracy was only so-so. This yr i went with the MMP 3 petal ez load sabot and accuracy is much better.. (last yr i was also using the bore butter, so that could have been part of my problem)

I replaced the rear sight with the EABCO rib-peep sight and am very pleased.. I am using a Nikon 2-7 Prostaff scope mounted in 'high' Warne QD rings (it is high enough that I can leave the peep installed when the scope is mounted - some ppl got the Medium rings and couldnt). I have taken the scope on and off without any change in POI. Yesterdays group was after I had sighted the peep sight in and just reinstalled the scope..

I have no real reason on why the XTP over the shockwaves (which I have read is the FTX/SST-ML Hornady bullet - but am not sure).. I just read a lot of post about the XTP being a good bullet at a good price (100 for $26).. I also wanted to be able to change sabots if needed..

I have about a dozen Shockwaves that TC was giving away from in various stuff I bought but have not shot them at all..

good hunting.. IM sure you will love your Triumph

brian

My buddy shot a hog with a 300g XTP out of his Remington Genesis and it performed just fine. That was with 100g of BH209.

The SW/SST are the same bullet, the FTX is different though they may look similar.