grain for deer and ??beear
07-18-2017, 05:10 AM
#21
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
Well I for one would not hesitate to use a 300 gr XTP (either in .429" or .452") on a black bear. I've taken enough and at different angles to have to agree with Slowburn. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that whitetails are more tenacious at hanging on to life then a big old blackie. Especially on a solid lug shot. But again this is a forum and everyone has their own opinion.
07-18-2017, 06:25 AM
#22
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,605
This isn't 'just' a water jug test. The carpet, and plywood cause all kind of problems for bullets, and many fail to work in these tests. The results of the bullets used on game, and tested, are very very similar. Bullets that worked good in this testing also worked good on game. Bullets that didn't work good on game, don't work good in these test.
RESULTS
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RESULTS
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Bump because its such a good read and all results are easier to search through.
Thanks again Ron.
07-18-2017, 06:26 AM
#23
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
The construction of the bullet along with the weight and a good velocity with all that.
I would recommend the 275 grain Bloodline [Lehigh] as the best all around bullet with a velocity of from 1900 FPS to what ever the max load in your gun with your powder will push it. Remembering accurate placement of the shot is the single most important thing of all.
I would recommend the 275 grain Bloodline [Lehigh] as the best all around bullet with a velocity of from 1900 FPS to what ever the max load in your gun with your powder will push it. Remembering accurate placement of the shot is the single most important thing of all.
07-18-2017, 07:44 AM
#24
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Comance county, OK
Posts: 11,408
i used to be skeptical or Ron's bullet tests. Now i'm an advocate. The carpet and plywood are a very good simulation of a boar hog covered with 1/2" of dried mud. That dried mud can cause a bullet to come apart right now.
i like all three of the 300 grain XTP bullets. The .430 300 grain XTP has killed a lot of hogs for me. If a really durable bullet is desired then go to the .452 300 grain XTP magnum bullet. Driven by 140 grains of 777 in my Encore, the bullet penetrates both shoulders of a 350 pound boar hog.
i like all three of the 300 grain XTP bullets. The .430 300 grain XTP has killed a lot of hogs for me. If a really durable bullet is desired then go to the .452 300 grain XTP magnum bullet. Driven by 140 grains of 777 in my Encore, the bullet penetrates both shoulders of a 350 pound boar hog.
07-18-2017, 05:43 PM
#25
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 261
Flint Head, I'm not going to get into a brand bashing pissing match with you over this, but to recommend a bullet that is known to fragment and have extremely poor penetration on heavy bone, is extremely poor advise. Especially when recommending a bullet that would be used on an animal that can kill you just as easily as breathing. When giving advise for a bullet from a single shot weapon, you better give them advise with their well being in mind. Power Belts, especially those 338 plats, are not recommended for dangerous game and are very well known to be used on thinner skinned game such as whitetail. Notice, he did say for whitetail and bear. I am assuming he means Black Bear but even then, they can be some mighty tough critters themselves. If you want to be on the CVA and powerbelt bandwagon, that is your right and choice. But please don't try to recommend a very poor penetrating bullet for any kind of bear hunting. Especially from a muzzleloader.
If I were tackling a big brown bear, I would probably opt for the 405 Areotip Powerbelt.
07-18-2017, 06:49 PM
#26
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
The 338gr Platinum is a beast of a bullet. Deer & bear are not hard to kill folks.
Good grief, some like to make things hard! How ever did they hunt anything before the invention of the bullet they are using now?
Good grief, some like to make things hard! How ever did they hunt anything before the invention of the bullet they are using now?
07-19-2017, 04:45 AM
#27
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Clifton, VA
Posts: 1,101
I had given up recommending Speer DeepCurl bullets because they were so scarce. At least for now, that does not seem to be the case, Grafs has every one you could want and some of the other online sites have them pretty regularly of late. Knock on wood, but perhaps the drought is over.
They shoot almost identically to the Hornady XTPs, are only a few $$ more per box of 50 (or 100) and, IMO, are significantly superior in holding together. The 300gr in either hollow point or soft point should do the job on whitetails and black bears.
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog...roductId/17309
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog...roductId/17367
They shoot almost identically to the Hornady XTPs, are only a few $$ more per box of 50 (or 100) and, IMO, are significantly superior in holding together. The 300gr in either hollow point or soft point should do the job on whitetails and black bears.
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog...roductId/17309
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog...roductId/17367
07-19-2017, 05:26 AM
#28
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
Any thing less, or God forbid, a round ball is used it will just bounce off and you will never recover your animal and it will just walk away unharmed.
07-19-2017, 09:23 AM
#29
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 995
Flint Head, personal experience? No not with the Plats. Seen the results from them? Absolutely yes and I was about as far from impressed as one can be. Extremely poor penetration and it had blown apart on the shoulder of a deer. You call that bullet tough? It's copper washed lead. And not even a tough lead alloy. There is nothing tough about any powerbelt bullet.
Mountain Devil, have you ever taken an adult boar black bear? I've taken many over the years. They are a hell of a lot tougher than you seem to imagine they are. I'm not talking about the 2.5-3 year old average boar taken. I'm talking about 5 year old and above. With bowling ball heads and some serious mass about the shoulders. No they aren't bullet proof and I've taken quite a few with patched rb but you have to be extremely picky about your shot choice and stay off those massive shoulders with them.
If one is asking about a bullet choice for both whitetail deer and black bear, those of us who actually have experience with black bear hunting should be recommending good tough bullets for that just in case moment when the only shot a person has is a shoulder shot. You don't recommend a sub par bullet for an animal that can kill you.
Mountain Devil, have you ever taken an adult boar black bear? I've taken many over the years. They are a hell of a lot tougher than you seem to imagine they are. I'm not talking about the 2.5-3 year old average boar taken. I'm talking about 5 year old and above. With bowling ball heads and some serious mass about the shoulders. No they aren't bullet proof and I've taken quite a few with patched rb but you have to be extremely picky about your shot choice and stay off those massive shoulders with them.
If one is asking about a bullet choice for both whitetail deer and black bear, those of us who actually have experience with black bear hunting should be recommending good tough bullets for that just in case moment when the only shot a person has is a shoulder shot. You don't recommend a sub par bullet for an animal that can kill you.