XTP performance

[speedrackin]

well my son shot a decent 8 point yesterday afternoon at 105 yrds with a load of 100 by vol grn BH 209 with a green harvester 300 grn xtp .430 diam  Lmrp . I used to shot these all the time very accurate . Didn't have time to play with other loads in his gun . Double lung mule kic ........100 yrds later crash . Dime size in nickel size out .........Lungs were gone . Im just not all that impressed with the xtp performance I know dead is dead ......i just thought that the exit would indicate a little more mushroom .
Any one else have experience with these .

[1coyotemaster]

I have had good results with the XTP 250 as long as it is used within it's capability. I just put the caliper on one that brought a pretty good buck down and it is .675 diameter. The velocity was around 1600 fps and the distance was under 50 yds. If I were shooting the smokeless load(2600 fps) I use today it would have probably have splashed on the Buck's shoulder instead of penetrating. Biggest problem is the low BC if you are shooting very far.

[ronlaughlin]

In my experience the XTP are quite soft. My thoughts are, the bullet came apart in the lungs, and only a portion of the bullet exited. The two deer i killed using that bullet didn't go far. The bullet didn't penetrate very deep in a water jug test, and the lead did separate from the jacket. The bullet works, and i would use it again, but it isn't my first choice. Deep Curl bullets work real good, but they are just about impossible to find these days.

[jims]

Yes and no. I have used the 300 XTPs in .452 size and they have done well on deer. A Savage ML suggested bullet as I recall. I have not used any .430 bullets since I retired my TC Hawkens Cougar and pyrodex many years ago but they shot well enough with it.

[wilmsmeyer]

Back when the in lines became popular and half of us were still using side lock hawkens, the 200 and 240 gr XTP's were a go to bullet. Anything heavier would not stabilize with the slow twists we had. The speeds of these 100 gr BP guns would maybe get you 1500-1600 fps so they weren't a long range gun anyway.....just a heck of a lot more accurate then a slug gun. Almost every deer shot retained the bullets and we have a box of recovered ordinance that paints a very good picture of what these bullets do. They mushroom and stay together and are found under the hide on the off side. Complete penetration of the vitals but no secondary blood leaking hole.

They are actually the perfect bullet when used in this range with one exception: Mostly only get one hole even with a broadside rib shot. But that's the only "downfall" I've seen. Other then that, they kill very cleanly and you will have a short tracking job usually...very short. They are usually accurate. They will rarely come apart at the speeds they are supposed to be shot at. They are inexpensive. Minimal meat damages. They are slightly more powerful in this speed range than a hottly loaded 44 mag! Most people would say..."REALLY" Yes...really

Sounds like you had a text book result with the XTP. They are not a DRT bullet with a heart lung shot. Not many bullets are unless shot at warp speed.

[speedrackin]

It is what it is .....ya cant argue with accurate and dead.....with these the omega and blakhorn are good to 200 yrds .and thats fine ...awhile back i switched in my omega with blackhorn to dead center 220 was and i am very pleased i havent had a pass thru and all the deer killed dropped in there tracks .... but again nothing more than 200 yrd gun. and thats fine. as long as we know the limits of what were using all is well. and for a young guy the blood trail is part of the hunt and fun, for us older middle aged guys no trackin is awsome.

[sourdough44]

Sounds like it worked out. Just a reminder, there is a wide range of what any bullet may encounter on the shot. That would be a shorter 'pass-thru' with only soft tissue in lower chest, or very dense shoulder bone. I often prefer a softer tissue shot, with usually an exit. This all depends on what's presented.

So one may say, the bullet it to firm, and the next may say it broke up, shot at the same speeds. Yes, there are generalities with bullet types. The 1st order of business is proper shot placement.

[semisane]

Dime size in nickel size out .........Lungs were gone .
Any one else have experience with these .

Sounds about right, and the bullet performed well. Some deer do that. They are amazing animals. My buddy shot a 155 lb. seven-pointer last Saturday at 65 yards with premium bullets in a .308. Thirty caliber entry hole - quarter size exit hole. Lungs destroyed. That deer also ran 100 yards before dropping.

It's going to happen more often with mid-chest broadside shots which don't break down any mechanical bone or nervous systems. The deer doesn't know it dead yet. It only needs six seconds of full out running to cover 100 yards before the brain stops working.

[zakjak221]

IMO the XTP is a great bullet.
I shot a 202# 12 pt buck back in 2009 with a 300 gr XTP bullet in my Savage ML...Performance was excellent double lung & deer went about 20-30 yds.
Both my son's use the 250 gr XTP bullets in their ML's as well.
One shoots an Omega & the other my old Savage ML.
Performance on the 250 gr's has been excellent too.
Always have an exit wound & blood trail--but don't need them since deer have never gone more than 20 yds after a boiler room shot.
Many have just dropped on spot.

[speedrackin]

well i guess im expecting too much ...........after the next smokless gets built the omegas will most likely be retired and in the vault ...... im wondering how the 300 grn xtp would run full bore in a 45 smokeless ...?

[triplese7en]

Nov 18, 2014 15:55:52 GMT -5 speedrackin said:

well my son shot a decent 8 point yesterday afternoon at 105 yrds with a load of 100 by vol grn BH 209 with a green harvester 300 grn xtp .430 diam  Lmrp . I used to shot these all the time very accurate . Didn't have time to play with other loads in his gun . Double lung mule kic ........100 yrds later crash . Dime size in nickel size out .........Lungs were gone . Im just not all that impressed with the xtp performance I know dead is dead ......i just thought that the exit would indicate a little more mushroom .
Any one else have experience with these .

Post deleted by T-7

[speedrackin]

well hopefully this will end good , but i know y i stopped using them blood trail none........ my son smacked a 160 class buck this eveng at 430 ish 160 yrds deer hunched tucked tail and labored snuk across field . found trks , in mud trk with flash lights to thicket and backed out. hes sick watched him come across field stopped him and pulled the trigger solid rest off fence post . ill look in am with a few friends . hes still shootin an omega with bh 209 . wonder how the parkers preform with 209

[gar]

Sounds like a paunch shot. Should find him in the A.M. if he wasn't moved from his first bed. Parkers are fine with BH209 but a shot to the guts requires time with any bullet.

[speedrackin]

well after lookin in the pourin rain and thickest stuff there only guessing with the loss of trks in the mud . We have come up short .

[smokepolehall]

I am no expert on the XTP bullets, but we can agree they are a pistol bullet. Not many pistols i know of shoot at the fps many ppl. are shooting with their ML's. I think a med. charge of 70-90grs by volume is plenty of push power for the XTP's. 100 yds & under is where this bullet does it best work.

[usmcssgt]

I bought some XTP magnums. They come out at 1850 fps. Any discussion of the mag vs non-mag XTP? Mine were the 300 gr.

Never shot anything with them, so no recovered bullets.

I have since changed to Barnes TMZ 300 gr.

[tc280]

I've had nothing but positive results with the 300grn XTP. I have taken 4or5 deer and a coyote. Recovered everyone within 100 yds. Sometimes I think deer are like people, some are tougher than others.

[ronlaughlin]

Jan 2, 2015 11:59:09 GMT -5 usmcssgt said:

I bought some XTP magnums. They come out at 1850 fps. Any discussion of the mag vs non-mag XTP? Mine were the 300 gr.

Never shot anything with them, so no recovered bullets.

I have since changed to Barnes TMZ 300 gr.

Well, i have shot more jugs filled with water than deer with XTP bullets. Twice i shot deer with the 300g XTP traveling at about 1850 fps at the muzzle, and both deer ended in our freezer. Never did shoot a deer with the magnum XTP, but i do know the magnum penetrated twice as many water filled milk jugs as the standard XTP did, and stayed in one piece, whereas the standard XTP came apart.

After seeing the small sample of results i have seen, my conclusion was the standard XTP, is a better deer bullet than the magnum XTP.  The XTP seems quite soft to me, but the XTP magnum are plenty hard; perhaps too hard for deer, but just right for elk.

[deadeer]

I used the 240 xtp mag in a smokeless mz at 2800fps this year. 125yd shot on decent doe, quartering to, hit the shoulder and it exploded inside and out. Big mess, but bullet made a nice round hole on the exit so it held together at warp speed after being put thru hell. I have a few hundred so they will be put to god use. They did not expand for a bud in a smoker on a couple deer so he threw them my way.

Jay

[mike243]

deadeer i also shot a doe with a 240g xtp at about 250y. my savage was pushing almost 2700fps with them. clipped 1 shoulder and center punched the other. it managed to make it 100y but i dont know how. heard it bleat 3-4 times after it ran. the bullet did expand some but at that distance i was surprised it made it thru the center of the off side shoulder. i killed 3 other with the 250g sst. I will keep using them without any reservations

[triplese7en]

So I'm assuming the SST didn't expand enough for you?

[discman]

The Sst comes in both a bonded core and non bonded. The bonded normally could be identified with a purple tip. I have hunted with both. I have found failures in both to expand. the red and yellow tip do best on thin skinned animals.

[mrbuck]

The Bonded Shock Waves are not mentioned much on the board . I have about 75 of the 250gr. Bonded Shock
Waves and would greatly appreciate any input on their performance on deer . My NULA .50 seems to shoot
them very well . Thanks .
Chris

[hunter]

I shot 3 deer with the bonded shockwaves, all were pass thru, two dropped where they stood and the 3rd run less than 20 yds.
I never found any of the bullets but they performed well for me. Shots were inside 100 yds and approx. 2500 fps

[mrbuck]

hunter...
Thanks . 2500 fps is moving right along . The NULA shoots them at just about 2200 fps . I have a duplex
load for a 250 gr SST that I will try when the weather gets better .
Chris

[bubbinator]

I zeroed my new T/C Impact with the 240gr. XPTs in the red Hornady sabots over 2 pellets of Triple 7 at 100yds. I had only fired 9 shots total trying a couple bullets and the XPTs grouped 3 nicely at POI. A few days later a nice 8 point gave me an 89 yd. broadside pose under an Oak tree in the back yard. Hit was mid-ribs just behind the leg, bullet exitted spraying pink lung tissue behind the deer. Wife and I found the deer about 40 yds from where it was shot the next morning, darkness over took me without a good flashlight. Exit wound was about 50 cent sized centered on a rib. Bullets are the same I load in my .44 Mags and performance is very similar. I am pleased with them.

[doulos]

Ive killed a lot of deer with XTPs. Have used both .45 cal 250 and 300 grainers and some.44 cal 300. Most with charges 100 grains or less of Pyrodex , real blackpowder and BH209. Probably driving them about 1750 fps with the BH209. And probably only about 1580-1650 with blackpowder. Probably .454 Casull velocity. Ive probably killed more than 32-35 (not exactly sure) deer with XTPS. The majority (probably about 28) with the 300 grainer. Recovered only ONE bullet. This was a 160 yard shot that went through both scapulas and lodged under the offside hide of a very decent body size buck. Have never recovered a 250 including a 140 yard shot on doe. The 300 grainer I recovered was a perfect mushroom. Blood trails were sometimes monstrous with the 300 grainers. Some weren't but the deer never went that far. Almost all down within 50 yards , some less. They might have held together better for me because of lower velocities than most are shooting with smokeless. At those velocities I have never found this 300 grain .452 bullet lacking in any area. Ive only killed a few with the .429 300 grain but results were similar. I wonder if the jackets are the same thickness as the .452. Ive shot about 5 with the .452 250. All pass throughs and good blood trails. I do try to avoid the shoulder with the 250s though. I had no problem aiming for the point of the shoulder with the 300s with confidence if that was the shot presented.

[mimath314]

This is a 40 cal, 200 gr xtp recovered from a deer (expanded .67 at 135 grains). Shot with a SML at ~2500 fps. Quick, human kill at 75 yds. My son took  another large 8 ptr this year with the same gun/bullet. We have had excellent results up to 200 yds with the XTP in both 40 cal and 50 cal (10+ deer). The major downfall is the lack of an exit hole, but who needs an exit hole when you see the deer fall!

[jims]

The XTPs do work.

[rick59]

Jan 2, 2016 20:56:52 GMT -5 jims said:

The XTPs do work.

Shot 100's of them and probably have 1500 -2000 of them in the cabinet, it's the only bullet I've ever shot out out my MK-85 that I had going on 29 years for the longest time until I started using the SST's. I also shoot the xtp's out of both my 44mag rifles and pistol, that's another reason why have so many.

I use them as my "get it on the paper" bullet in the savages when setting them up.