200gr XTP for hunting ?

[clambdin]

Anybody try these on deer at 45 pac-nor velocities ? How do they hold up ?

[lwh723]

Earlier this fall I used a AA5744 (suggested by RB) and 200gr XTP load for my lil' sister. I want to say it was only 35grs of powder, and I was only getting 2000 FPS over the chrono. Anyway, she shot her deer in the neck... the bullet didn't make it through. I should have dug it out in the name of science; however, it was warm ,and I was skinning the deer hastily in the dark and forgot to excavate it. Anyway, my guess would be at 25-2700 FPS it's going to be even more frangible than the 200SST. If you were very selective with your shots, I imagine it would be OK.

[chuck41]

I have shot several deer with the 200gr XTPs at velocities from around 2300 to 2700+ and they are very effective killers. Don't try to aim for shoulders or other major bones but hold out for a shot in the vitals and the deer will not go far, I guarantee! There will be a massive blood trail, even if the bullet does not exit, which it probably won't, and the lungs and chest area will be little but pulp. Expect to see a 1 1/2" to 2" entry hole and often several shattered ribs with bone fragments adding to the shrapnel. Others on the board have shot numerous deer with these bullets and they are very effective.

As to how they hold up, you are likely to find pieces of the jacket under the skin on the far side of larger deer, but I have never found a whole, or mostly whole bullet remaining. I have had a couple pass-thru's on small animals, but generally not on nice bucks. Al recently made some bullet dies to close up the nose cavity and I plan to test some of those modified versions in the near future. See: dougsmessageboards.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=smokeless&action=display&thread=3910

[dans]

I used the 250 grain HXTP with 44 grains of 4759 and shot a small doe at about 15 yards. The bullet hit too far back and the exit was behind the last rib on the far side. The exit hole was about 4 inches by 6 inches and gave new meaning to the term "gutshot". I found a 35 grain piece of jacket by the exit. You can draw your own conclusions.