250gr HP XTP for Whitetail

B

BoogieMan

New member
This is kind of a carry over from my muzzleloader post. Thing is I came into a fair amount of these bullets. I plan on using them with a Sabot from the ML and also loading them down a bit (21gr of power pistol) in my 460sw. Both guns are low volume shooting guns. Basically I sighted them in and give them a occasional shot to keep them and myself tuned. This is my first year using them in either weapon. I have never and never want to loose a deer. IMO its irisponsable for a hunter to shoot and not harvest. Its what my father taught me and what I am passing to my kids.
Has anyone had experience harvesting deer with a 250gr HP XTP around 1800fps?
 
If you keep the velocity in that range they will work fine, but if you load to full 2300fps of the .460, they may be a bit fragile. If you are going to load full loads, the SST would be a better choice.

Since you have come upon a stock of XTP's I would not hesitate to use them on about anything you would want to hunt with a 250 grain bullet. I have killed lot's of game with them from yotes to Hogs, and they work fine.
 
I have shot many, many deer with these bullets in my Savage ML2 smokeless muzzle loader. They actually perform the best of all the bullets I've tried, and at any velocity. I have yet to have one fragment but they do mushroom dramatically. They will easily double in diameter but hold together rather well. I've kept spread sheets on all bullet, sabot, powder combos I've tried and these will readily shoot 1.5moa at 100yds and although there are bullets that will shoot flatter at longer distances these work well out to 200yds and I've yet to have a shot at a deer at that distance. If you think you want to get rid of any of these, PM me and I'll take them off your hands. I'm getting around 2350fps with these bullets and they have yet to fail me.
 
Hornady states the velocity range for their 250gr 45 cal. XTP-HP is 800 to 1600 fps. For velocities above that, they recommend either the 240 or 300 gr XTPMags.
 
I've shot the XTP mags and they didn't shoot as well. This has been observed by others and there are several articles available on this subject. In spite of the speed "limitation" put on them by Hornady, they still work quite well on whitetails. I've killed quite a few with this bullet and so have the other guys in my camp. We've yet to have a performance problem with this bullet and we have examined each kill for bullet recovery and wound analysis. No problems observed on around thirty to forty deer so far. I'll post some pics of deer and bullets this year after we get into the ML season for all to see and evaluate. You'll be impressed with the results.
I'm not a huge fan of Randy Wakeman, maybe some of you are and some aren't, but he's harvested a TON of deer with his Savage ML smokeless muzzle loaders and most were shot with the Hornady XTP at the same velocities I'm using. He has a huge library of articles on the subject and there is a lot to be learned reading them. He hasn't reported any performance problems with these bullets at high velocities. He strongly recommends this bullet and if he can drive them at the velocities we're talking about out of his smokeless muzzle loader, you won't have any problems using BP or BP subs.
 
Last edited:
@Buck460XVR-- I am giving an estimated speed of 1800fps at the muzzle. 50-100yds out where I would expect my kills to be I expect I would be below 1600fps. I have some others bullets to experiment with in the 460. But for whitetail I think that loading down on the 250gr might be just the ticket for a clean kill without overkill.
 
Look at it this way, even if you shot the deer at point-blank range at 1800+ fps that bullet is going to kill the deer. It might fragment badly but that deer is still going to be dead.
 
Originally posted by NoSecondBest:

I'm not a huge fan of Randy Wakeman, maybe some of you are and some aren't, but he's harvested a TON of deer with his Savage ML smokeless muzzle loaders and most were shot with the Hornady XTP at the same velocities I'm using. He has a huge library of articles on the subject and there is a lot to be learned reading them. He hasn't reported any performance problems with these bullets at high velocities. He strongly recommends this bullet and if he can drive them at the velocities we're talking about out of his smokeless muzzle loader, you won't have any problems using BP or BP s
Click to expand...

If you read those Randy Wakeman articles, you see he prefers the 300gr XTP over the 250gr for hunting deer outta a muzzleloader. He also recommends not driving the 250gr fast and to avoid bone or high shoulder shots with it.

Originlly posted by BoogieMan:

@Buck460XVR-- I am giving an estimated speed of 1800fps at the muzzle. 50-100yds out where I would expect my kills to be I expect I would be below 1600fps. I have some others bullets to experiment with in the 460. But for whitetail I think that loading down on the 250gr might be just the ticket for a clean kill without overkill.
Click to expand...

As I have mentioned many times before......shooting thin jacketed bullets intended for .45 Colt velocities and pressures outta a .460 can lead to excessive forcing cone erosion and top strap cutting. Your gun, your call, but I would have to be desperate to drive that bullet over 1500fps(muzzle velocity) outta my X-Frame revolver. I know what the big attraction of the 250gr .45cal. Xtp-HP bullet is. They are relatively inexpensive compared to appropriate bullets for the .460 and are more readily available. While their performance outta a ML may be acceptable, anything other than a mild plinkin' load outta a .460 revolver and one is askin' for issues. If one is lookin' for an inexpensive plikin' bullet for the .460, IME, there are better options out there than the stubby 250 XTP. I know, you already got 'em and now you need to shoot them. I wish you the best of luck.
 
Buck, you need to read all the articles. I have. RandyWakeman.com He has a lot of articles and he does recommend the 250 and he does shoot it at high velocities. Do a little more reading. I did. I've also shot a lot of deer with them and I'm stating what I've observed on a lot of kills, not one or two and not something I read someone else said. Nothing better than first hand experience. The OP can go to Randy's website and read it himself and then he won't have to decide whether or not we're passing along accurate info.
 
Since I'm not into bp pistols and would hate to see the OP take any chances with loading the wrong bullets in modern loads for his 460... I would like to settle all this by suggesting the OP send the 250gr. XTP's directly to me. ASAP.

They will be put to good use and shot out of ML long guns with charges ranging from 90-120grns depending on the rifle and we will eat the venison in honor of the OP. :D
 
Last edited:
Originally posted byNoSecondBest:

Buck, you need to read all the articles. I have. RandyWakeman.com
Click to expand...


A direct quote from RandyWakeman.com........



One of the most popular and economical bullets is the Hornady XTP. Yes, it is still a pistol bullet, with a comparatively poor ballistic coefficient and a velocity-robbing cannelure. However, by virture of being short and stubby, it isn't easy to load it canted or cocked which promotes accuracy. They've always been accurate. The 300 grain version is better, in my opinion, less prone to coming apart. For whitetail and similar it does well as long as you stay off the bone and don't over-drive it.


This is exactly what I said in my previous post. Don't know how much more one needs to read. If the 250 XTP works well for you, great. I'm happy for you. Again, I said it may be an acceptable bullet for muzzle-loaders. It is not tho, an appropriate bullet for hunting deer outta a .460 revolver.....
 
Buck- without a doubt you have far more experience and seems you have also put more thought into shooting the revolver than I have. I have other bullets I can shoot from the XVR so I can shoot up the 250xtp from the muzzleloader provided I get the accuracy I would expect. IMO its not wise to risk damage to a $1500 pistol for $50 worth of bullets.
 
I've lost count of how many deer I've taken with 240gr XTP Mags out of a
.454 Casull. As far as not shooting well, I've made too many long shots to complain. There is a very good reason they offer both an XTP and an XTP MAG. I don't temp fate, and stick within the MFG's recommendations. Just because the bore fits, doesn't make it a good idea. If you are going to use the 250gr XTP, stick to Colt 45 velocities. If you want to push it beyond that, why not use the bullet the MFG intended for that purpose?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top