Critical Defense bullet for hunting

[tikka-guy]

I know the Hornady XTPs are popular rounds for hunting. Do you think there'd be any advantage to the newer Critical Defense loads for hunting? I realize they're a bit on the lighter side, but would the construction help with more uniform expansion and better penetration on something like whitetail?

Thoughts?

 

[MCgunner]

No, I don't reckon it'd work any better than XTPs and probably worse. The bullet is designed to expand even through heavy winter clothing, which I've never seen a deer or hog wearing. Besides, are the bullets available to handloaders? If not, they're loaded kinda mild in self defense ammo and .357 is probably the only round available in the CD line that's hunting capable, though I'm not sitting here with a Hornady catalog in my hands. I know I wouldn't hunt deer with the .22 magnum, only CD ammo I load with, that in my NAA Black Widow.

 

[tikka-guy]

There's also a loading in 44 mag, but only 180 grain. I'm tempted to ask about the new 30 carbine loading(110 gr @ 2000fps) as well, but that's probably a bad idea.

I realize deer don't wear heavy jackets

However, their internals aren't the same everywhere. I'm not good enough to be able to aim between the ribs (yet!). The bullet was designed to perform in a range of materials/situations. I was just thinking that it may result in more consistent performance on game as well. I realize it's a self-defense round, but then again so is the XTP.

 

[bigfatdave]

The bullet is designed to expand even through heavy winter clothing, which I've never seen a deer or hog wearing.

that quote is the highlight of this visit to THR

 

[RhinoDefense]

The CD ammo isn't regarded too well by independent labs for defensive use. Based on that I wouldn't think it's a viable choice for hunting. Stick with the XTP for hunting, they were designed as a hunting bullet, then expanded into a defensive load from there. I've killed a lot of deer with the XTP bullets in a few calibers.

 

[MCgunner]

Stick with the XTP for hunting, they were designed as a hunting bullet,

I was thinkin' that. I have a couple of XTP handloads I like, 180 grain in .357 and 300 grain in .45 Colt, but I've not shot squat with 'em other than paper. I've taken several deer with a Keith style Lee cast 158 (actual weight 165) SWC of gas check design with the .357 in both rifle and pistol, so I'm quite sure the XTPs will do fine.

The Hornady PD stuff is loaded rather light and penetration is optimized for self defense. That 180 .44 mag might be just the ticket in the new Rossi 2.5" 5 shot .44 Mag snubby I looked at the other day. Like .357, it's probably a little rough on the ears, LOL.

 

[tikka-guy]

Yeah I imagine a 2.5" .44 would be pretty painful to shoot.

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll stick with the XTPs.