Savage30L
Member
The 250-grain is longer. I opened my box today and was surprised at how long the bullet is. I don't know if I'll load them for my revolvers because of the length, but I might still try them for my Marlin.
you might want to consider the XTP Mag 240
Duly noted. Remember that my shots are usually 30 yards or less.
LOL....I was kidding about " hard time" ....he was piled up in that hedge row..... But I do know what you are saying ....amazing how they can go even when they are dead-I've shot quite a few deer, dozens, and only ever lost one....and it was hit like that.
I was hunting out of the second floor of an abandoned barn, shooting a 50-cal muzzleloader with a power-belt sabot bullet. A buck came out in the field in front of me at about 40 yards. He had a huge (bowling-ball sized) tumor hanging under his belly, so I thought, "I better take him". The opportunity was a perfect broadside shot, and I double-lunged him. He ran off through the field and into the woods beyond. I waited a little while, and climbed out to inspect the spot where he was standing. There was a splash of pink lung tissue/blood about as big as a stop sign. I'd hit him hard. I assumed I'd find him dead in the woods just beyond the field, but I tracked him for about a half-mile, on property which I did not have permission to hunt on, so I'd had to leave the gun behind.
I came to an open area with a small thicket of dense brush, maybe 15 feet across, and I just knew he'd be in there, piled up dead. So I stepped in...and he was in there, but very undead, and he jumped up and sprinted away faster than I'd ever seen a deer run....God knows where he ended up. I had no idea who owned the land he ran on to so I gave up rather than risk confrontation with a landowner or game warden.
You just never know. Sometimes adrenalin trumps everything.
My experence with Lil Gun was very high variation in shot to shot velosity. Did you use standard or mag primers????I've abandoned the idea of using the FTX bullets in .45 Colt loads; I think I can use them with sabots in my .50 caliber muzzle-loaders, so it's not a total loss. I've loaded up rounds using the 250-grain XTP stepped in a ladder using data from Hodgdon, and IMR 4227 (20 to 24 grains), Ramshot Enforcer (23-28 grains), and Hodgdon Li'l Gun (23.5 to 23.9 grains). I hope that these won't be too much for the XTP bullets on deer....for those of you who have used this bullet for deer hunting, what do you think? I'm hoping to chronograph these loads this spring, and settle on one for hunting.
My rifle is a J. M. Marlin, and I suspect that it has the 1:38 twist, although I've not checked it directly. If I decide that I need to use the 300-grain XTP magnum bullet, would that twist be sufficient to stabilize it?
I'll am curious as to what your results will be. I have a box of 250gr XTP sitting on the bench waiting to be tested in my Henry rifle in 45 Colt. Up until now I've just used lead, but was hoping to find something else. Report back on your findings.I've loaded up rounds using the 250-grain XTP stepped in a ladder using data from Hodgdon, and IMR 4227 (20 to 24 grains), Ramshot Enforcer (23-28 grains), and Hodgdon Li'l Gun (23.5 to 23.9 grains). I hope that these won't be too much for the XTP bullets on deer....for those of you who have used this bullet for deer hunting, what do you think? I'm hoping to chronograph these loads this spring, and settle on one for hunting.
The first step of using modern bullets is to try and force a cartridge to achieve modern ballistics. There are some special bullets designed specifically for task, but generally I agree with your approach. A 454 was created but is trying to be replicated by 45c.I spent a few deer seasons hunting with a .44 Special and a 45 Colt. I used cast HP's a couple of times and they worked great, but really I just don't see the need for an expanding bullet with calibers this large for game the size of deer. I'll sacrifice expansion for penetration any day. Any how, in the 45 Colt (4 3/4" Uberti Frisco)I used a 288 gr. cast SWC running a smidge under 1000 fps. The last buck I shot was at 41 yards and I punched him through both lings. He ran off 25-30 yds. and keeled over. Hard to believe, but that big hole through his lungs was caused by said cast SWC impacting at about 950 fps-
35W
Standard primers. It didn't occur to me to use magnums, but in perusing threads on various web sites yesterday, it looks as though some do use them with .45 Colt...chiefly with 2400. I'll probably save my 2400 for .30 Carbine, as I have plenty of the other powders.My experence with Lil Gun was very high variation in shot to shot velosity. Did you use standard or mag primers????