How do you like the 300gr XTP?
None of the XTP’s are great, but for their price point and the simple task of hunting whitetails, they work. I like the 300’s a bit better than the 240’s, but I’m shooting them seated to cylinder length over an over-book load of H110/W296, living in the second cannelure. The 240’s don’t have a “SBH cannelure, and aren’t rated to as wide of expansion velocity window as the 300’s, and aren’t as heavy, so I prefer 300’s for my Rugers. They do what I ask, and I get them dirt cheap.
I am shooting a small Handi rifle. I am not sure the twist rate on that particular rifle either.
Pretty common for rifles to fail to stabilize the 300’s. The 240 kills as well and will stabilize. The distraction towards the 300 was my fault - I only mentioned it to describe my own use of the 300’s, not to recommend it for yours. You’ll be fine with a 240.
It concerns me because I had FTX bullets grenade on bone
The FTX is a little different than the XTP’s. Recall, the FTX tip does help initiate expansion (and in my experience, improve expansion reliability), and the 450 does speeds with a pistol bullet which they were never intended to survive.
Consider, however, the fact any cup and core expanding bullet designed to open in flesh is likely going to have a bad day when running into bone. Whether you smear a tip, fracture a jacket, or separate a core, bone is destructive to bullets. It’s been exceptionally rare, in killing hundreds of big game animals, that I have ever HAD to place a bullet through bone. I’ve many times CHOSEN to do so, but I can’t think of a time when I HAD to put a bullet through bone on the way in - and in those cases, I’m punching the BACKSIDE shoulder, such the killing damage is already done before striking the joint to knock a wheel off before any potential death sprint. Also in those cases, willingly trading some meat loss for ensured recovery, rather than potentially losing the entire harvest. I can’t understand when guys talk about punching the near shoulder, and equally can’t relate to concerns for bullet integrity upon striking bone - again, the deer is mortally injured before my bullet reaches the far shoulder, so it’s of little importance whether the bullet penetrates, deflects, or fragments.
Hardcast is a cheap punt too many are too quick to recommend. I was mislead down that road. That degree of penetration and weight retention is absolutely unnecessary for whitetail hunting with a 44mag, and sacrifices speed of death when bone is NOT involved (as it shouldn’t be). And in 2019 and beyond, anything I may have previously reached for a Hardcast bullet to accomplish, I would rather achieve with a Swift A-Frame or a copper solid than a hard cast - copper truly WILL retain shape and punch through bone, instead of smearing it’s meplat like hardcast. I’ve fired hundreds of pounds of lead, and taken dozens of game animals with it - it’ll be an odd day if I ever do again.
