.454 Casull Carbine...Hornady 240 and 300 XTP MAG

[Southern Shooter]

I typically handload for my 16" Rossi Puma .454 Casull carbine with 315 grain cast bullets. I push them at 1550 fps and feel that is ample for my treks in Utah and southern Wyoming. But, I have been on the road and far away from home longer than expected and have run out of my handloads.

The local stores typically carry Hornady XTP MAG in both 240 grain and 300 grain. But, I have no experience with these rounds.

How will they perform out of a carbine? Will they offer enough penetration to deal with any creature encounters that could occur in the Utah and southern Wyoming backcountry?

My concern is that these might expand too much too quickly and reduce the needed penetration for tougher animals.

Thank you

 

[Dog Soldier]

Well, I really think any .454 load would work here in Southern Wyoming or down in Utah. The chances of encountering a Grizz are totally unlikely. The most dangerous critter would be a cow moose and a calf. Black bears are hunted hard and they are very reclusive.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

XTPs have a reputation for being on the hard side and biased toward penetration rather than expansion.

Mike

 

[captain awesome]

Man I really want a 454 casual lever gun. Can't find them anywhere.
I think an 300gr xtp would be fine but I would probably choose a hard cast flat point with a large meplat

 

[Dog Soldier]

Why not buy a .45-70 Carbine. You can always load down to a .454 Casull.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

What would be really nice is a .460 S&W/.454 Casull/.45 Colt lever action that worked with all rims from .512" to .520".

Mike

 

[Clark]

I have a Win 94 in 45 Colt that kicks me so hard, I would not want any more.
I have a couple of 338 Win Mags that do not kick that hard.

 

[Southern Shooter]

I had looked at a .45-70. Great gun and round. But, I passed on it.

My personal reason for picking up a couple of the Rossi Puma carbines in .454 Casull is that I have a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull. They go well, together.

This is the bullet I typically shoot from my Pumas and Alaskan. Lee C452-300-RF. Out of the Alaskan the load I use averages 1,180 fps. And, the same load from the Pumas averages 1,550 fps.

 

[HB]

For what it's worth, the only 45 xtp I've launched at a deer was out of an inline muzzleloader at around 2k fps I'd guess. It exploded but killed the deer very quickly.

I wouldn't worry about it in a rifle, should be plenty assuming it shoots to POA

 

[Southern Shooter]

HB,
The .45 XTP you used, was it the standard XTP or XTP MAG bullet?

 

[RPRNY]

You should get 1850 - 1900 Fps with the 300 gr. Assuming it's the XTP Mag, you will still get good penetration. Even Mr Grizz will fare poorly on the receiving end of that!

 

[LoonWulf]

I run the 240s XTP mags from my muzzle loader at 1950. I havent shot anything that would count as a decent test of expansion vs penetration, but on goats hitting both shoulders its a caliber size hole in and out. Shot one butt to chest bullet exited with a 3/4" hole

 

[JohnnyFlake]

When I first got my Rossi 92 in .454 Casull, I was using the factory loaded Hornady 300g XTP rounds, before I was set up to reload them. I assure you, with that round, I would not feel under-gunned, facing anything you'll ever face in the lower 48.

 

[Southern Shooter]

Thanks, folks. I appreciate the input.

 

[Sunray]

Out of a carbine you'll get higher velocity than the 1650 MV Hornady says they do out of a 7.5" barrel.
The local stores even carrying .454 Casull is kind of amazing. 300 grains is probably close enough to 315 that you may not see too much difference in trajectory. What they do to a rampaging critter won't be an issue though. More about POI and accuracy not being what you're used to. Try a box and see.

 

[Mr Woody]

What would be really nice is a .460 S&W/.454 Casull/.45 Colt lever action that worked with all rims from .512" to .520".

Mike

Here you go - Just bring your checkbook, and your backup checkbook with a reload.
- http://www.bighornarmory.com/catalo...-90-carbine-460-sandw-model-90a-454-casull-6/
or the home page is
- http://www.bighornarmory.com/

 

[Dog Soldier]

When a saddle rifle cost more than a horse and a stock trailer? Humm!!!

 

[CraigC]

Not a big fan of XTP's.

 

[LoonWulf]

Are those the Mags, and what gun?

I'm supposed to start loading 45s for a buddy and not having experience with pistol bullets (besides my muzzleloader, with the mag), im still doing research before telling him what to buy to start with.

While that dosent look awsome for shooting big stuff, i think they might work well for the quick expansion he wants.

 

[salt&battery]

XTPs have a reputation for being on the hard side and biased toward penetration rather than expansion.
at
Mike

 

[salt&battery]

XTPs have a reputation for being on the hard side and biased toward penetration rather than expansion.

Mike

no need for 45 bullet to expand. a 338 bullet might not expand to 45 and the petals would break off

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Here you go - Just bring your checkbook, and your backup checkbook with a reload.
- http://www.bighornarmory.com/catalo...-90-carbine-460-sandw-model-90a-454-casull-6/
or the home page is
- http://www.bighornarmory.com/

Pretty much what I paid for a custom Brockman .45-70
They list two seperate rifles for .450 and .454 (case head differences?) and no mention of shorter cartridge use. Probably would not work for all 3.

Mike

 

[Arizona_Mike]

XTP is a line of bullets with different HP cavity depth and diameter and different jacket thicknesses. Here is an intended range of velocity chart from Hornady. For penetration you want to be on the slow end of the red bar.

Buffalo Bore .454 240gr will do about 2040fps from a 16" bbl. XTP might not be the best choice. The 300gr XTP/MAG might be a better choice. XTPs were designed around pistol velocities.

Mike

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Southern Shooter, have you considered really hard target bullets like Montana Gold? I hear they actually expand a fair amount in magnums. Another option is to swage down .458" .45-70 bullets to .452".

Mike

 

[RPRNY]

The 300 XTP Mag will be very effective in Southern Shooter's 16" lever gun. Velocity from that rifle is well within the manufacturer's performance envelope (cited above) and even the plain old 250 gr XTP has been very effective on large hogs at 1150 fps in 45 LC.

Swaging a .458 bullet to .452 is ill advised and bullets much above 325 grs are, in any event, very unlikely to operate in the OP's rifle. Even with hard lead, that's too much down sizing. There are plenty of heavyweight wide meplat .454 bullets in the 300 gr range should the OP want to go with lead.