Anyone tried the new Winchester Deer Season XP ammo?

[Picher]

There are some interesting articles in the gun rags about this ammo, saying it's about the greatest deer ammo available. Has anyone here tried this stuff? There's an article in the December 2017 Guns and Ammo about it. In tests and on game, it tends to make huge wound cavities within the first 2-6" of entry on deer rib cage shots.

I haven't seen any for the .270 Win at Dick's, but they had other chamberings, including '06 and .308 Win.

JP

 

[Walkalong]

it tends to make huge wound cavities within the first 2-6" of entry on deer rib cage shots

Sounds like a varmint round. Better miss the shoulder.

 

[Geno]

I’ve had the same assumption as Walkalong. My question, how does it perform on an angle shot?

Geno

 

[Picher]

The article said that there was full penetration under 100 yards, with a huge exit hole. Thought it was the best deer bullet they've used. Twenty deer were shot...all one-shot kills. A huge mule deer shot at long range took a second shot, but would have died soon without it.

 

[Walkalong]

Read a couple of articles. Sounds like a poly tipped bullet that expands rapidly with the rear holding together, like maybe a poly tipped "partition" type bullet. Articles are of course praising of it, but it is hard for a bullet to blow huge holes quickly and still penetrate through. Maybe they figured it out. Time will tell.

Then again, it isn't hard to kill deer with any decent bullet .270, .308, or .30-06.

 

[Walkalong]

Ok, this shows it well.

The quick expansion took place because Stock’s team designed the bullet with an extremely wide polymer tip and thin walls at the top of the bullet. This lead-core bullet expands rapidly as the polymer pushes in and the walls give out. As the bullet penetrates, the walls stop expanding when they reach the solid core that brings the momentum through the vitals.

Read more: http://www.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/hunting-topics/winchester-deer-season-xp-review/#ixzz4zkLmGAhV

 

[Nature Boy]

The article said that there was full penetration under 100 yards, with a huge exit hole

That's exactly what a .22-250 will do with a standard cup/core bullet as long as you hit meat

 

[bigshark14]

Interested.

I shot a deer on Friday with Hornady SST and got zero blood. To be fair - the shot placement was not ideal. Deer was (eventually) recovered.

I am partial to polymer tipped bullets because I feel like they group better.

I got a couple boxes of Deer Season XP in the ammo locker. Maybe I'll run with it next year.

 

[Walkalong]

That's exactly what a .22-250 will do with a standard cup/core bullet as long as you hit meat

Then again, it isn't hard to kill deer with any decent bullet .270, .308, or .30-06.

Yep. But hey, I'm glad they keep looking to find something better.

 

[Picher]

That's exactly what a .22-250 will do with a standard cup/core bullet as long as you hit meat

Winchester Power Points have been quite successful, as have the Rem Core-Locts, but this improvement seems really noteworthy. Time will tell.

A study of deer shot at a hunting club said that regular ammo by Rem and Win one-shot killed just as many deer as those shot with high-priced ammo. What's that tell you? Use enough energy/velocity with regular factory ammo and you're in good company. This area in Maine seems to be Rem Core-Loct Country. I still like to find great-shooting handloads, but shoot at longer ranges than most hunters in this area.

I shot one deer with my .22-250, but missed a couple because there was some light brush in front. I was using solid-based Nosler 55 grain Zipedo bullets, but changed to .30-06 after the second miss. Used the '06 for several kills and my adult son is still using that Rem 700. I've switched to .270, primarily since the Turkey shoot, where I was winning "too often", banned the .22-250. I did pretty well with 90 grain .270 handloads, but never as well as with the .22-250. Don't do turkey shoots anymore, but the .270 won a few running deer shoots.

 

[Charliefrank]

Winchester Power Points have been quite successful, as have the Rem Core-Locts, but this improvement seems really noteworthy. Time will tell.

A study of deer shot at a hunting club said that regular ammo by Rem and Win one-shot killed just as many deer as those shot with high-priced ammo. What's that tell you? Use enough energy/velocity with regular factory ammo and you're in good company. This area in Maine seems to be Rem Core-Loct Country. I still like to find great-shooting handloads, but shoot at longer ranges than most hunters in this area.

I shot one deer with my .22-250, but missed a couple because there was some light brush in front. I was using solid-based Nosler 55 grain Zipedo bullets, but changed to .30-06 after the second miss. Used the '06 for several kills and my adult son is still using that Rem 700. I've switched to .270, primarily since the Turkey shoot, where I was winning "too often", banned the .22-250. I did pretty well with 90 grain .270 handloads, but never as well as with the .22-250. Don't do turkey shoots anymore, but the .270 won a few running deer shoots.

I tried the 90 grain bullets in my 270 20 years ago thinking they would be great varmint rounds. They wouldn't stabilize in my Winchester mod 70. Hit the target sideways.

 

[SoonerMedic]

I bought a box of these for my .223/5.56 and hope to see some results soon. My wife is the one using the rifle since I already have a bow tag that has been unused.

 

[Picher]

I tried the 90 grain bullets in my 270 20 years ago thinking they would be great varmint rounds. They wouldn't stabilize in my Winchester mod 70. Hit the target sideways.

That's too bad about the 90 grainers in your 70. My rifle not only shot mild loads of IMR 4895 sub-MOA, but printed to the same POI at 100 yards as my hot 130 grain deer loads.

 

[Speedo66]

Darn, another new ultimate, best ever, obsolete all others bullet. Now the deer will refuse to die if hit with anything else, including last years ultimate, best ever..........

 

[horsey300]

Darn, another new ultimate, best ever, obsolete all others bullet. Now the deer will refuse to die if hit with anything else, including last years ultimate, best ever..........

Especially if you can get it loaded for the weatherby mag chamberings, I reckon the you could skip the gun altogether and THROW the round at a charging bear and stop him in his tracks

 

[Picher]

Especially if you can get it loaded for the weatherby mag chamberings, I reckon the you could skip the gun altogether and THROW the round at a charging bear and stop him in his tracks

Darn, another new ultimate, best ever, obsolete all others bullet. Now the deer will refuse to die if hit with anything else, including last years ultimate, best ever..........

I found some old .270 bullets for sale at a second-hand shop a few years ago. Two-hundred are Hornady 130 grain Spire Points that I haven't used yet and may never use for hunting. Why not? Because I don't have to, I guess. Ha ha.

 

[Picher]

I just bought some .270 Win, Deer Season XP 130s at Academy Sports for just under $21/box and received 2 boxes yesterday for $41.98 (free FEDEX shipping). Can't wait to try them at the range when it gets a bit warmer this week. If they work well, I may use them for deer next season. I'm surprised at how deeply they're seated in the cases, but that may keep pressures down and make them feed well.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Winchester Deer Season XP in .223
Not a complete pass through but made it through both sides of the chest wall through ribs. She was dead in under 3 minutes and only ran about 30 yards. I’ll keep using this until something better is developed. Until then, this did the trick for my wife!

 

[Peakbagger46]

Three minutes seems like an awfully long time for the deer to suffer. Looks like good shot placement too.

 

[Picher]

I had the same time concerns as Peakbagger 46, but there may have been a good reason.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Three minutes seems like an awfully long time for the deer to suffer. Looks like good shot placement too.

Well this is 3 minutes of post shooting time. It could have easily been less. I honestly didn’t Time it....

 

[Picher]

Yesterday, I got to shoot the 130 grain Winchester Deer Season XP at the range. It was about 40* with variable wind from 1-3 mph from 6-3 o'clock. I first fired a couple of shots with my handloads to foul the bore. They were touching at 2" high. I then fired three shots with the Deer Season which went into just over 1" group, about 1" lower than the handloads and only 1/2" to the left. I also fired a 1 3/4" group of Remington 130 grain Core-Locts which printed 1 1/2" to the right of center, but two inches to the right of the Deer Season.

I rang a steel gong with both my handloads and the Deer Season and the latter seemed to ring the steel louder than the handloads, which consisted of 130 grain Sierra Spitzers at about 3,100 fps.

Also, chronographed the Deer Season, which averaged 3,100 fps, about 6 feet from the muzzle...from a 24" barrel.

I was getting cold and barrels were getting warm, so decided to wrap it up. Next spring, I'll try shooting the ammo into a medium that can mimic effect on game and maybe shoot a few coyotes with it.