Hornady .44 cal 240 gr XTP - Anyone use it for hunting?

[Clarence]

I was wondering if anyone had experience with the Hornady 240 gr XTP in the .44 magnum on whitetails. I was thinking about trying some this year in my M-29.

Any suggestions?

 

[Kernel]

I’ve been using the .44 cal XTP on whitetails for about 15 years. For the first five in a muzzle loader with sabots. And for the last ten in a SBH Hunter. Both the 300 gr and 240 gr. Probably, 20 plus deer. Performance has been superb. I’ve got quit a collection of perfectly mushroomed bullets. At this point I don’t even consider using anything else. The muzzle loader, in particular, with the 300 gr XTP killed like lighting bolts. Deer would just fold and drop right were they stood. The pistol can’t generate the same velocities, but is still very dependable. The 300 gr XTP isn’t accurate enough in my SBH to justify it’s use.

 

[Steve in PA]

I use the Hornady XTP's in my Super Redhawk. Great bullets. I've used the 240's to take several deer. My black bear load are the 300's, but I haven't had the chance to pull the trigger on a blackie yet!

Both have been very accurate out of my SRH.

 

[MichaelK]

I haven't used Hornady's bullet yet, but I took this year's deer with a Remington 240 grain hollowpoint in my Marlin 1894. Got 100% penetration, so I don't have a recovered bullet. I do however have a recovered deer which only got about 40 feet from the spot I shot him. I'd expect the performance of the Hornady bullet to be about the same.

 

[hossfly]

Works great. I load it behind a max load of 296 in my Anaconda. Multiple complete passthroughs even on quartering on shots and deer down very quickly.

 

[Sommerled]

Yes! I got one deer last year at 62 yds with a 240 gr XTP in a Model 94. Clean and quick.

 

[Asherdan]

Marlin 1894, Hornady XTP 240g handloaded to 1740 fps, one deer, one pig, no problem, good bullet.

 

[~z]

countless pigs and 5 deer with that bullet. Very happy with it.
~z

 

[hossfly]

~z

I was curious about it on hogs. I've never used it on them and I wasn't sure if I needed to use a hard cast. Do you have any horror stories of the 240 xtp on hogs?

 

[~z]

No horror stories but I typically use hardcast lead for pigs. The XTPs were used while deer hunting or because they were in the pistol when I saw pigs. They have worked just fine though I have passed on larger pigs when the cylinder was full of XTPs. I have taken pigs up to 260lbs with the XTPs typically I shoot behing the ear on anything over 150lbs and take heart/lung shots on the stuff smaller.
~z

 

[frankd4]

300gr XTP

use the 300gr XTP's you will like them better, that is my standard hunting load for my 444 Marlin.

 

[buck460XVR]

Hornady .44 cal 240 gr XTP - Anyone use it for hunting?

yes............very accurate round for deer loaded over H110/W296.

 

[alsaqr]

Have killed about 25 deer and a couple hundred hogs with the 240 grain .430 XTP bullet fired from my muzzleloaders. Velocity is about the same as a rifle in .44 magnum claiber.

Do you have any horror stories of the 240 xtp on hogs?

Not really, i have messed up a few shots and had to track them down: Have not lost one yet. Have killed hogs at ranges up to 150 yards with that bullet fired from my muzzleloaders. About 20 of those hogs went over 225 pounds and several have gone over 300 pounds.