Win Deer Season XP - thoughts and initial performance

[md7]

First season with a 308 Win, and the rifle is a Bergara Ridge with 18” barrel and suppressor.

The goal was a suppressed rig around the same OAL as a non suppressed rifle and capable of lethality on medium size game to 400 yards though my terrain limits shots to 300 yards.

I ran 4 hunting loads, and selected the 308 Win Deer Season XP in 150 gr as my hunting ammo because it consistently will do 3 shot groups under 3/4” at 100 yards. The other 3 would not group well and the 5th I tried grouped excellent but the 168 gr federal gold medal match is not a hunter and I had some concerns with expansion, so nixed it even though it groups amazingly well.

The XP is supposed to enter a deer, come apart, and dump all its energy seldomly leaving an exit. Yesterday, I got to put that theory to the test.

Had a decent 8 point walk out and present a broadside shot at around 70 to 75 yards out.

Aimed just behind his shoulder on the right side of the deer. Upon impact, the buck winced, jumped, and made a wobbly and almost sideways dash to the woodline. He ran no further than 10 to 15 yards and crashed dead.

Can confirm, the bullet worked in this case as advertised. Entrance wound was nasty, and lungs decimated. The jacket of the bullet penetrated and was under the left side of his skin, opposite entrance wound.

Blood was everywhere, for there to not be an exit wound. It was pouring out the entrance and also from his mouth. Drops of blood all the way to where he lay, and significant pool of blood where he fell.

Will attempt to kill more deer, and evaluate performance. This being a small sample size, I can’t tell if this is what to expect moving forward but I’m very pleased with the accuracy, lethality, and overall performance on this one case.

 

[ms6852]

Congratulations and am glad it worked out for you. You know all of us here on this forum would not mind looking at pictures too.

 

[md7]

Congratulations and am glad it worked out for you. You know all of us here on this forum would not mind looking at pictures too.

There should be two pics in the post

 

[md7]

Another update (just killed a 10 point, and I’m back in the stand hunting)

10 point. Quartering toward me about 70 to 80 yards out. Put the bullet on his front left shoulder. Upon impact he (I think, hit the dirt with his knees), scrambled to get his footing, bolted to the edge of the woodline and crashed about 12 or so yards from where he was hit.

Pics of todays kill….

 

[wombat13]

Those are a couple of nice bucks. You've got a good spot. You have any idea what velocity you're getting with that bullet?

 

[md7]

Those are a couple of nice bucks. You've got a good spot. You have any idea what velocity you're getting with that bullet?

I don’t have a chrono, so this is pure hypothesis but if I subtract 150 fps (25 fps per inch over 6 inches of barrel loss) and NOT factor in any suppressor free bore boost then I think it’s possible and maybe likely that MV is around 2670 to 2690 fps

I know…. That’s like reading tea leaves. That’s my best guess though using their stated MV and subtracting fps with 18” barrel

 

[wombat13]

I don’t have a chrono, so this is pure hypothesis but if I subtract 150 fps (25 fps per inch over 6 inches of barrel loss) and NOT factor in any suppressor free bore boost then I think it’s possible and maybe likely that MV is around 2670 to 2690 fps

I know…. That’s like reading tea leaves. That’s my best guess though using their stated MV and subtracting fps with 18” barrel

That seems reasonable. Accurate soft-points are nice because they are so economical. I just worry about pushing them too fast, especially on the quarter toward shot. I worry about it more because all of my hunting rifles are relatively high velocity - .300wm, .25-06, .280ai.

 

[md7]

That seems reasonable. Accurate soft-points are nice because they are so economical. I just worry about pushing them too fast, especially on the quarter toward shot. I worry about it more because all of my hunting rifles are relatively high velocity - .300wm, .25-06, .280ai.

The quarter towards shot at around 80 yards worked out well in this case.

Thus far, on an 80 yard quarter and 70 yard double lung the results have been good. Bullet hits where I’m aiming, bullet comes completely apart inside the boiler room, vitals are pure wrecked, and no exit.

It literally dumps everything in the vitals. Interestingly, in both cases there was massive bleeding from the mouth. There were drops of blood to follow in both deer and literal pools of blood where they laid.

Neither deer ran far. No more than 10 to 15 yards. And each deer was “dead on his feet” judging by the reaction on impact

 

[flatsticks]

Congrats on two nice buck !

Sounds like your new set up is killer ( pun intended )

Thanks for the pics

 

[md7]

Congrats on two nice buck !

Sounds like your new set up is killer ( pun intended )

Thanks for the pics

Thanks!

First go round with a bullet of this type. Its been interesting.

 

[wombat13]

Thanks!

First go round with a bullet of this type. Its been interesting.

What types of bullets have you been shooting? What were the results?

 

[md7]

What types of bullets have you been shooting? What were the results?

130 gr Core Lokt from a 270 Win. Those almost always pass through. Not one to grenade to the extent this XP does

 

[archeryrob]

Nice deer you got there.

FWIW, do you butcher yourself or drop them off to some one? I self butcher and stopped using any bullet that uses "rapid expansion" in its selling lines. I have thrown away a lot of meat where they got into the shoulders. Quartering away in the far shoulder and quartering too in the near shoulder. They defiantly kill good, but I'd prefer to use these on things I just want dead and do not plan to eat. They appear to be over destructive from what I have seen on deer I shot with ballistic tipped bullets.

I have had discussions with many people on this and they say these are great rounds for out west. At 400 yards the round has slowed and kills great and is less destructive. Out East and shooting deer at 50 - 75 yards and its traveling 2700 - 3000 fps and they are very destructive. If you are happy with them, enjoy them and they deer you get with them. I am just wondering on your observations on meat loss from these bullets compared to soft points.

 

[Kevinq6]

Those are some good deer. One of the guys at our hunting camp uses those for deer and hogs of various sizes. Always explode like a grenade radiating shock at about 45 degrees, generally damage for 4 inches wide or so. Lots of bullets recovered just under the skin of a 150+lb hog. I'd say they are very consistent I would just stress because they expand so well I would be really careful to make sure you have a lung shot to not waste too much meat. Good work.

 

[md7]

Nice deer you got there.

FWIW, do you butcher yourself or drop them off to some one? I self butcher and stopped using any bullet that uses "rapid expansion" in its selling lines. I have thrown away a lot of meat where they got into the shoulders. Quartering away in the far shoulder and quartering too in the near shoulder. They defiantly kill good, but I'd prefer to use these on things I just want dead and do not plan to eat. They appear to be over destructive from what I have seen on deer I shot with ballistic tipped bullets.

I have had discussions with many people on this and they say these are great rounds for out west. At 400 yards the round has slowed and kills great and is less destructive. Out East and shooting deer at 50 - 75 yards and it’s traveling 2700 - 3000 fps and they are very destructive. If you are happy with them, enjoy them and they deer you get with them. I am just wondering on your observations on meat loss from these bullets compared to soft points.

Thank you!

Yes, sir. We skin our own game, clean and ice the meat and then take to a processor.

On the buck that was broadside, that was a double lung shot and not much meat was damaged. It mainly tore up the vitals more than anything.

You’re correct on quarter shots. These bullets seem to grenade, for lack of a better word, and will damage meat. Putting the bullet broadside and double lung would be ideal, if possible.

Would like to chrono this ammo from my rifle to get a sense for how fast it’s going from an 18” barrel. Assuming (which is dangerous) that it’s around 150 fps slower than advertised then it should be just fine to a shade past 400 yards in my rifle in theory. In practice I’m limited to 300 so it’s kind of a moot point I suppose.

 

[buck460XVR]

I self butcher and stopped using any bullet that uses "rapid expansion" in its selling lines.

.....same here for the most part. BUT......is hard to tell sometimes if the occasional massive amount of meat loss is because of the bullet or shot placement. I have hit deer in the shoulders or spine in the past where the expansion from the bullet was not the cause of large amounts of "blood meat", but the impact and subsequent shock of the bullet hitting bone. Amazes me sometimes when I see how the impact on bone travels the full length of bone. sometimes that high hit in the front shoulders from a treestand will nick the spine and I will find blood meat in the backstraps far from the wound itself. Same goes for hits to major leg bones. Sometimes I think the blood I find is more cosmetic than making the meat unfit to eat, but still, for the most part it gets thrown.

I process my own from start to finish. One reason I do so is so that I eat what I want from the animal. Some say it's a waste of meat sometimes, but to me, eating what I really enjoy means I will eat everything in my freezer. This is why I don;t eat "right up to the hole" or keep meat that has an excessive amount of tendons and or other connective tissue. I also trim all of the fat from the meat and avoid any amount of marrow by de-boning everything. I truly believe the reason so many folks dislike the taste of venison and/or give so much of their meat away, is because of improper handling and processing of the meat in the field and when butchered. This year my bow buck was a 4 1/2 year old in full rut. Tastes as good as the 1 1/2 year old doe taken by my grand-daughter. Both were processed by me, using the same methods/techniques.

All that said, If I had to error on one side of expansion or the other, I would go to the side with more expansion than less. Not the idea of using a varmint bullet, or one designed for SD against two legged animals, but one still deigned for hunting the game I'm after. This because, putting the animal down quickly and humanely is more important to me, than the loss of a few ounces of meat. There's a reason most F&G/DNRs require the use of "expanding" bullets for deer. High shoulder shots with a high powered rifle put a deer down on the spot for the most part, but will result in some meat loss. Not only is the lack of having to track the animal a plus, but the margin of error for a non-fatal would is less. I have had to put down more than one deer over the years because someone wanted to shoot a deer in the head instead of the boiler room to save meat. Not only did they not get the deer, but they made it suffer until I came along and put it down. IOWs, if a bullet put a deer DRT or within eyesight, trimming a bit of meat is not an issue. At least for me.

 

[Kevinq6]

Thank you!

Yes, sir. We skin our own game, clean and ice the meat and then take to a processor.

On the buck that was broadside, that was a double lung shot and not much meat was damaged. It mainly tore up the vitals more than anything.

You’re correct on quarter shots. These bullets seem to grenade, for lack of a better word, and will damage meat. Putting the bullet broadside and double lung would be ideal, if possible.

Would like to chrono this ammo from my rifle to get a sense for how fast it’s going from an 18” barrel. Assuming (which is dangerous) that it’s around 150 fps slower than advertised then it should be just fine to a shade past 400 yards in my rifle in theory. In practice I’m limited to 300 so it’s kind of a moot point I suppose.

You can test your estimates with velocity by sighting in at 100 (or whatever) and measuring the drop at 200 and 300. You can plug the round into a ballistics calculator (I like JBM Ballistics) and compare. There are a few tests online where you can estimate but it will vary a little based on your gun and the ammo. In my 16in I estimate 250fps off the box and that has been within an inch out to 300yds. Those power points are soft so should expand well at lower velocities. Thanks for sharing.

 

[md7]

You can test your estimates with velocity by sighting in at 100 (or whatever) and measuring the drop at 200 and 300. You can plug the round into a ballistics calculator (I like JBM Ballistics) and compare. There are a few tests online where you can estimate but it will vary a little based on your gun and the ammo. In my 16in I estimate 250fps off the box and that has been within an inch out to 300yds. Those power points are soft so should expand well at lower velocities. Thanks for sharing.

Yes sir and thank you for sharing your knowledge.

 

[tdbmd]

First season with a 308 Win, and the rifle is a Bergara Ridge with 18” barrel and suppressor.

The goal was a suppressed rig around the same OAL as a non suppressed rifle and capable of lethality on medium size game to 400 yards though my terrain limits shots to 300 yards.

I ran 4 hunting loads, and selected the 308 Win Deer Season XP in 150 gr as my hunting ammo because it consistently will do 3 shot groups under 3/4” at 100 yards. The other 3 would not group well and the 5th I tried grouped excellent but the 168 gr federal gold medal match is not a hunter and I had some concerns with expansion, so nixed it even though it groups amazingly well.

The XP is supposed to enter a deer, come apart, and dump all its energy seldomly leaving an exit. Yesterday, I got to put that theory to the test.

Had a decent 8 point walk out and present a broadside shot at around 70 to 75 yards out.

Aimed just behind his shoulder on the right side of the deer. Upon impact, the buck winced, jumped, and made a wobbly and almost sideways dash to the woodline. He ran no further than 10 to 15 yards and crashed dead.

Can confirm, the bullet worked in this case as advertised. Entrance wound was nasty, and lungs decimated. The jacket of the bullet penetrated and was under the left side of his skin, opposite entrance wound.

Blood was everywhere, for there to not be an exit wound. It was pouring out the entrance and also from his mouth. Drops of blood all the way to where he lay, and significant pool of blood where he fell.

Will attempt to kill more deer, and evaluate performance. This being a small sample size, I can’t tell if this is what to expect moving forward but I’m very pleased with the accuracy, lethality, and overall performance on this one case.View attachment 1186255View attachment 1186256

We have taken about 8 deer with the Winchester Deer Season XP in .350 Legend and it has always performed as expected. Quite accurate in the .350 Legend as well.

 

[Space Ghost]

I too like the Deer Season load... and for the same reason... my rifle (Remington 700) likes it.
Mine is in .243, but that's good enough for deer sized (man sized) targets... and it will shoot just over a quarter inch in my rifle.
That's with me behind the gun... so it can probably do better.
I don't hunt anymore, so I put the gun in a chassis and made it my precision gun.
Now I have a pretty capable (and very accurate) round that's a factory loading.
Helps when you don't handload.

 

[md7]

I too like the Deer Season load... and for the same reason... my rifle (Remington 700) likes it.
Mine is in .243, but that's good enough for deer sized (man sized) targets... and it will shoot just over a quarter inch in my rifle.
That's with me behind the gun... so it can probably do better.
I don't hunt anymore, so I put the gun in a chassis and made it my precision gun.
Now I have a pretty capable (and very accurate) round that's a factory loading.
Helps when you don't handload.

View attachment 1188605

View attachment 1188606

Excellent shooting!

And yes… the 243 is an excellent cartridge for deer or for the range. My kids use 243 and it has done a great job when placed where it’s supposed to be placed.

Consider me a fan!

 

[Peakbagger46]

Nice deer you got there.

FWIW, do you butcher yourself or drop them off to some one? I self butcher and stopped using any bullet that uses "rapid expansion" in its selling lines. I have thrown away a lot of meat where they got into the shoulders. Quartering away in the far shoulder and quartering too in the near shoulder. They defiantly kill good, but I'd prefer to use these on things I just want dead and do not plan to eat. They appear to be over destructive from what I have seen on deer I shot with ballistic tipped bullets.

I have had discussions with many people on this and they say these are great rounds for out west. At 400 yards the round has slowed and kills great and is less destructive. Out East and shooting deer at 50 - 75 yards and its traveling 2700 - 3000 fps and they are very destructive. If you are happy with them, enjoy them and they deer you get with them. I am just wondering on your observations on meat loss from these bullets compared to soft points.

Good points here on meat loss and impact velocity. As an “out west” hunter (public land mule deer, elk, and pronghorn) our shot distances are varied but usually not overly long. Personally I demand reliable expansion and exit wounds with as little meat loss as practicality possible.

These deer season bullets seem to preform more like a varmit bullet than a big game round. Count me out but thanks to the OP for sharing his results on a couple of beautiful bucks!

 

[md7]

Good points here on meat loss and impact velocity. As an “out west” hunter (public land mule deer, elk, and pronghorn) our shot distances are varied but usually not overly long. Personally I demand reliable expansion and exit wounds with as little meat loss as practicality possible.

These deer season bullets seem to preform more like a varmit bullet than a big game round. Count me out but thanks to the OP for sharing his results on a couple of beautiful bucks!

Thanks for weighing in!

Glad the info is helpful in steering you away, and towards options that do what you prefer.

Sometimes knowing what you don’t want is as helpful as knowing what you do! I would not expect pass through with this particular bullet.

 

[Lefty38-55]

Thanks @md7, and others of course, for chiming in here. I bought some 308s to try out in my LH'd CZ-557.

 

[md7]

Thanks @md7, and others of course, for chiming in here. I bought some 308s to try out in my LH'd CZ-557.

Hope they shoot well for you.