Hornady XTP ???

[NMhuntnutt]

I've got a cow hunt coming up on the 18th here in NM , and I was getting ready .It's been along fall/winter as this is my first hunt from the 02 season , so I'm really feeling it . Well I've got two in-lines , both are TC's and are awesome , but outta the two my Firehawk stainless steal with a thumbhole stock topped with a bushnell banner bp is my sweet heart . This gun was built right before the QLA was introduced to TC smokepoles , but I've found a load that just shoots down right awesome through this barrel . I load 100gr. of pyrodex pellets and shoot 250 gr. hornady xtp's , and as said before , it slams bullets with-in 2 to 3 inches at 100 yards . I've killed three antelope in the last four years with this set up , but have never used it on elk . I've got a TC black diamond with same scope and have got it shooting nice with same powder but 250 gr. Barnes mz-expander bullets . I wil take both guns , better safe than sorry ,if something should happen to one and be so far from home atleast I've got a back up . But I want to carry my sweet heart , but was wondering how that bullet will perform . I am one who truely believes that shot placement is an absolute must , and the xtps' have really down great so far , but theres also a big differance from an antelope buck and a cow elk . What do ya'll think , any advice ? ....thanks .....NMhuntnutt

 

[sheephunter]

Ah, the old thumbhole Firehawk, what a great rifle. I've still got one that I pull out occasionally. I started with a regular stock Firehawk but my wife sawed the stock off to fit her, so I got a thumbhole Firehawk to replace it. The load you describe is all I ever shot from my Firehawks and I killed moose, elk, caribou, bears and even a musk ox, all with one shot each. Hit an elk in the heart or lungs and it's down with that load.

 

[NMhuntnutt]

Thanks for the reply sheephunter , and I also believe what ya said , getting a shot in the boiler room with that load should drop an elk . I really like the way the barnes bullets perform , especially on bull elk , but the hornadys just seem to group much better out of my firehawk . Just four more days and I'm gone huntin , haven't been this excited to go huntin in some time . talk at ya later....NMhuntnutt

 

[sheephunter]

Good Luck! I'm anxious to hear how you make out.

 

[ART338]

NMhuntnut,
My freind and I have shot a combined total of in excess of 1200 Hornady .45 caliber XTPs out of owr MLs, I have personally shot more than 700 out of mine alone. About 80% were the .452 300 grain XTP version, with the rest being made up of eithor the 240 or 250 grain .452 XTPs.

We are both 1000% happy in every possible aspect of performance with Hornady XTPs. If the shooter does their part, thay are capable of excellent accuracy. Based on recovered XTPs after firing of more than a dozen each of both the 250 and 300 grain XTPs and 300 grain XTP/MAGS into water soaked and drained news paper at 100 yards, their performance was nothing short of amaizing. The XTP mag on average retained in excess of 90% of its weight and expanded to over a .70 caliber, and penitrated more than 20" of paper. The standared XTP also performed quite well with more than an average of 60% weight retension and also expanded on average .70".

My two favorite loads for all uses and purposses are as fallows:

<>T/C Encore 209x50 Magnum ML
<>120 grains of Hodgdon 777 in 3-F granulation. This is a max load of 777 for my gun.
<>Hornady black "High Velocity Sabot" for use with .45 caliber projectiles in a .50 caliber ML.
<>Hornady 300 grain XTP, or XTP/MAG.
<>Winchester #209 shotgun primers.
This is my load I would use for elk or similare big game.

My second load uses all of the exact same components and 120 grains of 3-F 777, except I use 250 grain XTPs in place of 300 grain XTPs. I also found that MMPs black magnum sabot works as well with 250 grain XTPs as does the Hornaday sabot, but not as well as the Hornady sabot does with 300 grain XTPs.

As luck would have it, my P.O.I. with the 250, and 300 grain XTPs is so slight (the 250 grain XTPs inpact a little over 1" higher at 100yrds)that I can shoot either without re-zeroing.

My freind and I have both killed 1 elk each with XTPs, and thay performed excellently. My friend shot his 320" bull at 145 yards, and the 300 grain XTP/MAG did horrable dammage to both lungs and liver before exiting. the bull only went a little over 80 yards before colapsing. My bull a small 4x5 went only 60yrds after a double lung hit.

As you have probubly guessed by now, I am a huge fan of XTPs.

Give them a try. You will not find a better performing, more accurate bullet that kills both deer and elk any better than the XTP or XTP/MAG, let alone for under .15 cents a bullet.