.452 45 CAL 240 GR XTP/MAG

[Sverre A.]

I seem to remember that Hornady quoted max. velocity for their XTP`s?

Do you have that information? Especially for 240 gr XTP/MAG.

[PaulS]

Hornady lists their optimum usage and performance criteria - is that what you want?
BTW my book lists a 230 and 250 in .452 diameter but not a 240 grain bullet.

[palgeno]

I used the load data from the Freedom Arms website. They give 36.0 to 39.0 grains of H110 with a 240 grain bullet. I use 36.0 grains of H110 and a CCI magnum primer with the Hornaday 249 gr XTP and from my 7 1/2 inch barrel I am over 1750 fps. The data from FA shows over 2000 fpps with 39.0 grains.( Both the Hornaday 240 gr XTP and 300 gr XTP shoot very accurately from my gun.) I chronographed some of the Hornaday factory ammo in both 240 and 300 grain XTP to compare to my handloads and they are close.I am using the 300 gr XTP with 30.0 grains of H110 and they go right at 1600 fps from the same gun. When I called the FA technician at the FA factory, he did caution me to stay in the lower velocity range with the XTP Mag bullets so as not to damage the forcing cone. (Probably 1500 fps would be plenty of velocity. I could try a different powder for less velocity, but I just like H110.) Those loads have done well for deer and pigs so far. Should be OK for average sized black bear, too. Elk? I am told the 300 gr XTP works well, but I have no personal experience there.
Gene

[Sverre A.]

<Hornady lists their optimum usage and performance criteria - is that what you want?


Yes!

[Castaway]

palgeno, i hope you're talkinng about a 454 and not a Ruger or less strong 45 Colt.  The loads you listed are DANGEROUS and you didn't specify what you're loading them in

[palgeno]

The loads are for the FA model 83 .454 Casull wihich is the gun which Sevarre A. uses.  The XTP mag bullet is designed for the .454 Casull. I did state that the data came from the Freedom Arms web site and you will find the information there listed as loads for the 454 should you wish to check it.  Gene

[palgeno]

Severre A.----try this for the complete chart of velocity ranges for Hornady XTP's:
www.hornady.com/media/Handgun_Bullets.pdf
Acrobat Reader will open the pdf.   Gene

[Castaway]

Not to quibble, but not many people know what the original poster has for a handgun.  I know what Freedom Arms makes but not everyone out there does.

[Sverre A.]

 <try this for the complete chart of velocity ranges for Hornady XTP's


That`s what I was looking for!
Thanks!

[osceola]

The one thing I thing about Hornady XTP's in my 454 Casull, 240, 250 or 300gr is that didn't open up consistantly.  I am familiar with the fps charts on what's needed to make them perform, but in comparison to this http://www.barnesbullets.com/prodxpb-pistol.php there wasn't any.  From 1,000 to 2,000 it will open up, the wound channel is unlike any I'd ever seen, massive hydraulic forces are applied.  I did myself a favor for both my pistol and BP Rifle w/ a sabot.  Note the XPB pistol bullet has a cannelure the BP doesn't so the pistol will work in both.

[Sverre A.]

<didn't open up consistantly.

I`m not concerned about that 
Worse if they open up to fast 

[osceola]

Hello Sverre,

Let me re-phrase that; didn't consistantly open or open at all. 

The Barnes is solid copper and they do open everytime over 1,000 fps.  They are a 1 piece construction that will stay intact.  My limited testing experience, picking wet phone books or whitetails(never hunted any other large game) comparing the wound channel(length & diameter) between the two bullets, well, you'd have to see it to appreciate what a XPB is all about.  There is no lead to separate from the jacket, I've more often had Hornady's separate and blow up on thin skinned whitetails or get exit wounds the size of the entry with the characteristics of a solid bullet than perform as intended.  Yes, I've killed using Hornady products, a Barnes wound channel looks like a Waring Blender the size of one's fist going thru a deers boiler room, opens quick(not to be confused with a .223 on a prairie dog) and drives all the way thru.  But this is just me.

[Lancel]

osceola said:

I've more often had Hornady's separate and blow up

Hornady designed the XTP/MAG to handle .454 Casull velocities beyond what the plain XTP can handle.
Were you using Hornady XTP or Hornady XTP/MAG?

Thanks,
Larry

[osceola]

Hello Lancel,

My reply of 9/29/06 that your question refers to is a clarification of my 9/28/06 post where I stated that yes, I'm familiar with the velocity ratings for both XTP and XTP/Mags.  I ran loads in the 1,200 fps where the Mag wasn't needed and in loads when it was.  I wanted a comfortable load as well as a powerhouse, don't always need 1,700 ft. lbs. of energy to put down a 150# whitetail.

Hornady may work great for some, but my claiming Barnes is in another league is only an opinion. I couldn't fully appreciate the huge difference until I used them on actual kills then to me it became fact.

[Sverre A.]

Only shot one animal with this bullet - and can`t conclude anything, but so far: good expansion.
In right shoulder - out the opposite shoulder.
Velocity 1700 fps.  Distance 35 yds.

[Lancel]

Hello osceola,

I don't see the word "mag" in the posts you refer to; thanks for the clarification.

I already have plenty of .454 240gr XTP/MAG on hand. So the key point and question for me is whether or not to rely on the 240gr XTP/MAG this season.

My velocities are higher than yours so I don't expect a problem. (With note to myself to try Barnes in the future.)
 
Larry

[osceola]

Hello Lancel,

No, unfortunately I didn't specifically have the word Mag in the 9/28/06 post though the 240gr XTP listed is a Mag only projectile.  As for velocity, 1,200 fps was the low for non-Mag, Mag's upto and including 1,600 fps. 

Myself and 2 others I hunt, shoot and re-load with for years own .454's.  With load development, accuracy determination, chronographing etc. the $600+ area of purchases using Hornady bullet  products is not out of the question.  Then came Barnes XPB, that learning curve quickly shortened for us. Other than flattening out bullet drop I no longer need those speeds.  The Barnes opens completely and consistently with a more devastating wound channel than other bullets at greater speeds. 

Good hunting to you and yours.

[shilo]

I shot a large Ohio buck last year with the 240gr xtp mag loaded over 32gr H110 out of a FA 454 at 1550fps at about 45yds. Both bullets failed to fully penatrate the deer. One of them deflected off the shoulder. I killed the deer, but the first shot should have smashed the shoulder and penatrated through the chest. Two bullets, one deer doesn't prove a whole lot, but I didn't like what I saw.

[Camp Cook]

I load the 240gr XTP-Mag's @ 1900fps out of my 7.5" barreled Ruger SRH but have mostly turned them into my plinking loads and prefer to use Hornady's 300gr XTP-Mags @ 1600fps now.

I have used the 300gr loads for black bear protection when I'm out working though.  The one time that I had to use the load was on a 300lbs plus black bear boar @ about 20 yards.  The bear was walking slowly towards me on an angle from in front of me but slightly to my right the first shot hit him in the left shoulder and continued to travel thru the lungs the shot dropped him to the ground instantly but wasn't enough to completely finish him off.

As he started to crawl away I shot him two more times thru the spine/lungs/heart area which put a stop to him. This took an guesstimated 8 to 10 seconds for all the shots.  Here in BC when you shoot an animal in a defense situation it is illegal to move that animal before you report it to the Conservation Officers so I can't tell you how the bullets performed other than they killed the bear.  I took a GPS reading and when I got out I called in a report of the situation.

[a45gunslinger]

The velocity on a box of Hornady custom 240 xtp/mag  # 9148 .  is 2000 fps @ the muzzle, 1770 @ 50yds, 1560@100yds...I took the info rigth off of the box- Kevin