bullet choice

[Myerslake2005]

I have a 54 cal Knight that I currently shoot a 240gr hornady hollow point xtp with 100 grains of Shokey Gold (american Pioneer).  Shot a buck this weekend broadside at 95 yards.  Hit a little far back and the bullet passed between the ribs shattered 1/3 of the liver, went into the chest and clipped a lung exited between the ribs and stopped between the hide and the chest wall.  I found a perfect mushroomed bullet.  However if my dad hadn't shot the deer in the leg a few minutes earlier (a poor shot) I wouldn't have had a blood trail for at least 100 yards or more because I didn't have an exit wound and I didn't have a double lung shot.

Any suggestions for changing bullets.  I like the actual damage peformance of the xtp but would like to punch through them at 95 yards especially when there wasn't any bone contact.  The Powebelts don't pattern well in my gun.  One option is the Dead Center bullets.  Has anyone used these with success?

[SURVEYOR]

Seems you like sabots, but these are a good choice if sabot aren't legal, or you don't want to mess with a sabot.

http://members.aol.com/noexcusesb/page3.html

[Redhawk1]

I have used the Precision Rifle duplex dead centers. I use the .375 cal 195 gr. with great success on deer. I have taken 7 deer with the 195 gr. bullet. My accuracy at the range is 1 inch groups at 100 yards out of my standard Encore 50 cal M/L barrel.  In my Pro-hunter I am using the T/C bonded shock wave 250 gr. sabots. I have taken 2 deer with it. Accuracy is great and the bullets worked great on deer.

[wanderer]

If you like the damage that the XTP's cause, but want a pass through, consider switching to the 300 gr XTP. I recently talked to a friend who has killed around 25 deer with either 250 or 300 grain XTP's. He said the 300 (standard, not the mag) expands like the 250 because the nose of the bullet is similar, but since it is longer it has more penetration. This explanation makes sense to me and I hope he is right, because I will be using a 300 gr XTP and 100 gr of RS this weekend.

[coop2564]

So far I have shot 7 deer with these all went completely through deer and they are the most accurate ML bullet I've shot yet.  All 3 of my guns love them. I'm pushing them with 95grs T7 3F
285gr barnes spitfire

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0003545154