Hornady 300 grain xtp bullet/sabot

[lonewolf5347]

I will be looking for a new load in my 54 cal. thunderhawk,I was shooting the Noslers 250 grainers full partitions,but just before the season open for some strange reason they were all over the place.I did a last min: change and went to the Hornady 240 grain xtp mag bullet ,then drop into a 54 cal. red harvester sabot and with 115 grains of pyrodex select the groups were outstanding.I did never had a chance to see how they work,the deer never cross my shooting lane.
My question is the Hornady 300 grain 452 xtp
the hornady 300 grain xtp mag
what are the main difference between the mag. and the regular ,what would be a better choice using a powder charge around 115 grains of pyrodex select?
I have noticed the thunderhawk will print any 240 to 260 HP pistol bullet excellent,I don't know if the 300 grainers will shoot out of the m/l ,but this up incomming season I would like to try them.
I also was looking at the winchester platiums 260 grain bullet/sabot seem I read some great review on this bullet.

[sabotloader]

lonewolf5347,

Just a few thoughts from this end, you have probably already been there but:

I was shooting the Noslers 250 grainers full partitions,but just before the season open for some strange reason they were all over the place.

In my 54's I have had much better luch shooting the 45 cal 260 grain Nosler than the 44's - I can shoot 5 - 44's in a real nice group and then the 6th one will fly out there 3-4 inches for some reason.  I do not havethat problem with the 45's...

My question is the Hornady 300 grain 452 xtp
the hornady 300 grain xtp mag
what are the main difference between the mag. and the regular

If you look at the two bullets you will see that the copper is rolled over the nose and into the hollow point on the Mag's.  I believe this done to allow the bullet to travel with more velocity without blowing up on contact.  A lot of regular 240's shot out of a 50 cal at the velocity they were being driven at would blowup at close ranges with contact on a big bone.  If you go to Hornady.com you can find the velocity graph that shows the velocity difference between the two bullets.  I also think the wrapping of the copper over the nose may control expansion a little more actually slow it down at close ranges through soft tissue. - Which sometimes might not be good - but you do have a much better penetrating bullet at intermediate to long range.

 

I don't know if the 300 grainers will shoot out of the m/l ,but this up incomming season I would like to try them.

In all of my rifles, inlines and sidehammers, the 45 cal 300 grain shoots outstanding groups.  The inline 50's will also shoot the 44 cal. 300 grain XTP's real well.  But I still feel more confident with the 45 cal.

 

I also was looking at the winchester platiums 260 grain bullet/sabot seem I read some great review on this bullet.

I have read a lot of great reviews of the Win 260 Plat, but i am so sold on the Nosler Partition I continue to shoot it for deer.  The Nosler 260 in a Nosler sabot, in fact I use Nosler sabots for everything, they are slightly thinner than harvesters and go down great shot after shot.  Anyway back to the subject Nosler 45 cal 260 Partition Hollow Points - do a great job at short range as well as long range - weather I hit a big bone or not.  I'll offer this target to you.  Even though the target says Sierra - they were not Sierra the tight group were Speer 260 grain Hollow points.  I shoot a lot and I can not afford to shoot Nosler's for recreation so I try to find an inexpensive bullet of equal weight and that happens to be a Speer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/sabotloader/Target.jpg

Good luck in your search - I believe Swift also makes a 260 grain bullet that really does the job.

Mike

[lonewolf5347]

sabotloader: correct in what you say when it comes to the noslers 250 HP S.H.O.T. grainers in the thunderhawk they will shoot excellent ,just like the 240 hornady xtp mag. The nosler I was using are the 451 diameters H G full partitions 300 grain .Hey sabotloader if interested I have 5 cards left 50 rounds total $6.00 a card of 10 rounds each,if you anyone that interested in them,they are to exspensive to shoot if they won't groupe for me.
So getting back to the oriinal ? do you think the 300 xtp mag would be a better choice over the plain xtp?(if they will shoot in the thunderhawk)
My next bullet that interest is the SPBT 375 grain in 45 cal. made by buffalo,,they have a excellent BC for long distance shots.O well someting to play around with for the spring range shooting.  

[str8shooter48]

Sabot loader,  I read on a few forums that the Noslers are the thinnest sabot of the bunch. I planned on trying them with Hornadys 250 gr SST bullet which are a real bear to load in my Encore with supplied sabot.

When was the last time you bought Nosler sabots? I recieved an order from Midway last week in which Nosler sabots were part of my order. Was I ever pi$$ed when I opened the package and looked at the Nosler sabots only to find they are tha exact same sabot that comes packaged with the Hornady SST's. I don't know if they changed their sabots or I was taken to the cleaners by Midway. :x

These sabots are black and the inside of the base have a 4step pattern molded into them. They came packaged in a plastic bag. Are these what you have?

The package says:

                  NOSLER
        Bullets for Sportsmen

        Black Powder Sabots
                  50096
  50 Caliber Sabots for.451 " Bullets

Thanks

[lonewolf5347]

str8shooter48: The 451 diameter 300 grainers HG Partition that come with the 54 cal. my sabots are orange. They are the same bullet they use in the 50 cal. they may use the Hornady sabot .

[sabotloader]

str8shooter48,

These sabots are black and the inside of the base have a 4step pattern molded into them. They came packaged in a plastic bag. Are these what you have?

These sabots sound like MMP sabots (4 step pattern in the bottom), but you have another problem - MMP makes two different 50 cal long petaled sabots.  The HPH-12, the standard sabot, and the HPH-24 a thin petaled sabot for TC's.  It really does not sound like you have the Noslers.

They come in a plastic bag but clearly labeled Nosler.  They are black but no stair step, they have a smooth cup with with a very small tit right in the middle of the cup.  I use to think they might have been made by Harvester, but they reall y do not match Harvester either.  This is where I get my sabots.

http://www.wholesalehunter.com/product/nosler/nosldes/NoslerSabots.htm

I ordered some 300 grain SST's directly from Hornady and they come with the HPH-12 MMP sabot they will not go down my Remingtons or the A&H's - but putting them in a Nosler sabot they go right down.

The Nosler label says #50096 Black Powder Sabots "for .451 bullets" but I am putting .452 Hornadys in them all the time and they work great. I did restock a bunch of bulk Noslers sabots just before hunting season because I was worried they might have switched, but everything was normal.  I never buy packages they are to expensive so I buy bulk bullets and bulk sabots.

According to the Nosler web site - thay are still making bulk sabot packages..

http://www.nosler.com/muzzleload.html

Another avenue you can use if you can find find some TC Mag Express 50 cal sabots they are either the thinner MMP or a Thin Harvester - TC barrels are tight.  In my case the Noslers go down better than the Mag Express, Harvester or MMP HPH-24..

Good luck in your seach... I think Wholesale will come through for you.

[str8shooter48]

Thanks for the replies. These definitely show the same part#50096 as on the Nosler website. Only problem is you don't need a forensic scientist to see they are exact matches to the Hornady sabots.

When you order your sabots from Wholesale Hunter do they come in a plastic zip lock bag? Maybe I got screwed on this one.

Thanks

[sabotloader]

str8shooter48,

When you order your sabots from Wholesale Hunter do they come in a plastic zip lock bag?

They do! and in the plastic bag is a 3x5 card that identifies them as Noslers with all the Nosler information.  The MMP's that I buy directly from MMP come in plastic zip-locks also but no real paper work in the bag.  I am pretty sure that MMP is now making the sabots for Hornady, and even TC - but the ones they sell to TC are their thinnest model.