bullet types for hunting

[terry-1]

I am just getting started in serious handgun hunting for southern whitetail deer and hogs after 25 years of hunting with bow,rifle,black power I bought a T/C G2 contender pistol with 10mm barrel and a 41 mag barrel next on my list. Right now I am setting up my 10mm barrel with a eotech halo sight and will be staying under 50 yards for shots. I have been looking at ammo and wondering which bullet type would be best for thin skinned animals like deer and shooting alot of wild hogs from 100lb -200lbs which are everywhere on my hunting lease? I was looking at loads with XTP 180 and 200gr bullets, gold dot 180gr and corbon bonded core soft points 180gr all full power loads. I see alot of people shoot cast style bullets but are they really a must for small southern deer 150lbs and hogs of the same size? Would I be better off with a controlled hollow point stlye bullet or softpoint?

[Dusty Miller]

Animals of that size don't require exotic bullets of any type (just avoid RN and FMJ).  Bullet placement is the key and if you know where the vitals are in white tails and pigs you'll do just fine with the equipment you have, especially if you do in fact keep your shots under 50 yards.

[Lawdog]

On Wild Boar avoid bullets that open too fast or you very well may have problems getting them thru their gristle plate in the shoulder area.  Lawdog
 

[Redhawk1]

Hornady XTP 210 gr. should work just fine.  

[terry-1]

Which would be better the XTP or gold dot in the same gr and same load?

[Redhawk1]

Which would be better the XTP or gold dot in the same gr and same load?

I trust Hornady over the gold dots. JMHO.  

[rickyp]

I have used quite a few 45 XTP bullets had have not had good  lick with them

[Castaway]

Can't stand it!  I'd go with a cast SWC, and if I could, find it a Keith style bullet in 40 caliber.  Pistols kill differently than rifles.  Don't expect too much expansion, you want penetration.  A 40 caliber bullet is close to what the high power rifle shooters want their bullet to expand to and you're starting the hole at that size.  I've shot pigs and deer with XTP's and also cast bullets ane am a devout cast bullet fan for pistol killing.   Expanding bullets act like parachutes, a SWC will make an inney and outey on most broadside shots leaving a lot of blood to follow.  Like Elmer said,  it lets a lot of blood out and a lot of air in.

[TScottO]

I prefer hard cast because there isn’t much that can go wrong with them and penetration is consistent and in a strait predictable line. My main goal is to have complete penetration from any angle shot I want to take. This is not always possible with jacketed bullets. Even though I don’t use jacketed bullets very much I don’t see a problem with them and they may actually give more tissue damage most of the time even though they may or may not exit depending on the shot.

The only thing I would make sure I didn’t do with a jacketed bullet is to choose a bullet designed for self defense against humans. Make sure you are getting a good quality bullet that is fairly tough and designed for hunting. You do not want a bullet that is going to fragment or have the jacket try to separate upon impact.

I would not use jacketed bullets on hogs because their hide and shield plate along with all of the mud that is caked up in the hair is just too tuff when all layered together. I’m sure people kill hogs with jacketed bullets with fine results but I wouldn’t use them.

Take Care,
Scott

[Redhawk1]

Even though I thought the Hornady are fine. I use in 90 % of my pistol hunting round hard cast bullets with gas checks. I am getting ready for my bear hunt to Maine tomorrow, and I will be shooting hard cast gas check bullets in my 500 Mag. For hogs, I also use cast bullets. For deer I use jacketed bullets.  

[Graybeard]

Neither of your caliber choices would be on my short list but they should work. For deer I like JHPs but for hogs I don't. With both on the list and both being possible on any given hunt I'd go with hard cast bullets with the widest meplat you can find. Go heavy for caliber with them.

[terry-1]

Thanks for the help I can see good points for both types of bullets. I think I will order a few soild cast bullets and a few of the bonded soft points also which would give a little expansion, but still in a controlled way. I see wild hogs about 50% of the time I go to my hunting lease it is over ran with them so after a few shots I should be able to get a idea of what the bullets are doing first hand. My shooting range is very limted, 50 yards would be a long shot. My 3 best friends and I have 7000acres of soild timber and brush leased for hunting my average shot at anything is around 25 yards. We have small foodplots with feeders which are maybe 75 yards long by 50 yards wide but the stands are always on the center edge which cuts the plot in half as far as range. I think the 10mm or 41mag should be just fine at those ranges and the size of game I am shooting. Thanks again!