250 gr or 300gr

[luckydawg13]

is a lighter and faster bullet or heaver and slower bullet better for hunting deer 454 casull

[sk330lc]

Can't see a deer caring Much . Either will do the job just fine.  I don't hunt with a 454 , But do hunt with the 44mag and I use
the 240gr xtp over the heavier Slugs..  Haven't lost a deer yet. Through and Through shots always. 

[Ak.Hiker]

I would think bullet construction would be more important than weight. If I was going to hunt deer with my 454 I would want a JHP that would offer some expansion. I tested out some Barnes Expanders by Federal last summer and boy do they expand. I have never seen any bullet expand like those solid copper slugs. They give 100% weight retention too. They are 250 grain. The 225 is designed for the 45 Colt. I would go with the 240 to 260 grain bullets for deer if it was me. The penetration of some of the 300 grain bullets I have tested is greater than most rifle loads. 

[kynardsj]

I just bought a M92 Puma in 454 Casull yesterday. I came home and ordered Starline brass and Hornady jacketed bullets in 250 and 300 grain. The answer to your question I believe would be the 250's as deer are thin skinned. I bought both weights to see which one my rifle likes and also for hog hunting.

[243dave]

If you plan on loading 300gr regular hornady xtps at 454 velocities you won't get exit holes if you hit shoulders or the shot is quartering on whitetail, the regular 300gr xtps seem to over-expand limiting penetration at around 1600fps.  Use the 300gr xtp mags if you want exit holes or are shoot'n tougher game than deer.  I use a 45 colt trapper with the 300gr xtp mag traveling around 1600fps, they will travel lengthwise on deer.  With the 454 rifle you can top 1600fps no problem.  There is a big difference between the hornady 300gr xtp and the hornady 300gr xtp mag.  The xtp mags are extremely tough,  they are the kind I use above 1400 fps.  Dave       

[luckydawg13]

I BOUGHT SAME THING 250 & 300 GR HORNIADY SAME BRASS TO CCI 400 PRIMERS 2400 PWD & YA I DO WANT EXIT HOLE

[Lloyd Smale]

If you were talking truely big game id say heavy and slow allways gets the nod but for deer its not going to matter much. Ive never got extreemly good accuracy in the 454 with bullets lighter then 300 grain though. But then to be honest ive never even tried a jackted bullet lighter then 300. I guess if i wanted to shoot a jaketed 250 (which i doubt will ever happen) Id just do it in a 45 colt. If your talking cast keep in mind that penetration will go down hill past about 1400 fps with any alloy known to me. But then i would have to guess that theres not a jacketed  bullet made that will consistantly expand and penetrate deep at velocitys any higher. I guess its the reason 454s didnt stay in the safe long. To me they dont do anything that a large framed ruger 45 colt wont do. I have my 4 5/8s 454 that i will proably keep forever but i couldnt see myself ever buying another 454. To sum up all this garble find yourself some 300 grain cast swcs or lfns and load them to about 1300 fps and your 454 will take care of anything for coyotees to cape buffalo.

[luckydawg13]

what are ifns and what brand of swcs would you use

[BIG Dog454]

I've killed deer with both the 250's and the 300's, all were dead. I prefer the 300 gr lee cast lead with alloy #2 hardness, but thats just me. I'v shot deer with the 250xtp's,  (not the magnum) and found they blow up unless you keep the velocity around 1000fps.  With  the lead cast flat nose bullets 900 to 1200 fps is deadly on deer, putting holes in both sides of the deer with a lot of damage internally.  The 300 gr bullets shoot most accurately in my Ruger, but I've been able to get satisfactory accuracy with the 250 gr.  Last year (2008) I shot a large doe that was facing me with a 300 gr cast, and upon skinning the deer found the bullet under the skin on the hind quarter, completly thru the the deer entering the chest taking out the heart, lungs, damaging the liver and ending up flattened to a little over 3/4 inch in diameter. I would advise that you choose whatever shoots best in you 454, they'll all kill a deer.

[kynardsj]

Learn something new every day. I didn't realize that there were different XTP's so I rechecked my order and saw that the 250's are the regular XTP's while the 300's are the XTP Magnums. I'll load them accordingly. Probably going to get me some hardcast gas check too.

[Ak.Hiker]

Learn something new every day. I didn't realize that there were different XTP's so I rechecked my order and saw that the 250's are the regular XTP's while the 300's are the XTP Magnums. I'll load them accordingly. Probably going to get me some hardcast gas check too.

Hornady also makes a 240 grain 454 Mag Tip designed for the 454. The regular 300 grain XTP holds up pretty good but the Mag Tip design has a thicker jacket and can handle the higher preasure of the 454. 

[Dand]

Luckydawg - lfns  I think means Long Flat Nose, a cast bullet design originated by the Lead Bullet Technology guy Veral  Smith. Check out his website for illustrations of his designs, LFN, WFN etc.

He's got the forum just down 2 from this reloading forum.

and link to catalog: http://www.lbtmoulds.com/pdf/2007CATALOG.pdf

Good bullets, they are very effective.

[luckydawg13]

thanks dand