.430 200 grain XTP in .50 cal

[Gmed]

I am thinking - which is really scary - about trying some 200 grain Hornady .430 diameter .44 magnum bullets in green sabots for a low recoil load in a .50 caliber muzzleloader. I want to use 75-90 grains of Blackhorn by VOLUME. Anyone ever used this bullet for deer out of a muzzleloader? Performance?

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

I shot Hornady 300 gr 44 cal xtp's with 100 gr of pyrodex until recently. I moved to the Hornady 300 gr 45 cal only because for some reason the 44 cal xtp in 300 gr was hard to find (usually out of stock).

I have killed many deer with the 44 cal and the accuracy was good as well.

I really can't tell any difference in the 44 to the 45

 

[Gmed]

I shot Hornady 300 gr 44 cal xtp's with 100 gr of pyrodex until recently. I moved to the Hornady 300 gr 45 cal only because for some reason the 44 cal xtp in 300 gr was hard to find (usually out of stock).

I have killed many deer with the 44 cal and the accuracy was good as well.

I really can't tell any difference in the 44 to the 45

I want to find a low recoil load for my fiancé. She's never hunted with a muzzleloader, but does ok with the .243. I felt the 200 grain XTP would be viable with a reduced load of powder, but wanted to ask the audience for any "real life" experiences with them.

 

[knightrider]

I want to find a low recoil load for my fiancé. She's never hunted with a muzzleloader, but does ok with the .243. I felt the 200 grain XTP would be viable with a reduced load of powder, but wanted to ask the audience for any "real life" experiences with them.

Keep it 150 yards and in the ribs, dead deer walking

 

[Billboy]

Way back I used the 200gr 44 bullets (also in my Redhawk 44 mag) in my wolverine with 90 gr pyrodex. wasn't super accurate (~3" @ 100yds) but it killed quite a few deer. Didn't always get a pass through, but the XTP's always performed beautifully. I load 180gr .40 XTP with a blue sabot in the same old wolverine for my daughter and they shoot well with 70 gr powder.

 

[Remi]

The 180 does fair in these tests, the 200 should be fine. I've thought about the 185 Barnes tac-Xp in .452" for 45acp after reading the results

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[Travis G.]

I have been shooting them in my CVA pistol with 80 grains pyrodex. Super accurate for me. Haven't shot a deer yet but stopped a coyote in its tracks.

 

[Gmed]

The 180 does fair in these tests, the 200 should be fine. I've thought about the 185 Barnes tac-Xp in .452" for 45acp after reading the results

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Thanks man….excellent test with ALOT of bullets. Bet that took a while….

 

[Remi]

Thanks man….excellent test with ALOT of bullets. Bet that took a while….

Yeah, it's quite detailed. I dropped down to 65grs of bh209 by weight and a 270 Speer last year. If I don't change my mind I'm trying one of the light tac-x bullets this year.


The Speer performed excellent but if I can reduce recoil even more and stay effective, why not. No one shoots better and enjoys shooting more when they have more recoil, lol.

 

[mike243]

Are you talking volume or weight on the blackhorn?

 

[mike243]

By weight the max is 84 120 by volume

 

[Harold Money jr]

I killed about a dozen deer with 180gr .44 xtp's in front of 80-90gr of pyrodex. It killed just fine, I'd always find the bullet as a bump on the other side of the deer. A quick cut with a knife and it would fall out perfectly mushroomed.
If I were you and wanted to use black horn, I'd weigh my charge at 63gr and let her kill every deer within 150yds.
Btw, I went to 240gr with the same loads and haven't recovered a bullet yet. I like 2 holes better. The 200 might have enough to go through. I thought a lot about them back In The day.

 

[ScLowCountry]

I use 300 xtp. 429 44 cal bullets work amazing. I have used the 240 as well in my other CVA. Both work flawless

 

[knightrider]

That 240 is a fine deer killer

 

[double browtine]

I shot both 180gr and 240 gr Hornady xtp with the green sabot that they came with for years out of my knight. The 180's always mushroomed good but past 50 yards on a broadside shot you might not get a pass thru. The 240 didn't have any issues with passing through inside 75 yards. I was using 90 grain by volume of pyrodex. Once I switched to 777, things were much better. Now I shoot the 250gr shockwaves with 100 grain of 777 by volume. The shockwaves provide much better accuracy. You should try like 75 grains by volume of 777 and see if she can handle the recoil. It should be fine. My kids have shot 90 grains without any issues.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

I killed about a dozen deer with 180gr .44 xtp's in front of 80-90gr of pyrodex. It killed just fine, I'd always find the bullet as a bump on the other side of the deer. A quick cut with a knife and it would fall out perfectly mushroomed.
If I were you and wanted to use black horn, I'd weigh my charge at 63gr and let her kill every deer within 150yds.
Btw, I went to 240gr with the same loads and haven't recovered a bullet yet. I like 2 holes better. The 200 might have enough to go through. I thought a lot about them back In The day.

Back in the day when I was experimenting with loads in my knight I was using almost this identical loading and dropping them like a rock.

I eventually went to Tony Knigjts pets load of 100Gr Of Pryrodex and the 452 Xtp and MMP short black sabots and that was my go to pet load for many moons. It was a less bit accurate. Not but much but it sure had a better bang flop. Nothing got up from it.

 

[Savage Knight]

Never had an issue with XTP's out of anything I've shot them out of. Nothing pretty or fancy about them but they simply get the job done! Sportsman's guide had a deal on the 240gr TC mag branded ones a few years back. I ordered about 400 of them. I'll be dead and gone long before they all get shot up!