300 gr. Gold Dot, XTP, or XTP Mag for elk ?

[Cajun]

300 gr. Gold Dot, XTP, or XTP Mag for elk ?

Right now I have a load I will use for rifle season and that is a barnes 285 gr. Spit Fire over 100gr. of BH209. I'm looking for a cheaper load to test with and hunt elk with next year. I figure I can practice more all year with a cheaper load. That is if they shoot as good as my Barnes load.

 

[lane]

That 300g Gold Dot is Semi's all time favorite 8)

I trust Semi :wink:

 

[UtahRob]

We ( my friends , my son and i ) use the 300 grain xtp mags for Elk . I have not shot a Elk yet But my son and a friend have . My sons dropped and my friends ran 25 yards and folded . I understand the Gold Dot is a really good bullet too and holds together a little better . Sabotloader has posted photos showing that !! But don't think you could go wrong with either one .

 

[lane]

I Yahhhh.... also trust UtahRob and his boys :wink: 8)

Yah, they all would work fine :yeah:

 

[UtahRob]

cool video !!

http://www.online-video.net/video/Fhnbq ... 0-cal.html

 

[Cajun]

Thanks Lane and UtahRob! Rob, at what distances did your son and friend get their elk? So far I played around with the xtp mags in a Harvester SB sabot and they grouped very well at 100 yards (1 inch) over 100gr. of BH. I picked up some Gold Dots this week at Sportsman's Warehouse and I'll try them next time I get out to target shoot. Right now my scope is sighted in for my Barnes load. I'm leaving Thursday for 2nd Rifle season, I have a cow tag.

 

[Cajun]

Cool video Rob, thanks for posting it. I sometimes take soaked phone books out when I try different hollow points out of my pistols. If I can round up enough phone books, I'll test both next time I go out.

 

[Semisane]

I doubt you could go wrong with any of those three. I'd see which one shoots best in my gun and use that.

On second thought, if the Gold Dot came in a close second to the best, I'd use the Gold Dot. :lol:

These 300 grain GDs were recovered from the damp sandy loam behind my 100 yard target. They were shot with a muzzle velocity right around 1800 fps (105 grains of T7 from my Mustang).

 

[UtahRob]

Thanks Lane and UtahRob! Rob, at what distances did your son and friend get their elk? So far I played around with the xtp mags in a Harvester SB sabot and they grouped very well at 100 yards (1 inch) over 100gr. of BH. I picked up some Gold Dots this week at Sportsman's Warehouse and I'll try them next time I get out to target shoot. Right now my scope is sighted in for my Barnes load. I'm leaving Thursday for 2nd Rifle season, I have a cow tag.

My son's was around 90 yards . with 90 grains of Pyrodex and my friends was around 130-140 yards ( his guess ) using 100 grains of Pyrodex . Like i just posted a week ago , i shot a mule deer at 150 yards with a 300 grain XTP non mag and the bullet blew through both shoulders dropping the buck in its tracks . If i can borrow a metal detector i will go see if i can find that bullet . We have yet to recover a bullet , they all went right through with a exit whole around 1- 1 1/2 '' on both the Elk and the two deer i have shot .

 

[jsteurrys]

Nolser Partition HGs are on sale right now at Midway USA at about 50% off. Sabotloader loves those bullets.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

I like the Barnes bullets. I practice with T/C shockwaves because they are cheaper and shoot well. Before hunting season, I shoot a few Barnes bullets just to verify POI. For me, they shoot the same and the Barnes bullets have outstanding performance. All of our recovered bullets from animals have great expansion, no weight loss, and no lead to worry about.

So far, I have only shot the 250 grain shockwaves (black sabot) and 250 grain PBT Barnes bullets (blue sabot). I am hoping to try 300 grain shockwaves and 300 grain Barnes bullets soon, to see if I get the same results.

 

[Batchief909]

I'd say any of the three when placed where they belong would get the job done. I'd use whichever is most accurate out of your rifle.

 

[ART338WM]

Cajun,
Mt friend and I have both taken big bull elk with .452/300grn XTPs. Mine was with a standard non-mag XTP and my friends was with using a XTP/MAG.

I can tell you both types of XTPs are devistating on elk. My bull was shot once facing me at a slight quarter to my right. The 300/XTP went through the bulls lungs and exited. He went only about 75yrds down a steep drainage. My bull left a blood trail Steve Wonder could have fallowed.

My friends was shot near dark at a laser range finder confirmed 150yrds. The bull was standing broad side. After the shot the bull simply mulled around and it was in my friends opinion, obvious the bull was in bad shape. he quickly closed to about 50-60yrds and fired again. The bull was again broad side to him and droped instantly after being shot the second time. Both of my friends .452" 300grn XTP/MAGs were compleat pass throughs. He also said there was blood all over the ground were ever the bull had walked prior to dropping.

As other good advice has said, use what shoots best out of your gun. Put eithor one in the right spot and you will have one dead elk.

 

[UtahRob]

Cool video Rob, thanks for posting it. I sometimes take soaked phone books out when I try different hollow points out of my pistols. If I can round up enough phone books, I'll test both next time I go out.

Not my video , i found it on the web .
I sure wish i had a video camera !!

 

[UtahRob]

Cajun,
Mt friend and I have both taken big bull elk with .452/300grn XTPs. Mine was with a standard non-mag XTP and my friends was with using a XTP/MAG.

Do you think the non-mag xtp would be the better choice for Elk ?? Sounds like it did a great job !! .I still have not decided !! I don't really care if there is a exit hole, as long as the bullet did it's job inside .

 

[sabotloader]

Cajun

Personally if I were going to use one of the bullets you have suggested it would be the 300 grain Gold Dot. It is bonded bullet with very good expansion over a wider range of velocities... For me the Gold Dot is a 'poor man's Nosler'

just my choice....

 

[UtahRob]

Cajun

Personally if I were going to use one of the bullets you have suggested it would be the 300 grain Gold Dot. It is bonded bullet with very good expansion over a wider range of velocities... For me the Gold Dot is a 'poor man's Nosler'

just my choice....

Being i am using the 452. and the Gold dot is a 451 , do i need a thicker Sabot than the black one i am using with the steps in the cup ? My Encore's barrel is a lot smoother now that it broke in , the bullet/sabot i am using goes in fairly easy buy i get great groups . I sure do like the looks of the gold dots mushroom or flower !!

 

[sabotloader]

UtahRob

Being i am using the 452. and the Gold dot is a 451 , do i need a thicker Sabot than the black one i am using with the steps in the cup

The Gold Dot is a .452, Speer does make a Unicore .451/300 grain also but it is not a Gold Dot...

I am assuming you are shooting a MMP HPH-24 in your Encore, I am shooting the same sabot in my Omega, well and everything else also.

Another reason I like the Gold Dot ... .233 Ballistic Coeficient.

Here is a collection of Gold Dots recovered from a wet clay soil water bar. The water bar was @ 100 yards. This is far more damaging than shooting an animal...

This is a picture of some hornady XTP's shot into the same clay soil. Again this is very riugh treatment of a bullet, but you can see a few of them did separate lead from copper...

Check your PM's...

 

[Underclocked]

Mike, meant to tell you the Apex seemed to prefer the Uni-Cores you sent me over either of the Gold Dots. I'm going to order some of those in the not too distant future. Thanks!

 

[Cajun]

Thank you to all for your input. Hearing the stories about the XTP's and the Gold Dots are getting me excited. I do have experience with the Gold Dots in 40 Cal and 9MM Personal Defense rounds. I've tested them in wet pack, they are awesome and my carry round but I haven't shot a 45 / 300 gr out the muzzleloader yet.

If they shoot well, I'll probably roll with the Gold Dots but if they don't, I'll feel good about using the XTP's from what I'm hearing here. I know that the 300gr. XTP Mag in a Harvester SB Crushed Rib Sabot over 100 gr. of BH groups well out my Omega.

Mitch