240grain 44cal vs 45cal xtp

[Superglide]

Besides the obvious of one having the larger diameter what is the difference
Between the two bullets.advantages and disadvantages.is one more accurate than the other.just a little confused between two bullets of same weight but different calibers.
Thanks nick[/url]

 

[paia]

They are very similar. The .430 is made with the .44 Mag in mind, and the .452 is made for the .45 Colt and/or the .454 Casull. Both bullets work in roughly the same velocity range and are great deer killers when used in muzzleloaders.

Most .50 cal muzzleloaders shoot the .452 better with a .45/50 sabot, but some rifles prefer the .430's in .44/50 sabots. You just have to experiment and see what your rifle likes.

FWIW, in the Hornady XTP's I have always preferred the 250 grn. .452 XTP over the 240 grain .452 XTP, but that's JMO. My all time favorite XTP is the .430 300 grn XTP in a Harvester sabot.

 

[cayuga]

If I have to shoot a 240 grain bullet I like the .452 diameter. They just seem to shoot better. When I shoot the 300 grain then I like the .430 or .44 caliber bullets better.

Some other good bullets are the .452 250 grain XTP, .400 200 grain XTP, also the Gold Dot bullets made by Speer are good bullets to shoot in bulk.

 

[flounder]

In the past I have always had good luck shooting the 250 grain .452 xtp. I did some shooting yesterday with them and my groups were pretty awful. I then switched to some .430 xtp's which I think are 240 grain. I had bought these because somebody gave me about 200 of the knight green sabots. I don't know if it was the bullet or the sabot but the groups shrunk a whole bunch after I switched. I think the terminal performance would be about the same. I just keep trying till something works.
Art
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BABI MAC

 

[Superglide]

so far my gun hasnt been to finicky(omega z5)ive been shooting 300xtp and 240 grain xtp in 452 cal.the 240 just shoots a little higher.im shooting them in crushed ribs over 90 grains of blackhorn.at 50 yards i can cover 3 shot groups with a quarter.tomorrow im going to hundred yard range and see how they do.( want to post range session pics but can not figure out how to use photobucket.set up free account is the account you pay for easier to use)just want to experiment with other bullets and types.

 

[flounder]

Look in the help forum, It explains the posting of pics pretty good. I am using a free photobucket account. Once you've done it its pretty easy.
Art
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Jailbroken

 

[GM54-120]

If the .429s shoot better in your gun or as well, then i do prefer them. I just like the higher sectional density. A 260gr-270gr 44 is close in SD to some 300gr 45s, depending on construction such as all coppers or Partitions.

The Hornady 44 300gr XTP is a pile driver if it shoots well for you.

Ive been wanting to try the 44/444 225gr and 265gr Hornady FTX bullets. Ive tried just about all the others.

 

[funman]

My gun shoots the .44 and .45 300gr really well, but i prefer the .45 mag option and the hornady does not have mag in .44 that i know of

 

[Okie Hog]

For many years i have used the 240 grain .430 XTP bullet to good effect on deer and hogs. i've killed over 15 deer and dozens of hogs with that bullet. When i put the bullet where it is supposed to go the animal usually dies quickly.

My last muzzleloader hog was shot with that bullet: It weighed 220 pounds on the hoof. Distance was about 40 yards. At the shot the hog fell over, kicked for about 15 seconds and lay still: It was hit low behind the shoulder. The bullet shredded the heart and lungs. It did not exit.

My powder charges have varied from 90 grains of JSG to 150 grains of Pyrodex RS. Currently i'm using 100 grains of 2F Goex Pinnacle with the 240 grain .430 XTP bullet.

 

[paia]

My gun shoots the .44 and .45 300gr really well, but i prefer the .45 mag option and the hornady does not have mag in .44 that i know of

FWIW I can say from a good bit of experience that the "mag option" is not needed for deer hunting. I have killed quite a few whitetails, including some big midwestern bucks, with the Hornady .430 300 grn XTP. It is just a great bullet--great accuracy, great penetration, dead deer. The .452 "Mags" were never as accurate for me and I never hunted with them.

I have no experience with the .430/300 bullet for bigger game though, so if you are looking at elk or moose I can't help ya there.

 

[funman]

My gun shoots the .44 and .45 300gr really well, but i prefer the .45 mag option and the hornady does not have mag in .44 that i know of

FWIW I can say from a good bit of experience that the "mag option" is not needed for deer hunting. I have killed quite a few whitetails, including some big midwestern bucks, with the Hornady .430 300 grn XTP. It is just a great bullet--great accuracy, great penetration, dead deer. The .452 "Mags" were never as accurate for me and I never hunted with them.

I have no experience with the .430/300 bullet for bigger game though, so if you are looking at elk or moose I can't help ya there.

I hunt in very condensed area, some times i have had shots as close as 15 yards away, some shots are alot further away. I have shot game with the mags and non mags. For where i hunt the mags are a better option. Up close shots with a mag will not fragment as bad is all im sayin. I have also had some shots through some brush, where a mag would be better choice. I dont recall what hornady says you can push the regular xtp but i would be pushing it with some up close shots. Personally i think both bullets are built pretty tough, it just comes down to picky preference :lol:

 

[funman]

I keep reading and hearing stories and comments about people using Hornady XTP bullets failing, blowing up, etc.
I believe that it is the fault of the operators, not of the bullets. I also believe that if someone shoots or hunts or uses equipment of any kind they need to become informed and familiar with what they are using and what they are doing. Same about bullets and muzzleloading. One needs to know for what velocities bullets were designed. I've seen so many people not being able to shoot properly a muzzleloader because they were ignorant that i really hate to think of all the injured deer. The dummest one was the guy who was trying to make his rifle shoot like the points and hash marks on his tactical scope.

So, if you insist on using 3 pellets of whatever, realize that those bullets will fly at over 2000 fps (the 250 grainers do 2200 fps). If you are using 2 pellets, you will be shooting about 1700 fps.
This makes a difference when choosing the right XTP bullet, because there are two types of XTP bullets: the regular variety and the Mag variety. These have different jackets. In the 250 grain variety there is the 240 grain Hornady XTP Mag, .4515" diameter, designed to hold together and expand at velocities over 2000 fps, and this is what you should be using if you are shooting 3 pellets or 100-120 grains of powder (which you don't need to and no deer on the planet requires, but if you insist...).
On the other hand, there is the 250 grain Hornady XTP, .4515" diameter, designed to expand at lower velocities, UP TO 1700 fps, which you should be using if you are shooting 70-90 grains of powder (2 pellets). These expand well at quite low velocities, because of softer lead and thinner jackets, or both, but will fragment if pushed too fast, or will expand too quickly and fail to penetrate enough.
On the contrary, if you are shooting 60-80 grains or 2 pellets and longer range, it would be a bad idea to use the XTP Mag or the TC Shockwave (same bullet but with plastic tip), because these bullets are designed to expand at higher velocities. They will penetrate, but may fail to expand.

I read this and found it kind of interesting.