I have only one experience with the non-mag XTP on deer and that was not a positive experience.
The load:
120 gr. Goex FFg
300 gr. .452 XTP (non-mag)
MMP 3P-EZ sabot
The shot occurred Saturday afternoon, the range was 25 yards. The target was a large bodied, heavy racked buck that I would estimate between 200 and 250 lbs live weight. The point of aim was chest high at the front edge of the left shoulder. The deer was at a quartering toward angle from left to right. I was standing on the ground, shooting off of bipod style shooting sticks so there was no up or down angle to the shot, almost level. The buck stepped out into a trail through the woods, clear shot, no brush of trees between the muzzle and the buck. Just so happened that I stopped at the intersection of two trails while still hunting, set the sticks up and put the rifle on the sticks to rest my arms. The rifle was pointed in the right direction, the buck walked right into the sight picture as though it were scripted.
At the shot the deer dropped low but did not fall, turned 90 away from me and ran into the woods and almost immediately stopped out of sight. Although the wind covered the sound of the buck walking, I did hear a squirrel barking at him as he passed near a hickory tree. Within 2 minutes I heard the buck crash into heavy brush about 75 yards to my left.
Here is where the dream turns into a nightmare. After a 30 minute wait during which I reload and start making plans for turning the rack into a trophy and the meat into steaks, sausage and jerky I go to the point of impact. No blood, no hair, only hoof prints in the road where he turned after the shot. Three of us search the rest of the weekend, all experienced hunters with excellent tracking skills, could not find any blood sign. Without a trail to follow, the brush on the hillside where I heard him fall is too thick to see him unless you were stand right next to the deer. We covered about a 200 yd. square by walking a 10 yd. grid and still could not find him.
I can only assume that the XTP did not completely pass through the deer and leave an exit wound. All other indications lead me to believe that the bullet performed well. If my ears did not deceive me, the buck sustained massive internal injury and bleeding and death occurred very quickly.
I can not blame the bullet for the loss of the deer. I have to accept that because of the less than ideal shot angle.