I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

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I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby oldmanjeffers » Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:09 pm

Here's my story

I had great groups at 100 out to 200 yards with 40grs of W296 with a 240XTP on top, When on my first pig hunt this weekend in a long time and thought I'd take this load. After two long days finding these animals we got word from another rancher that they were tilling his field up at night. We set up at a tree line and waited, We glassed the field and saw movement at aproxxanently 500 yards and were losing light fast, We decided to go in after them. I saw movement in the grass at 100 yards and froze, it was a hog and a big hog it was moving left from my position right into a small clearing as soon as it got to that clearing it must have smelled me because it took off running to my left, I got the 450 up and led him about 12" and let one fly, WHACK! Thats distinctive sound of a solid hit and it was down, So I thought.

We gave it about 15-20 min and then went to recover my pig, It was not their. No blood, nothing. It's now dark and After about one hour looking for blood we found one very small light red spot on a piece of grass approx 200 yards away(pure luck that we even found that). We continued looking for about another hour then decided to get the dogs out their first thing in the morning. We followed those dogs all day it felt, Only to be brought to a dead cow about two miles away, we continued looking for the better part of that afternoon and came up with nothing, After talking to some ranchers in the area they all said I should have never used a hollow point bullet on the hogs in that area, They said if I had hit behind the shoulder plate that we'd all be looking a nice pig but because they believe I hit it in the shoulder plate it just ran off into another zip code. Guys that hunt these pigs their said it's not uncommon for a 200+ pound pig to have a 3/4" shoulder plate and when that XTP hit it, It flattened out and never went through, Everyone I have talked to about this said the same thing, Only use solids on wild pig! Most of them told me to leave the 450 at home and bring a 30-06, 270, 300 win mag, something like that.

Needless to say I am very disappointed in the hole experience and have no one to blame but myself, I shair this to hopefully give someone like my self that didn't know not to use hollow point bullets on big pigs, A heads up. I have till June 2011 to fill my tags but unless I come in to group of them and have time to switch from my 30-06 to the BM it will probably not see a pig kill anytime soon.

I told my "Guide" that had I got a shot at one standing still I would have dumped him, He smiled and said very few pigs are taken from that area standing still and I should have only led that pig about 5 ". solids or not with the 450.

Any constructive criticism would be appreciated
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby Siringo » Mon Aug 16, 2010 5:17 pm

OMJ -- Here is what I think -- You led him a little to far, hit a rock in the field. Bullet fragmented, nicking the beast, who took off never to be seen again!

OR -- unless you recover the body -- how do you know?

Reminds me of hunting with my 45-70 Siamese Mauser. Loaded hot -- I couldn't miss. Running deer -- lead it -- shot the left rear leg off. LOST!

S--t happens.
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby wildcatter » Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:21 pm

I'm kinda ticked here I thought I was going to get a ham and egg breakfast, dang.

Sorry bout that, guess I've been in the same pickle too.

If you were using the standard Bullet as opposed to the MAGs that could indeed account for the problem. But more than likely Siringo is right. I say this because the plate is no match for the XTP Mag and I've seen some extensive testing done on those plates in a stock yard. I myself use the 230gr FMJ-FP's because I want the edge that bullet gives me, at speeds above 2500fps and at those speeds with that bullet, it will out preform the 45-70 and I don't think anyone will argue the results of that cartridge on mere pigs, I don't care how large.

Indeed, I saw a film of some cops at a pig roast. They killed the pig with a 22 and then hung it up for gutting and gutting they did. Before they got the knives out they decided to shoot it amidships with a std 230gr hollow-point @ 2500fps++, against a 225lb pig, wherein the back half of the animal promptly hit the ground. Agreed, this was not shot in the shoulder plate, but I think you get the jist of what I'm trying to say. Hit hard, with the right bullet, and any pig, hit anywhere, plate or no, is no match for the 450b and the 240 "MAG" is very much up to that task, big time. Make sure you really do have the XTP-MAG (check the SKU: 45220 and weigh them to make sure they are not the 45 Cal .452 250gr HP XTP SKU: 45200) or better yet, use Hornady or Nosler 230gr FMJ-FP's and forget about that 06 and try the 450b again. I'll bet that you will see far, far different results.

So, that's my two cents, now go get us some Piggies, I'm hungry..t
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby Hoot » Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:06 pm

Jeff knows his bullets. If he said a 240 XTP Mag, I'm sure that it was. As for the shot, I'd say it's just one that got away. T is right, it would have left sign with a hit anywhere in the body with that load. There'll be another time Jeff... We go hunting for the lore as much as the kill.

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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby oldmanjeffers » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:38 pm

Yes, I was using the 240 Xtp mag loads 100% sure of that, Not 100% sure I hit the pig but as siringo suggested I could have missed and hit a rock but it would have been the only rock in that area! lol This field was as rock free as I ever seen one.

It's easy for me to blame the round, The platform, The powder, The what ever, But I want to be clear that I'm at fault, Just trying to get my head around what happened. I'm familial with the sound of a bullet hitting game and it's a sound I can here from some distance, Those that have heard that distinct THUWAP know what I mean.

I can not use a fully jacketed round here in CA for hunting anything, Gotta be soft point or HP, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Wildcatter, I completely respect your opinions and I can only wish I gain the knowledge and experiences you have in my life time but a stock yard pigs bone structure is different than a wild pig. Thats like saying a Volkswagen is like a Lamborghini just because their both cars. No offense.

Still even IF it did some how bounce off the "super" pig I know it would have beat the tar out of it and left more then one tiny spot of blood, I've been practicing for some time now with this rifle and know first hand what it does to 3/4" mild steel at 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200 yards and it's not pretty! I've built and re-built my gongs working with this round and boy-howdy does this thing put the smack down on the steel.

Some guys say no way this round would penetrate that shoulder plate and they shoot pigs all year, some say it would, I don't know and wont till I get one and set it's shoulder plate out at 100 yards and shoot it. :|



Thanks guys for letting me think this out with you all.
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby BayouBob » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:41 pm

I haven't loaded any 240 gr. XTP's in my 450 yet but I have shot a couple of thousand of them out of a Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 7 1/2 inch barrel. It has killed several deer and a whole bunch of hogs in the past 30 years. My experience has been that hit in the boiler room with the XTP they don't go far. Maybe the bullet isn't up to 2500 fps. All mine are loaded to about 1300 fps and all they do is punch a .44 cal. hole through whatever they hit. (I load the same load for my hunting partner and he has dumped a bunch of them too.) Quite a few of our pigs have been well over 200 lbs. My best day ever on hogs was 7 and one of those was a lucky shot at 125 yards on a running pig. I couldn't do that again with a rifle, much less an iron sighted pistol.
I still haven't gotten any loads put together using the 275 gr. Barnes XPB's (summer is for fishing and working up a new bow) but the Hornady factory loads are like the Hammer of Thor on a wild pig. If I ever have another angry boar try to eat me I hope I'm carrying the Bushmaster!
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby oldmanjeffers » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:56 pm

One more thing to add to put my hunt in perspective.

That same day I took a 110 yard shot at a coyote and missed it! :oops:

During a short break at the house I checked my scope at a hanging 100 yard tie plate and hit it three times and so did my partner.

All signs are pointing twords a miss and a hit on something solid that fraged near the pig like siringo said.

Feel kinda foolish for starting this thread with this title now.

Sorry
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby Siringo » Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:09 am

OMJ -- I was being a little "tongue in cheek" -- as I said -- "s--t happens". You very well could have hit the beast -- but without a recovery, who knows where -- that is not a condemnation of skill or accuracy -- it is the reality of "in the field". I have seen lots of deer shot in non-vital areas go a very long way with no blood (happened to me with an '06 hitting squarely in the shoulder). Heck, last year my cousin shot a nice buck with a 7mm magnum 5 times from 50 yards to 100 yards and the animal would not drop. 3 of the 5 were solid hits -- go figure. That deer went 300 yards before falling over. So much for magnums!!! My son who is a fairly good shot (using a .270) shot a big buck two years ago and never recoved it. Searched and searched -- little drop of blood here and there. Swore up and down that he heard it hit. Two days later another member of our hunting group nailed a nice 10 pointer, but said that it had been shot before recently -- there was a groove cut in the rear ham. I said to my son -- you said you shot it in the chest -- but here is a deer shot in the ass -- what gives. Who knows??

I haven't shot anything live with the 240, but read a lot of others experiences. I have no doubt that it is a good bullet. I have loaded them in the past in the 450 for my general shooting load. But once you have a bad experience with a bullet, it is hard to have confidence in it again -- understandably. I don't get a chance where I live to shoot lots of deer. So I have to rely on others experiences on how bullets perform. I usually peruse the Modern Muzzle Loader sites for this because we shoot same bullets at similar speeds and there is lots of experience shared.

Do not be troubled my friend! Just get back on the horse and ride!

BTW -- I have shot the Barnes 275 grain bullets. I use a load of 35 grains of LG and WSR primers. Accuracy is in the 1 1/2" range. Not as good as factory, but adequate.

On a side note: At what distance was your zero?
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby Mike » Tue Aug 17, 2010 1:53 pm

Ive hunted pigs with bow and arrow, spears, Ive stuck bayed up boars with knives and used firearms. About the only time I ever went for pigs and felt damn certain about the combo I was using was a 10 gauge with slugs. They are tough critters for sure. Personally, I have two minds as far as firearms are concerned. Ultra fast cartridge with ultra premium bullet, or big bore with heavy non expanding bullets. Both are going to give me great penetration, with the former throwin in a little shock and awe.

Ive got enough dead critters under my belt now with the 450 that I can say that there isnt anything on this continent I wouldnt use it on. Bar none. As far as bullets? There really isnt a need for hollowpoints. If it were me, and I were going after hogs with the 450, Id have hawcer make me up some bullets using 308 brass and a hard bonded core. This for all intents would be pretty close to non expanding and get around the non- FMJ rule your up against.

Just my $0.02.
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Re: I don't recommend the 240XTP mag bullet for hunting pig

Postby oldmanjeffers » Tue Aug 17, 2010 7:21 pm

Well guys I wrote a big long nice reply but walked away from the computer for a bit and it was lost due to me needing to re-log in to this site?

Any-Who, I was sighted in at 100 yards before the hunt and check my zero after missing the yot, I was drilling them at 100 yards.

Talked to my guide (co-worker) at lunch today and he said with out a doubt " You smacked that pig right behind the front left leg".

I'll be ordering a .452 sizing die next week and am going to be sizing down the vast assortment of 45-70 bullets available for hand load hunting rounds, but will try the factory hornady rounds next time out.

He's going right back up this weekend and says he'll save a side plate for me to experiment with. I've got a ton of 240's loaded up and will not be using these loads for hunting anything more than ground squirrel. Gotta get my brass back some how! LOL

Hawcer says he's making some up for me and would very much like to give them a go once I have my freezer meat, These pigs in this area are hated by the ranchers and farmers, And at $19.00 a tag I'll help thin them any chance I get, And as a added bonus it's great exercise!!!

Thanks guys for the response and sharing your experiences.
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