razor
.327 Meteor
Posts: 523
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Post by razor on Oct 19, 2018 9:39:03 GMT -5
I just bought a Ruger Bisley 44 mag from a friend a few days ago. He said it shot real good. Since bear season was opening in about a week I grab a box of 240XTP's from Cabelas and loaded up about 25 with 24-296 and 240XTP. I did this because I did not really feel like I had time to work up a good cast bullet load and didn't know how the gun shoots cast bullets. The gun seems to like this load. Do you think I would have any trouble using this bullet on a 300lb bear out of a tree stand at 20-25yds? I have never had any trouble with the XTP's on deer. I caught the 300lb on a trail camera and don't want to shoot a smaller one. I put a ultra dot red dot sight on the Bisley and think its going to be a good one. I kinda wish it had been a 45 Bisley but my friend said he guanteed it to be accurate with cast bullets. I figured if Keith liked the 44 it has to be good.
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Post by webber on Oct 19, 2018 11:32:32 GMT -5
In reality, How bad would a cast bullet would have had to shoot to be to the point that you couldnt have made a killing shot on a 300 pound bear at 20 to 25 yards?
Now in reality okay.
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razor
.327 Meteor
Posts: 523
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Post by razor on Oct 19, 2018 16:59:57 GMT -5
Your right.
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Post by sixshot on Oct 19, 2018 21:50:38 GMT -5
Where are you going to aim on this black bear & how high up the tree are you? I ask this because shot angle is very important on any animal & a bear has short legs compared to a deer. Hornady XTP's have a good reputation for taking game so you should be fine, I just know that some people can misjudge the angle & shoot over the near side lung if that's your aiming point. Breaking shoulders is always nice on bears.
Good luck on your hunt, I hope you whack him dead center, it's always sweet to hear that death moan.
Dick
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Post by leftysixgun on Oct 19, 2018 22:52:09 GMT -5
I have no personal experience shooting/hunting black bears. But from some reading I have done and from someone I used to shoot with said the Speer 270gr and 300gr Gold Dot or Deep Curl are tough and a great jacketed bear bullet.
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razor
.327 Meteor
Posts: 523
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Post by razor on Oct 20, 2018 8:27:15 GMT -5
I am up probably 15ft. I hope to shoot him in the shoulder. I will have to say XTP's have always worked well for me. I also like big flat nose cast bullets to!
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Post by Ken O'Neill on Oct 20, 2018 9:03:00 GMT -5
Shoot him through the lungs, even with the rear edge of the leg. The XTP will work fine.
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Post by jimtx on Oct 20, 2018 11:38:21 GMT -5
I have used xtps but not for bear in the shoulder. Lungs/heart. It's a hollow point. If shoulder shots are what you prefer. You need an hardcast bullet or well constructed SP. Like speer now called deep curl, or an ftp mag bullet designed for freedom arms loads like a combo hp/so design for controlled expansion. Or solid copper barnesx, etc.
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Post by sixshot on Oct 20, 2018 23:52:56 GMT -5
My last bear was with one of my 10.5" 44 magnums & a 250 gr Keith slug over 22 grs of 2400, a load I seldom shoot. I almost always use 21 grs but that gun likes that load. The distance was (I think) about 65 yds, iron sights & I placed the bullet just as Ken O'Neill mentioned, tight behind the shoulder & it took out both lungs. The bear did a back flip for some reason, spun around 2-3 times & rolled over dead. Your 240 gr XTP will do just as well if placed the same.
Dick
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Post by Quick Draw McGraw on Oct 21, 2018 16:44:12 GMT -5
My last bear was with one of my 10.5" 44 magnums & a 250 gr Keith slug over 22 grs of 2400, a load I seldom shoot. I almost always use 21 grs but that gun likes that load. The distance was (I think) about 65 yds, iron sights & I placed the bullet just as Ken O'Neill mentioned, tight behind the shoulder & it took out both lungs. The bear did a back flip for some reason, spun around 2-3 times & rolled over dead. Your 240 gr XTP will do just as well if placed the same. Dick I'm trying to picture a black bear back flipping. That has to be a once in a lifetime scene! |
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Snyd
.375 Atomic
The Last Frontier
Posts: 2,388
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Post by Snyd on Oct 21, 2018 17:24:11 GMT -5
My last bear was with one of my 10.5" 44 magnums & a 250 gr Keith slug over 22 grs of 2400, a load I seldom shoot. I almost always use 21 grs but that gun likes that load. The distance was (I think) about 65 yds, iron sights & I placed the bullet just as Ken O'Neill mentioned, tight behind the shoulder & it took out both lungs. The bear did a back flip for some reason, spun around 2-3 times & rolled over dead. Your 240 gr XTP will do just as well if placed the same. Dick I'm trying to picture a black bear back flipping. That has to be a once in a lifetime scene! What's really crazy is to see a mature bull moose do a backflip! I've hit a few of them in the heart (rifle 325wsm 200gr Accubond) and they flipped over backwards! Back to the original post.... I'll be curios to see how this works out for you. I'm thinking on using the 240gr XTP Mag in my FA 454 for black bear this spring. But it will be about a 1900fps load. I have a friend here in AK and who sometimes posts on this forum who has killed Griz here in AK with his 44 Redhawk with a 240gr load. I think a Sierra bullet, not sure. He loads them pretty stout. |
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Post by nockhunter on Oct 21, 2018 20:59:44 GMT -5
It should go right through and make a hole in the dirt.
Mike
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Post by bigbrowndog on Oct 22, 2018 16:03:44 GMT -5
I’m curious how well it will perform from an elevated position. I’ve taken a few pigs with the bullet and not gotten an exit, while I don’t doubt it will work, I would prefer either more weight, or tougher construction. As my byline states,.....I prefer two holes with every shot. Shot placement from above is always a bit trickier than a same plane shot.
Let us know how it turns out, I am curious on terminal performance.
Trapr
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Post by warhawk on Oct 28, 2018 19:42:35 GMT -5
I shot a big cow elk on a Texas game ranch with 240 XTP factory loads. I hit her in the same shoulder three times and she was still standing, crippled but still up and moving. I got closer and put one in her neck, breaking her spine and putting her down. Only tiny fragments of the XTP bullet made it though the shoulder blade and into the vitals. All three of the XTP hollowpoints blew up on the shoulder blade and did not penetrate to the vitals.
So no, I would not recommend using them on a bear. Load up some Keith bullets, which is what I will do in the future for anything bigger than deer.
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Post by nockhunter on Oct 28, 2018 20:45:59 GMT -5
If you don't feel comfortable with the 240gXTP, try the 300gXTP. I sent one through the spine (shoulder-neck junction) of a Whitetail deer and a 3" pine branch 10' behind it. Didn't look like it slowed down going through the deer. I have shot others also, never recovered a single one.
Mike
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