In 44mag, 270gr Speer vs 265gr XTP

[bula]

To those of you that have used these bullets on game, asking for your feedback. Have a scoped SBH Hunter. A black bear loading and deer from any angle load,the reason for the thread. Any accuracy edges seen ? 

[whitworth]

Oct 16, 2019 11:48:26 GMT -5 bula said:

To those of you that have used these bullets on game, asking for your feedback. Have a scoped SBH Hunter. A black bear loading and deer from any angle load,the reason for the thread. Any accuracy edges seen ? 

Speer - no XTPs for me.

[sixshot]

Although I've never used the Hornady XTP I have taken 1 elk with the 270 gr Speer Gold Dot, complete pass through at about 45-50 yds from my SRH. Accuracy was just dandy. I believe they are Deep Curl now but it's the same bullet, I'm just old. No black bear is going to stop one with correct loading.

Dick

[potatojudge]

I've used the 210 XTP in 44 special and the 240 XTP in 44 mag. In Freedom Arms guns, the've shown to be as accurate as I can shoot and performance on white tails and pigs has been great.

The 210 grain Special was especially surprising on an old doe this last year. The amount of damage was more than I would have expected.

I've used the 180 XTP in the 357 Max quite a bit, and it's an MOA capable bullet.

For bear, I'd start with testing the 300 grain 44 XTP.

[98redline]

Not a big fan of the 300 XTP. I have had more than a few of them not expand, shed weight, and slump over out of my 44mag.
On deer sized game the 240 XTP seems to do alright if you are pushing it fast but at this point I have personally seen too many failures for me to trust it further.

[jfs]

Which Hornady 265 grain 44 caliber bullet are you thinking of using, the Interlock or FTX?? I believe the Interlock bullet saw a lot of use back in the day and pretty sure JDJones used one to take a large bison from his 44 Auto Mag. The Speer is a tough well made bullet and at revolver velocities usually does not expand. Under their rifle bullets, Hornady lists these two as good for deer and elk but I don`t care for the FTX having a 45 caliber 200gr bullet come apart after shooting at a fleeing deers backside.
PS-With Dick using the 270gr Speer with good results on elk, pretty much makes the choice much easier. Especially with its wide flat point...

[seminolewind]

The 44 caliber 265 gr Hornady is an Interlock bullet intended for use in rifles like the 444 Marlin. I've used them in a 44 mag revolver but they didn't expand at the velocities I was able to obtain. Lack of expansion might not be an issue for your intended use. The Speer 270 gr has been a very consistent performer for me on hogs and I wouldn't hesitate to use it. Accuracy was about the same with both bullets.

[bula]

The 265gr Hornady here is the SP-Interlock. In 44 at least, Hornady has been my go to, mostly due to in theory, the extra .0001". A better fit in everything 44 here. I like the jacket to the nose, newer design of the Speers. The .475" here over the Hornady mostly due to the cost. Thanks guys. Will look for some 270gr Speer the next few days. Funny, back in the early '80's 2 friends and I all got 44mags. Me a SBH and them 8 3/8" M29's. Once we worked our way up to 22grs of 2400 for anything 240-250grs, we din't look back. When the "bear load" idea hit us they just swapped in that 265gr Hornady, yes, meant for the 444 Marlin. Scared me ! Think I dropped to 19.5-20 grs.. Funny, no bears around then ! 

[bradshaw]

The old Hornady 265 Flat Point was designed for the .444 Marlin. I never killed anything but steel with it, but plenty of that. It was my ram bullet for my old brass grip frame Super Blackhawk, seated over 23.2/H110, usually in Winchester .44 Mag brass, with CCI 350 mag primer. I did not shoot that load in Smith & Wessons. For chickens, pigs, and turkeys, the old (pre-XTP) Hornady 240 JHP did the trick, seated over 22 to 24 grains of 296 or H110. Super accurate bullet, the 240 Jacketed Hollow Point, featuring a pure lead core, a beautiful whitetail bullet. I would not expect the 265 FP to expand on thin skin game at revolver velocity, and found no need to test my suspicion.

Near as I can tell from results on game, Nosler re-incarnated the old Hornady JHP with it own pure lead core series. Seems production of rifle bullets shoved some very good Nosler revolver bullets off the line. If you can get hold of the Nosler .44 300 JHP, you will have an excellent JHP with pure lead core for your sixgun. I seat it over 20 to 21 grains of 296/H110 with Winchester Large Pistol primer or CCI 350 or Federal 155. I do not use heavyweights in the S&W M-29/M-629. I find a lightly compressed charge to not deteriorate accuracy from an appropriately strong revolver----prime example: Redhawk/Super Redhawk, Freedom Arms M-83, and Magnum Research BFR.

No experience with the Speer .44 270. Standing still, its meplat alone has something going for it. While a rubber nose spitzer or small meplat flat point needs to be pushed hard, perhaps very hard, to go to work.

I’d look also at cast SWC or LFN with POWDER COAT, providing the powder coating was baked. Baking anneals the bullet and this is a miracle treatment for turning a little slug into a punchout artist.

A big, mountain running whitetail is a completely different animal than its little brothers. Likewise, black bear, if you are going to hunt them, warrant serious respect. It is awful to wound an animal and to take a non-challant attitude toward their physiology will blueprint a bad result.
David Bradshaw

[bula]

Amen Mr Bradshaw, had a bad experience years ago using the 200gr Hornady pushed hard in my SBH. Not enough penetration in very large northern river bottom bucks. It took several hits and fell down the bank into the Grand River here. I went in the river after it and drowned him. Killed a couple more with 300gr WFN's, but that was a different and well broken in SBH than the Hunter here now. If I can't anticipate a broadside shot I'll pass on the HP's.