I loaded Hornady 124 grain XTP behind 6.8 grains of Accurate #7 with CCI 500 small pistol primers. This is about half way between the min and max load for this bullet.
The rounds were fired in a CZ P10C with a 4” barrel at 25 yards each through two 5 gallon buckets of water center mass and exited directly into the ground behind about 1-2”. The retained weights are 120.9 grains and 117.7 grains.
Sorry I don’t have a chronograph. In my next test I plan on adding layers of denim.
ETA:
I really started this thread as just experimenting and getting a few data points. I had some 124 and 147 XTPs lying around for nearly 10 years. I don’t intend for this to be proof of much of anything especially considering I don’t have ballistics gel or large cuts of meat.
I was a little impressed at a midrange load the bullets were able to penetrate water as far as they did and still expand well. I plan to tweak the charge a little and also add my 147 grain XTP to the mix.
XTPs we’re always pretty good bullets; nearly always better than most accurate, could count on them to penetrate.
Opening up was occasionally iffy. No clue if they still list the recommended expansion velocity recommendation, but I’d adhere to that if they do.
P
I was using 300 gr .45 XTPs in a custom 5.5” Ruger Bisley (.45 Colt) 20+ yrs back on a Hog hunt.
Shot a Monster Feral hog that weighed over 450 lbs. The rounds were loaded/chrono’d at 1200 fps.
I had three FEET of penetration with two of the four rds. fired, the bullets may as well have been FMJ; none expanded.
They were exceptionally accurate however.
I switched to WFNGC (Wide Flat Nose Gas Check- cast bullet) and KTSWC (Kieth Type Semi Wad Cutter) after that experience.
The complete lack of expansion may have been due to the heavy for caliber bullet, but they were not .454 Cassull bullets.
The listed expansion envelope was 1,000-1,300 fps from memory.
Hornady’s velocity numbers aren’t very accurate for many of their XTP’s
For example, I recall them listing the .357 158 gr bullet window as 750 - 1400 fps IIRC. That bullet doesn’t even think about expanding until 1050 fps. 750 is just a lie.
The 9mm 147 gr XTP is excellent if pushed fast enough. As in 1100 fps and up. Great choice in .357 sig. Hornady’s own .357 load will do 1175-1225 fps.
Heavy cloth prevents expansion more so than newer designs.
I’d read about issues with the XTP not expanding but mainly around clothing. That’s one reason I want to run some more tests. I hadn’t read much about failing in game but I wasn’t really looking for that. At high velocities I’d expect them to penetrate more not less other than maybe hitting bone. I wouldn’t expect the thick tough skin of a hog to slow a bullet that big down that much. Did they fragment?
I’ve read some anecdotes of the XTP expanding more starting at the low end of Hornady’s suggested velocities but I’m sure that could also depend on the material being shot.
No expansion was observed in recovered bullets, simply deformation.
And they penetrated exceptionally deeply. The hide and bones on the Hog mentioned were fairly thick/massive.
Sorry I guess my reading comprehension skills are lacking lately. I read three inches which should’ve been a clue. Great start to my new thread! :rolleyes:
Those bullets look pretty beat up for just water jugs, asymmetrical expansion and what looks like chipping on the petals looks more like it went thru auto glass first. Water should be the ideal medium for expansion with bullets looking like they came out of the catalog book, not looking they were shot through auto glass. This kind of mirrors what I think of about XTP bullets, they suck unless you use them for BUGs where the fact that they suck at expansion actually aids the weaker weaker BUG loads in penetrating.
The XTPs feed and fly very well. Depending on the particular bullet and loading, they’re reliable in some guns when other JHPs aren’t. Older/conventional tech bullet but an great one. They do seem to have a velocity window they prefer by barrier.
In several shootings, 9mm 147s, fast 124s, and 40 180s removed from people in street clothes opened wide and penetrated deep.
I can recall a few shootings using XTP bullets. Couldn’t tell you the manufacturer of the round or the guns used anymore though. They tend to have mediocre expansion and lots of penetration. I wouldn’t trade out Gold Dots or HSTs for them, but I wouldn’t feel bad about carrying it either. I think it would be a decent “woods” gun round that would give you a good mix of expansion and penetration for both two legged and 4 legged threats.
Appreciate all the knowledgeable comments. I plan to raise the velocity to see if they open up better and hopefully get a chronograph by the next range trip. I’ll probably add some barriers just to see what happens. At worst I can keep these for BUG rounds as vicious_cb mentioned.
