Hornady XTP or Barnes Original

[gpa357]

 Thought I would gey a little survey going to get people talking. What is the better round for terminal performance the B/O or Hornady XTP 300gr. Not looking for info on accuracy, just performance on game taken.

[esmd]

The Barnes Original is the more stout of the two, IMO.  The XTP is a fine pistol bullet, especially the 300gr version, and also does well in conventional muzzleloaders.  But in a Savage shooting 2100 fps or higher, it's just too frangible, IMO.

Look at it this way, the XTP is a pistol bullet, designed to be shot at speeds ranging from around 1500fps-1800fps, tops.  The Barnes Original is a .45-70 rifle bullet designed to be shot at velocities between 2000fps-2400fps.  For that matter, I'd say any .458 rifle bullet will be terminally superior to any .452 pistol bullet at speeds exceeding 2000 fps, with the possible exception of the Barnes XPB and any other all copper pistol bullets.

[gpa357]

 ESMD,

 I agree with your logic on this subject. I have four different rounds in the .458 to try this weekend, all of them are 45-70. Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX-FN, Sierra Pro-Hunter, Barnes Original. I know the B/O is very accurate in my Savage but had a problem in cold weather last year with it in the MMP orange sabot not lighting off. Switched to Harvester Crush Rib(Black) this year. Have to make my choice this weekend as the Early season in NY northern zone opens next weekend. Giddy Up!!!

[jpdown]

Both the 300gr BO and XTP are great bullets and will efficiently kill deer hit in the vitals. I have killed deer with both and I would not be concerned with the terminal performance of either bullet out to 200 yd. The BO has the better BC (.281). If you can develop an accurate load, this bullet is capable of clean kills on deer at distances up to 300 yd based the ballistic charts. I have personally killed a nice buck with the BO at 275 yd. But conditions were idea (no wind) and I had time to get a steady rest. The bullet hit a rib going in and exploded into fragments that dropped the buck in its tracks. IMO, terminal performance is not an issue with either bullet if used within its effective ballistic range. Shoot the one that is most accurate in your gun. Visit Randy Wakeman's web site for plenty of information on the use of either bullet in the Savage ML. 

[gpa357]

 Was only able to shoot two of the four rounds I had to try. First was the Nosler partition which yielded a 2 1/2 inch group at 100yds. Next up was the Barnes Original which gave me 3 holes all touching in the Bull for a 1/2 in group. I was pretty excited with this result especially since it was only my second time at the range all year. Both rounds were fired with 43 grains of IMR-4759 and inside a black crushed rib sabot from Harvester.

[esmd]

ESMD,

 I agree with your logic on this subject. I have four different rounds in the .458 to try this weekend, all of them are 45-70. Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX-FN, Sierra Pro-Hunter, Barnes Original. I know the B/O is very accurate in my Savage but had a problem in cold weather last year with it in the MMP orange sabot not lighting off. Switched to Harvester Crush Rib(Black) this year. Have to make my choice this weekend as the Early season in NY northern zone opens next weekend. Giddy Up!!!

The Harvestor BCR sabot combined with the Barnes Original should solve your ignition issues.  My gun's bore is tight enough to shoot both without issue, and the orange sabots are just a bit more accurate, at least for me, but I know of a lot of happy shooter's who use the BCR with the BO.

[153]

I have shoot both and I think the XTP is superior to the BO for terminal performance.I shot four deer last year with the BO and have killed three with the XTP,both were shot around 2135fps with 42 gr of N110.The BO always more accurate but the XTP gave better terminal performance.BO always shot thur with small exit on three shots with long tracking jobs up to 200 yards,little or no blood trail,one was DRT that was shot thur both shoulders.With the XTP two exited with large blood trails of 20 yards and 30 yards and one DRT with the bullet lodged under to offside hide that had expanded to over one inch.I have used the 250 XTP,250 SST,240 XTP,300 BO and the 300 XTP in my Savage and Encore and I would said the 300 XTP on whitetails is in a class by itself in respect to terminal performance.

[Forester]

Count me in with the 300gr B.O.  it plus a BCR sabot over 61.5gr of N120 have my savage shooting in the .7s out the 250yards, and that's as far as I have tried it.

[RandyWakeman]

There is no such thing as a "terminal performance factor." A lot depends on the impact velocity, the size and type of the game, and your preferred shot placement.

An XTP is, of course, a bullet that is far faster opening, and will expand at handgun velocities. If you stay off the bone, opting for only honey-hole shots, you might prefer it.

The Barnes Original is a far tougher bullet, and a better choice with extremely high impact velocities or if double shoulder / instant anchor is what you want. The closest shot I've taken in recent years was threading a bullet off-hand at 10 yards through some wound-up dogs on a very unhappy boar. That was the hammer of Thor: the 300 pound porker took zero steps, could even get his foot down. Wham, on his a back, a couple of quick kicks and that was all she wrote. It was a Barnes Original, a complete pass-through, and the leaves behind the hog were covered with red mist. Zero steps, instant slamification, and what I would call instantly terminal performance. For that application, the tougher BO was a better choice.

At more moderate velocities and boiler room shots on lighter deer, sure-- a hollow point is going to offer more tissure disruption. Neither are any good with a bad hit, but no animal can have a one inch hole through vital organs and expect to live very long. They don't.

[gpa357]

 Just back from a three day Muzzleloading hunt in NY (Northern Zone). Was fortunate enough to take a nice Doe late yesterday afternoon. She stepped out of the woods on to the edge of my food plot and gave me a nice standing still broadside shot at 80 yds. I was shooting the Barnes Original. After the shot she darted back into the woods but only made it 30 yds total distance. She was hit just behing the shoulder for a double lung pass through shot. She left little drops of blood to follow the whole way. Exit wound did show some expansion of the Bullet. Bottom line, I'm happy with the way the B/O performed. I was on the ground using shooting sticks and I could have shot the shoulder, but I really wanted to see how the round would work on a non-bone hit after some of the previous post's on this thread.