.44magnum Ballistic Gel Block Testing the Hornady 300gr XTP Bullet with 4 Barrel Lengths. .44mag HP

[@guardianminifarm8005]

With all the 44 magnum I have shot, handloaded, hunted and harvested since 1985 for shooting and handloading and deer hunting since mid 90s in revolvers and rifles, I have never used the 300 grain XTP. I have used the 240 XTP almost exclusively for 20 years with excellent success. Well done thank you. Subscribed. Lord bless.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@guardianminifarm8005 thanks!! And, yes, the 240 has been a favorite weight in the XTP for many shooters for many years. 👍🏻😉

[@arthurshingler2025]

My buddy's wife used to hunt deer with that 300 gr. bullet in her Redhawk. The load was supposed to be going 1200 fps., but I have my doubts..... about the velocity. It was accurate and it would kill deer.

[@michaelrocole7174]

The 300 grain XTP is the best 44 mag carbine and rifle bullet made. Awesome video good tests.

[@nickpaglia543]

Very useful information in your presentation. 300 grain bullets, of any type, out of a .44 Magnum, is definitely pushing the upper limits of any handgun, chambered in .44 Mag. 300 grain bullets, are the lower end of the 500 Magnum spectrum. However, those XTP 300 grainers, launched from a lever-action...at ranges of, say, 50 - 80 yards, would probably do just fine, on anything walking in the Western Hemisphere. Thanks for your work.

[@peternorton5648]

New to your channel, really liked your style and the comparative value of the different barrel lengths. Just subscribed.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@peternorton5648 Much appreciated!

[@tombraley3212]

What a beast! So according to your attached ballistics chart, if you know your holds and can actually place your shots, a carbine will drop pork out to about 300 yards…simply incredible! Whoever at Hornady that designed the XTP should get a Nobel prize, or a substantial stake in the company. Hopefully it wasn’t just an atta boy and a gift card to Applebees!

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@tombraley3212 lol. Hornady is a family owned company and a lot of their original innovations came from the guy who founded it. 😉

[@frankbrowning328]

Great test! This is the one I've been waiting for. I've loaded it and seen many tests with it but NOT multiple barrel lengths in velocity + gel. This is a great bullet for relatively close range for great penetration and good expansion

[@adrianmitchell7896]

Thank you so much for testing these. I'm a huge fan of the 44 Mag, and always wondered what the expansion would be like in gel. I run a 22 inch rifle barrel on single shot, and an 8 inch barrel in a revolver. I was a fan of H110 initially, but stumbled on Vihtavuori N110. My test have shown extremely low SD's with 200g - 300g bullets. If you ever see this powder available, definitely give it shot. It has replaced H110 in all of my applications (44 Mag, 500 SW, & 350 Legend). Looking forward to your future content.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@adrianmitchell7896 I’ve been looking for N-110 but there’s only 1 store in my normal 2hr travel radius and that carries VihtaVuori and they’re always out of it. 😢 I guess I’ll have to catch a shipping/hazmat special and order some in.

[@adrianmitchell7896]

@@kentuckyrangetime You won't disappointed. I initially bought 1 pound, but decided I liked it a lot and bought a 4lb jug. The accuracy of this powder is insane, and it burns super clean, can't ask for much more. Best of luck finding the powder - I had eat a hazmat charge to get it, as my local shops don't carry it.

[@satishchaudhary.400]

Good Sir.

[@randyadams03]

Really appreciate your range testing, all the calibers. Thank you. Good morning from Tennessee

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@randyadams03 good morning from East Ky!! 😉

[@bkb5668]

There will be a noticeable difference on game with the extra fps. The gel block isn't full of bone muscle and blood. The reaction with more velocity is way more damaging.

[@mkshffr4936]

Excellent! If the 200 grain opens up as well as these in the 1100 fps range they will be perfect for carry loads. Very encouraging.

[@arthurshingler2025]

The bullet fired in the Tracker has more of a shank.... and with its great velocity.... is likely why it netted such great penatration.

[@RedRooster44]

Great video 👍

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@RedRooster44 Thanks!

[@chrisgabbert658]

The factory 300 stuff is sweet in my Dan Wesson.

[@williamgaines9784]

Even from the 2.5 inch, that 5/8 inch star punching through flesh will still be putting a major hurting on something. Nice tests.👍👍

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@williamgaines9784 👍🏻. yes, the active fragments off all the XTP bullets is pretty amazing. In the .357mag gel test the active fragments were traveling 3-4” or more. 😂

[@sherwinstaudt1881]

Hornady good stuff, I prefer 2400 or blue dot over h110, in 41 mag or 44, especially rifles. Also some rifles like a 429 diameter bullet, and some like the 430, also most pistols like the 429 diameter, that is if the bullet is in jacketed form. It's been my experience in a reloading field for 50 plus years.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@sherwinstaudt1881 there’s definitely room for improvement in these for a dedicated rifle load. I started with pistol data and trying to see how they do in rifles for combo use. I’ve noticed the 9.5” SRH putting up really similar number to the 20” rifle which indicates good powder burn in the pistol but giving up a lot of potential for a dedicated rifle load with a slower powder.

[@jasonshults368]

I like the double-cannelure versions of the 300 grainers.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

I’ve not seen those. Where did you get them??

[@arthurshingler2025]

My Taurus Tracker, they claim... has a 4" barrel. But because its ported... it likely has an effective barrel length of 3" for a revolver.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

Pretty close. 👍🏻😉😂

[@larryalexander4833]

Ive been using the 200 gr xtp. Have yet to recover a bullet. Complete pass through on all the deer ive harvested at between 40 yards and 150 yds.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@larryalexander4833 👍🏻. I shot a test video with the 180 and 200gr XTP bullets at the range today. I should have it edited and posting in the next week or so. 😉

[@randyduncan795]

I wonder how this 300gr XTP would do in 444 Marlin. At about 1900FPS. Hornady's load data shows a 24" bbl but I bet most of that powder is burned by the 16.5" on my handy little lever. Thank you for the great presentation.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@randyduncan795 Probably do well depending on what purpose you’re wanting it for. I think my testing has shown that longer barrels in these pistol calibers don’t matter as much for velocity as they do with actual rifle calibers 😉

[@yomomma107]

I've taken several deer using hornady custom ammo with the 300 grain xtp bullet and it usually leaves about a half dollar size exit hole 💥🦌😁

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@yomomma107 😂👍🏻

[@nikos6220]

I have absolutely no experience with Lever Action rifles and .44 Mag. But with that much bullet in the case eating powder capacity my inner reloader wonders if you can go with a longer COL in the rifles?

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@nikos6220 if your shooting a single shot you can seat longer, up till it touching the lands, but the max length is constrained by what can cycle through the action on lever guns.

[@curtshelp6170]

Those velocities seem a little slow. I remember better velocities from my 8 3/8 super Redhawk, but it's been a while.

[@RyeOnHam]

I'm a bit disappointed in the short-barrel performance out of this load. I had hopped to get more expansion and less penetration so it would dump all its energy in the target. I might as well stick with the 320 gr flat-nosed bullets. I just saw that they make a 370gr bullet. My goal is a comfortably subsonic round out of my 16" guns. I'm looking at 1050 fps with an extreme spread that doesn't touch 1080 even in hot weather. BC doesn't matter and expansion would be nice, but I guess that's too much to ask for. I could cast my own softer bullets with a gas check. I don't know if it's worth the trouble, though.

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@RyeOnHam if your running sub velocities you shouldn’t need a gas check. If your worried about leading check out a PC or HTC option with a softer HP. 😉

[@andreisharma]

Yeah I make a custom 44 special load 800 fps with this 300 xtp that would be good for minimizing noise for defense situations for bears cats and people. For hunting I have a Bfr 444 marlin sending them 300 xtp 1,400-1,800 fps. I’d just use a copper Barnes xpb 225 for hunting and defense honestly if you want constancy

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@ I shot the test videos with the Barnes 200 and 225gr XPB bullets earlier today 😉

[@andreisharma]

My Bfr 444 gets them up to 1,800fps interested what they would look like

[@aarontheman25_ttv]

I have been loading these with same components as you. How much is your powder weight for these?

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@aarontheman25_ttv All the load data is in the spreadsheet at the end of the video 😉

[@aarontheman25_ttv]

@ I didn’t see it lol at the end of the day was reading comments sorry and thanks!

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@aarontheman25_ttv😂. No problem. 😉

[@jerrymulholland1842]

I am using 300gr in single shot geting around 1600 to 1700 with h110

[@arthurshingler2025]

I wonder how this bullet would work in a 444 rifle?

[@kentuckyrangetime]

@@arthurshingler2025 I don’t have anything in .444 but I’d say it would do fine.