I sure wouldn't argue with your contention.....rifles with proper placement and bullets rarely play second fiddle to the more common hand cannons.
I load the 300gr. Beartooth WFNHCGC in my .44 for a specific reason......bear protection. My thinking, and perhaps only my own, is that I want to penetrate, pulzerize and cause as much devastation as quickly as possible. An expanding, conventional bullet may cause and leave a larger wound channel, but I'm most interested in trying to stop one's approach as quickly as possible. My feelin' is that my choice of bullet, for those purposes, has a better chance of doing that, in a shorter amount of time. I don't know that my choice is the definitive answer nor the best, but after bouncin' multiple bullet choices off of many here and from guides that I've had occasion to discuss this stuff with, it seems, at worst, a good choice.
Placement is always the key, but when under a bit of a time constraint (say...being attacked!!!...
), placement can be less than desired. A well put together HC just might give you an edge under those circumstances......YMMV.
A friend/guide who I initially met during a hunt 2 years ago in the Bob Marshall showed me 3 perfectly mushroomed XTP's out of his .41 Taurus. These were recovered from a blackie that his hunter had only wounded and that he then had to dispatch at 10 yards to eventually arms length away. He hit it four times as it quickly closed the distance on the both of them. The 3 perfectly mushroomed XTP's were the first of 4 shots fired, all being eventually recovered just beneath the NEAR side hide. The fourth, launched at arms length as the bear veered left directly in front of this guide towards the frozen hunter, was placed on hair directly behind the bears ear. This ended the adventure.
I must admit, the 3 XTP's Dennis showed me, with 3 other guides in attendance, were picture book perfect. No bullet manufacturers advertisement could have been more convincing. He kept them to show others their performance, or lack thereof, depending. I am sold on their performance on thin skinned animals and 2 legged vermin, but when thicker hide comes into play, I'll pass. So will he, as he now carries only HC pills and has moved on up to a .44, which to my way of thinkin', especially in "the Bob", isn't a bad idea.
Good luck this upcoming season...........
