Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting XP3 for deer.

Anybody use the Winchester XP3 bullet for deer?
I killed a buck this year with one with my Montana 270 WSM but it was a neck shot. It made a small hole going in and coming out. How do they perform on shoulder shots?

You can kill anything with anything if you try hard enough.

I would say that if you had both a small hole going in and coming out that you didn't hit anything important - or it would have done more damage then that.
The button buck I shot with mine - 250 yards away - up hill through the front shoulders - there was a appreciate able amount of blood and carnage. It took one step and died.
That was with a Sierra Pro Hunter / Federal Classic load in 270 WSM

I would suggest that you don't take neck shots - too much room for error.

I shot a few bucks with Fail Safes, the bullet the XP3 replaced. I've been told the XP3's will expand better, don't know if that is true or not.

I didn't consider F/S ideal for whitetail and had the same results you did. Little hole in, little hole out, even hit shoulder on one, but they all died...

I got a bag of 'em in 7MM from a friend and used 'em just to see what would happen.

They did do a great job on big Russian boar though.

JM

Shooting the 150 gr from a 300 WM, it zipped right through and the damn things would run. Since switched to a 95 gr out of a 243 and it's 2 for 2, with neither taking a step.

Failsafes make a much better "biggercritter" getter than a deer due to their construction.

But they do kill.