Centershot - I think your original load using a Hornady 250 grain XTP is about ideal.
The gun magazines have printed so much about hard cast bullets for hunting in the past decade or more that one is left thinking it�s the only choice. The reality is, a hard cast solid is too much bullet for a deer and you will get less performance, not more. With a 1000fps + load and a 300 grain cast bullet, you will get through and through penetration, basically that .45 caliber bullet will just zip right through your deer. If your shot is placed well, it most certainly will kill the deer, but not nearly as well as a JHP bullet. If you�re worried about penetration, then go to a 300 grain JHP, but honestly, we�re not talking about Elk or Bear, we�re talking about Deer, and they�re not that hard to put down.
I�m a huge fan of cast bullets in revolvers, and I cast a lot of bullets every year. But even Elmer Keith would tell you that a hollow point will work better on a deer (Keith used hollow point versions of his cast bullets and raved about the performance). A modern JHP will give you good penetration and good expansion, resulting in a quick, clean kill.
It�s your call, but I think the JHP is the right tool for the job on Deer. When we talk larger than Deer, THAT�s when I start talking cast bullets.
