XTPs, Unique and my 45 Colt 92

[Sixgun]

I have a ton of Unique powder and 250g XTPs on hand. Can't find a lot of data for this combination. I will be deer hunting with my 92 so I need enough fps to get the XTPs to expand properly. Anyone have a recipe? From what I have read 9g should get me around 1000fps.

[Ranch Dog]

I ran the info through QuickLoad and with the rifle, bullet, and powder you indicated it calculates 6.2-grains of Unique will deliver 1000 FPS at the muzzle.

You sure that bullet will expand downrange? At this muzzle velocity it is only going 940 FPS at 50 yards and delivering 491 Foot Pounds of Energy.

12.0-grains would deliver 1520 FPS at 34.6 KPSI, a safe pressure for the R92.

I've heard some suggest that QuickLoad cannot deliver accurate results with powders such as Unique especially with reduced loads but it is all talk based and goes against my experience measuring the results produced by the software with both a chronograph and pressure trace equipment. I have done a bit of barrel lapping across a wide range of cartridges and the idea in that endeavor is to get your lapping bullets out of the barrel at about 500 to 550 FPS. The software will deliver a very accurate load. I have also found it useful in predicting loads for fire forming brass for cartridges like the 30-30 Ackley Improved. Very accurate.

[Rooster59]

You might want to ask Hornady what velocity those bullets are designed for. It seems someone else on this forum (or maybe another lever gun forum) reported some details about hunting with a handgun equipped with XTP 45Colt or 44mag handloads. They were less than favorably impressed with the bullet performance at what I remember was a higher end velocity.

Hornady may have built that bullet to expand at typical 45LC loads rather than higher end loads. Just a word of caution. I'm using Ruger level loads for Nosler's 250HP 45LC bullet in my Puma 92 but Nosler publishes loads that high for that bullet so I assume it is designed for higher velocities. My $.02.

[runfiverun]

i have had the xtp fail to open on deer before.
i was using a medium velocity load,of 4756 at the time.
i figured if i was gonna shoot something that may or may not do it's job, i might as well shot plain cast with a bigger meplat.
the cast work as well or better, because i don't have to depend on them opening.