What is XTP Ammo?
XTP Ammo is a personal defense ammunition development from Hornady Ammunition. XTP stands for eXtreme Terminal Performance. It is a fairly old bullet that has been around since the late 1990s, but it is gaining popularity with firearm users who value quality and performance in their defensive ammo.
The XTP was originally developed as a low drag hunting round and as such was designed specifically as an all copper projectile to be as streamlined as possible while still offering maximum penetration of game animal tissue.
As hunters began using this round they found very quickly that what it lacked in ballistic coefficient it more than made up for with terminal performance on game animals due to its effective expansion design and inherent high weight retention qualities.
XTP Ammunition is about average in weight of bullet at the caliber, which lends itself to deeper penetration of its bonded counterpart or other similar mid-weight Jacketed Hollow Point rounds.
What exactly does “effective expansion” mean?
Well, effective expansion on any solid copper projectile ultimately means one thing… large diameter wound cavities and terminal performance like you would see with an expanding bullet (Jacketed Hollow Point) yet with greater control of over-penetration of backstop barriers.
To reach this goal the XTP is designed with a tapered jacket that is 22% thicker at its base than its tip, which results in an extremely effective controlled expansion on impact while still offering deeper penetration through lighter barriers than some JHP rounds.
Are hornady xtp bullets bonded?
No, the XTP is designed with a “partially” exposed soft point which is not fully encapsulated with copper, this partially exposed design has been coined as “partially bonded” by some but does not fall into the larger definition of full or partial bonding.
The construction of this projectile actually makes it far more reliable for penetration through common intermediate barriers like drywall and plywood yet still offers excellent expansion on impact with less risk of deflection due to its unique jacket configuration.
It’s interesting that Hornady went with only 22% thickening at the tip of the projectile because you would think they would want to create more consistency in their performance… But it makes sense when you consider the advantages inherent in this design.
What does hornady xtp stand for?
XTP stands for Extreme Terminal Performance. This is a type of bullet that was designed for hunting medium game and for self-defense. Many competitive shooters have also adopted the XTP rounds because of it’s excellent accuracy and reliability.
What is the purpose of XTP ammo?
The main purpose of the XTP line was to design a bullet that would expand to nearly twice its original diameter, yet still maintain enough weight to penetrate deep inside a target. This type of ammo is very ideal for hunting and self defense purposes.
An XTP round is made from a hard lead alloy and then plated with another metal: either Tombac (an alloy of copper and zinc) or with nickel. An XTP round is made with the intention of expanding slowly.
As far as hunting is concerned, this type of ammo works best on medium-sized game such as deer and wild boar.
Is hornady xtp good for self defense?
Hornady XTP Ammo is good for self defense purposes because it has the stopping power needed to bring down a target, but also minimize collateral damage. The rounds are not likely to over-penetrate through walls of buildings and cause damage within occupied homes.
It is a viable defensive option for your 9mm pistol. They also have magnum loads available in certain calibers.
Over-penetration can be a big problem when using a handgun for self-defense against an assailant, particularly in crowded places where it may go through a wall and hit someone else or something of value.
The rounds will stay inside the target’s body if they are fired from close range to medium range, which will minimize the risk of over-penetration.
What makes hornady xtp ammo unique?
Hornady XTP Ammo is unique because the bullet contains a swaged core, which will prevent it from fragmenting if they are fired into ballistic gel or another target.
It uses a drawn copper jacket instead of being plated. A plated bullet has the same thickness all over. But the thickness of drawn copper can be controlled.
Hornady varies the thickness in their XTP bullet to control expansion.
They also have a fully coated base much like BEB ammo. This keeps the lead particles from entering the air. Indoor ranges like this type of ammo. They are always trying to create better ventilation so people are not exposed to excessive lead in the air.
It also shoots cleaner through your guns so that you won’t have to clean them as much. There are less lead particles left in your barrel compared to other types of handgun bullets.
Is XTP hollow point?
Yes, this ammo is hollow point. Hollow points are designed so that they will open up inside your target, causing more damage to the target.
The XTP has an expander that can expand to nearly 2x the diameter of the actual bullet. When it hits, this expands and creates a larger wound channel within the target.
This ammunition also does not fragment on impact with a target. You can get really good penetration and consistency of performance from this ammo because the bullets stay intact even if they hit bone.
They are safe for varmint hunting, but just like anything else, you should still observe proper range safety and never shoot at hard objects such as rocks or steel targets.
Are XTP bullets any good?
XTP bullets have been around for a while now and many shooters and reloaders love them. They have a solid reputation in the shooting community for high quality and good performance.
Many claim they are one of the best if not THE best JHP bullet. They are known to expand reliably, hold together well and penetrate deep while causing a lot of damage. Some people even go as far as saying that this bullet will “outperform regular hollowpoints and there is nothing that can hold a candle to XTPs”
At the same time many people claim to see no difference between “regular hollowpoints” and XTP bullets. They say these bullets are over hyped, over rated and overpriced.
Some argue that regular JHP bullets perform better than XTPs in certain guns.
Some claim that this bullet always over penetrates and the only reason people worship them is that they are so expensive. Some law enforcement agencies use XTP exclusively.
I do recommend at least trying out these nifty bullets. That’s the best way to get a feel for them.
Xtp bullet load data
Here is a link to Hornady’s load data: https://www.hornady.com/support/load-data/
This is the best source if you like reloading your own ammo. You can find velocities on many different caliber bullets such as 9mm, 45 caliber, 45 acp, 380 acp, 25 acp, 10mm, etc. Whether you use a 125 grain bullet or 180 grain xtp, or 200 grain xtp, you can find a range of velocities and fps data for your specific loads. You can even find data for magnum loads.
I have found that their data is very accurate. Hornady knows what they are doing when it comes to reloading ammo. I do recommend using the data they provide over any other source.
XTP bullet for hunting
Many hunters enjoy using XTP bullets for their accuracy and penetration. As the name implies, these bullets are jacketed hollow points. The XTP design has been around for many years and has proven to be very accurate when hunting deer-sized game.
Conclusion
So if you are on the fence just grab a box of them and try them out for yourself. I think you will enjoy the accuracy and reliability of the XTP bullet.
Here is a link to XTP rounds on Lucky Gunner in 9mm, 380 Auto, and 40 S&W.
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Jason Huskey
Owner of CCWClasses.net
Jason Huskey is a family man with three kids and a wonderful wife. He’s always starting new hobbies, but his true passion lies in shooting sports. Jason has been a CCW license holder for over 10 years and carries every day. In addition to firearms, he also enjoys playing guitar and writing songs. He tries to live by the Christian values he believes in.
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