I tried a search and couldn't locate any information, so I'm gonna throw this out and hope that someone has used a Winchester Silvertip bullet in .44 to take a whitetail or smaller game. If you have or know someone that has, I'm curious as to how it performed.

I've read alot about the performance of the XTP's and would have no issues using it, but my backorder is still a week or so out. I've got plenty of the Silvertips on hand in a factory load that will get me by.

Thanks in advance.

I hope those silvertips are better than the rifle variety. Not at all pleased with the rifle silvertips.

Use them and get back to us on how they worked. I have not used them in the 44 Special but has shot enough of them in 41 mag to not be impressed at all. In fact down right disappointing

My choice in the 44 Special would be a WFN from LBT

Winchester silvertips (handgun variety) are designed more for self defense than anything else. They are just too soft/fragile to be trusted as a hunting bullet for deer. Foxes and the like, the bullet should be fine.

With a velocity of 1280 FPS out of my M-57 S&W the 175 Silver has shown little to no expansion even at very close range and exhibited signs of tumbling

The 145 grain in my 357 didn't fair much better and neither penetrated that well, despite their less than stellar expansion

I've shot the 45 Colt variety and it turned inside out and fragmented some when shot into full water barrels with clamped lids. Who knows, maybe test media is the difference.

Maybe the are not the same from caliber to caliber, I certainly haven't shot them all. The 145 in the 357 and the 175 in the 41 were not impressive to say the least

PythonHunter, do a google search for winchester silvertip photos and reviews. The best may be at http://www.allsafedefense.com There was a bullet test done on April 27, 2003 that you should read. It was comparing different handguns loads. Just scroll to the bottom of the page for bullet test results.

175 41 mag Silver Tip and 158 357 Mag Gold Dot not much expansion with either, but at least the Gold dot penetrated well

Jwp were both of those shot into the ground? I have shot the 175 in 41 mag and they expanded well with some fragmenting. The problem with the silvertips is with penetration because they are light for caliber loads. They would kill a deer fine but you may have a tough tracking job with no exit wound. If that's all I had I would use them in the morning or in an area where I would likely be able to see the deer go down.

No they were into thoughly water soaked news print at point blank range with a pair of denium jeans on top

Here are some other bullet that were also tested

Plugged hollow points are why Hornady now makes FTX bullets. Denim is notorious for plugging hollow points in self defense loads. This is also true when I've shot XTP's into railroad ties. The recovered bullet looks more like a solid than a HP. In game hydraulic action opens the nose. Wood, Denim, and Newspaper plug the cavity of the HP while strong external pressure on the ogive prevents upset. On flesh this isn't a problem. So PythonHunter use them on deer, but don't expect much penetration. Give us a real "on game" test and results. On every review I've ever read about Silvertips is that the open dramatically and that was my experience also. But, as you've seen there are exceptions to every rule.

Wood doesn't allow a bullet room to expand. Animals have hair that can plug a hollow as well and so can fat/tallow.

Notice how the Dold Dot 230 grain 45 ACP bullet expanded, but not the 158 357 Gold Niether the 145 grain 357 bullet and the 175 grain in the 41 nag didn't penetrate well.


The 175 grain JNC penetrated very well and produced a very impressive wound channel

Thanks for all the input. After I posted the question, I located the post showing the shots into the media over on the 24hourcampfire. Good stuff.

Knowing that, I will stay away from the deer with it for sure. I've taken deer with the 44 special in the past, but with cast bullets, but hard cast in Iowa are a gray area. Bullets are supposed to be expanding type and the few DNR officers that I've talked to had no set answer for me. Guessing it would just depend on the day, the officer, the mood, and the moon phase as to whether I would be right or wrong if stopped. Too many variables involved with the risk too great.

Thanks again to all.

PH

Hard cast bullets are legally classified as expanding bullets as are all handgun bullets

Any bullet considered to be non expand is illegal to produced in the United States at this time. Barnes has been ordered to cease production for all banded solids from 458 caliber down, becuse handguns are produced in these calibers. Barnes is fighting this decession

Wouldn't FMJ's be considered non-expanding?

I think they term it minimal expansion... I think that is how we get aroun cast bullets...

hmm very interesting. I didn't know Barnes had to stop making the banded solids, especially for that reason.

Seems like a lot of grey area around "solid type" bullets as far as the laws read. Should look it up. I am curious to see how the law reads. If its a Federal Reg its probably in the USC (US Code). I believe you can access that from their website.

anyways, sorry to stray from the main topic. I have to agree that silver tips are usually considered to be a personal defense bullet and listed as so on Winchester's website, EXCEPT the 210 gr 44 mag. For what its worth they list it as a light skinned biggame bullet

looked briefly and all I could find was on military sales of surplus stuff.