Just picked up a Taurus RB 454 casull. made a order for some starline brass as I have read they are the best. Hornady 300gr XTP mag bullets, should have went with the 240gr xtp mag, but oh well. I have H110 powder to use. I hear guys use either small rife or small rifle mag primers to touch these off. I'm not recoil shy, I used to shoot a hot 45-70 300gr load out of my encore pistol.

I'm using the Federal benchrest primers. Stay with the 300gr bullet. I'm getting 1709 fps (avg) with my load from a FA gun w/ 8 3/8" tube. I would not use my load in a Taurus. The XTP mag is one of the best jacketed bullets you can use. When you expand do not go too far, just enough to start the bullet. A tight fit and solid crimp are very vital to accurate loads. Pay close attention to case length as well and sort accordingly.

Seat and crimp in two steps is my suggestion. The 300 XTP mag version is one of my favorites. Have had excellent luck over the years with it and its a very accurate slug! I used CCI when I couldn't find Remington primers. When I finally found Remington 7.5s, I bought enough I would never need more. I don't know that I can tell the difference in them though

My favorite load from my 7.5" FA ran that bullet at 1615 average.

I have shot tons of deer with the 300gr XTP mag. very accurate bullet. reflex264

Thanks for the input guys.

I use small rifle mag primers in all my 454 loads. Right now I'm working on a mid range load with the regular 3oo gr XTP for my deer hunting.

I use the Hornady 250 XTP over 26 grn. of 2400. Nice medium velocity and recoil load.

I've shot animals with both the 240 and 300gr XTP Mag over max doses of H110 and had excellent results. Both of those bullets are more than a match for any deer and in my gun both shoot very well but the 240 is flatter shooting. Here is a link to a recent post of mine where I used the 240 to take a small blacktail doe and a Roosevelt cow.
http://www.handgunhunt.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/138195/page/1#Post138195

When I had a SRH 454 I found that a 250gr XTP under 24gr of 2400 worked great, as did the 280gr WFNGC Beartooth, 24gr 2400 also. Both hovered right around 1400 fps and were easy to shoot, and plenty of punch for deer.

I've done 30+ deer with .454s. Best performers have been Speer 260 gr. Mag HP and Swift 260 gr. HP (large HP causing a lot of hydrostatic shot). Heavier bullets do OK, but cause less hydrostatic shot. Deer tend to run farther unless you put it right in the shoulder blade.