I am pretty new to handgun hunting and I don?t have experience with the ?old? vs the ?new? xtp?s, but I used a 240gr .454 to try to take down a ram that was getting a little too comfortable around people. Shot that thing in the vitals at damn near 5 yards (we have it on video) and it didn?t even turn and look at me. Shot again, and it just started trotting off with the herd. Last shot into the shoulder finally took it down. I?ve never had a Barnes fail to kill what I was shooting at, be it a small doe or a good sized oryx. That was the first and last time I used an XTP. They?re cheap, but not cheap enough