[saudst]

Rdenisj,

We welcome you to handgun hunting. You are in for some real fun. I reload all my stuff as well, but as WESHOT2 says, the XTP is realy a great bullet. I would go with 240gr. or the 300gr. I had a 300gr. XTP pass through a medium sized doe front to back out of my SBH and Hornady loads this bullet in their factory stuff. Heavy XTPs stay together well. I have used the 270gr. gold dot soft point and it zipped right through a deer braodside and kept going, and so did the deer. A long trail through swamp for that one and I went back to the XTP. It seems the Speer is designed more for the 444 Marlin velocities in my experience. You have picked a really nice Whitetail rig, remember to put a good low powered glass on it and practice as often as possible. Me and my son use home made shooting sticks to make the 45yd. + shots. Let us know how you do.