Recently, we were fortunate to be able to acquire some Deer Season XP 125-gr.
We wanted to know if this was a legitimate long-range hunting round.
The loading is offered in a variety of chamberings, ranging from .223 to .30-06 to 7mm Magnum.
The Deer Hunter XP line is one of the premier lines of hunting ammunition available today.
Bullet weights range anywhere from 64 to 250 grains.
The projectile itself features an Extreme Point with an oversized impact diameter.
The means more energy transfers to the target which is better for taking down deer.
The ballistic-tipped Deer Season XP performed exceptionally well at long range. Groups were tight and the standard deviation of the velocity was very low.
The round has a large diameter polymer tip as well as a tapered jacket for the flat-based projectile.
Was it as tight as match ammo would produce?
No, but its still a very accurate round.
The Deer Season XP hunting round is able to take advantage of the excellent accuracy baked into the Model 2020 Waypoint.
And remember, this is a round designed to take down an animal first and foremost.
But how accurate is it?
To really wring it out, we decided to test it out over some long-range distances.
During testing, the author found the combination to be more accurate than many other hunting loads.
Frankly, most hunters on average probably never shoot farther than maybe 250 yards on a deer.
So, we figured this round has probably never been tested by reviewers at 1,000 yards.
We decided to give it a shot.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is known as an accurate round. The Deer Hunter XP load in the Waypoint rifle proved this point.
Flat-based bullets will deliver plenty of impact, but they dont fly as well as boat-tailed bullets.
As a result, we went in with relatively low expectations, expectations that were soon proven wrong.
After we got the rifle zeroed, we first decided to try a target at 405 yards.
Grant hit this with no problem.
Then we moved on and hit targets at 617, 760 and 1082 yards.
Once we moved on from the 1082 yard mark, we noticed the bullet was harder to predict.
For a flat-based hunting round to be accurate out to nearly 1,100 yards is no small feat.
We were pleasantly surprised by how well this round performed at distance.
The 6.5 Creedmoor Deer Season XP is an awesome cartridge that any hunter would be lucky to use.
Is it the best long-range hunting round?
We hope to find out this fall!
Just remember to get out and practice shooting long distance as much as you’re free to.
Even though the round is capable, you might not be.
It is unethical to take a shot at an animal that you are not confident in.
So, practice, shoot smart and be a good steward of conservation.
And pick up some of this ammo as we can assure you it will do its part!
Go to forum thread
WinchesterDeer Season XP
Model 2020Waypoint Series
