Haven't tryed the Federals so I couldn't tell you. I shoot very little factory ammo for hunting the last time I shot any game with a factory load was most likely 1970.

Mete,
I live in Rotterdam, and hunt mostly the Schoharie area. I've hunted with a revolver for only 2 years and don't reload for it yet. The factory 240 XTPs shoot great and the Cabela's remanufactured 240 SWCs shoot to the same POA so practice cheap enough.

I have a friend with property in Delhi and have hunted there a bit. Up north I've hunted IP land just north of Lake George, a few of us payed a guy to put us on some bear, but all we ended up doing is hiking with weapons. The guy we hired is by all accounts a fake and a crook. But I digress....

This week end a couple of us will be up around Saranac for a camping trip. Deer, bear, and ducks are the goal.

i have used the 300 grain .451 dia xtp mag to take about 15 wild boar and around 10 deer out of my in line muzzel loader at around 2100 fps they work great but i have gone to the new hornady sst 300 grain pill because it delivers better down range enrgy

i have also used the 300 grain xtp mag out of a freedom arms revolver to take 3 wild boar in weight from 200-250 pounds and it worked like a charm every time but all shots were broad side lung heart shots

i have since gone to slightly tougher bullets like those made by barns or cast proformance because they deliver better penetration.

What about the Federal cast core 300s? They were recomended to me for a hunt last year, but I wasn't able to try them out on a bear. I do like the 240 XTP for deer. I don't yet reload, these are both factory loads.

My own experiences are only on deer and with Speers 225 1/2 jacket SWCHP.Only one bullet recovered and that gave 25-30" of penetration.One hesitation with heavy bullets comes from my metallic silhouette days and it was found that a steady diet of 265 or heavier was not good for a S&W 29.But bullet construction makes all the difference. I've heard that the XTP is ok for deer but not recommended for boar.With any hunting penetration into and damage to vital organs is necessary. I would like to hear comments on performance of different 240s... Taurus Bill , I'm in the Catskill mtns, where in upstate do you hunt ?

This might give you some good insight - http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/messages/35374.shtml

A 240 gr most likley would have done the job But in the pentration tests I have done the harden cast 310 give way more pentration then the 240's.

After see the lack of pentration on some bears by factory 240s most of the guys that I bear hunt with are going to the 310s.