Winchester has announced three new calibers within its Deer Season XP series of ammunition. The new calibers continue to round out the brand including loadings in .30-30 Winchester (150 grain), 7mm-08 (140 grain), and 300 Blackout (150 grain). This brings total offerings to over 10 SKUs for a variety of calibers:
• .30-30 Win. – 150-gr. (NEW for 2016)
• 7mm-08 – 140-gr. (NEW for 2016)
• 300 Blackout – 150-gr. (NEW for 2016)
• .243 Win. – 95 gr.
• .270 Win. – 130 gr.
• .270 WSM – 130 gr.
• 7mm Rem. Mag. – 140 gr.
• .308 Win. – 150 gr.
• .30-06 Springfield – 150 gr.
• .300 Win. Mag. – 150 gr.
• .300 WSM – 150 gr.
The Deer Season XP ammunition is loaded with an “Extreme Point” (hence the “XP” name) bullet designed to expand immediately and impart energy for a clean and ethical kill. The bullets feature large-impact-diameter technology using the Extreme Point polymer tip. Construction of the bullet is three-part. The Extreme Point bullet is front, supported by a tapered bullet jacket over a lead core.
The XP ammunition is loaded into factory-new brass, but there is little information on the availability of the bullet-only. Re-loaders may have to wait for Winchester to catch up with production demand before experimenting with their own hunting loads.
All calibers are available now from the big-name retailers. Expect matriculation down to gunshops over the next few weeks, especially with deer season to start soon in a variety of locales. Price is typically around $24 for 20 rounds.