6.5 creedmoor norma bondstrike - feedback on performance

[pzbrook]

Hi everyone,

I’m writing to share feedback on the Norma Bondstrike in 6.5mm creedmoor (143gr), following roe / red deer hunts over the past months. I’m using a Blaser K95 with a 52 cm barrel. Here’s a quick description of each situation:

Roe:

-broadside at about 110, heart shot. The deer ran about 30m.

-deer slightly turned away at about 60m, lung shot, ran about 20m.

-broadside walking at about 130m, heart / lung area; ran about 10m.

-head on shot at about 135m, heart shot, ran about 25m.

-broadside at about 115m, but I made a bad shot, hitting too far back. The second shot just behind the shoulder killed it.

All shots were off sticks. The bullets exited each time, except perhaps the frontal shot - it was hard to tell, it was almost completely dark when we got down to the animal. There was no damage to the gut area, though.

Exit holes were typically about 4-5 cm.

Red:

Young stag - also shooting off sticks, slightly quartered towards me at about 125m, perfect lung hit, ran about 60m. I think the front part of the bullet fully expanded or perhaps partly fragmented in the heart / lung area (there was massive damage to the vitals), then the rear non-expanding part exited on the other side of the body via a small ~ 1cm sized hole.

Accuracy is excellent, typically sub moa on three shot groups (so are other creedmoor cartridges I’ve tried). The bondstrike is Norma’s most powerful cartridge in 6.5 creedmoor by quite a margin: higher MV than the others (except the non lead) and much better retained velocity and energy due to the high BC. I’m v happy with it.

Hope this is useful.

 

[Edelweiss]

143gr Bondstrike out of a 6,5 PRC (870m/s) shoots extremely accurate until 500 Meters (i dont have shot further)
Dead Right There. It slid a little further down the slope, leaving a very good trail of blood.

 

[maximus otter]

Hi everyone,

I’m writing to share feedback on the Norma Bondstrike in 6.5mm creedmoor (143gr), following roe / red deer hunts over the past months. I’m using a Blaser K95 with a 52 cm barrel. Here’s a quick description of each situation:

Roe:

-broadside at about 110, heart shot. The deer ran about 30m.

-deer slightly turned away at about 60m, lung shot, ran about 20m.

-broadside walking at about 130m, heart / lung area; ran about 10m.

-head on shot at about 135m, heart shot, ran about 25m.

-broadside at about 115m, but I made a bad shot, hitting too far back. The second shot just behind the shoulder killed it.

All shots were off sticks. The bullets exited each time, except perhaps the frontal shot - it was hard to tell, it was almost completely dark when we got down to the animal. There was no damage to the gut area, though.

Exit holes were typically about 4-5 cm.

Red:

Young stag - also shooting off sticks, slightly quartered towards me at about 125m, perfect lung hit, ran about 60m. I think the front part of the bullet fully expanded or perhaps partly fragmented in the heart / lung area (there was massive damage to the vitals), then the rear non-expanding part exited on the other side of the body via a small ~ 1cm sized hole.

Accuracy is excellent, typically sub moa on three shot groups (so are other creedmoor cartridges I’ve tried). The bondstrike is Norma’s most powerful cartridge in 6.5 creedmoor by quite a margin: higher MV than the others (except the non lead) and much better retained velocity and energy due to the high BC. I’m v happy with it.

Hope this is useful.

I've just had a look at my spreadsheet. I shoot a 6.5 x 55mm using Norma factory 120gr Ballistic Tips, so the calibre is slightly less powerful than yours but with the same bullet diameter.

75% of my deer (muntjac, CWD & roe; average range 119 yards) drop in their own hoofprints.

Only 6.25% run more than 10 yards.

maximus otter

 

[Dougal McGuire]

Thanks for the rundown. I use Bondstrike in 300 WM but am looking to test it when I get a 6.5 CM. The 6.5x55 version looks good on the website just haven't been able to find it.

 

[geoshot]

I don't know what Bondstrike is like in 6.5CM or PRC but a good friend of mine uses Bondstrike in his 6.5-284norma
I've seen him drop Sika in their own shadow at close to 300m, nothing he hits seems to move very far
I'd be tempted to try it if it was available in 6.5PRC factory ammo near me, or if I could be bothered loading it - but as I'm working up various non lead options right now it'll have to wait

 

[pzbrook]

I don't know what Bondstrike is like in 6.5CM or PRC but a good friend of mine uses Bondstrike in his 6.5-284norma
I've seen him drop Sika in their own shadow at close to 300m, nothing he hits seems to move very far
I'd be tempted to try it if it was available in 6.5PRC factory ammo near me, or if I could be bothered loading it - but as I'm working up various non lead options right now it'll have to wait

Going by the data from the handy Norma ballistic app, the 6.5-284 or the 6.5 PRC Bondstrike at 300m are basically identical to the 6.5CM & the 6.5x55 at 200m. It’s the same bullet with more or less powder behind it

 

[Dougal McGuire]

There is some debate on whether Norma's Bondstrike BC figures are correct. If they are, they're very good. I've gotten very good accuracy in 300 WM but have not used on game yet. The hogs seem to know I'm loaded with a likely very effective round.

 

[pzbrook]

Hi everyone, I already some shared feedback on the performance of the bondstrike in 6.5 creedmoor on roe and red deer (see message above). Here’s some more info, in case useful, from a recent stalking trip in France during which I shot 7 roe.

Rifle is a Blaser K95 with a 52cm barrel. Muzzle velocity averages 808 m/s with a Hausken over barrel moderator (and just over 800 without the moderator).

Deer 1, 2, 3 were shot in roughly 60 seconds at about 90m, 60m and 120m range. All shots were on the shoulder or just behind. The first roe stumbled along for maybe 15m before falling. The other two went pretty much straight down.

Deer 4: 180m shoulder half way up leg area, straight down.

Deer 5: sitting 140m shoulder area exiting rear lung, didn’t get up.

Deer 6: 145m forward shoulder, exited neck, straight down.

Deer 7: 145m rear lung, ran 60m across field before dropping in undergrowth. Tracked by finding impact point then following blood trail. Big blood patch on point of impact, then drops on the field, then large splashes in undergrowth entrance.

Exit wounds were all around 5cm - 7.5cm diameter, including with quartering shots.

I’m v pleased with the bondstrike - to me the standout feature compared to other 6.5 creedmoor cartridges is the combination of good muzzle velocity, a very high BC and a bonded bullet.