Bonded Bullets

liamnjs

Well-Known Member
I would appreciate some insight into when to use bonded bullets. As I understand it these prevent break up on impact so penetrate deeply, but I would just like this translated into practical recommendations.

The reason for this is that I was let down a bit at the weekend so went off for two days muntjac stalking in Norfolk with nothing but a small handful of Winchester Super X (turns out that would have been more than sufficient, but that is another story). So I stopped off at Norfolk Sporting Guns (very helpful, highly recommended) and bought the only 6.5x55 ammo they had, Remington Core-Lokt.

Apart from the few I fired to check zero, the rest have come home with me.I can't get these around here, so are they worth saving for any sort of stalking in particular, or should they just be used up as general purpose ammo and replaced with the non-bonded stuff I can get hold of locally?
 
I'm far from an expert and don't actually shoot a lot of deer but using either my reloaded Hornady spire points, which are standard cup and core bullets, or the Federal factory PowerShok ammo, which I think is a cup and core bullet, I've never recovered a bullet which is to say they all passed right through. Now, I only take broadside heart and lung shots but even so I'm given to think that I don't need anything further from my bullet construction.

In saying that I'm trying to source some Nosler Partition bullets but only because I have the notion to play with them and see how they shoot in my rifle, I certainly don't need them.

With that in mind I'd say you should try and use the bullets that you can get a regular and reliable suppy of locally as I suspect that is more important than the exact construction of the bullet. Continuity of supply is, I think, a major factor for those shooting in the UK.
 
I am reasonably sure that the Rem Core-Lokt are not a bonded bullet at all, but a cup and core like the Hornady Interlock. In fact, they might even be Hornady Interlocks...

Just shoot them.
 
I use Norma Oryx in my .308 and 7x57R. I have a couple that i have retrieved from shot moose and they run at 95% retained weight with perfect mushrooming.
 
Hi
I thinks the best time to use bonded core bullets is when you need them!!

Prime situations that spring to mind are:
  • Shooting large animals for a given calibre or bullet weight e.g. reds or sika with the 243. The bonded core bullet is more likely to penetrate more reliably in a straight line and make quartering shots more reliable.
  • If you are using a bullet fired at higher than average velocity (say greater than 2800fps) and where impact velocity is likely to be high as with most woodland stalking shots
  • To limit meat damage where this has proved excessive with conventional cup and core bullets. The bonding may also reduce the degree of lead contamination of the surrounding meat.
In my experience solid copper bullets e.g. barnes tsx will also do the above extremely well so dont rule them out.
As far as I know the two bullets you mention are not bonded. The Hornady interlock has a rib in the jacket to try to retain the core but sadly this does not seem to be effective at retaining the cores. The bonded bullets that I am aware of include the hornady interbond, nosler accubond, swift A frame and scirrocco and the trophy bonded bearclaw (Im sure there are others too).
I would look to load the nosler accubond as my first choice for bonded bullets as I belive them to be designed to shoot deer sized game rather than thicker skinned african game like the Swift A frame
Hope this helps

S
 
i used these in my 270 and where exellent very accurate no meat damage on roe i would definately use again,wayne
 
Only bonded bullets I used so far were 308 150gr Federal Fusion Factory bullets.
I think they are excellent, expanded or mushroomed rapidly but held together.
50% did not exit on sika, meaning no over penetration. Best recovered bullet 95%
and worst 83% weight retention.
edi

fusion150gr2.jpg


fusion150gr1.jpg
 
I got a box of Rem core loc ultra bonded 100gr for my .243, my local RFD got them in and they are a good round BUT I had to wait nearly 10 months to get some more from America via Edger Brothers. He got a case of 200 as it was 'keeper'. The new retail price was wait for it..................................................................................£64 for 20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I eventually got them down to £35. Hence I don't shoot them very often:eek:


The first box he got me were priced for the core loc noy the ultra bonded. I was in Devon over the summer and looked in Sportsman and they sell them for £65.

That aside they are a good round which my T3 varmint likes. saying that Privvy at £10 for 20 do the same job.

Jonathon
 
I've been watching this debate with some interest and the question that comes to mind - what exactly do you regard as a bonded core?

I think that some of use are being taken in by hype and enthusiastic advertising. Are we talking about a physical bond or a chemical bond?
 
I am currently using the 150 grain federal Fusion rounds in my .270 as I am getting them at a good........................... very good price ;), but have not recovered the bullet from deer. Only used them on one so far and it exited and is somewhere in the Yorkshire hills. However I hve recovered convential Hornady bullets and this is a 239 BTSP in 7mm recovered from a Whitetail Buck:-

41059778.jpg


41059835.jpg


The bullet expanded to approx 0.600" and retained 94 grains of weight for 67.65% of it's original weight, good performance. (hope I got the percentage right ;))

I also have a 150 grain .303 one recovered from a Fallow pricket but I have never bother to photograph it. Apart from a .22 L/R recovered from a Wabbit all the others have been lost so the back stop.
 
I've been watching this debate with some interest and the question that comes to mind - what exactly do you regard as a bonded core?

I think that some of use are being taken in by hype and enthusiastic advertising. Are we talking about a physical bond or a chemical bond?

Certainly not a hype, in the case of the fed fusion which are about the same price as normal soft point ammo also not a rip off.
Look closer at the pic I put in earlier, the lead is "soldered" to the copper. When the lead gets ripped off the copper it has to overcome the tensile strength of the lead. The copper on the ripped off area is silver/ lead colour.
edi
 
I don't believe the Nosler Accubond is available in .243 100g:banghead:

However, I think the Hornady Interbond is - what I'd be interested in is the difference between Nosler Partition and say Hornady Interbond would be in my .243, for both Roe (close quarters) and Red (100-250 yards). I am thinking, will one of them be better/worse in terms of expansion at either short/longer range...hhmmm..too much blo*dy choice!!!!!!!!
 
ejg my quetion is what constitutes bonding? You use the word "soldered", didn't speer with their hot core involve pouring molten lead into the jacket, could this be considered as soldered?

Some makers make a big play on bonded cores either by mechanical means or by electro/chemical means, other manufacturers hardly mention it, but are their bullets inferior?
 
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