I am interested in working up 7mm loads for deer and larger game. I would appreciate the Forum's experience or opinions on which of the following bonded bullets are the toughest or more difficult to break up:
Swift Scirocco
Nosler Accubond
Hornady Interbond
I know that there are probably tougher bullets made, but I would like to limit the inquiry to the listed bullets. As always any help is very much appreciated. MUFASA

I don`t know that any one of the listed bullets is "toughter" then the next. The bullets placement, animal size, impact velocity, ect all will influence the bullets expansion. One may appear toughter then the others in one case and not in the next.
That said I`d be happy to use any of them on deer or elk and would concider them all good choices.

I have shot Accubonds and Interbonds. I have not noticed any difference in accuracy, but did notice that Interbonds held up better on close ranges (<100 yards). I would opt for either 154 gr interbonds or 160 grain accubonds.

I feel that Scirocco bullets are overpriced. Accubonds and Interbonds are priced similarly per bullet. I would check shootersproshop for Nosler Factory Seconds. You can get some good deals on premium bullets.

I haven't shot anything with these yet, though that will probably change in a couple of weeks. I have some Scirrocos loaded for my .243.

From reading several bullets reviews, it seems to me that the Scirrocos and Interbonds will expand wider than the Accubonds, which, at least judging from the pictures, don't seem to expand as widely. Depending on the critter in question that may or may not matter much.

LWD

One of the articles I was referring to in my previous post was from the June 07 Shooting Times. It has some excellent pictures of these three bullets in various states of expansion. I have it scanned, so PM with your email address if you want a copy of it.

LWD

Just from a personal experience the only one of the three you listed that I've used is the Accubond. It performed adequately but not admirably on a couple elk for me in the last couple years. Mine were 180 grain Accubonds in a 30/06 pushing max velocity (probably just under 2800 fps) the shots were 180 yards broadside shot on a very large bull high in the shoulder dropped him like a stone and bullet was found under the hide weighing 114 grains, next one was a medium sized bull 50 yard shot entered near the last rib steeply angled into the base of the neck, bull stayed on his feet stumbling and required other shots bullet was a handfull of fragments and an empty jacket. My impression of the Accubond from my '06 on these 2 Elk was that they are kinda soft maybe a Deer bullet. I've had Sierra 180 grain SPBT's completely exit elk on all other occasions so I was very surprised to recover these Accubonds.
Please listen to other opinions as mine are based solely on these two experiences.
I'm not planning on using them again, I will switch back to Sierra's and try Nosler Partitions as well.

if you want to have some fun why don't you call all three of the manufacturers and ask them and see what they say? might be interesting.

I have not used any of those, but from what I have seen and heard - on the internet, bear in mind - they are likely indistinguishable from each other, and meant to be an improved bullet for deer. for a 7mm mag, they would be better than a standard bullet, probably, but I would not start with them. if you want bonded on the cheap, why pick a polymer tip meant to expand? I would use the core-lokt bonded bullet. they are new, and have no polymer tip. but, if I were to pick any other bonded bullet, it would be a trophy-bonded bear claw, swift a-frame, or the like. I know they cost 2x as much, but the 7mm mag is supposed to be tough on bullets.

my $0.02, yours for free, mayber not even worth that much.

I've used Speer's 145 grain spitzers in my 7X57 m/m Winchester M-70 rifle, and they seem to be very accurate when useing IMR-4350. Made my longest kill on a Deer with this bullet & rifle.

[QUOTE]I feel that Scirocco bullets are overpriced. Accubonds and Interbonds are priced similarly per bullet. QUOTE]

Scirocco are about the same price, they are per 100 and the others are per 50.

Why pay for 100 if they don't end up shooting well?

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:
[QUOTE]I feel that Scirocco bullets are overpriced. Accubonds and Interbonds are priced similarly per bullet. QUOTE]

Scirocco are about the same price, they are per 100 and the others are per 50.

Interbonds are 100, btw. And they will hold together better than the accubonds, loaded some 165s for a friends 06, theyll retain at least 88% of their weight. Cant wait to try the 85grain 6mm Interbonds I just loaded. Jay

I think the Scirocco's would fragment the quickest. That's why they came out with the Scirocco II. Your other two choices are a wash IMO.

The Sciroccos are 49.99 while the Interbonds are 10 bucks cheaper, FYI. And it seems they retain about the same weight as the Interbonds, 1 up for the Interbonds!

quote:

I think the Scirocco's would fragment the quickest. That's why they came out with the Scirocco II. Your other two choices are a wash IMO.

Better take a look at the jackets of all these bullets before saying something like that. These are all good bullets that have done well in penetration and expansion tests. I have shot the 210 Scirocco out of my 338-378wby and it has never come apart. That includes being shot into a test media of wafer board and wet news print layered, at 10 feet from the muzzle, going 3611 FPS.

Joe

PARTITIONS ROCK

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Miller:

quote:

I think the Scirocco's would fragment the quickest. That's why they came out with the Scirocco II. Your other two choices are a wash IMO.

Better take a look at the jackets of all these bullets before saying something like that.

Please read the third paragraph here.

180 .308 Nosler accu-bond.


180 .308 Hornady interbond.


The above were shot into gallon milk jugs, end to end at 100 yds. The Noslers all penetrated 4 jugs to be found inside the forth. The interbond penetrated 3 jugs, was inside the third. The accu-bonds averaged 120 grains retained weight. The interbond was 140.1.

The AB were .645, .665, and .875 expansion. That fragment of jacket on the bigger one was the cause of the .875. The IB expanded to .715.

I've never tried the swift scirocco, so I can't comment on them.