Right off the bat, I see they'll have the 139-grain SSTs as an InterBond, so that's what I'll start feeding my .280 AI... and if the .30-caliber 150s work well in my Striker, I'll have a use for them, too.
Russ
Posts: 2982 | Location: Silvis, IL | Registered: 12 May 2001
I can't wait! My 7mmremMag loves hornady interlocks but I'm affraid to use them on bigger than deer game after I had a 154gr. come apart on a mountain goat.
Posts: 4326 | Location: Under the North Star! | Registered: 25 December 2002
Funny you should mention that..... I had a 150gr Interlock come apart on me this weekend. It was a close contact shot (15yds). I got shoulder, spine, and off side ribs. The bullet came apart completely. The deer dropped and twitched a little
There was a good hole in the off side rib cage, but it didn't punch all the way through.
Posts: 64 | Location: Bham, Al | Registered: 28 November 2002
Good Lord, they don't offer a .308" 180 gr or .338" 225 gr or any heavy weight in any caliber! Who needs "bonded core" bullets for deer!?! The point of bullets like this is for big, big game... not deer-sized stuff which dies amply with conventional "cup" bullets. Nosler definately got it "right" with their new line.
I can't remember if it was on this site but I saw a thread recently on the Nosler Bonded Ballistic Tips and the posters seemed to complaining becase all the Noslers were only at the very top end of weights like 160 in 7mm and 200 in 30.
Mike
Posts: 7206 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
Mike, I'm shocked to learn there'd be a difference of opinion on these boards
These type of bonded bullets generally open up to a large diameter and, IMO, need a little extra weight/SD to drive them deeper than, say, a Partition.
Guess I should be happy we're getting so many choices... now if Speer can get its act together and release the long awaited DeepShok bullets.
I think I will try some when they come out,but in a non-magum rifle I don't think they will do any better than the SST's on deer,I have been using them in all my calibers the last 2 years Took 9 deer with them the last 2 years,in different cals and gr weights and they worked very good from 45 to 200 yds.I don't know about the mags don't shoot them.Would just like to see the difference in accuracy.
Posts: 508 | Location: Newton,NC,USA | Registered: 02 April 2001
IMO, neither company has intro'd the best weights in their new lines. Nosler's 200gr 30cal is nice but a 180gr would have suited more users, and Hornady's lightweight offering is better? No thanks. At this point I'll be trying the Noslers and let someone else give Hornady their money.
Posts: 1148 | Location: The Hunting Fields | Registered: 22 May 2002
John, I agree I'd have preferred a 180 from Nosler... I'll bet they introduce them if the line takes off. Funny both co's skipped right over "THE" 308" bullet... 180!
I seem to remember reading once that Hornadies most popular bullet was the 30 calibre 150 grain.
Would these bonded bullets be better for less meat damage than non bonded and if so, perhaps that is the big market for them since the deer is waht you blokes shoot most.
Mike
Posts: 7206 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
Jeeze Mike, I've got absolutely no idea... you're right of course, most US hunter's are after deer. I suppose Hornady might be pretty smart after all! Too, I'd bet you a Foster's (or whatever your choice) we'll see a 180 from them too. In a 300 Mag, antelope to moose, I think the 180's are the best. Most guys are using 308's and 30-06's on deer where a good 150 or 165 will shine.
Well, some one has to disagree! For my use I think Hornady got it right. I have been waiting for a 140 grain bonded plastic tip for my lightweight 284 for backpack sheep hunting. Not for the sheep but to make me more comfortable in grizzly country. Something about having fresh grizzly tracks over your tracks, tracks near your tent, etc makes me lean toward the fail safes and the like. Now I'll be using the bonded Hornady.
Not to mention, I read recently that Nosler originally tried to produce a longer ballistic tip than the 150 grainer in 7mm, but found they wouldn't stabilize in the standard twists of most 7mm's. So what makes us think that the addition of a bonded core will make a 160 grainer suddenly stabilize in these barrels?
Posts: 235 | Location: British Columbia | Registered: 08 November 2000
Brad, in that respect I agree about a thin market. But I think the smaller cased 7-08's and 280's will benefit more from a plastic-tipped bonded bullet than an Ultra will, hence the lighter weights. On elk, for example. But with the larger cases, how much are we really gaining by using a 200 grain bonded plastic tip over a partition in a 300Wby? (and I'm a huge 300Wby fan). Any advantage is on the far side of 350 yards. Fun to talk about but how applicable in real life hunting?
Posts: 235 | Location: British Columbia | Registered: 08 November 2000
What I would like to see is more med weight varmit plastic tipped projectiles in calibers like 257,270 ect. in weights like .257/100, .277/130. Of course these companies probably worry about getting a bad rap when some rednecks shoot their beanfield rifles with these at deer.
Posts: 2045 | Location: West most midwestern town. | Registered: 13 June 2001
quote:Originally posted by Brad: Who needs "bonded core" bullets for deer!?! The point of bullets like this is for big, big game... not deer-sized stuff which dies amply with conventional "cup" bullets. Nosler definately got it "right" with their new line.
I agree! Nosler will be getting my business.
Hornady makes me laugh. For years many people, myself included, have been telling them that their bullets don't exit larger game. Accurate and mostly deadly, but weak on penetration under 200 yards. Hornady reps would get all hot and bothered and come up with a smart reply such as, "At what point before the animal's death did the bullet you recovered from it fail?"
Sometimes they dont even exit deer-sized game, but in that case it doesn't matter, they are plenty effective. But on big game you might want a bullet with more penetration and intergrity, especially when fired at more than 2900 fps MV.
So what do they do? Come up with a big tough bullet that you DON'T want in deer-class weights.
Posts: 380 | Location: America the Beautiful | Registered: 23 May 2001