Hello everyone,

I would like to know if anyone has used Trophy Bonded Bear Claw's on moose... I have been using Winchester Fail Safe ammo in my 375H&H on my last two moose and I wish to try a softer bullet. As you can imagine I had complete pass through on both moose and entry and exit holes of equal diameter. I don't want to complain about the result since both animals expired very quickly. At the shot, they walked a few feet and rolled over... I would recommend FailSafe's to anyone for moose. I like to experiment and hear about others stories, so if anyone has any moose hunting experience with such bullet, Trophy Bonded, and caliber, please feel free to give feedback on your results.

Enigma

I have used the Bear claws in my 300 Win with great results, have not recovered a single bullet, shot 5 Kudus (Sorry I live in Africa) with it, 2 neck shots, both exited, shot a Kudu cow through both shoulder, bullet went through, nice expansion, she almost dropped at the spot, reared on her hind legs and dropped.

A Friend used my 300 to shot a young Kudu bull with it behind the shoulder bullet out the other side; he ran about 30 yards and dropped nice expansion. I shot another young Kudu bull head shot at a angle, he was below me, bullet went through head and ender up between his shoulders, nice expansion. If I was you I would change to it. I have heard about one other hunter using it, shot a Big Eland with it, shoulder shot, nice expansion, bullet under the hide on the offside shoulder, shot a nice Wildebeest, same thing broke both shoulders and under hide on the other side, both ran short distances and dropped.

Great bullet

I used a .35 Whelen with 225 grain TBBC on one of my Alberta moose in 2003. It was a one shot kill with complete penetration on a broadside shot. This was in spite of the range being longer than I had wanted, laser measured at 413 yards. It was the only bull we had seen and we had about 6 hours left in the hunt so it was that shot or nothing. The mooose took about 3 steps after the shot.

While caribou hunting this year a friend of mine hammered a 9' Brown bear from 30 yards with a 338 Ultra loaded with 225 Bear Claws.The bear took a running nose dive and never got up.We recovered the bullet under the skin on the off side and it expanded perfectly.

Thank you folks for all the replies. I just wanted to confirm something that I kind of thought. Trophy Bonded Bear Claw's are a great bullet! I believe that Federal loads them in 375... I will run to the store and order a couple boxes I guess.

Thanks again

Enigma

P.S. If you guys have a few pictures of recovered bullets, please share them with us and I would like to know the average weight retention.

Bear Claws.

Definitly a top tier bullet. They sure do a job on Whitetails!

You can even try Barnes X Eldorado, I know of a few people who are very happy with them in 375, on guy will not use anything else if he can find it, but it is not always the easiest to get in Namibia, I have used it in 308 and 270 and was very happy

any reason not to try a nosler partition?

good expansion, complete penetration, no reason why it won't work.

Please note that TB bullets are much like Swift A-Frame bullets, and both retain over 90% of their respective weights. Since FS bullets retain nearly 100% of their weight, the first two are more likely to stay inside the animal than the later. However, on broadside shots through the lungs, pass through is more than likely what you will get from these three bullets. If you want "softer" bullets, then you will have to look at the regular Partition, Speer GS, Hornady, Woodleigh, Kodiak, etc. Reduce the velocity a little on those softer bullets, and you will start getting the classic mushroom.

I have shot moose with my .338WM and 230-grain FS bullets, 250-grain A-frame, and with 250-grain Partition, and even the later have passed through. The 250-grain Partition have been from Federal HE ammo loaded to produce 2,800 fps, the A-frame to produce nearly 2,700 fps, and the FS to produce over 2,800 fps, which is fast enough for pass through on game.

Enigma,

I shot several moose with the 375 H&H using the 300gr. Swift with more than satisfactory results but never did shoot one with the TBBC. I did though use the Federal ammo with the TBBC in 375 on safari in Tanzania. That load was nothing but excellent with one shot kills on everything from gazelles to a racking shot on a running eland. I would not hesitate to use it on moose or anything else other than elephant.

Regards,

Mark

Go for it, the TBBC is one of the very best there is.

Thanks again folks. Would M. Young have any pictures of recovered bullets on his last safari or did they all exit... I would like to see the actual look of a TBBC once it goes through game...
I should receive two boxes of Federal HE 300gr in a few days. Can't wait to fire a few and see how well I shoot them.

Anyone know where I can order some TBBC bullets in Canada?

Enigma

Enigma,

I recovered only one bullet on that safari when I used the 300gr TBBC's. Unfortunately I'm still in the process of unpacking here in Wyoming and that bullet is buried somewhere. I can tell you though that the bullet was a perfect mushroom and measured if I remember right .78" across the frontal area. That particular bullet entered a huge eland just behind the ribcage on one side and ended up at the very front of the chest on the opposite side. The eland was trotting off and after the shot went perhaps 50 yards.

Regards,

Mark