I finally got to shoot a few groups with the new 30 cal 150gr Hornady InterBonds over the weekend. Accuracy looks to be real good, right up there with the SST's and Ballistic Tips that I've shot. Looks to be in the 3/4" range for 3 shots at 100yrds from my 300WSM.

Chrony wasn't working so don't have velocities. Only tried 2 powders but got the same excellent results from H414 and IMR4350. More testing is in order but it looks like the 1st "premium" bullet that this gun likes. My gun has been anti-premium bullets up till this point so I'm pretty excited. Those who were sitting on the fence may want to give this new bullet a try.

Jay, I recently tried the 154gr HIB in my .280 & got sim. perf. to you. I only tried one powder but the worst group was 1 1/2". I didn't try them for expansion but I did try the Nosler AB. I'm not sure I would call these a "premium" bullet. My brief test session w/ the NAB show them to be a bit better than a conventional bullet but not up to the various partitions. Still, I think they are worth the slight increase in price for what you get in return.

I am glad to hear you had good results with the 150 grain Hornady Interbond, because I had dismal results at best.

We were REALLY dissapointed last week. We first tried the 139 Hornady SST in my dad's 7mm Rem Mag. Great results, a three shot group at 100 yards that measured 0.36 inches! Velocity over 3200 fps using IMR 4831. Impressive!

Then we hauled out two .300 Weatherby rifles. We proceeded to shoot one inch groups with both, using our reloads AND Weatherby factory ammo. (Shooting Nosler Partitions, Hornady SP's and Sierra spitzers)

However, when we tried the 150 grain Interbonds, BOTH of these rifles shot them about 8 inches to the right of the other bullets and shot patterns not groups. I mean, I did not even bother to measure them, they were probably close to six inch groups! We tried a couple of different powders in each rifle then just gave up. We had some more test loads but just went home and pulled them.

Go figure!

R F

Fred338, I called these bullets "premium" because Hornady claims 90% weight retention and that they will "never, ever, ever, ever come apart" or something to that effect. If Hornady's claims are accurate, that would constitute a premium bullet to me. Are you of the opinion that Hornady's claims aren't accurate?

NO Jay, not at all. I'm just the kind of guy that likes to see for myself. I recently tested a few 160gr bullets & found the results interesting. The Nosler AB stayed together well, but retained only 64% of it's weight. While that's good performance, it's not really in the "premium" zone. I would expect the Hornady to be about the same if impact vel. is about the same. I'll test some next time I'm out & let you know.
I'm not taking issue w/ your choice of words, just sharing my experience.

[ 05-22-2003, 07:04: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

I guess it's all relative. To the guy who shoots 'X' bullets, 64% is just ok. For a guy who shoots NBTs, you are being pampered when you get more than 55%! Jon you are right of course. In my test the 160grCT held onto an amazing 88%+ wt. but penetrated less?! Weight retention, SD, vel. bullet construction, accuracy, it all plays a part, but no single factor makes a great hunting bullet.
It's all just killing time until hunting season.

[ 05-22-2003, 09:23: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

Fredj338,
Tell me a little more about the 160gr Nosler AB you tested. What kind of frontal area did the expanded bullet have? Did it form a mushroom or did it just fold back on itself like the partition does? How was the penetration in relation to others you've tested? Could you tell anything about the wound channel from your testing?

and what you were actually shooting into.

It would be hard for you two to be using the exact medium to shoot into with out being able to physicly compare.

These Interbonds sound promising so far. I just wish they would hurry and start making a 25 cal.

From my prev. thread:

I got a box of 7mm / 160gr NAB last week. I loaded some up in the .280 & off to the range. I am happy to report that they are slightly more accurate than my usual 160grNP load, hitting right at the 1MOA mark.
After reading Expresses post about his "bullet failure", I thought I would test various 160gr bullets in wet phone books to compare the results. Impact velocity was app. 2775fps. Here are the results:

160gr Noler Part. - 19" pen. / .580 exp. / 116gr

160gr Nosler AB - 17" pen. / .610 exp. / 108gr

160gr Speer HC - 15 1/2" pen. / .585 exp./ 99gr

160gr Speer GS - 16 1/2" pen. /.575 exp./ 102gr

160gr Comb. Tech. - 17 1/2" pen. /.595 exp./ 141gr

140gr Nosler BT - 13 1/2" pen./ .530 exp./ 77gr

I fired (2) shots each & averaged the measurements. All bullets performed very consistently w/ good exp. & keeping their cores. I threw in the 140BT ( approx. 2950fps impact) because so many guys like to use them for deer. I wasn't surprised that it lost all of it's nose & there was only a small amount of lead left in the jacket base. The wound channel was very abrupt w/ the 140BT. This has got to be a grenade @ 3200-3300fps. The NP also had a large wound channel early on but penetrated the most. The nose was still intact. The 160CT kept the most weight & looks like a toadstool mushroom. The jacket appears to be very thick & would probably be a good choice for the Dakota/STW shooter looking for a tough bullet up close.
Just food for thought. I know it doesn't equate to real game performance, but It gives you a comparison of different manuf. bullets. I may switch to the 160NAB @ 2850fps for my allround .280 bullet.

I like wet phone books as the results are repeatable by anyone. The material is always the same & it seems to be close enough to live game results to be meaningfull. Remember, it's something to think about when you are trying to decide on which bullet to try out for your next hunt.

[ 05-22-2003, 23:55: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

According to Chub Eastman,with nosler bullets. The original partion is designed around 60% weight retention. With the failsafes and CT partition bullets keeping 90% or better weight retention. I've talked to several reps for nosler in person and have always gotten the same response. The CT partition is more marketing then anything else. People have been bullshited for so long about needing as close to 100% weight retention in a bullet,that that's what they buy. I've yet to recover but a few of the original partitions from big game over the years. I always end up with entrance and exit wounds,with the original defective partitions,so long as I don't try to shoot from asshole to throat on elk,so why spend more money on more weight retention. If the interbonds can provide 60% weight retention and you get twice as many bullets(100) for 5 or 6 bucks a box more over partitions,I'll gladly shoot them.

Out to the range again yesterday with 3 loads of 150gr Hornady InterBonds using H414, IMR4350 and H4350. I shot one 4 shot group with each load. All groups were under 1.0" and all groups hit to almost the exact same point of impact. Could have fit all 12 rounds into 1.5" if I'd shot them all into 1 target. Clearly my 300WSM is fond of this bullet.

After shooting I dug around in the backstop to see if I could recover a bullet. I believe I found one although I can't be absolutely certain that this was one of the Hornady IB's. I don't think I would call what I found to be a controlled expansion bullet. It was expanded almost all the way to it's boattail and was laid wide open, well over 1" at widest point. The majority of the lead was gone but all the jacket was there and the jacket was coated with lead. Remaining weight was 80 grains or 53%. The lead didn't separate from the jacket it just got rubbed away. I'm shooting into a hard Colorado clay soil so it's hardly a fair test medium but that is what I found.

Jay, sounds like your rifle is in love! You are right, recovered bullets from dirt take a real beating. Next time I'm out I'll try the 154HIB in my 7mm Dakota & see how they hold up on some of those nasty phone books!

RMk, I have only hunted w/ NPs as I have great faith in them. I have only recovered (1) bullet in the past w/ all of the others exiting or lost in the rumen (end to end shots). I thnik Noslers AB is going to be a popular game bullet as it offers a bit better perf. than a "standard" w/ just a slight increase in cost.

[ 05-23-2003, 23:22: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

I recently tried the Hornady 154 Interbonds in my 280 AI. After some hasty load development, I settled on a 0.8" goup @ 3040fps (24" Barrel). Since then, I have taken 2 black bears with it, and my buddy has taken 1. Bullet performance was flawless. I took a 6'7" boar through one shoulder with an exit behind the offside shoulder at 221 yards. The other one I took was a nice boar at 358 yards (one shoulder broken, then exited). His was a smaller bear, but a double shoulder shot and exit at 286yards. These bullets are built tough, and in my opinion, this combo is up to taking any NA game. Pretty hard to beat for the price!

ACKLEY

280_ACKLEY, you won't get off that easy. I am really interested in the load you worked up with the 154 grain HIB in your 280 AI. I have been eyeing those bullets and would appreciate details on the load you worked up. Start load, max load and components. I'd hoped to use such a load this fall. Thank you for your work in developing such a load.

Jackfish, here is the load that I have been using: 60gr IMR 7828 CCI 200 154 Interbond RP Brass. This load gets 3040fps 10 ft from the muzzle (24" Barrel),and is safe in my rifle (reduce and work up, the usual disclaimer...)

ACKLEY

280_ACKLEY, Thank you. When I get some Hornady .284" 154 grain Interbonds I will start at 54 grains of IMR7828 and work up towards 60 grains watching for signs of excessive pressure or velocity. What was the cartridge overall length you used?

Gentlemen

Do these come in boxes of 100 like the rest of their bullets or do they come in 50's like other premium bullets?

They come 100 to a box