375 Hornady Bonded DGX opinions?

25 July 2023, 19:43

Has anyone used these on anything recently? I know the original DGX was trash, but I see they're now steel jacketed and bonded.

I just picked up a .375 Ruger for a brown bear hunt next year, and don't feel like reloading for it.

26 July 2023, 02:40

jeffeosso

The original DGX might have suffered from being too hard to expand, but they have always been steel, and I think bonded

accurate bullet, I like shooting pigs with them

26 July 2023, 03:04

Todd Williams

quote:
Originally posted by jeffeosso:
The original DGX might have suffered from being too hard to expand, but they have always been steel, and I think bonded

accurate bullet, I like shooting pigs with them

The earlier DGX bullets were not bonded. The early ones weren't too hard to expand. They would come apart with the lead completely separating from the jacket.

On my first Zim hunt in 2008, my PH had just shot a leopard in full charge at about 5 yards. 500 gr. old style DGX in his 458 Lott. He wore that recovered bullet around his neck as a good luck charm. There was no jacket and the remaining lead was a smashed up chunk. From a thin skinned cat!! Imagine poking a buff with that soft piece of junk!!!

Probably perfect for pigs tho. Just not buff IMHO.

26 July 2023, 04:46

chuck375

If you want the bear to charge shoot him with a DGX, use Swift A-Frames for the rest.

26 July 2023, 17:54

jeffeosso

Thanks for informing me guys ... i don't love being wrong, but i hate not being corrected!

28 July 2023, 19:33

.458 Only

Today's DGX is fine and will likely out-penetrate a TSX.

PHIL SHOEMAKER (famed Alaskan guide for big bears, etc, author) used a 500gr DGX - bonded (expanding) on a big African Cape buff from his .458 Win (Ole Ugly) and dropped it right there from a frontal shot under the boss. He highly endorses them.

In my tests of the same 500gr DGX - bonded/ .458 vs several others in very tough media, it out-penetrated the others by a significant margin including a 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore and a 450gr A-Frame. It expanded to .905" and retained 63% unfired weight. The media was to simulate bone.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

28 July 2023, 20:37

talentrec

Thanks Bob!

29 July 2023, 09:27

jvw375

Pete,

Drop me a line on the private channel, if you don't mind.

I'd rather use a Swift, given a choice.

JvW

29 July 2023, 18:07

chuck375

quote:
Originally posted by .458 Only:
Today's DGX is fine and will likely out-penetrate a TSX.

PHIL SHOEMAKER (famed Alaskan guide for big bears, etc, author) used a 500gr DGX - bonded (expanding) on a big African Cape buff from his .458 Win (Ole Ugly) and dropped it right there from a frontal shot under the boss. He highly endorses them.

In my tests of the same 500gr DGX - bonded/ .458 vs several others in very tough media, it out-penetrated the others by a significant margin including a 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore and a 450gr A-Frame. It expanded to .905" and retained 63% unfired weight. The media was to simulate bone.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

Sounds like they're much improved Phil. Still the early advertisements when everyone knew they fragmented (core leaving jacket) leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

30 July 2023, 04:30

30.06king

I have a quantity of .375 cal, 300 gn, DGX bullets, all pulled from Hornady factory .375 Ruger ammo. I haven't shot any game with these, only paper targets. My intention was / is to work up a compatible load for my own .375 Ruger. Initial range results were a bit discouraging with no load indicating potential after a couple of sessions. I weighed all the remaining bullets I have and found probably more weight variance than other makers bullets of the same weight. I will continue for now with load development but expect it maight take a bit of work to find an acceptable load.
As a comparison the first load I worked up for my .375 Ruger was with some old Hornady RN 220 gn bullets. Only took a couple of range sessions to find the load I settled on. Those bullets in my rifle shoot very well indeed.

30 July 2023, 10:18

Saeed

quote:
Originally posted by 30.06king:
I have a quantity of .375 cal, 300 gn, DGX bullets, all pulled from Hornady factory .375 Ruger ammo. I haven't shot any game with these, only paper targets. My intention was / is to work up a compatible load for my own .375 Ruger. Initial range results were a bit discouraging with no load indicating potential after a couple of sessions. I weighed all the remaining bullets I have and found probably more weight variance than other makers bullets of the same weight. I will continue for now with load development but expect it maight take a bit of work to find an acceptable load.
As a comparison the first load I worked up for my .375 Ruger was with some old Hornady RN 220 gn bullets. Only took a couple of range sessions to find the load I settled on. Those bullets in my rifle shoot very well indeed.

Funny this.

The worst bullets in weight variation I have tried were the Winchester Fail Safe.

Over 4 grains in a box of 24 of 140 grains!!

They also shot very poorly in my tests.

30 July 2023, 20:04

Michael Robinson

quote:
Originally posted by 30.06king:
I have a quantity of .375 cal, 300 gn, DGX bullets, all pulled from Hornady factory .375 Ruger ammo. I haven't shot any game with these, only paper targets. My intention was / is to work up a compatible load for my own .375 Ruger. Initial range results were a bit discouraging with no load indicating potential after a couple of sessions. I weighed all the remaining bullets I have and found probably more weight variance than other makers bullets of the same weight. I will continue for now with load development but expect it maight take a bit of work to find an acceptable load.
As a comparison the first load I worked up for my .375 Ruger was with some old Hornady RN 220 gn bullets. Only took a couple of range sessions to find the load I settled on. Those bullets in my rifle shoot very well indeed.

Were these the old, non-bonded DGX bullets?

30 July 2023, 22:32

Use Enough Gun

7 years ago Butch Searcy loaded up 10 boxes of 450-400 ammo for me for my 450-400. Both softs and solids. All of the loaded bullets are Hornadys. I've shot numerous African critters with them, including 6 cape buffalo and never had a problem with any of them. I also hunt with various bullets from Nosler, Winchester, Remington, Sierra, Federal, Weatherby, Barnes, Trophy Bonded, Swift, etc. etc., in my other African calibers, so I can speak truthfully from my experience with them.

31 July 2023, 02:00

30.06king

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
quote:
Originally posted by 30.06king:
I have a quantity of .375 cal, 300 gn, DGX bullets, all pulled from Hornady factory .375 Ruger ammo. I haven't shot any game with these, only paper targets. My intention was / is to work up a compatible load for my own .375 Ruger. Initial range results were a bit discouraging with no load indicating potential after a couple of sessions. I weighed all the remaining bullets I have and found probably more weight variance than other makers bullets of the same weight. I will continue for now with load development but expect it maight take a bit of work to find an acceptable load.
As a comparison the first load I worked up for my .375 Ruger was with some old Hornady RN 220 gn bullets. Only took a couple of range sessions to find the load I settled on. Those bullets in my rifle shoot very well indeed.

Were these the old, non-bonded DGX bullets?

I believe they are of recent manufacture, so probably the bonded variant ... ?
The ammo came in these packets:

31 July 2023, 04:10

Michael Robinson

Thanks for the photo.

The bonded DGX bullet and ammo packages prominently state "BONDED" on the labels.

Looks like two of the four packages you show in the photo are bonded and two are not.

I have some of the non-bonded ammo and use it only for target practice.

31 July 2023, 05:37

medved

Michael one box is the dgs not dgx, dgs is for solid.

31 July 2023, 06:37

Michael Robinson

Yes. I can read.

Apart from that one, the rest, numbering four, all appear to be softs.

02 August 2023, 06:09

.458 Only

The top box says "CUSTOM" with the old 300gr RN that existed prior to the DGX (bonded expanding) and DGS (solid) which are listed as for "Dangerous Game" - different than the "CUSTOM" box that's NOT promoted for "dangerous" game. Only the DGX is bonded.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

03 August 2023, 06:03

Michael Robinson

Yes. My point is simply that even if the label states "DGX," one cannot be certain that the bullets are bonded unless the label also includes the word "BONDED."

06 August 2023, 18:09

WV Hitman

I shot a Cape buff a few years ago with a 400 gr. DGX in my .416 Taylor handgun. He was facing me. I shot him at the base of the neck. He dropped, never moved. The bullet was recovered about 2/3 the way thru the body expanded perfectly to .65".
Killed a few groundhogs & deer with it. No recovery!, but awesome performance.