It seems you AK folks really like the Northfork bullets. Their website is pretty compelling with pics of nicely mushroomed bullets recovered from game animals (almost seems too good to be true...).

It seems to me that they are designed just like a TB Bear Claw. Does this bullet perform better than a Bear claw, or for that matter a TSX or SAF? Are they worth the nearly double price tag over the others?

I'm sure those recovered bullets did a fine job on what ever they took them out of.
My concern would be the performance of the ones they didnt recover.
Just a little food for thought.

Their Solids and Cup points are great bullets, I have used them.

I have not used their Soft points, because I have been lazy, not reloading, and I have hunted with factory ammo, as well as testing it for "work".

However I have seen how they were tested, and I have shot other brand bullets in the same tests.

If I was going to reload Soft Points for my own use I would use North Forks.

The whole hunt depends on the performance of the bullet.

They are a great bullet but I believe the Swift aframe is still the best bang for the buck when comparing costs with premium bullets, thus I don't believe the NF to be a good buy. I have had some minor reloading issues with the NF bullets with the multiple driving bands, I just have to be a little slower on the seating of the bullets. Their solids are excellant, haven't tried the cup points.

quote:

Originally posted by Akshooter:
I'm sure those recovered bullets did a fine job on what ever they took them out of.
My concern would be the performance of the ones they didnt recover.
Just a little food for thought.

Well said.

Wayfaring Stranger
Please keep my comments in perspective. The idea of what are called premium bullets are to stay intact when you shoot them into something big and tough. From what Ive seen most of the premium bullets do well under these conditions.
I'm not sure why they are called premium when they are only premium under one set of perameters.
Regardless that is the idea and they work really good for that. This means big bear, moose, Eland,elk,Buffalo etc you get the picture.
This is especially true when you take these big crtters on with a medium bore rifle. That is where you will need all the penatration you can get. I'll go one step farther and say this is the way you will get a med bore rifle to give you good performance on the big stuff.

Back to my origanal statment. Take one of these hevally constructed bullets and put them in your .30 cal rifle. Then shoot a deer through the lungs. The result will be one of those bullets that they didn't recover.

I've said before that bullet performance is a marrage between the bullet, the cartridge and the target. You really can't completly have this conversation untill you lay out all of the perameters.

AKshooter, I fully agree with you, and will add that "premium bullets" also hold together better when used at ultra-high velocities. Lou

I'm unabashedly biased but "no", I have no connection to the company, financial or otherwise. I've just found that for me, they seem to work. For years, I've been a died in the wool Partition user but it always seemed that Partitions were not quite as accurate as I'd like. After hearing about the NF's, I decided to try them in my .338 mag. I had no problem loading them to my original velocity of 2800 fps. and accuracy seems better than the Partition. On my desk, I have a 225 gr. NF that we took out of the last moose I shot. I hit him behind the left front shoulder and we found the bullet just inside the hide of the right hind quarter. It weighs either 217 or 218 grs. (I've forgotten) and has mushroomed to very close to 3/4". The mushroom looks just like you see in the books. Expensive? Yes. But I believe that a bullet is the cheapest part of a hunt. I realize that most guys hunt deer and I'd agree that for such activity, they aren't needed. Nor would they be needed for caribou or sheep hunting. For heavier game, from what I've seen, I think they're worth the price. I'm gonna continue to use them for moose and/or large bears and in situations where I could possibly run into one of the above. They aren't something I'd load up and just take to the range to plink with. Just my thoughts.
Bear in Fairbanks
Bear

Bear in Fairbanks hit the nail on the head as far as I am concerned. I have shot North Forks for several years after testing extensively. The thing about the North Fork bullet is the accuracy, coupled with toughness. I have shot all the premium bullets produced in this country and still shoot some other than North Forks. Case in point, my .338 Lapua loves the 250 grain Barnes smooth X bullet and shoots them into one hole, I always add when I have a good day at the trigger, the North Fork is the only other bullet that does that. My .300 Winny shoots the 180 grain Nosler Partition into one hole, the North Fork is the only other bullet that does that, I have not abandoned those loads and will not. I shoot the North Fork in my .270 WSM's, .358 STA's, .340 Wby, .338 Lapua, 7mm STW, .416 Rem and Rigby, and no other matchs their accuracy. Their toughness comes from the solid shank and bonded core front section, the accuracy comes from the way they are built. ------ I loaded 200 grain North Forks for a buddy for a once in the lifetime Elk hunt at East Marino Ranch in New Mexico. 3000 fps and he hit his trophy 6X6 two out of three shots at 418 yards and the recovered bullets were over 90% of original weight. I have recovered three North Forks for me and my son. He took two Elk, a Bull and Cow with one bullet, that is another story, but the 270 grain bullet was still over 90% of original weight. I shot a Cape Buffalo with a 370 grain North Fork from my .416 Remington in front of the last rib and the bullet racked him lengthwise lodging in the neck bone at the first rib. It retained 99.1% of original weight. I recover a 270 grain North Fork from a Kongoni (Lichenstine Hartbeest) shot with one of my .358 STA's that went through a shoulder and neck bone and lodged in the off side hide, it still retained over 85%% of it's original weight (go figure). ----- My thing is pinpoint accuracy and I shoot extensively in order to achieve this, with the best bullet available. For me that bullet is the North Fork. I do not debate cost of hunts or philsophy of bullets, I leave that to others, when I take a shot at an animal, it probably be with a North Fork bullet. I was lucky enough to have several when Mike shut down, but when I need to replace some, I will not hesitate to spend the money. My .02's worth. Good shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by Wayfaring Stranger:
It seems you AK folks really like the Northfork bullets. Their website is pretty compelling with pics of nicely mushroomed bullets recovered from game animals (almost seems too good to be true...).

It seems to me that they are designed just like a TB Bear Claw. Does this bullet perform better than a Bear claw, or for that matter a TSX or SAF? Are they worth the nearly double price tag over the others?

Short answer - oh, yes.

REALLY ?????????

How many more one shot kills will it produce than a TSX ,GS HV , Swift A Frame ,or TBBC ..... I seriously doubt any ...
That isn,t to say they arn,t totally awesome ,world class bullets ... Just that they are in the running with some absolutely amazing competition ... If they shoot great in your rifle then Great ... but as to terminal performance I say NO !!

I spoke highly of the NF's sometime back and ....still do, just don't spend money on them anymore when I can get the TSX or the Partitions for less. Swifts? don't buy them anymore either....oh well just stick with the TSX or NOSLERS

quote:

Originally posted by grizz007:
I spoke highly of the NF's sometime back and ....still do, just don't spend money on them anymore when I can get the TSX or the Partitions for less. Swifts? don't buy them anymore either....oh well just stick with the TSX or NOSLERS

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. x2 . Plus Norma orynx .Hornady , Speer

And I would like to try the GS HV ... Just havm,t yet . Too cheap , I guess . Need fuller pockets ....

quote:

x2 . Plus Norma orynx .Hornady , Speer

don't forget Woodleighs

Using North fork bullets, rather than something like Partitions, is no different than choosing to use a Kimber rifle over a Ruger.
They certainly do work well and if they give you the satisfaction of using an item that you think gives you an additional edge then why not use them?