I bought several boxes of 180 grain Norma Bondstrike to sight in my Winchester Model 70 in 300 WSM that I'll be using on an upcoming elk hunt. I initially bought this brand because it was relatively cheap (a great sale at the time of purchase) and I wanted to get comfortable and confident with the rifle by shooting it a lot. It turns out that this ammo is consistently sub MOA with my rifle. My initial plan was to just use the Bondstrike as target/sighting in ammo and then switch to an Nosler AccuBond or Barnes TSX for my actual hunt. My rationale was that the latter bullets have reputations for being tough bullets, whereas the Bondstrike bullet - while a bonded bullet - has be shown in some online reviews/videos to have a softer lead core that expands well but perhaps loses too much mass/disintegrates too quickly or easily? I've always thought of bullet choices as likely entailing certain trade-offs - for example, penetration (e.g., TSX, Hammers) vs. expansion (e.g., Bergers, ELD-X), with the Bondstrike being in the "good expansion" camp. Should I just stick with the Bondstrike, given that I know my rifle "likes" this factory load? Am I compromising by not seeing if other "tougher" bullets shoot as well in my rifle? Maybe I'm "good to go" and overthinking it? What say ye?
Norma Bondstrike - a compromise?
- Thread starter Cowboy307
- Start date
Blkram
Handloader
- Nov 25, 2013
- 3,039
- 3,439
While the AccuBond is my favourite hunting bullet, and the most accurate in my own 300 WSM, the Bondstrike being a bonded bullet will still perform well on elk.
Norma has always produced quality products (brass, ammo), and has proven itself well over the past several decades. I wouldn't hesitate to use it. And with the accuracy you are getting with it in your rifle, I would go forth on your elk hunt with confidence!
I know many have reported weight retention of bonded bullets in the 60 and 70% ranges; on every AccuBond bullet I have recovered from game to date (.264 to .375, and in game from antelope to bison) have proven to be in the 90% range, and averaged 2 times expansion.
The only other bonded bullets that I have used on game to date, was S&B's SPCE (controlled expansion) bullet in Africa last year, in the PH's rifle (300 Win Mag). The 3 recovered bullets from the 7 animals taken at ranges from 77-235 yards, on warthog, impala, bushbuck, nyala, and kudu, and my wife used on springbok and sable, retained 45.7-52.5% of their original weight (all others were complete pass throughs), and averaged two times plus expansion. While this is lower weight retention than what you would see in the AccuBond, all animals were harvested cleanly with one shot (6 of 7 being heart shots). So great on-game performance despite somewhat less weight retention from a bonded bullet, fired on game ranging in weight from about 100 pounds to almost 700 pounds. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for better on-game performance from a bullet that might be considered not as tough as some others on the market.
Norma also loads their ammo hotter than some other manufacturers (and they load the Weatherby ammunition, which you typically cannot duplicate their velocity with handloads), whereas Nosler is known to be on the more conservative side velocity wise. This will mean that you should be getting a little flatter trajectory with the Norma ammo than you may with the Nosler or Barnes ammo...unless you plan on handloading for the AccuBond or TSX/TTSX. Also, monometal bullets can be finicky for accuracy in rifles...your rifle will either love them, or hate them...and you won't know until you try them in your rifle.
All the best on your elk adventure!
Be careful, it is addicting! (I have taken over 20 elk since 1997!)
Norma has always produced quality products (brass, ammo), and has proven itself well over the past several decades. I wouldn't hesitate to use it. And with the accuracy you are getting with it in your rifle, I would go forth on your elk hunt with confidence!
I know many have reported weight retention of bonded bullets in the 60 and 70% ranges; on every AccuBond bullet I have recovered from game to date (.264 to .375, and in game from antelope to bison) have proven to be in the 90% range, and averaged 2 times expansion.
The only other bonded bullets that I have used on game to date, was S&B's SPCE (controlled expansion) bullet in Africa last year, in the PH's rifle (300 Win Mag). The 3 recovered bullets from the 7 animals taken at ranges from 77-235 yards, on warthog, impala, bushbuck, nyala, and kudu, and my wife used on springbok and sable, retained 45.7-52.5% of their original weight (all others were complete pass throughs), and averaged two times plus expansion. While this is lower weight retention than what you would see in the AccuBond, all animals were harvested cleanly with one shot (6 of 7 being heart shots). So great on-game performance despite somewhat less weight retention from a bonded bullet, fired on game ranging in weight from about 100 pounds to almost 700 pounds. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for better on-game performance from a bullet that might be considered not as tough as some others on the market.
Norma also loads their ammo hotter than some other manufacturers (and they load the Weatherby ammunition, which you typically cannot duplicate their velocity with handloads), whereas Nosler is known to be on the more conservative side velocity wise. This will mean that you should be getting a little flatter trajectory with the Norma ammo than you may with the Nosler or Barnes ammo...unless you plan on handloading for the AccuBond or TSX/TTSX. Also, monometal bullets can be finicky for accuracy in rifles...your rifle will either love them, or hate them...and you won't know until you try them in your rifle.
All the best on your elk adventure!
Be careful, it is addicting! (I have taken over 20 elk since 1997!)
salmonchaser
Ammo Smith
- Dec 13, 2013
- 5,447
- 6,813
I only know one friend using the Bond strike, he killed two cows and a rag horn bull last year. Two with an 06, one with a 300wsm. All 180 gr. The bull was at 30 yards while he was eating lunch at his warming fire. One cow was at 250 the other was at 400. He also commented on questionable performance as the bullets lost quite a bit of mass. Three shots, three elk, 30 to 400 yards, it’s a good bullet.
- Thread starter
- #5
