“Tag: Bonded”

Contributor Aram von Benedikt details the critical characteristics necessary for an effective deer, elk or moose round, and lists his own personal favorites.

It’s easy for anyone to be confused by what appears to be an unlimited number of bullet designs on the market today. Cast lead bullets, cup-and-core bullets, bonded bullets, monolithic bullets—what’s all this stuff mean? Here’s a cheat sheet to share with new hunters.

It’s no secret that premium hunting bullets offer greater accuracy, higher ballistic coefficients and better terminal performance, but they’re typically about twice as expensive as standard bullets. Is the extra cost justified? 

Let’s take a look at some of the best bullets for African plains game on the market.

The new Remington Premier Scirocco Bonded is wonderfully accurate, possesses a high ballistic coefficient value and has excellent terminal performance with deep penetration.

Hornady has changed the game with the release of their new DGX Bonded ammunition. Featuring a thicker jacket and a lead core bonded to that jacket, expansion is controlled and structural integrity is maintained, resulting in deep penetration, yet good expansion.

If you’re someone who desires low recoil, be it from necessity or preference, or simply a hunter who’s keen on AR platforms, this little bullet can get the job done on small- to medium-sized game at close to moderate ranges. Again, don’t shoot the messenger. Get the right load—the Federal Premium Vital-Shok 62-grain .223 Rem. Trophy Bonded Tip is a great choice—and shoot a deer instead.

For 2015, Federal Premium expanded its Trophy Bonded Tip hunting line to include the ever-popular .223 Rem. cartridge. American Hunter Editor in Chief J. Scott Olmsted got a look at the new addition to the line—which should be hitting stores now—late last year.

Whether to use a flat-base bullet or one with a boattail depends largely on the cartridge and the game being hunted.