The Right Bullet For Your Hunting Needs: Part 1 (Bonded)

In the past several years, the hunting space has seen a surge in new bullets. I remember when I first started rifle hunting, it seemed like my choices for bullets in factory ammo were Remington Cor-Lokt, Nosler Partition, Winchester Power-Point or Hornady Interlock. While they got the job done at the time, the way people hunt (the way I hunt) has evolved. The long-range shooting/hunting game led to an advancement in bullet technology that we are all benefiting from.

In this 3-part article series, I am going to go over the three main bullet categories and practical situations where you might consider those bullets. I will also give you my recommendations for bullets in those categories. First, we will need to define what those bullet categories are. The first category is the controlled expansion (bonded) bullets. The second bullet category is traditional cup and core bullet. These bullets are also referred to as match bullets. The third category is copper or mono-metal bullets. For my recommendations on bullets, it will be for western hunting, where your shots will often come in open country or shooting across a canyon at distances from 300-800 yards.

The Controlled Expansion (Bonded) Bullet category is up first. These bullets are designed to have features that keep the jacket and the core from separating. This can be metallurgical, molecular, and sometimes mechanical in nature. This is done through a bonding process inside the bullet that keeps the jacket from separating from the core. Bullet manufacturers can also control the expansion rate of a bullet by changing the thickness of the bullet jacket. By tapering the jacket from thinner at the front (ogive) and thicker towards the rear (bearing surface and boattail), they can have a bullet that opens rapidly at first but then holds some mass for more penetration. Either way they do it, the goal of these bullets is to hold together so bullets retain more weight as they travel through the animal.

Some of the more well-known bonded bullets on the market are the Nosler Accubond Long Range (ABLR), Nosler Accubond, Federal Terminal Ascent, Federal Trophy Bonded Tip, Federal Fusion Tipped, Hornady Interbond, Swift A-Frame, and Swift Scirocco. A notable bullet that has been around for a long time that does something like a bonded bullet is the Nosler Partition. For closer shots, the Partition is devastating. Due to the poor BC of the bullet, the Partition is not a bullet that I would consider for longer-range engagements.

Deep Penetration

The Swift A-Frame is a blend of a bonded bullet and the Nosler Partition. The A-Frame has a similar internal make-up as the Nosler Partition. There is a copper “partition” that separates the lead at the top of the bullet from the lead at the bottom. This bullet is also bonded, so the toughness of this bullet is world-renowned. The biggest problem with this bullet is the very low BC and the higher expansion velocity.

I must note there is no perfect bullet that will work 100% of the time in every hunting situation. I like to stack the deck in my favor for the type of hunting I do out west in open country where my shots will be from 100 to 1000 yards. I pick a bullet accordingly that will give me the best chance of success from all those distances.

Bonded bullets are a good option if you want good expansion and high weight retention. The bonded bullets are generally expensive and hard to come by. The Nosler ABLR and Federal Terminal Ascent have good BC’s and will expand at very low velocities. Nosler ABLR and Federal Terminal Ascent have been traditionally hard to source. For a while, you could not find the ABLR or Terminal Ascent as a component bullet anywhere. Even now, if you can find those two bullets, you are paying anywhere from $1.15 to $1.75 (for .30 Cal bullets) per bullet. This makes it harder for people to shoot their hunting setup a lot.

For me, I plan to shoot my hunting rifle enough throughout the year that I burn the barrel out by the end of the season. With bonded bullets, this would just be too expensive. In the wintertime, I will buy enough components for at least 1,000 shots through that rifle each year, so I get the same lot of bullets, powder, primers, and brass. When you factor in the cost of bonded bullets, this can add up quickly (if they are even available in those quantities).

Sometimes Finicky To Load

Do not get me wrong, I love the Terminal Ascents and was loading them for a while in one of my 300 WSM’s. It was harder to get tuned in my rifle but once I got a load worked up, it shot well. Even with a load worked up for the 200gr Terminal Ascent, I never got to shoot anything with that specific rifle before I ran low on those bullets and could not find more. Same could be said for the 210gr ABLR. I was able to get them to shoot good, but could not find enough of them to keep shooting them. I still have some left over from seasons past, so for the sake of science, I might just have to load some and try to get them to shoot good in my current rifle setup.

With the ABLR and the Terminal Ascent, they will expand quite dramatically even at the lower velocities that usually plague bonded bullets. With both of those bullets, the lower expansion velocity is said to be 1300fps for the ABLR and 1400fps for the Terminal Ascent. That is low by even match bullet standards. For a reference, a 210gr ABLR (.333 G7 BC) going 2800fps out of my 300 WSM (in 50 degree and 5,000ft elevation), that would give me a lower expansion distance of 1500 yards. I am not saying that I would take a shot at an animal at that distance, but it is nice to know your bullet will still expand (even though smaller expansion) at that distance. For a 215 Berger Hybrid Target (.354 G7 BC) out of the same rifle in the same conditions at the same speed, my lower expansion distance would be 1000 yards.

These bullets have come a long way from the bonded bullets of old. While bullets like the Nosler Accubond and Swift Scirocco give you a better BC than bullets like the Nosler Partition and the Swift A-Frame, they still are not even close to the Terminal Ascent and ABLR. They also have a higher expansion velocity of around 1800 fps. Even at that 1800fps, the expansion is so minimal; I like to stay above 2000fps for a traditional bonded bullet.

Range Within Reason

Following the same specs as above (2800fps) and using a 200gr Nosler Accubond (.268 G7 BC), I would reach the 2000fps mark at just under 600 yards and 1800fps at 750 yards. This is the biggest problem I have with most of the bonded bullets. If you want to limit yourself on range based on your bullet, these bullets work well.

The numbers do not tell the entire story though. I did find it significantly harder to get the ABLR’s and Terminal Ascents to group as easily at 100 yards as my Berger bullets. The inconsistencies from bullet to bullet because of the bonding process was notable. For me, I want match-grade accuracy for shooting at the edge of my capable range. I do not want my equipment to dictate my effective range; I want that to be on my skill level. If I can only get the bonded bullets to be a 2 MOA load (10 shot groups not 3 shot groups), then that will decrease the distance I can comfortably shoot that bullet.

For most people, a 2 MOA gun and load is sufficient. They shoot a three-shot group and if it is under 1 MOA then its good. The problem with that is they will go out and shoot multiple 3-shot groups but not overlay them over each other to get an aggregate of the group size. I see this time and time again with “Youtubers” who are testing a gun or ammo. They will even show you this is happening if you know what you are looking for. I will watch them shoot multiple groups with the same gun and ammo but pick a different aim point for each group. You can watch that group walk around the aiming point. They will shoot a bunch of 2 MOA groups but end up getting one randomly under 1 MOA and call it a 1 MOA gun/load. This is frustrating because it does not accurately show the capability of the gun and the load.

For the loading and shooting that I do with hunting rifles, I want a repeatable sub 1 MOA gun/load for multiple 10-shot groups. I was able to easily get that with the Berger and Hornady Bullets. I do believe that the Bonded Bullets will come a long way in the coming years with price and consistency, but until they do, I will stick to my match bullets. If my gun and ammo choice shoot a 10-inch group at 500 yards when I could use a bullet that shoots a sub-5-inch group at 500 yards, I am effectively limiting my range because of my gun/bullet choice.

Predictable Performance

I have used and have friends that have used the bonded bullets in the field. Their performance is very predictable. All my shots with bonded bullets have been at sub 100 yards in thick cover. This was done with a 16” 308 Win rifle that was specific for that type of terrain. I shot a pig and a coyote with a 165 Nosler Accubond. Both were sub 50 yards. The bullet expanded beautifully. The coyote shot was a full penetration shot, but the pig, I was able to recover the bullet. The bullet looked like they do in the pictures on Nosler’s media.

Although I have not shot anything with the newer Terminal Ascent bullet, I have used the predecessor to that bullet (175gr Federal Edge TLR) in the same 308 Win rifle. I used that bullet on a buck at 75 yards. The bullet did not exit and expanded beautifully, retaining 152.1 gr of the 175gr bullet. For this rifle and the short distances I expected to use the rifle, I was not as picky about the accuracy of the system.

If you think about the performance of a bonded bullet in terms of an archery broadhead, it would be the hybrid type head. It might not be as accurate as a full mechanical (match bullet), or get as much penetration as a fixed blade, but it does both reasonably well. For me, I am waiting on the bonded bullets to be more cost-effective and more consistent before I shoot them for an entire season again.

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