Ranking the best bonded bullets for deer!

[@mr.mr.3301]

Throw some cheap Fusion in the mix.

[@jmgates09]

Ready to see what the tipped fusions do from my shooting the fusions retain more mass than accubond and bondstrike

[@JamesM-l5g]

👍👍👍

[@mr.mr.3301]

@@jmgates09 I’m curious myself. Hope they are affordable.

[@hopefulballistics]

Yes, I’ve been looking out for those.

[@donaldbougie694]

@@jmgates09 Yes you have reason at 100%,the fusion is the best and very,very accurate,some compagnies are jealous to Federal Fusion you know .

[@8MM.PRC.HUNTER]

This was a very interesting comparison, thanks for all the effort putting it together. Nothing like seeing what happens after the bullet hits.

[@hopefulballistics]

I really appreciate it!

[@ReloadingWeatherby]

I was surprised the Accubond penetrated the least. I think I'm going to get the Speer Impact going forward.

[@Paul-q3m7k]

Water tests are no good for penetration tests . The slower the bullet goes the more it will penetrate . Generally . I’ve seen some very fast cartridges go through 3 jugs where as a the slower cartridge goes through way more . There is a good test for your Chanel . Water jug testing at different velocity’s running the same bullet .

[@Accuracy1st]

So far the 190 Impact 30 cal are doing REALLY well in my 300WSM modified

[@hopefulballistics]

Sweet!

[@hopefulballistics]

I understand that

[@Off-target-xy6bx]

They are all good choices. I use to think more expansion and separation was better but I’ve decided bonded is better and exits make trailing easier. Happy hunting 👍

[@williamgaines9784]

Exits also make trailing shorter. The more air that can get in the wounds the faster the lungs will collapse, there is half the chance the wound will close up if there are 2 holes.

[@Off-target-xy6bx]

@@williamgaines9784 💯

[@hopefulballistics]

Well said, thanks!

[@baddad3469]

You should try Barnes. Shot plenty of elk and deer with bonded bullets but made the switch to all copper. ALWAYS an exit with Barnes and elk, deer just drop. Never had to track an animal shot with a Barnes.

[@jmgates09]

For deer I'm starting to lean to bergers used to want a pass through this past deer season used only copper and bergers and deer shot with bergers traveled far less than the coppers

[@steverutkowski8141]

All upper tier. Thanks for the analysis!!! To me these earn their place for each of us on a specific rifle and the affinity to accuracy.

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate it!

[@warrenpolidori5541]

Great video, just a few points. I have seen the 175 Terminal Accent bullets recently in a LGS. I passed on buying due to having 150,165, and 180 in Accubond and Scirocco. The TA was also significantly more expensive than either the AB or Scirocco. As a handloader, I have found the Accubond a little more forgiving to dial in than the Scirocco. However, if you find the sweet spot, the Scirocco is amazing. Seating depth is picky, probably due to the ogive shape. I have also tested and shot deer with the Swift A Frame. Totally different bullet and really good for northern woods and moderate range. Outstanding results if you can get them to shoot well in your gun. Thanks again for the great videos.

[@jmgates09]

Terminal Ascent is much tougher basically if the nosler partition got naughty with a barnes ttsx and made a love child

[@warrenpolidori5541]

LOL,and I would say the Swift A Frame was born

[@hopefulballistics]

Thank you for the great comment!

[@jefferywilliams7687]

Swift A-Frame is a dangerous game bullet. It is wonderful on Cape Buffalo and Big Bears. Actually for deer and Pronghorn I don’t use bonded bullets. I favor the Nosler Ballastic Tip and Hornady SST. Most deer are small and not very tough. If distance is not an issue, the Speer Grand Slam, Hornady Interlock, and Sierra Game King are good choices. If you can afford them, Hammer Bullets are outstanding.

[@REDNECKROOTS]

I'd still rather have a nosler 150 partition for 308

[@JamesM-l5g]

Agreed!

[@hopefulballistics]

I understand

[@robvanbramer6197]

I have them in my 270

[@sinistersilverado965]

I've never needed bonded bullets for deer

[@edwardabrams4972]

They help on poor shoot placement but certainly not needed for deer except maybe the very large deer! I have seen the Partition hit a very large deer in the lungs at 100 yards out of a 300 win mag and run a couple hundred yards before dropping dead! There is never such a thing as too dead

[@sinistersilverado965]

@@edwardabrams4972 I've only had 1 bullet fail to penetrate a deer, and it was a 130gr Sierra from a .270 win, hit a 8 point whitetail at 50 yards quartering shot in the right front shoulder, bullet stopped in the skin of the left rear hindquarter, deer dropped instantly

[@orr89rocz]

I agree, maybe for 6mm bullets since that is on light side for deer. Used partitions in our 6mm rem for yrs. But i wouldnt feel too concerned using a non bonded interlock or corelokt etc in it either

[@hopefulballistics]

PowerPoints and Core Locts have been doing it for decades, but I’m never against a bullet being improved.

[@donwyoming1936]

I've been very impressed with Power Points & Cor-Lokts over the years. Tend to hold together and penetrate.

[@williamgaines9784]

I *hypothesize* the expansion will likely be less, the extra energy from the higher velocity will help the jacket roll back "better" and thereby reduce the resulting diameter. Does that mean they won't work well on game, heck no! If one considers most deer are not but 3 jugs wide, and athough bone is harder than water, the animals innards are not as dense as water. I would expect ANY of those to penetrate the breadth of a deer torso and expand well down to 1800 fps. If one wants to hold the impact velocity to 2000 fps, those bullets should perform well out to 425 yards+/- if they start out at 2800(averaged the bullets at 170gr and averaged their b.c. at .45). Interesting video.👍

[@hopefulballistics]

Well said, thanks!

[@Simon-talks]

I love seared venison backstrap

[@Mafiaal1]

I used the 172 speer impacts last year in my 300WSM.... awesome bullet, this year i'll be testing the 170 Norma tip strike and 165 speer grand slams in 308. Great review.

[@hopefulballistics]

Awesome, thanks!

[@JohnLee-jk5ew]

Where do you get those Speer rds? Haven’t heard of them before. Are they only used for reloading? Thanks

[@Mafiaal1]

Speers doesn’t have loaded rifle ammo to my knowledge, they do have loaded pistol ammo. You can find their projectiles from most of the major retailers and from Speers directly.

[@afader6898]

​@JohnLee-jk5ew remington is currently loading the speer impacts, there's a few online retailers selling them

[@cw2a]

Good job man. Shared. ❤ TA for the win!!

[@hopefulballistics]

Much appreciated!

[@REDNECKROOTS]

Those speer impact are incredible. They expand huge even out to 400 yards outa a .308

[@edwardabrams4972]

They make the best for the price which they have for years when Vern was running the company 🙌

[@NCWoodlandRoamer]

Plus you can actually buy them unlike some of the others.

[@hopefulballistics]

Right on!

[@BrettMcNary]

they sure shoot well

[@edwardabrams4972]

Having hunted reloaded and collecting for 60+ years it used to be the Nosler game back when I was a kid and my dad had access through John Nosler when the were in Ashland oregon! Now days the Partiton is still great but for the price I will stick with the accubonds which work very well in magnums or non magnums and they are very accurate in almost all my hunting rifles even the non custom models. Love the swift A frame but a lot more money and harder to find. The scirocco is a little easier to find but for the price the Accubond is about the best out there for availability. The TA are super good too but very hard to find and then again much more money too. I usually get Partitions when I can find a really good buy on them since they are fantastic in non magnums. Speer makes some great bullets too probably the best for the price on the market there is🙌. I do use copper but only in my magnums since they get the velocity then need to perform their best!

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate you watching and commenting

[@JamesM-l5g]

Cool! And the Partion, again, in for the win!

[@hopefulballistics]

Thanks for watching.

[@merlinnorris714]

Love the Nosler partition used it in several calipers great deer bullet

[@Stu.E.]

Wow great comparison and great video. Thanks again for sharing your time and experience, super helpful.

[@hopefulballistics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@williamwest7313]

Application and velocity. Always the deciding factor. The TA and Scirocco from a magnum caliber and the others from more moderate calibers. It’s a win win There aren’t many bad bullets, just wrong bullets for the application

[@hopefulballistics]

Thanks

[@denisleblanc4506]

Great job. Now anyone could use this video to decide what might be the best for their type of hunting. If you're going after moose and elk you choose the better penetrating one. If you shooting long range on deer, choose the one that expanded the most and not worry about weight retention even though if it retains less it will probably expand better at long range. But like you said, they are all very good and you may not find first choice so then you choose your second option and so on. You can also go through hypotheticals if your load is a lot faster or slower to choose your bullet. Like I said, great video with a lot of helpful information.

[@edwardabrams4972]

All very true except about long range shooting at ANY game! We as HUNTERS owe it to the game we hunt and to the sport to be ethical hunters not just sometimes but all the time! Having been around hunting almost seventy years I have seen hunting change a lot over the years and if we are going to continue to hunt WE MUST show respect to game and our beloved sport!

[@denisleblanc4506]

@@edwardabrams4972 Agree. What I call long range hunting (in eastern Canada) is under 300 yards max) in ideal conditions, now wind, broadside presentation and good supported shooting position.

[@hopefulballistics]

Thank you I appreciate it!

[@turbo32coupe]

Thanks for the work. Shooting whitetail with a bonded bullet is overkill. I have taken 3 elk with Jack Carters Trophy bonded bullets. I recovered one of these bullets from a elk shot at 500 yds. It had near 100% weight retention and was recovered from the off side hide. Nosler bought the patent for the process and their Accubond is as close as Jack's original bullet as possible. From my Remington 700 in 300 Win Mag. they shoot sub 1/2" MOA. I can't speak to the other brands, but a Nosler Accubond in 180 gr. or 200 gr. is my first choice for elk. The reason a bonded bullet is best, is because the other mechanisms of core retention reduce accuracy; i.e., A frame, partition, etc. The Barnes X bullet is good, but it seats to far down in a 300 Win Mag. and raises pressures significantly. The newer X bullets with the radial grooves were designed to reduce these pressure increases.

[@hopefulballistics]

Thanks for the comment

[@sethsommerville1788]

Thanks for sharing these results! Wish Federal would make TAs available. Fortunate to have gotten my hands on some and echo your observations on their performance. Keep on cranking out vids on your testing!

[@hopefulballistics]

@@sethsommerville1788 thank you!

[@SNELLERIZED]

My rifle is most accurate with 175-180 grain bullets, with the Federal Terminal Ascents shooting the best. I can't buy them off the shelf, but I can order them. So offerings and availability are not really a concern.

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate it

[@guardianminifarm8005]

I agree all of these options are excellent for deer and elk(IMO) at appropriate range. Appreciate the perspective. I would have to challenge your estimated velocities mentioned here. I haven't achieved over 2850 with 165/168s in 308. I have handloaded 308 for 30 years in 24" & 26" barrels. My 180s are 2650 with near max Varget out of a 26". However, the performance and perspective isn't changed by this. All these bullets are great performers so long as they are accurate in the rifle a hunter is using. I have seen a couple gents struggle to get Nosler Accubond or LR Accubond to group well in 30/06 , 7mm Magnum and 300 WM. Which surprised me knowing their loading and shooting abilities. The Swift Scirocco has always impressed me but it is quite expensive and difficult to find at times. Thank you Sir. Stay safe.

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate the comment, thanks for watching!

[@TonyMarasco-j6e]

Useful info, all us gun / hunter types are trying to assess these things....thanks

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate it

[@afader6898]

If you push the terminal accent, and trophy bonded tip hard enough, they will blow the front off, leaving the solid shank, penetration is equal to the Barnes, I've seen it often enough from my 300 win mag, great video, there is currently some 200 grain, 30 cal accents on gunbroker for sale, have shot deer and elk with all but the bondstrike, bonded tends to leave bigger exit holes, they expand wider, impacts are awesome, and I agree on the accubonds

[@hopefulballistics]

Awesome, thanks for the comment

[@baddad3469]

The reason I hunt only with Barnes bullets now is because I shot a whitetail with my 270 WSM loaded with 140 grain Accubonds. Broadside, 150 yard shot, hit deer front femur and the bullet blew up on impact. It did NOT penetrate the thoracic cavity. The kinetic energy killed the deer though, no blood trail, took me 3 hours to find it even though it ran less than 100 yards. I was amazed upon skinning that there wasn't a hole going into the chest cavity. That was the last time I every used accubonds on game. Switched to the the Barnes LRX, TTSX, and TSX. Should have made this move YEARS ago. Terminal ballistics, it's a night and day difference using Barnes over traditional cup and core bullets. No problems dropping elk under 400 yards with my son's 6.5 Creedmoor loaded with LRXs. Never putting lead to game again.

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate you sharing your experience

[@rodneyduncan7199]

Hi There, pretty through and Informative! The Terminal Ascent bullets in 308 are available on Gun Broker from a few different dealers. Good Video!

[@hopefulballistics]

@@rodneyduncan7199 I appreciate it, thanks

[@wheelchairhillbilly]

Fun video to watch and thanks for sharing. If I come across as a know it all, it's not my intention. My first caviot is that under 3000fps, any bullet will kill a deer without issue. I shoot weatherby cartridges mostly to a much higher velocity and have killed quite a few elk with the 110 accubond and have found them unstoppable even at extreme velocity. I've loaded a lot of ammo for friends and between me and them I'm sure we've killed over 100 animals in about every caliber I can think of from moose to antelope, and they have performed perfectly every time, and penitrate much better on game than your results would show. Another great thing about the accubond, is they shoot good in pretty much every rifle I've seen. In my experience, that swift kills game more violently than the accubond, but I wouldn't trust them to penitrate quite as good, and they seem to be more finicky on accuracy. But that would be my top choice if your rifle likes them, because they make devastating wound channels. I don't have experience with the others on game, but the design of the federal bullet seems like the most failsafe if hunting dangerous game. I currently have high hopes for the speer impact for the best overall because of the price, and high bc's. If they show the performance on gam think they they will, and provide good accuracy.they will be my choice going forward. But based on my experience the accubond would have to be number 1 overal. Nosler does make thicker jackets on some grain weights for different uses. For example, on the 7mm, the 140 has a thinner jacket than the 160. But, the swift definitely expands more violently but I wouldn't have as much confidence on penitration. Thanks again.

[@hopefulballistics]

Great comment, I appreciate it!

[@shampton911]

Federal terminal ascent is good stuff highly available in factory loads at Walmart and any other store where we are. Darn good stuff

[@hopefulballistics]

@@shampton911 yep it’s good

[@bkb5668]

I just got 30-06, .308 and 300 rum from midway USA for $24.00 for the '06 and .308 and $52 for the .300 rum. They had 7mm-08 and 7mm mag too maybe a few others? Thanks for the videos!!

[@JD-jn5we]

What people fail to understand is that every jug that is added for penetration you are not dumping that much energy in the first three jugs(vital area) You want to dump as much of the energy in the animal that you can (first three jugs) For some people having an exit hole to track is very important, but the reason they have to track the animal is because all the energy didn’t dump into the animal and vitals. but what bullet manufacturers have stated is that for best performance you want to have the bullet do as much performance and energy dump in the vitals of that specific game animal. Which is why this accubond does just that, bond strike, eldx , elem Many people have penciled deer using premium bonded controlled expansion rounds essentially performing like an fmj. These bonded bullets are designed for larger game like elk, bigger bears, where driving through thick bone and getting through lots of muscle before getting to vitals. Most animals are not armored and will fall to a well placed shot in the vitals.

[@hopefulballistics]

@@JD-jn5we it also depends on how much potential meat loss your ok with.

[@ChronicalsofAl]

ABLR has never let me down. Switched from the Partition for everything but elk

[@hopefulballistics]

Right on

[@jimbo3615]

First video I’ve watched of yours, very well done! Great information delivered well! I have a few Hornady Interbonds I’ve loaded only in 300WSM. I’ll have to try a couple in my 308 and perform this test and send you my results.

[@hopefulballistics]

Sounds good. Thanks for watching!

[@brianklamer3328]

That 180 Norma Bondstrike would appear to be a great 300 yard elk load.

[@hopefulballistics]

I don’t disagree

[@doylethorn9251]

I know I'm 4 months late, however I settled on the 165 Accubond in my '06 at 2900fps as my one load do all bullet. It hasn't failed me yet.

[@hopefulballistics]

@@doylethorn9251 nice!

[@donaldpowers8331]

Here is some ammo for your testing??? I am shooting 300 Win Mag, A-tips, TTSX, Speer grand slam,Berger VLD, Hornady SST and some others. Lapua 155 Scenars for the H of it (rather fast), and my 270 WSM variety. With the 270 WSM there aren't a lot of choices,mainly using Barnes copper, I am looking forward to more of your explosive videos,keep up the good work and effort you put into providing, much appreciated.

[@hopefulballistics]

Thank you!

[@davidmartin7479]

All good bonded bullets. Good vid. Also I have started handloading Nosler AB long range too. Also as mentioned by others...Fusion tipped soon coming out or even regular bonded Fusions too. Would ike to see how the Scirroco II bonded will do. Never used those before.

[@hopefulballistics]

I’m hyped for the tipped fusion as well.

[@johnkaraphillis754]

Excellent video.

[@hopefulballistics]

Thank you very much!

[@Accuracy1st]

This past season my son killed his first deer (4 total) with his new Tikka and my handloads. The Nosler manual's best load with the 150 ballistic tip was a max charge of H4350. Turned out to be excellent in his rifle. Loaded up 50. Then I tested the 110 Barnes TTSX, got even better groups using Superformance. Found some 150 accubonds reduced price, bought a few hundred. Just finalized loads this weekend with new Starline brass, 210m primer, 60.0 gr H4831SC, 2935fps. Now this whole bag of starline brass is once fired in his chamber. Neck sized all with a bushing, then over a turn mandrel, then trimmed them. All fit in the chamber easily. (I rarely FL size anymore especially if I don't have to). Loaded up 50. I'd say he is set Here's something really odd to chew on: I'm planning a cow elk hunt with my son. I've now talked to a few leads through people I know and have asked the same questions - What bullet do you NOT want your hunters to bring into camp and why? What cartridge do you frown upon, if any, when brought into elk camp? Number one answer on bullet collectively: BARNES. I couldn't believe it. Number one reason, "failure to expand." The conversation when much deeper but know this, some hunters were taking shots, apparently, well beyond the distance, thus slower velocities, required by BARNES to create expansion adequately. No details given on LRX v TSX v TTSX. Then, one guide told me number one bullet for him NOT to bring is Berger. More lost elk with that than any other. He advised ONLY Nosler AB or ABLR. A different outfitter/guide told me the opposite. His go to for elk is his 7RemMag, 168 Berger VLD ( happen to have exact combo that does exceptionally well). This guy also floored me with this - the rifle in his family that has killed more elk over 3 decades, than any other they own, used by them, and ANY hunter that prefers to not bring their own firearm but borrow one is his very old, beat up, Remington BDL in 270 Winchester shooting a 130 NOSLER BALLISTIC TIP over 54.0 grains of Reloder 22. I said, SAY WHAAAT? He said out to 500 yards that set up has killed more elk than any other, many hundreds, and never had to track one far at all.

[@hopefulballistics]

Very interesting. From all the comments on my videos I hear the same thing. Basically, everyone has a different perspective and different experiences, lol.

[@Accuracy1st]

@@hopefulballistics Yes I was really struggling with this 270/130 Nosler btip for elk thing. We've all heard it - the 270 is "marginal for elk." An I'm one of the biggest 270 fans around. This outfitter is in Oregon and stated he's in the 2nd most densely populated area for elk 2nd to CO. His words were quite impressive, something along the lines of "I'll bet that 270 has killed 1000 elk by now, probably more." He's a fan of the bullets NOT exiting, i.e., all energy dumped in the vitals

[@PassivePortfolios]

That is my mom's favorite water! She refuses to drink any other brand. It is excellent, not just for bullet testing.

[@hopefulballistics]

lol, good deal

[@PassivePortfolios]

@@hopefulballistics The water in question can be added to scotch as well if you need something a little stiffer.

[@fredbartlett4394]

Ive got 12 boxes of terminal ascent 155 for my s20 sako 7mm ,and there awesome half inch groups at 100yds,,

[@hopefulballistics]

@@fredbartlett4394 that’s awesome!

[@jaredb9909]

If the terminal ascent is difficult to find try federal trophy bonded tips very similar

[@bobucholz8428]

Federal loads a 200grn Terminal Assent for the 300 win mag, 300wsm, and the 300 prc

[@Freetospeak71]

Great video! I would like to have seen Fusion bullets tested and rated as well. Also brief comparison of ballistic coefficients and how that translates to drop/drift at 300 or 400 yds. Finally some of your experience with any notable accuracy differences. Are any of them hard to find a good load with (or is the factory load good accuracy)?

[@hopefulballistics]

@@Freetospeak71 thanks for watching

[@b01tact10n]

The Accubond is my 2nd choice👍 Last September I got lucky to be able to bring home a black bear, Caribou, and Dall Sheep credit to my REM700 in 222REM and the 60 gr Partition. For the heavier game I chose to stick with the 200gr Partition for my successful Kodiak bear and Yukon Moose, ribs are way too precious😁 0 follow up shots again. My late grandfather's headshots only along with sub moa @150 yds standards got drilled into me, nowadays I understand why😁

[@hopefulballistics]

Right on, thanks

[@moxnix228]

I'm in the camp as mr.mr. I feel like the Fusion is softer more apt to expand well in deer. I'm a behind the shoulder shooter and feel some of the other bonded bullets are a little on the tough side. Especially when it's so easy to slip a bullet between ribs I'm worried about expansion with the other bonded bullets.

[@hopefulballistics]

That makes sense, thanks

[@jefferywilliams7687]

The Federal Terminal Ascent is in a different class. It is a mixture between a Partition and Barnes TTSX. It is by far by the best bullet on the lift. Killed 2 Bull Elk (320 & 393) at distances of (375 & 280). 86% weight retention. These were from a 7mm Weatherby Magnum with 1 st cold muzzle velocity = 3,301. This past year shot an Oryx/Gemsbok on White Sands with a 300 Weatherby Magnum with a 175 Federal Terminal Ascent with 1st cold muzzle = 3,276 FPS. Broadside shoulder shot at 175 yards. Hit the high Scapula, bullet broke both shoulders and exited!!! Dropped him is tracks. The Accubond shoots well in every rifle I have loaded it in (10+). I have seen the blow apart when impact velocity is over 3,100 FPS. They seem to do better with lower Impact Velocity. For deer, your list good. For bigger game I would put the Federal Terminal Ascent # 1, Swift # 2, Norma # 3.

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate your perspective, thanks

[@andymcnabb6115]

You need to post the velocities of the bullets put into the water jugs. Also you need to test the golden standard bullet in this test (Nosler Partition)

[@hopefulballistics]

I’m happy with the way I did it. I’ve tested the Partition in other videos.

[@OutsidetheEchochamber]

Whichever one your rifle shoots best, they are all great options. My 308 likes the trophy tipped bonded best

[@hopefulballistics]

True

[@peterhrkal8165]

Federal trophy bonded tip?

[@TODinWY]

Wet newsprint would be a better stopper that plastic water jugs. More uniform performance.

[@brandonyoung7760]

I'd say for whitetail that bondstrike would be pretty sick. 😍

[@hopefulballistics]

I agree

[@wcb5890]

Terminal Ascent is offered in 175gr and 200gr for .30cal. Has been for years...175gr has been available on Federal's website for months.

[@hopefulballistics]

Factory ammo or component bullets?

[@wcb5890]

@@hopefulballistics component bullets

[@hopefulballistics]

@@wcb5890 I didn’t know that, thanks

[@nickb8618]

I’m gonna tell u the bondstrike how big it mushrooms hammers big deer and 80% weight retention is more than enough for a deer. From experience u shoot a bonded bullet that penetrates stupid amount that doesn’t open up a ton is counter productive. I had one big 11pt whitetail take 3 shots through the boiler room running like it wasn’t even touched for 120 yrds before going down from a 7 mag and bonded bullet that just blew straight through him. Pinky hole exits only. Comparison Same rifle (non bonded) ballistic tips 170” 12pt dumped in his tracks, big heavy 140” 8 pt went down 20 yrds, big 8pt dumped in his tracks, 10 pt 30 yrds and went down, 10 pt 10 yrds and tipped over.

[@shaneboyle9982]

Great video I think the only thing that matters is witch one shoots better out of ur rifle

[@hopefulballistics]

I understand that

[@daveenriquez7790]

Curious which of all the bullets had the best accuracy? That would have been another factor to choose when ranking the bullets that I would put alot of weight to as I hunt out west where the shots can routinely be in the 350 to 450 yard range.

[@hopefulballistics]

I understand, but all I can show is how it shoots in my gun, which doesn’t really correlate to anyone else. To answer your question, none of them were noticeably inaccurate. Speer impact were definitely good.

[@johnw4416]

Interesting review. It confirms significant weight loss for tipped bullets that fragment and cause meat damage along with lead wash. Can you review soft point bonded also please? That would be interesting in terms of penetration and weight retention. Thank you

[@hopefulballistics]

What bullets are you referring to?

[@johnw4416]

@@hopefulballistics a friend used federal fusion soft point .308 for deer and he recommends them highly as they do not separate on impact. They penetrate well through the shoulder if necessary and leave a small exit wound to bleed out. There appears to be good, expansion, weight retention and consequently very little lead wash which is helpful when the deer is for the table. Unfortunately they are hard to get here at the moment and we would like to find an alternative soft point bonded factory round. I found RWS Tielmantle very good also but they are no longer made. It appears anything with a ballistic tip results in large exit wounds, loss of lead into the carcass and significant meat damage. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much

[@hopefulballistics]

@@johnw4416 yeah I need to test out some Fusions. You pretty much have to get them in factory ammo, but they are good bullets.

[@johnw4416]

@@hopefulballistics thank you very much

[@johnw4416]

@@hopefulballistics I have also heard very good reports about sako super hammerhead 150g on accuracy and stopping power which are a bonded bullet if you think they would be worth reviewing

[@MattC-eo6ep]

Federal Fusion has fantastic performance. Try it.

[@hopefulballistics]

@@MattC-eo6ep I plan getting some tipped fusions

[@matthewspeller]

I always think my handloads are spicy until I see what others do haha - no slight intended, I'm sure yours are safe. If you want to improve your game, try out leverevolution in 308. It has a bit more oomph per grain.

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate it

[@Ugh_its_dat_guy86]

Id wouldve love to see the fusions in the test. My experience with them on game have been 100% reliable and stupid effect. Cool test though

[@hopefulballistics]

Yeah I’ve waiting for the new tipped fusions

[@jmgates09]

Dont know anything about speer impact but Terminal Ascent is #1 its kind of in a different league than others #2 swift scirocco it seems tougher than others #3 accubond #4 bondstrike #5 speer impact just because ive never shot it but im guessing its on par with norma n nosler bullets

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate it!

[@RTEPBCARD]

Genuinely curious, but how does shooting water jugs looking at penetration, expansion, and weight retention translate to what you'd expect to see in a deer? Wouldn't testing in water only prove which bullet is "tougher" when shooting water? Is there some study showing that expansion and penetration in water correlates to what bullets do in meat? Appreciate the content, and your findings are interesting regardless!

[@hopefulballistics]

@@RTEPBCARD simply shows how a bullet expands against resistance. If you keep the jugs the same. You can compare how much penetration occurs and how quickly the bullet expands fully if it does at all. Definitely not a perfect test.

[@donwyoming1936]

I watched a vid of them making bonded bullets at Federal. They just heat the assembled bullets through an induction coil for a second. There's your premium cost. A 1 second heat treat.

[@hopefulballistics]

I like the results

[@richardthelen2138]

Lmao I personally ran the trophy bonded line at federal for 7 years. There is a hell of a lot more to the bonding process than that lol. The bonder is a 8 foot rotating track and the components spend ruffly about 15 seconds between the induction coils . The total process from impacting the jacket ( the jacket is formed from a solid guilding metal slug) to finished ready to load bullet takes ruffly 80 hours start to finnish. That's one of the main reasons they are so expensive. They are ridiculously labor intensive. That being said the terminal accent is the best hunting projectile we have ever made. Extreem over kill for white tails in my opinion. I believe our fusion line are the best white tail and smaller projectile we make. And 1/4 the price. And I can shoot any thing we make that I want to. But for white tails fusion is my go to. I've never met a rifle that didn't like them and they work.

[@Blong243]

Neat test

[@hopefulballistics]

Thanks!

[@jwdundon]

When I develop a hand load, my first choice is a Nosler partition, followed by the Nosler accubond, my third choice is the ttsx. But Barnes Brooks have the charge weights off, so throw that Barnes book in the f****** trash!

[@hopefulballistics]

Nope

[@DouglasPrice-p9q]

... whatever happened to the Winchester Power Max Bonded bullet?

[@hopefulballistics]

@@DouglasPrice-p9q good question

[@DouglasPrice-p9q]

... 165 gr factory Federal Fusion ammo would win that contest honestly (without any data embellishments & help)

[@hopefulballistics]

@@DouglasPrice-p9q you must be a fan of that bullet

[@JD-jn5we]

Non bonded Berger vld hunters or honest eldx/eldm for the win! lol never had an animal take a single step. Instant down. I know guys that made crap shots on animals cause they didn’t sight in their gun with the bullets they are using for hunting. Always sight in your gun with the box of ammunition you will be hunting with. Your cold bore shot is the most important for accuracy and sight in.

[@AndrewJohnson-gx5cl]

Federal Fusion, Norma Bondstrike, Federal Terminal Accent, Federal Trophy Hunter.

[@hopefulballistics]

Good lineup

[@thomaswall4285]

nice work :)

[@hopefulballistics]

Thank you!

[@BitsOfEternity]

I've never shot water jugs before, and I'm curious about your testing. I realize it isn't scientific, but I'm wondering whether you made sure the jugs were touching between each shot, or if there was a chance of air/space between the jugs. I assume you'd have pushed them together, but I have to ask, since I considered how the bullet performance would change every time it would have to pass through air between the jugs.

[@jonah-n8l]

Nosler accubond is the best hunting bullet period but use what u think is best

[@hopefulballistics]

Thanks

[@TODinWY]

CFE223 is REALLY temp-sensitive.

[@hopefulballistics]

Thanks

[@martinfernandez5005]

The best BCs would go to the TA then BS,SS next SI and AB. Best all-around performance would be TA then SS next SI with AB and BS. For Elk would be TA, SS then AB followed by SI and BS. For Deer sized game AB then SS followed by SI. I probably wouldn't use TA or BS because of massive expansion and too heavy for intended purpose on game. In the .264 I would use TA , SS followed by AB for Elk sized game. Now deer sized game TA then SS followed by AB and SI with BS last. Availability is extremely important but performance if available would be first. I'm so confused, are you?

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate the comment. You’ve thought it through.

[@gerry6.8]

I would rank the TA and Scirocco last when it come for deer. I believe the others will give you better wound channels.

[@hopefulballistics]

Right on, thanks

[@jefferywilliams7687]

Depends on where you hit them. They are shoulder shot bullets on smaller whitetail deer.

[@TODinWY]

How about ranking them in price.

[@hopefulballistics]

@@TODinWY I touched on price in the video

[@TODinWY]

@@hopefulballistics I caught that, but would like to see them ranked.

[@kennethshoemaker2941]

I didn't see Barnes bullets

[@hopefulballistics]

This was about bonded bullets.

[@WayStedYou]

because they arent bonded

[@bigcheesedog2645]

Bonded are generally a waste of time for deer short of a couple of situations 1 under gunned 2 over gunned 3 you hunt elk or moose with your deer gun

[@hopefulballistics]

I appreciate you watching and commenting. If you’re referring to the fact that old school cup and core bullets can kill deer, you’re missing the point of bonded bullets. It’s not can, but how you kill them.

[@jeremyjensen2703]

Besides the Fed Terminal Ascent, I would use the Swift Scciro over all other bullets, for tough game mainly! Just about any bullet will work on deer but elk/moose are an entirely different animal! I will go with tough bullet any day and for a lead bullet, the Scciro 2 doesn’t get any tougher!!!

[@hopefulballistics]

Thanks!

[@sibongileryan6747]

😮why i dont see 270 win ?😊

[@edwardabrams4972]

He’s talking about bullets not about cartridges move along these aren’t the droids your looking for😳

[@hopefulballistics]

These were 30 cal bullets from a 308.

[@diggernash1]

A little pick me up after writing out the tax-stortion checks.

[@edwardabrams4972]

Your in the wrong line of work if you have to pay taxes🤔😳 😂

[@johngoodman9380]

@@edwardabrams4972 Your right, only the poor and working class pay taxes. I know this is unpopular with gun owners, but name the last year tRump a billionaire paid any tax? I enjoyed learning about bullet performance, thanks.

[@hopefulballistics]

Thank you for watching!

[@Clark8435]

Dead is Dead

[@BrettMcNary]

Just think if they had the technology to keep a bullet together during penetration.......fun fact, they can. It's ineffective. You could go through 20 jugs. Putting a pencil hole through game with a 338 Lapua (with a bullet that "keeps weight retention") doesn't do the damage that an expanding bullet like a sierra TMK does with a small round like a 223. It's wound channels that kill animals.....all these other methods or theories on what matters (energy, fps etc) are being proved antiquated. It's funny how long the hunting world is held onto these wives tales.

[@hopefulballistics]

Penetration and expansion… they’re not wives tales. That’s what I’m looking for. If massive wound channels from fragmenting bullets is what you’re into, that fine. You’re not one of those 223, match bullet, elk and bear hunters are you?

[@BrettMcNary]

@@hopefulballistics 14" of penetration will kill any ungulate in North America. 14" is achievable with any center fire cartridge. I've had pass throughs with my bow. What's the "energy" or "weight retention" of my 70lb bow? Massive wound channels are what kill animals quickly.....if that's "too big" for ya, maybe you should size down your cartridge. You'll shoot better too.....which, wounds more animals than anything is being a bad shot because you anticipate that mule kicking you. Are you one of those guys who shoots poorly because you're afraid of that mule kick to your shoulder? Nah, im sure you're the exception

[@hopefulballistics]

@@BrettMcNary lol, I shoot fine with my rifles/cartridges especially the 7mm-08. It doesn’t kick much. Funny you assume I wouldn’t shoot good. It’s legal to use a 223 have at it. Your percentage of success will be lowered in my opinion. The match bullets percentage of terminal inconsistency will be higher, imo. Hey you do you. I’ll stick with bonded hunting bullets.

[@BrettMcNary]

@@hopefulballistics What evidence do you have that a modern bullet in a 223 can't do what your 7mm-08 bonded bullet does?

[@hopefulballistics]

@@BrettMcNary I didn’t say “can’t.” I said your percentage of success is lower. Evidence? Ballistics. 7mm vs 5.56mm, bigger hole. Generally speaking probably same velocity but with a much heavier bullet. Exact comparison could waver depending on which bullet weights you choose. So wider, heavier, bullets going around the same speed…. better percentage of success. Bullet type isn’t an issue, you could shoot your smks in 7mm if you wanted. There is no scenario in which a 223 is a better deer/elk/antelope cartridge than a 7mm-08.

[@cabochris100]

OMG... you don't need bonded bullets for deer😅

[@hopefulballistics]

Who said you did?

[@TODinWY]

Technically I don't think the Speer Impact is actually a bonded bullet Unless something has changed.

[@DouglasPrice-p9q]

... the Accubond is NOT the best bonded bullet and it's certainly NOT the cheapest

[@hopefulballistics]

@@DouglasPrice-p9q thanks for your opinion