Hornady DGX bonded honest opinions?

[Foxi]

I've shot also the old DGX with great success on buffs.
Now the bonded ones(one buff kill with bonded) was also perfect.
Don't hesitate,also my PH in RSA is using the bonded Hornady bullets.

I don't make an art out of bullets like others here.
If they kill well, that's enough for me.

 

[grand veneur]

Maybe one should also use some cartridges suitable for this hunt. All the Hornady bullets I am talking about were fired with the cartridge 460 Weatherby Magnum.

 

[grand veneur]

Here, for example, a serious company has made a sensible choice of its bullet. Very accurate in my rifle.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Sorry to post again on this subject, there are a number of similar threads. Yet again people want to shoot down the Hornady DGX Bonded bullets based on the problems the old non bonded bullets had.

I would like to add some real life feed back from May 2025 regarding the use of Hornady DGX Bonded bullets in .500/.416 NE 400 grain loads that we were shooting on a large buffalo / camel / donkey cull hunt in Australia.

I selected the Hornady bullet due to time limitations and it's availability, I was unable to obtain Swift A frames or lots of the other possible brands. Barnes TSX were available but load data was not really available or clear. My double rifle is a Krieghoff, apparently they do not encourage the use of monolithic bullets.

I developed my loads by chrono graphing Nosler Partition factory ammunition for velocity, the Nosler rounds shot well and regulated well in my gun. I then loaded the .416 400 grain Hornady DGX Bonded bullets to the same velocity, approximately 2,320 fps, these loads regulated well in my rifle. I sighted it in with an RMR red dot sight and took my new to me double on it's first hunt.

My son and I fired 33 rounds from this gun on our hunt, 1 round to check the sights. My son was shooting a Blaser R8 in .375 but would borrow my double for some use, he missed with his first shot on a buffalo as he pulled high forgetting the "poor" trigger pull of the double rifle, I had one shot that hit a tree on a running buffalo shot, the other 30 rounds all hit what we were aiming at, I believe that the double rifle accounted for 18 buffalo, 1 donkey and 4 camels. 7 animals were shot twice the other 16 animals were 1 shot kills. Total animals shot with Hornady DGX Bonded bullets on this trip was 23 animals.

In simple terms my double rifle had shot magnificently, out to about 90 yards and the performance of the .416 400 grain Hornady DGX Bonded bullets could not have made me happier, the recovered rounds showed amazing controlled expansion, reasonable weight retention but overall these bullets proved to be accurate and show real effective knock down power. I tend to shoot fast and often get that second round off before the animal has a lot of time to react, the very high number of 1 shot kills was based on the fact that the rounds just knocked these animals down real hard.

I've just added a .416 Rem Mag bolt gun to my collection and the Hornady .416 400 grain DGX Bonded bullet will become my go to ammunition for future general use on animals such as buffalo.

I hope my comments help other hunters who are facing ammunition selection decisions and have heard all the prior problems of the non bonded Hornady bullets. I'm not saying that the Hornady DGX Bonded bullet is the best in the market but it is very capable and should be considered.

 

[BJH65]

Thanks for “bumping” this thread, it’s perfect timing for me. Going on a non trophy 25 lb bull elephant and 36 inch Cape buffalo hunt in just over two months and will be using my 458 Lott with 500 grain Woodleigh Hydro Solids for elephant (PH says fine for buffalo too) and so far the only soft point that is close to the Woodleigh Hydro Solids in POI is the 458 Lott 500 grain Hornady DGX bonded. All factory ammo. I’ll plan on using the DGX for buffalo, at least for the first shot. Had some concerns at first, many do not like the DGX? Appears to have a good track record on Buffalo. I am confident in the DGX now.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Sorry folks the DGX bullet sucks! In camp and have proof of 3 bullets that exploded when shot into a buffalo losing I estimate 40% of its weight. Thankfully the swift a frame was there for the rescue.
Use Swift A-Frames, TBBC, North Fork SS.

HH

 

[grand veneur]

Sorry folks the DGX bullet sucks! In camp and have proof of 3 bullets that exploded when shot into a buffalo losing I estimate 40% of its weight. Thankfully the swift a frame was there for the rescue.
Use Swift A-Frames, TBBC, North Fork SS.

HH

Maybe it was the old Hornady SP bullets again. These bullets are constantly confused with the DGX bullets.

 

[grand veneur]

This SP Interbond bullet from Hornady below can perhaps explode, but not the DGX bullet. Otherwise, you can throw all SP bullets of DGX design, those from A-Square or Woodleigh for example, in the trash can.

 

[Kevin375]

I had the opportunity to use some DGX Bonded 500 gr reloaded for my .458 Lott.
My experience remains limited, but I shot several elands with this bullet and no problem. For sure, they are not as tough as a buffalo, but they remain big.
I recovered one bullet that kept 71 % of its weight, an another one was lost during the carving, and others went through these big antelopes.
I also shot an oryx between 160 to 170 meters. Of course, the bullet went through, and the track of blood was quite impressive. The bullet expanded despite the distance.

Even if it's a bit overkill, I shot several impalas with this caliber, but with this slender animal, there was no expansion or almost, except one with a Texas Heart shot at close range.... Others were shot further and full broadside.
If I have the choice, I would prefer to use the Degol Starkmantel bullet on buffalo, because it is toughter. But if not available, I would not hesitate to use the Hornady DGX Bonded.

 

[grand veneur]

Degol bullets are a good choice but have an almost similar design to the DGX bullets, so that in the opinion of some this bullets also belong in the trash can. No matter how, when I remember all the different bullets I have used in my life to shoot buffalo and that worked well, one can go hunt buffalo with DGX bullets without worries.

 

[Rafiki]

I brought DGX and Woodliegh Weldcore for buffalo in 2022. The DGX worked considering I didn't get killed but the recovered bullets looked like the top was blown off and they lost over 100gr of weight. These were 500cal, 570gr traveling at 2150fps. The Weldcores worked better. I've switched to monoliths now.

 

[Tanks]

60 yard broadside on a Cape Buffalo. .500 NE 570 grain DGX. I have enough confidence to buy a case of DGX in .450-400 to add to all the .500 NE rounds in DGX.

 

[grand veneur]

I brought DGX and Woodliegh Weldcore for buffalo in 2022. The DGX worked considering I didn't get killed but the recovered bullets looked like the top was blown off and they lost over 100gr of weight. These were 500cal, 570gr traveling at 2150fps. The Weldcores worked better. I've switched to monoliths now.

I looked at the pictures of your bullets. It is hard to expect anything better, be it with DGX bullets from Hornady or Welcore Soft Nose bullets from Woodleigh. A-frame bullets often will not deliver more. The 90% and more residual weight is a very theoretical value for many premium bullets. Regardless of the bullet brand, the beautifully mushroomed bullets were made under very standardized conditions. In practice, things sometimes look very different, but I think you know that too. Ultimately, it is about remaining critical of all the bullets available for DG hunting and not demonizing some and praising others, all only based of what one have hear or read from no objective authors.

 

[Nhoro]

I am always amazed by the hate for Hornady bullets. Being I scientist I want to see well reasoned statements with facts to back them. Facts against : 470 gr retained weight from original 570 gr = 82 % retained weight. Not the best but acceptable in my book. Other argument, it failed on a waterbuck. Even if a 500 gr bullet breaks up, surely some part of the bullet will penetrate enough to get through lungs and heart. Even 100 gr. I would assume it is a bad shot missing the vitals

I shot an impala in April with a 180 gr bullet from a 30-06. Probably 40 m away an shot offhand. I shot too far back, missed the rib cage but hit the liver. Lungs and diaphragm were damaged and the impala took off in a loop charged towards us and then turned and went down in 50 m. The wound channel was calibre size because I just hit soft tissue. Bullet did not fail, I shot poorly.

Instead of galloping along and telling us the bullet is junk, tell us where it hit, what THE recovered weight was and some facts about it.

 

[IvW]

I dont like them for DG excluding leopard....

 

[cajunchefray]

Aussie Hunter, this is a very fair question. I'm very interested in seeing what current users have to say about the matter. I have no doubt but what some "old stock" of components and or loaded ammo still exists and that there might be some failures reported. As time goes by the possibility / probability of using the older design will diminish. If all Hornady users started punching a little more paper, the supply of "older" stocks would be depleted quicker, thereby giving better results in the field.

60 yard broadside on a Cape Buffalo. .500 NE 570 grain DGX. I have enough confidence to buy a case of DGX in .450-400 to add to all the .500 NE rounds in DGX.

View attachment 705146

View attachment 705147

Looks like a proper wound channel.

 

[Rafiki]

I am always amazed by the hate for Hornady bullets. Being I scientist I want to see well reasoned statements with facts to back them. Facts against : 470 gr retained weight from original 570 gr = 82 % retained weight. Not the best but acceptable in my book. Other argument, it failed on a waterbuck. Even if a 500 gr bullet breaks up, surely some part of the bullet will penetrate enough to get through lungs and heart. Even 100 gr. I would assume it is a bad shot missing the vitals

I shot an impala in April with a 180 gr bullet from a 30-06. Probably 40 m away an shot offhand. I shot too far back, missed the rib cage but hit the liver. Lungs and diaphragm were damaged and the impala took off in a loop charged towards us and then turned and went down in 50 m. The wound channel was calibre size because I just hit soft tissue. Bullet did not fail, I shot poorly.

Instead of galloping along and telling us the bullet is junk, tell us where it hit, what THE recovered weight was and some facts about it.

I hope you are not talking about me because I never said that.

 

[UpNorthMI]

I am always amazed by the hate for Hornady bullets. Being I scientist I want to see well reasoned statements with facts to back them. Facts against : 470 gr retained weight from original 570 gr = 82 % retained weight. Not the best but acceptable in my book.

Interesting observation on the retained weight, my recovered 400 grain .416 Hornady DGX Bonded bullets were also right at about 82% recovered weight or 330 grains.

Prior recovered .375 Barnes TSX bullets have been 95% plus in recovered weight.

What is it that we hunters want from these bullets? Personally I think sheading 18% of weight is not a bad thing as I believe that those fragments are producing damage. My recovered bullets are normally very few in quantity as most just pass through the animal. Of the bullets recovered they tend to come from quartering / frontal shots or shots that have hit bone.

On the same Australian trip we shot some Barnes .308 150 grain TSX at donkey, I felt that these were totally the wrong bullet and performance was poor, we swapped out to Nosler partition ammo and immediately saw an improvement.

With all the different products available it quite a science picking a good solution.

 

[Nhoro]

I think we also need to take bullet design and materials into account. Thicker jackets and harder lead will expand less. A frame design bridge leaves only the tip to expand. So you would expect less expansion so deeper penetration and smaller wound channel. All copper expand less but are really tough, although some report them not opening on occasion.So probably the best comparison is the TBBC, Woodleigh and DGX and I think they are pretty similar. I think the A-frame is a better design for a tougher bullet but they will all work

 

[Foxi]

Degol bullets are a good choice but have an almost similar design to the DGX bullets, so that in the opinion of some this bullets also belong in the trash can. No matter how, when I remember all the different bullets I have used in my life to shoot buffalo and that worked well, one can go hunt buffalo with DGX bullets without worries.

my Degol bullets from December on a big buff