Trophy bonded tip

[K95]

Hi there
Is anyone a fan or has used these Bullets ? Interested in knowing your experiences with them and how they performed for you and on what game.
Ken

 

[Chris M.]

Hello Ken. They are the go-to bullet in my previous (and now my son's) Win Model 70 in 30-06 and we shoot the Federal 180 grain TBTs. We have shot mule deer, whitetails, elk and moose with this same bullet and grain size and with all shots, the bullets have performed flawlessly. The few bullets I have extracted have mushroomed perfectly, albeit did not have the foresight to check weight retention.

Thought about switching to the Hornady ELD-X but the Winchester really performs well with the Federal TBT 180 grain and already zeroed-in (and correlates with the Ballistic Drop Reticle) on the Vortex scope. Accuracy is typically 0.6" at 100 yards. That, and having 5 full boxes of Federal ammunition, is not enough resolve to change to Hornady any time soon, particularly given the current price of ammo.

Have a hunt booked next year in RSA for plains game and for two of the guys going at that time with me, their first trip. I'll be going to archery for a challenge and asking to borrow my son's rifle as the 30-06 is a great all-round caliber for plains game that they all could use. The 30-06 so ubiquitous, that getting ammo is easy (if misplace or delay in baggage). Will be using the Federal TBTs there and I am quite comfortable that will perform well.

 

[K95]

Hi Chris
I have found them to work very well too. Mine are reloads and use them in my 270 wea, 28 Nosler and 300 Weatherby. I did a review on them in Sporting shooter magazine a year or two ago. In the review I tested them on Sambar and Fallow deer here in Australia. On every occasion there was complete penetration so never recovered any projectiles. The only ones recovered were out of my bullet trap and all were text book. Have since shot some Reds but still no recovered projectiles. All have been one shot kills and dropped on the spot. During the testing all calibers shot well under 1” mostly around .6”
In my rifles they shot much better then the Eldx.
Ken

 

[Saul]

Hi Chris
I have found them to work very well too. Mine are reloads and use them in my 270 wea, 28 Nosler and 300 Weatherby. I did a review on them in Sporting shooter magazine a year or two ago. In the review I tested them on Sambar and Fallow deer here in Australia. On every occasion there was complete penetration so never recovered any projectiles. The only ones recovered were out of my bullet trap and all were text book. Have since shot some Reds but still no recovered projectiles. All have been one shot kills and dropped on the spot. During the testing all calibers shot well under 1” mostly around .6”
In my rifles they shot much better then the Eldx.
Ken

Do you have any info on weight retention?

 

[Chris M.]

Realized that also used TBTs in the previous season in my Browning A-Bolt 300 WSM before switching to 212 grain ELD-X. Driving the 180 grain TBT bullet faster (muzzle velocity at 2950 fps) pushed the bullet to greater expansion (for which the 300 Weatherby will have similar performance).

Photos of the recovered bullet. The shot dropped the large body mule deer within 25 m (slightly quartering away so took out lungs and embedded into right shoulder). The mule deer would be similar to the sambar I am thinking.

 

[K95]

Realized that also used TBTs in the previous season in my Browning A-Bolt 300 WSM before switching to 212 grain ELD-X. Driving the 180 grain TBT bullet faster (muzzle velocity at 2950 fps) pushed the bullet to greater expansion (for which the 300 Weatherby will have similar performance).

Photos of the recovered bullet. The shot dropped the large body mule deer within 25 m (slightly quartering away so took out lungs and embedded into right shoulder). The mule deer would be similar to the sambar I am thinking. View attachment 415367

View attachment 415366

The only ones that I have recovered we’re from compacted news paper. Depth of penetration was around 24” which was similar to the Barnes triple shock .
Weight was around that 90 to 95%.
What calibers are available in the US ? Here the importer only brings in 6.5mm .270 .284 and 30 cal.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Hi Chris
I have found them to work very well too. Mine are reloads and use them in my 270 wea, 28 Nosler and 300 Weatherby. I did a review on them in Sporting shooter magazine a year or two ago. In the review I tested them on Sambar and Fallow deer here in Australia. On every occasion there was complete penetration so never recovered any projectiles. The only ones recovered were out of my bullet trap and all were text book. Have since shot some Reds but still no recovered projectiles. All have been one shot kills and dropped on the spot. During the testing all calibers shot well under 1” mostly around .6”
In my rifles they shot much better then the Eldx.
Ken

I second @Saul's question.

 

[Mountaineer]

I hunted Namibia in earlier this month. I used a 338 Federal with 200 grain trophy bonded tipped to take red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, gemsbok, warthog. All were bang flop and all but one were complete pass throughs. The blue wildebeest was shoulder shot and bullet was found on far side under the skin. I didn’t way it, but I did measure the mushroom which was .71 inches. It’s an excellent bullet.

 

[K95]

I hunted Namibia in earlier this month. I used a 338 Federal with 200 grain trophy bonded tipped to take red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, gemsbok, warthog. All were bang flop and all but one were complete pass throughs. The blue wildebeest was shoulder shot and bullet was found on far side under the skin. I didn’t way it, but I did measure the mushroom which was .71 inches. It’s an excellent bullet.

Yes they are, I used Barnes LRX exclusively before trying these. I now find that they expand greater and at much lower velocity then the Barnes. Only wish I could get them in 338 cal.

 

[ActionBob]

It's my favorite bullet!
Middle one is 300 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw dug out of the stomach of my lion after entering between the neck and left shoulder. It traversed most of the length of the beast

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

It's my favorite bullet!
Middle one is 300 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw dug out of the stomach of my lion after entering between the neck and left shoulder. It traversed most of the length of the beast

View attachment 415418

Bob, did you weight the 300 grain after recovery? Is the Trophy Bonded Tip similar in design to the TBBC?

 

[ActionBob]

Bob, did you weight the 300 grain after recovery? Is the Trophy Bonded Tip similar in design to the TBBC?

No I have not but I do have it around here somewhere and now have a scale...

As for as I know, the Trophy Bonded Tipped is basically a TBBC with a plastic tip added for Ballistic benefits and to help initiate expansion in smaller calibers and at longer ranges/slower speeds. I use them to great effect in my 300 WM.

 

[K95]

I’m thinking they make the trophy bonded tip in smaller calibers up to and including 30 cal and the TBBC for 338 up. They all work the same and have pretty much the same core construction. Weight retention is very high.
Ken

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I’m thinking they make the trophy bonded tip in smaller calibers up to and including 30 cal and the TBBC for 338 up. They all work the same and have pretty much the same core construction. Weight retention is very high.
Ken

@K95
It would be good to get them in 358 as well.
Bob

 

[K95]

You probably can Bob, at the moment there called TBBC if you can find them.

 

[thriller]

I have not used the tipped but I have used TBBC's in most of my rifles and they have always worked wonderfully for me.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Well dang. After looking a bit I see Federal themselves are out of this bullet in .308 diameter. Just when I thought I had another load development project....

 

[chashardy]

I agree with ActionBob's post above. His pics are identical to the bullets recovered from a buffalo and a nyala I hunted two weeks ago in Limpopo. I used Federal's 300 gr. TBBC in my 375 H&H double on the nyala and the 400gr. in my 416 Rigby on the buffalo. Both bullets are perfect mushrooms. Great ammo.

 

[Saul]

For those using these bullets, have you also used Aframes, Siroccos, or Woodleigh? Personally, I prefer Barnes TTSX, but I am curious as to which bonded is best and these seem to be right up there as well as reasonably priced. I purposely did not include Accubonds above because despite their following, I have never had what I would consider to be acceptable weight retention with them.

 

[R.M.C.]

I've used them out of a 30.06 in 180 grain offering for elk, whitetail, black bear, wild boar, and I consider them to be the cat's pajamas. I used one to break both shoulders on a spike elk at about 200 yards. I've recovered a couple that went through whitetail length wise and they look like the pictures from a Federal brochure. Perfect mushrooms with long perfect thanks. Truly beautiful lol .
There's probably bullets that are just about as good (a frame comes to mind) but trophy bonded tips are my favorite