The Trophy Bonded Tip is pretty much what I was looking for - solid rear shank, expanding/bonded lead core up front with a poly tip for aerodynamics. All Rights Reserved. Bought a couple boxes of Federal Fusion and hoping to get some feedback from someone who has used them on deer to get an idea of how they did. Ballistics data bears this out. But the rut isn’t everything. Federal Premium® Vital-Shok® Trophy Bonded® Tip Rifle Ammo is designed to shoot flat and expand reliably at long range, yet still hold together at short range when the bullet impacts at high velocity. Like any hunt, choosing a hunting location is crucial. The Federal version, like the original, was designed specifically for larger game, so it often didn’t expand well on deer-size animals, especially at lower impact velocities, which often occurred at longer ranges. “You want to stop him for that perfect shot angle. “They are full of knowledge on the best hunts, best trophy units and the units with the best density of elk,” he says. I’m already making plans to field- test some more. The second bullet exited, but the first bullet did not. Accuracy averaged 1.25 inches for three-shot groups at 100 yards, sufficient for big game at “normal” ranges, and the higher velocity did help expansion on lighter animals. Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > Nov 21, 2011 #1 . It also arrives at 500 with about 250 fps more velocity, and it drifts 6 inches less in a 10-mph cross breeze. The results are listed in an accompanying table, along with the newspaper results from two High Energy 180-grain factory loads. Instead it was an expanded Nosler 140-grain Partition from my 7x57 that entered the buck’s chest and ended up in a hindquarter, where when slicing steaks my knife slid by on either side of the bullet. http://www.federalpremium.com Federal Premiums award-winning Trophy Bonded® Tip offers excellent weight retention and penetration. Farris reveals his top tips for planning and pulling off your own successful elk hunt. cy912 Well ... i've killed 1 elk and 4 deer with a 120 barnes ttsx out of my 6.5x55. Mostly I used Federal’s loading data which, when compared to data for the same powders with other bullets, indicates the TBT develops more velocity (and hence pressure) than some other bullets. If it’s not on track to destroy the vitals, you need to adjust. This allowed faster production and reduced bore fouling somewhat. But Farris relies on them for much more, preferring an open-reed cow call because of the volume. Make precision personal with our wide selection of custom rifle loads. Took an elk at 300 yds with two shots, both in the chest cavity. I believe there’s not much out there I can’t tackle with that round.”. or a .300 WBY. Thank you for your patience. The 73.0-grain charge of Reloder 19 used in the .300 Winchester Magnum is 1.5 grains less than Federal’s listed maximum, but 72 to 73 grains of RL-19 has shot extremely accurately with other 165s in several .300 Winchester Magnums. And while public land hunts can get a bad rap, Farris has experienced some excellent hunts on state and federal ground. (At about the same time, a Utah hunter named Randy Brooks was encountering the same accuracy and fouling problems with an all-copper, hollowpoint design he called the Barnes X-Bullet.). I sliced apart the left shoulder, searching thoroughly for the bullet, but never found it. Crafted specifically for carbines. The plastic tip on the Trophy Bonded Tip helps it expand well on deer-size game while still retaining enough weight to penetrate deeply on larger animals. Some loads shot even better, like this .300 Winchester Magnum using 73.0 grains of Reloder 19 and the 180-grain TBT from a Heym SR-21. The bullet that’s defined self-defense for a generation is now available as a component. Some states’ firearm seasons run when rut is tailing off, so you may want to be among the first in to catch them while bulls are still vocal. “In states like Colorado where seasons run in November, mid- to later season is sometimes better because you start to get weather that drives elk down from the high country,” he says. After considerable testing in “media,” Carter did a field trial of Trophy Bonded Bear Claws in Africa in 1988, and they worked so well he started selling them to a limited number of customers. The hunt took place a month after the rut, when bulls have resolved their recent differences. Built to be Federal’s best hunting bullet ever, the new Terminal Ascent bullet evolved from the proven (from left) Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Trophy Bonded Tip, and Edge TLR bullets. Mag. The Trophy Bonded Tip is similar, but adds a plastic tip to initiate expansion. Pet Loads and Handloader are registered trademarks of Wolfe Publishing Company. So far in my hunting career, 7mm bullets at .280 AI velocities have never bounced off big-game animals, and over the last couple of years, somewhat subconsciously, I sold off all my 7mm magnums. The Trophy Bonded Tip takes its daddy, the highly respected Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, to a new level of performance.It's sleek, accurate and deadly on game. I was hoping to find the first bullet under the hide, but did not, so guessed it ended up in the massive left shoulder. Trophy Bonded® Tip combines bonded construction and a bone-crushing solid copper shank with a boat-tail design and polymer tip that tighten groups. “We owe it to the animal to think about this,” Farris says, recommending that hunters focus on where the bullet is going to come out. Envisioning the exit helps you locate vital organs and plot the bullet’s path through them. As an alternative, consider a consultant. Trophy Bonded Tip Features. After taking the quarters home and allowing them to age and tenderize, my wife and I spent a day butchering the meat. Meet three new loads that get more from 224 Valkyrie. Trophy bonded tip or Nosler Accubond. trophy bonded tip. It is mounted with aN old 3x9 Bushnell with a post and fine crosshair. Terminal results. Both my wife and I used the 180-grain High Energy Trophy Bonded loads in a New Ultra Light Arms .30-06. Federal’s Trophy Bonded Tip is a stout and accurate bullet design, making it a great choice for an all-around hunting bullet. Federal has long loaded this bullet in their factory ammunition, but it is now available in component form for the handloaders. Federal’s Trophy Bonded® Tip .270 caliber 140 grain bullet produces a flat trajectory and match-grade accuracy - in hunting bullet that brings home the game. Not long afterward I met Jack Carter at the annual SHOT Show, and after a very interesting conversation he offered to ship me, This can happen with solid-shank bullets, probably because the lack of a softer lead core prevents them from swaging down easily to fit slightly undersized bores, or “bumping up” to fill slightly oversized bores. However, Farris finds that this is a non-issue in certain states. Wolfe Publishing Company | 2180 Gulfstream Suite A | Prescott, AZ 86301. Robust bonding maximizes weight retention. The Trophy Bonded Tip expands very well on deer, even at moderate velocities. Its giant frame swayed into view over the same Colorado meadow where Team Primos® member Brad Farris had spotted him the evening before. It proved to be very accurate with the 165-grain TBT as well. Tip: depending on make and type, these bullets often perform best from speedy cartridges, whether from a .25-06 Rem. Nosler Partition. “That’s why Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Tip is my “In New Mexico, for instance, you can usually catch them screaming and very callable during the first week of October,” he said. Examples of these bullets include Federal’s Fusion and Trophy-Bonded Tip, Hornady’s InterBond, Nosler’s AccuBond, Winchester’s Power Max Bonded and Remington’s Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded. Touted to provide unprecedented terminal performance across a vast velocity impact window, coupled with very high Doppler radar-generated ballistic coefficients, Federal’s EDGE TLR bullet is an aggressively redesigned version of the company’s outstanding Trophy Bonded Tip (TBT), which in turn has roots in the legendary Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. Textbook expansion. However, it took homework—and legwork. “Everybody hunting elk should be proficient out to 300 yards,” he says. The rifle used was a Benelli R1 semiautomatic .30-06, and the ammunition was Federal Premium loaded with 180-grain TBTs. Show your Shockwave like never before with a full new line of Federal branded apparel. I'd feel confident in the .270 loaded with good bullets, as long as you do your part. And I like the 30-caliber bullets. Shooting at 35 yards not only results in maximum stress on the bullet, but with rifles sighted-in a couple inches high at 100 is also about where the bullet’s path first coincides with the reticle. Five new offerings, including blended loads that combine No. I have taken 5 elk and 3 deer with the 165 Accubond out of my .308 and cannot recommend it enough. Federal’s Trophy Bonded Tip bullet uses exactly the same interior construction as the Bear Claw ammunition in the 1990s, but with modern exterior changes. “That’s why Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Tip is my go-to bullet, whether its elk, whitetail or whatever,” he says. Farris spent a lot of pre-season time researching online maps, scouting and calling game department officials. Water-soaked newspaper is more commonly used as test media but is comparatively kind to big-game bullets, with even cup-and-core designs normally ending up perfectly mushroomed. bullet with four shank bands instead of the three bands seen on the Barnes TSX. Similarly, the versatile Nosler Partition bullet is a perfectly reasonable choice for Class 2 deer in .257 Roberts, for Class 3 elk in 7mm Magnum and for Class 4 bison in .416 Rigby. This Montana mule deer fell to a 165-grain TBT from a .308 Winchester. The pure copper also tended to foul barrels more than conventional gilding metal jackets, mild brass made of copper alloyed with 5 to 10 percent zinc. Federal announced the Trophy Bonded Tip in 2008, and publicized the new bullet through field tests involving various firearms-industry people. My first Elk with this rifle was around 30 yards. After a 50-yard sprint, the bull and its 363 inches of antler piled up in the grass. This makes it easy to precisely place several bullets in a single stack of paper. And shot placement on the animal itself is critical to success. Shooting the 140-grain .270, 160-grain 7mm and 180-grain Trophy Bonded Tip bullets into stacks of dry newspaper resulted in penetration and retained weight practically identical to Trophy Bonded Bear Claws from 20 years ago. She went less than 20 yds. Most hunters know that calls play an important role in elk hunts, especially those timed during the rut. Still, Bear Claws worked so well on really big game that in the early 1990s Federal began offering them in factory ammunition, which sold so well Carter’s production couldn’t keep up. Terminal Ascent shares some of the same DNA as Federal’s most successful and reliable bullet designs including Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Edge TLR, and Trophy Bonded Tip. If you're using a copper bullet, or something similar (like the Federal Trophy Bonded Tip), I think you could go down as far as the 130 gr and feel safe. The temperature was warm for November, so we skinned the bull as soon as possible. “They’re a little easier to find when that starts happening,”. Because even a superb marksman can make a bad shot if they’re simply not aiming where they ought to be. Rated 4 out of 5 by Daniel M from Accurate round I used the trophy bonded tip round on a cow elk hunt in New Mexico. The Trophy Copper is a solid copper alloy (gilding metal?) The present Trophy Bonded Tip component bullets come with printed loading data, and more powders are available on Federal’s website. The first thing most people notice about the bullet is its looks. But Western Cartridge Company’s Lubaloy jacket, comprising 90 percent copper, 8 percent zinc and 2 percen… The way the tip is shaped also adds to the ballistic coefficient. A century ago, bullets were just getting used to high speed. ©2021 Federal Ammunition. The Partition® bullet is the original, controlled expansion, design created by John A. Nosler over 65 years ago. Sign Up now for email offers and more news! Federal's Trophy Bonded Tip (TBT) bullet is perhaps my all-time favorite projectile for hunting big game. Three-shot groups with 10 different handloads resulted in an overall group average of .79-inch at 100 yards. That’s why Farris dedicates a lot of time to pre-season conditioning. Federal’s tables don’t include data for the .280 Ackley Improved, the largest 7mm cartridge chambered in any of my present rifles. Kudos to Federal … Gilding metal (90 percent copper, 10 percent zinc) was first thought too soft for the friction generated by 150-grain bullets in .30-06 service ammunition. The present 180-grain Trophy Bonded Tip .30-06 factory load is listed at the standard 2,700 fps muzzle velocity, yet according to the Sierra Infinity ballistic program shoots just about as flat as the 2,880 fps Bear Claw load out to 500 yards. It is useful for a similar range of animals. One solution Federal tried was some of the first extra-velocity factory loads called High Energy. Several other sources list 45.0 to 46.0 grains as maximum for 165s in the .308, and in the Mossberg 46.0 grains shot most accurately without the slightest hint of excessive pressure, despite being two grains over Federal’s listed maximum. The Trophy Bonded Tip has a bright silver coating. The higher BC of the TBT means it not only shoots flatter than the original Bear Claw, but it doesn’t need to be started fast to expand reliably on lighter game. Trophy Bonded® Tip combines bonded construction and a bone-crushing solid copper shank with a boat-tail design and polymer tip that tighten groups. Bear Claw spitzers likewise had flat tips (much like Speer Grand Slams), resulting in mediocre ballistic coefficients (BCs). The tag of a lifetime won’t do you any good if you can’t hoof it to where the elk are and hang with them wherever they go. Along with physical conditioning, Farris recommends time behind your rifle—both at the range and in the field—to ensure you can make the shot when it matters. “We just call him a 6x6 with kickers.”. I have seen Trophy Bonded Tip (individual bullets) for sale at Lolo. Also offers the 165gr Sierra Gameking, this one is a bit tougher design than the normal 160gr offered by Sierra as a component and will work great for Elk. If you’re out of shape, you just limit your opportunities.”. His daughter Morgan leveled her .308 and sent a bullet through its shoulders. Dry paper is much harder on bullets, providing a better simulation of striking heavy bone. Some shooters believe plastic tips “wedge” deeply into the bullet, but high-speed video of bullets shot into clear ballistic gelatin shows the tips moving ahead of the bullet almost immediately after expansion begins, then drifting off to the side. And along those lines, Farris recommends that all elk hunters invest in a good pair of mountain hiking boots. Elk are notoriously tough—so much so that even well placed shots can result in a long trailing job if hunters settle for mediocre bullets. Federal announced the Trophy Bonded Tip in 2008, and publicized the new bullet through field tests involving various firearms-industry people. “Hopefully, you’ll get one at 100, but if you’re ready for 300 then 100 is a chip shot.”. Federal Premium has several offerings in the 7mm Rem Mag, I believe it has three different options with bonded bullets, 140gr Accubond, 140gr Trophy Bonded Tip and 160gr Accubond. In the late 1990s I bit into a mule deer round steak, my teeth encountering what felt like a chunk of bone. That was bettered with the Trophy Bonded Tip, which, you guessed it, included a polymer tip. A unique crossover design featuring a solid copper base and a bonded, lead-core front half, the Federal Trophy Bonded Tip is known for dramatic expansion coupled with the deep-penetrating characteristics of high weight retention. “If you ruin your feet in the mountains, you’re done,” he says. Surgical accuracy. However, the 165-grain .308 Winchester load listed was worked up for the Mossberg Patriot before Federal listed Varget in its data. Boat Tail: The boat tail is a must-have for extreme range to keep your distance when hunting large, dangerous game. For deer I have played around with different ones i.e. Federal Trophy Bonded Tip This little gem is an update of the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, but with a polymer tip and better ogive, available in common calibers. Polymer Tip: The distinguishable yellow tip was created to penetrate thick hides and to help the bullet expand. I was one of the lucky people invited on an elk hunt on a ranch near my Montana home. “I exercise three to five days a week and consider myself in decent shape, but when you’re at 8,000 to 10,000 feet, it’s still tough. The Ramshot Hunter load with the 180-grain TBT was specifically designed to match the velocity of the High Energy 180-grain load from the NULA .30-06 for the penetration test, and it also shot well. Recovered one of the bullets on the opposite side under the hide. This occasionally happens, sometimes because a premium bullet near the end of its travels often doesn’t leave an obvious hole in muscle. For elk, the 180 grain .30 caliber Core-Lokt would be a much more appropriate choice. The AccuBond® and Partition® are very similar in terminal performance, but they differ greatly in internal structure. The big bull was back. I was one of the lucky people invited on an elk hunt on a ranch near my Montana home. Built to win Pistol Caliber Carbine competitions. “You might have to stop an elk at 200 yards or maybe 250 or 300 for the right shot placement,” he says. This fast handling quick on target is ideal for the ultimate brush, deep woods, Elk rifle. Unfortunately, the TBT bullet never reappeared. 7 and 9 or 8 and 10 Tungsten Super Shot. Get the most of rimfire with loads that offer both accuracy and violent expansion on impact. “One thing that separates a lot of elk hunters is physical ability to get out there,” he says. ... Idaho. The sectioned Terminal Ascent (far right) shows its solid-copper shank and bonded lead front core. Federal planned to offer TBTs as component bullets, but reversed that decision within a few months, perhaps because Obama’s election increased demand for ammunition so much that selling loading components became impractical. the elk ran 50 yards and fell over dead. The buck stood quartering toward me at 65 yards, and at the shot made the little leap typical of a solid chest shot, then trotted a ways before falling. The resulting toughness and accuracy make it a perfect choice for the full spectrum of medium and big game at any practical range. The encounter might have taken seconds to unfold, but the steps needed to make it successful began long before Morgan’s tag even arrived in the mail. The world’s best MSR 15 cartridge just got better. Among those hunters was Jack Carter, a guy who primarily wanted a tougher expanding bullet for African game such as Cape buffalo. “It’s such an advanced bullet. Accuracy averaged much better than with the original Bear Claws. The two loads listed use charges of Ramshot Magnum and IMR-7977 which have previously proven accurate with other bullets in the 160-grain range. Great examples of controlled-expansion bullets are Swift's Scirocco II and A-Frame, Nosler's Partition, Barnes Bullets TTSX and LRX, Hornady's GMX, and perhaps the greatest of them all — Federal's Trophy Bonded Tip. The TBT looks to be a great addition to the premium big-game bullets available to handloaders. “By redneck count, he’d be a 9x7,” Farris says. I use Federal 200 gr. The rifle used was a Benelli R1 semiautomatic .30-06, and the ammunition was Federal Premium loaded with 180-grain TBTs. For example, the 200-grain Vital-Shok Trophy Bonded Tip .338 Federal packs a punishing 1,891 foot-pounds of punch at 300 yards, yielding an only slightly lighter sting than the 2,213 foot-pounds delivered by a 210-grain .338 Win. Intention was for an elk load but the Accubonds shot so well I figured I wasn't missing much. The resulting toughness and accuracy make it a perfect choice for the full spectrum of medium and big game at any practical range. March 07, 2018 By Joseph von Benedikt. We found a group of a half-dozen. However, the thin nickel also decreased bore fouling – confirmed through my Hawkeye borescope – and combined with the translucent orange tip results in a very striking appearance. The Soft Point is Federal's conventional jacketed bullet with an exposed lead tip. Barnes Vor Tx w/ Barnes ttsx, Federal with Trophy Bonded and Federal w/ the Nosler Partition, all in the 130 gr bullet. Seasonal weather patterns and elk migrations can be just as important. “There is a lot of excellent public land,” he says, explaining that one of the biggest bulls he’s shot was on public land in New Mexico. Farris confers with Cabela’s TAGS experts. It's also cute. As an example, Federal listed the BC of the 180-grain, .30-caliber bullet as .368, while most pointed-tip 180s have BCs over .400 – sometimes well over. The major reason for enhanced expansion is probably the big cavity required for the shank of the plastic tip. It may not be a coincidence that Federal again decided to supply component TBTs during the first year of the Trump administration as demand for ammunition dropped. I think I am right by saying that Federal Premium Ammo (which includes Trophy Bonded Tip (TBT) ammo) is loaded in Lewiston, Idaho at the ATK facility. Elk are notoriously tough—so much so that even well placed shots can result in a long trailing job if hunters settle for mediocre bullets. Due to increased demand, our estimated shipping time is 15-20 days. In 2014 the 180-grain .30 caliber version provided a dozen one-shot kills for me in Namibia, including a superb kudu bull, and in 2015 I used the same bullet to drop a huge public-land bull elk in Utah—a tag that took me 17 years to draw. Federal Trophy Bonded Tip Performance Review Discussion in 'Guns & Ammo' started by cy912, Nov 21, 2011. The bullet cracked the scapula just above the shoulder joint and exited toward the rear of the ribs on the opposite side, leaving a big hole through both lungs. (Of course, as a rifle loony I also reserve the right to acquire 7mm magnums in the future.)