Thread: Norma Bondstrike

I really like these guys’ tests, they are very consistent with the methodology and it’s one of the best ways to see a realistic comparison between different bullets’ expansion performance. Yes they are using water to catch the bullets and all the blah blah arguments that go around which medium is most representative of game. At least they’re using the same one in the same way every time.

The Norma Oryx was good, but this Norma Bondstrike is even better. An average of 2.8x calibre expansion from 100-500 yards from the .300 Win Mag. The flight and energy numbers are really something when you look at this bullet in the ballistic calculator. When it was released Norma was pretty confident it was going to lift the standard and I would say they were probably correct.

Would love to poke a few big reds with these out of the .300 WSM.

I've been using the 156g oryx out of my 260 and I'm impressed. Dead animals, not a huge amount of damaged meat and very accurate.

I've only got one back, it went full length through a fallow stag and ended up in the back leg - can't complain.

Wish you could buy the projectiles even a south island retailer that carried them would be nice

Was a very keen Oryx user in my .243, don't recall losing an animal with them. Much harder to get now and maybe I was swayed by velocity as well in going with Superformance for a while now in the 7-08. Have not had such a good run with those compared to the Oyrx. As soon as I can buy Norma - I will....

Whilst the Oryx is a fine bullet, the BondStrike has a much higher BC. Maybe not such a big deal for closer range stuff but my God does it make a difference farther out.

In a .30 cal 200gr comparison, at 600 meters the BondStrike is hitting the animal with double the energy of the Oryx. With about 60% of the drop of the Oryx. Not too shabby.

For our tops hunting, chasing big red stags, the BondStrike would take some beating.

@Northkiwi. Have you used the Oryx in your 7-08? I'm bloody sure I've a got part packet of the 156 gr 7mm at home gathering dust. Not for sale but happy to swap. Will have a look and let you know.

A good camel bullet for the 7mm rem mag maybe?

The terminal performance looks good and nice and reliable inside 500 yards (their max test distance) It'd be interesting to see what the expansion looks like out further all the way out to 1,000 yards, I'm thinking once its gets out beyond 700 ish the expansion and terminal performance might not be that great.

Ive just grabbed a box of 225 gr eldm's which I'm about to test in my 26" barreled 300 Rum. The 225gr has a G1 BC of .777 and I should be able to push them to 3,000 fps with Re33 no prob.

I hear reports of excellent and reliable terminal performance (expansion and penetration) with fast kills with a number of deer taken out to 900 yards shooting the 225gr from a 300WM, so I'm thinking the 225gr eldm should be just the ticket for my extended range hunting with the 300 RUM. At a muzzle velocity of 3k, out at 1,000 yards it should still deliver 1800+ Ft Lbs and 1900 fps impact velocity, which sounds like it's still enough for decent expansion.

The 180gr Bondstrike may be a good option for me for any closer shots that arise however, or one of the mono's.

I really like Accubonds and rate them, but looks pretty compelling that these BondStrikes are better

Originally Posted by GWH

The terminal performance looks good and nice and reliable inside 500 yards (their max test distance) It'd be interesting to see what the expansion looks like out further all the way out to 1,000 yards, I'm thinking once its gets out beyond 700 ish the expansion and terminal performance might not be that great.

Ive just grabbed a box of 225 gr eldm's which I'm about to test in my 26" barreled 300 Rum. The 225gr has a G1 BC of .777 and I should be able to push them to 3,000 fps with Re33 no prob.

I hear reports of excellent and reliable terminal performance (expansion and penetration) with fast kills with a number of deer taken out to 900 yards shooting the 225gr from a 300WM, so I'm thinking the 225gr eldm should be just the ticket for my extended range hunting with the 300 RUM. At a muzzle velocity of 3k, out at 1,000 yards it should still deliver 1800+ Ft Lbs and 1900 fps impact velocity, which sounds like it's still enough for decent expansion.

The 180gr Bondstrike may be a good option for me for any closer shots that arise however, or one of the mono's.

What makes you say that? Just a guess?

There is a certain fella from up Taranaki ways who has done rather a lot of testing with and for Norma....and hasnt pulled punches with feedback either...MAYBE just maybe Norma has listened.....

Originally Posted by GWH

The terminal performance looks good and nice and reliable inside 500 yards (their max test distance) It'd be interesting to see what the expansion looks like out further all the way out to 1,000 yards, I'm thinking once its gets out beyond 700 ish the expansion and terminal performance might not be that great.

Ive just grabbed a box of 225 gr eldm's which I'm about to test in my 26" barreled 300 Rum. The 225gr has a G1 BC of .777 and I should be able to push them to 3,000 fps with Re33 no prob.

I hear reports of excellent and reliable terminal performance (expansion and penetration) with fast kills with a number of deer taken out to 900 yards shooting the 225gr from a 300WM, so I'm thinking the 225gr eldm should be just the ticket for my extended range hunting with the 300 RUM. At a muzzle velocity of 3k, out at 1,000 yards it should still deliver 1800+ Ft Lbs and 1900 fps impact velocity, which sounds like it's still enough for decent expansion.

The 180gr Bondstrike may be a good option for me for any closer shots that arise however, or one of the mono's.

you are looking at this backwards Bud.......the distance doesnt matter,THE VELOCITY does.....
get a fast twist .308 and find out,or load your current rifle down till you can achieve muzzle velocity the same as your full power load would be doing at say 600 yards and have a look and see.....for sure a box of old magazines or jugs of water arent perfect...but they are consistant....always the same.
closer shots you just as well off using a cheaper option a little slower...or as you suggest a mono going like the clappers.....

Originally Posted by GWH

The terminal performance looks good and nice and reliable inside 500 yards (their max test distance) It'd be interesting to see what the expansion looks like out further all the way out to 1,000 yards, I'm thinking once its gets out beyond 700 ish the expansion and terminal performance might not be that great.

Ive just grabbed a box of 225 gr eldm's which I'm about to test in my 26" barreled 300 Rum. The 225gr has a G1 BC of .777 and I should be able to push them to 3,000 fps with Re33 no prob.

I hear reports of excellent and reliable terminal performance (expansion and penetration) with fast kills with a number of deer taken out to 900 yards shooting the 225gr from a 300WM, so I'm thinking the 225gr eldm should be just the ticket for my extended range hunting with the 300 RUM. At a muzzle velocity of 3k, out at 1,000 yards it should still deliver 1800+ Ft Lbs and 1900 fps impact velocity, which sounds like it's still enough for decent expansion.

The 180gr Bondstrike may be a good option for me for any closer shots that arise however, or one of the mono's.

They certainly shoot if you get it right. I have never seen a big bullet like these shoot groups in the .1 - .4's .

Originally Posted by Gibo

What makes you say that? Just a guess?

Just looking at the trend of reducing expansion as they went out from 100 yards to 500 yards in 100 yd increments. But yes as Micky duck says its not hard to test at various lower impact velocities to see what they will do out further.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

you are looking at this backwards Bud.......the distance doesnt matter,THE VELOCITY does.....
get a fast twist .308 and find out,or load your current rifle down till you can achieve muzzle velocity the same as your full power load would be doing at say 600 yards and have a look and see.....for sure a box of old magazines or jugs of water arent perfect...but they are consistant....always the same.
closer shots you just as well off using a cheaper option a little slower...or as you suggest a mono going like the clappers.....

Yes obviously distance and velocity goes hand in hand, it's not rocket science.

yeah....what Im saying is look at the figures,see what they say and if it stacks up on paper,then do some basic testing in a medium that you can repeat,be it magazines and water jugs or billy goats on back of farm........ by reducing the velocity to begin with you can still test the terminal preformance without having animal a half mile away so if it does go wrong you can slip in a hotter load and make it good quickly.