Thread: Norma Bondstrike

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

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.....

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.

Fellas, I didn’t really intend for this to be a “look at this long-range thousand yard deer bullet” kind of thing.

I’m not really into shooting deer that far out, but by all means debate it if that’s what floats your boat. I think most of us know that once you get into the properly out their ranges then you probably need a softer, weight shedding bullet. But that said there’s been some metallurgical development in the premium bonded bullet products in the last couple of years, that suggests maybe that logic can be re-assessed.

I was looking at it more from the typical New Zealand long-ish shot at big deer / tahr with a light or standard magnum such as, 7mm RM, .300 WSM, .300 WM etc. For most guys, that’s a 400-600ish metres shot. The heavy magnums are a different kettle of fish and not really my scene.

I recently shot a very heavy, beaten up old red stag with a fucked rear leg at 580m with a .300 WSM. Solid hit right on the upper humerus. Smashed the leg completely, bullet passed through with a geyser of blood spraying out the exit all over the place. Poor old bastard made some ground downhill, staggering on pretty much on 1½ rear legs, one front leg, before giving up and rolling into the shit in the bottom of the gully. I was glad of the bonded Federal Fusion, because with hindsight I’m not so sure how well a thin jacketed cup & core bullet would have dealt to him, having clearly struck the leg bone on the way in.

First time I had used that bullet (factory ammo) and I have no complaints at all about how it did the job. But ballistically it’s very much in the middle ground and there are much sleeker tipped bonded bullet options now, with higher BC and retained energy. That particular experience has got me thinking about what I would choose if I became a regular Magnum shooter. I’ve pretty much decided I would go for the highest BC, rapidly expanding bonded bullet that shot well in the rifle. From what I remember of bonded bullets back in the day (Africa), they tended to be pretty hopeless once they had shed velocity. These days, the metallurgy has improved and we have much better expansion over a much wider range from point blank to waaaayyy out there.

This is a good thing.

Anyone know any NZ vendors that have the 180gn bondstrike projectiles ? Or if it's possible to import and where ? worth the hassle ?

Originally Posted by dannyb

Anyone know any NZ vendors that have the 180gn bondstrike projectiles ? Or if it's possible to import and where ? worth the hassle ?

@dannyb How many you want? I know someone who could get them out of europe

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

@dannyb How many you want? I know someone who could get them out of europe

Good point I'll flick him a mesage

Originally Posted by dannyb

Good point I'll flick him a mesage

@dannyb I think perhaps you are thinking of someone other than I am thinking of ?. My contact is from Germany

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

@dannyb I think perhaps you are thinking of someone other than I am thinking of ?. My contact is from Germany

I was thinking of Sarvo ummm I'd like a box to try but then ongoing supply if they go well say another 3 or 4 boxes upfront post load development.....

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

@dannyb How many you want? I know someone who could get them out of europe

Nope no can do unfortunately was worth a try....Anyone else got any contacts ?

Originally Posted by dannyb

Anyone know any NZ vendors that have the 180gn bondstrike projectiles ? Or if it's possible to import and where ? worth the hassle ?

Reloading direct has them cheers


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Originally Posted by buzzman

Reloading direct has them cheers


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yeah seen that but on the fence with them as the 300wsm shoots 1 hole groups with the 178eldm's I already have a supply of....would like to try them but only a curiosity and in a time when components are not easily replaced I have to consider if it really is a need or a want....

Originally Posted by dannyb

yeah seen that but on the fence with them as the 300wsm shoots 1 hole groups with the 178eldm's I already have a supply of....would like to try them but only a curiosity and in a time when components are not easily replaced I have to consider if it really is a need or a want....

I’d be sticking with the 178 good shooting


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Originally Posted by buzzman

I’d be sticking with the 178 good shooting


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that's the plan

I was emailing with NZ Ammunition last year and they expected some to be ready to retail now-ish. Might be worth contacting them.