Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why Interbond or TSX?

I am just curious, with Winchester's new Power-core bullet, and the Power-Max bonded, why people are still paying premium prices (over priced?) for Hornady GMX,Interbond, the TXS, and Accubond.

Serious question.

Are those Winchester bullets available as components?

No, I don't believe so. So that explains some of it. Power max bonded sell for only 2/3 as much as the Hornady factory loaded Interbonds.

I'm more curious as to why folks would pay for factory ammo.

It's possible that other bullets shoot better in some rifles than others,for one thing.

What is this "factory ammo" you speak of?

Although not exactly what you asked, but I bought some Winchester/Olin Power-Max 130 grain 270 ammo to shoot in my CLR and have found it to be very accurate. I haven't shot anything with this factory load, but I am confident that I can hit where I'm aiming.

To shoot a cartridge that you don't currently reload for? I'm new to the 270 and bought five boxes of Winchester/Olin factory ammo to try the cartridge and as a source of brass to reload if I do decide I like it enough to make that commitment.

We who are rifle loonies sometimes forget that the majority of people who are casual hunters/shooters don't reload and everyone, loony or not, who shoots a rimfire, shoots factory ammo.

Then why do they need to question WHY, when they haven't got a clue?

LOl, I get that people reload. The question is, if you didn't...what makes the Interbond so much better than the Power Max?
What makes the TSX or GMX so much better than the Power-core, that people are willing to pay such a premium.

Looks like Barnes Vor-Tex ammo is about $11 a box more than Winchester Power-Core in 30/06, I don't consider $11 a premium. That's $0.50 a round more. I'm sure the Power-core is good, the TSX/GMX is proven good. I can spend $11 for proven.

Thanks Bearcat.

I can't answer the question. I'd have to shoot both into game a number of times various distances and angles and game size to answer the question

In the meantime, I pay for Barnes, since its the closest to perfect performance I've ever seen in my life, for the results I desire. Hence I'm not looking at others and likely will have to read some astounding results to even think about trying others at this point.

I do have other bullets and use them for specific other uses, but can and do run TSX or ttsx in the same calibers I play with other bulelts.

Typically the only time I go away from Barnes is to Berger and that only for long range shooting....like 308/185s expand nicely so far on game out to 732 yards and while I'd do it with a TSX the 185s are a bit more accurate and expand a bit more than the TSX does at that range and have a better BC..

As far as cost, ammo is the LEAST of my worry cost wise, especially in hunting ammo. I don't think I've hunted any year where I've shot a full round of 20 shots. That includes the optional pig/varmint these days while deer hunting.
Just not enough to worry about.

And when I practice, I do it with a 22 anyway if at all. I don't shoot as much as I did... but many years of 20,000 rounds of 223 through the loader and guns, well its kinda natural to shoot well today without practice. Not that practice hurts but I've not seen me failing enough to worry about.

And if I were factory and needed to practice, I'd do like I did with a bow.. shoot field tips all year, resight for broadheads a few weeks out....shoot cheapest ammo and sigth for premium before season....

Saskatchewan, I'll certainly not say, they are inferior. And in fact are probably a very good bullet, but when all things are considered in our hunting expenses, the cost of premium ammo is a small price to pay!!!! memtb

Copper bullets penetrate MUCH better than comparable standard lead bullets. If someone is using a caliber normally considered borderline for the game hunted they can make a huge difference. For someone who normally only deer hunts with a 243 and gets an opportunity to hunt elk or bear it is cheaper to upgrade the bullets rather than buy a bigger gun. And there is a good argument to just using the same bullet and load for everything even if it isn't needed all the time.

Cost is a relative thing. I hand load. The cost savings between 200 of the cheapest bullets I can buy, and 200 premium bullets won't pay for a tank of gas in my truck. 200 bullets will last me several years. The cost of 1 tank of gas a year is nothing in relation to the rest of the money I spend on hunting.

JMR, fair enough. Power core by Winchester is a gilding metal bullet.

Simple explanation.......
Bullets of common construction fall to bits on impact. The practical was to make longer bullets which also increased bullet weight.

As bullet integrity was conquored through bonded cored and homogenous designs, longer and heavier bullets became "less necessary".

The market however, is not savvy in general and old ha its are hard to change so we still have long bullets where shorter tougher designs would do the same job with less recoil and generating flatter trajectories.

There is a thread on here somewhere where a 165TSX will do the same job as a 200gn Partition in a 300 WM.

This is a true statement in my experience yet there us still a perceived need for even a 200gn TSX.

The Federal Fusion is where its at for factory ammo. Winchester is trying to match up with that, and has to lower the prices to get there.

I agree, this is the golden age of factory ammo.

AGW, my quaetions - how is the Interbond better than the Power max, a very similar (bonded) bullet.

How is the Tsx OR gmx BETTER THAN THE Power core of similar construction?

My subtle point is, are Hornady and Barnes scooping cream off the top due to reputation?

Glad you mentioned that John. As you know I shoot a lot of TSX and TTSX in my centerfire .22s My favorite is a 55 TTSX and I still hear from many here that I should be trying or using the 62 or even 70 grainers. The 55s have been superbly accurate and completely penetrated everything I ever shot with them. How could more be better?