Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Federal Trophy Bonded Tips available as component

Rev,use the TBT if you want,over-penetration is never a bad idea.

On another note,would like to see the Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer solid offered to reloaders.

not sure you can stop one on this planet!!!!!

where is the 270 375 cal?

Respectfully, forget the Sledgehammer.

I shot an elephant and a buff in Chirisa in 2010. Both were shot at close range. The factory loaded .470 Sledgehammer solids recovered from the elephant had riveted, bent and fishtailed. Ditto for the one recovered from the buff (.416 Rigby). An apprentice PH showed me some recovered Sledgehammers in .375 which did the same thing. I discussed this with Federal at either SCI or DSC in 2011 (forget which). They kept the bullets, said they would "open a file on it" and promised to return the bullets. Never heard from them again.

I switched to Barnes solids after that and have never looked back. On my trip to Zim this year, I wanted to try Woodleigh hydro cup point solids in .470, but couldn't find any in factory loaded ammunition, though Federal does list it.

Any solid has the potential to deform when striking heavy bone. In my personal experience, the Federal Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer has a greater propensity for deformation than does the Barnes monolithic solid. I have used Woodleigh traditional non-hydro RN solids in the past (as loaded by both Norma and Superior), and they have performed with good effect, but I was never able to recover any of them.

Thanks for the info,Winchestermodel70.

They are available at Midway.

Is there any BC info out there for these bullets?

I've seen a couple bears put down with them.

Innie. Outie. Smacked the rocks behind them and remained in one piece.

I haven't seen anything out there about them as far as BC. I have some 270 and 7mm bullets coming. Looking forward to giving them a shot. I like the original TBBC, so I can't see these being worse.

.43 for the 7mm 140gn according to their website.

Thank you PRM. Appreciate it. Wished they'd drop their 200 grain .338 bullet. That sucker would probably be a monster.

The G1 BCs are:

270
130 - .440
140 - .455

7mm
140 - .430
160 - .520

I have a box each of the following coming:

.277 - 140 gr
7mm - 140 gr
.308 - 165 gr
.308 - 180 gr

I'm looking forward to these bullets.

Look forward to your results with the 165 in the 308. What powder? 2000MR, CFE223, AR-Comp all look interesting, and of course there's always Varget.

I've got Varget, 2000MR and TAC on hand. I'll try them all. 2000MR really makes 180's go, and TAC is showing real promise as a replacement for Varget with 165's. We shall see.

The plus to Varget is the temp stability. I like that feature in an elk cartridge. In my limited tests TAC isn't so good there. It's a ball powder, acts like all the others.

Strange, TAC has been superbly temp stable for me in a few different chamberings- .223 and 75's, 7-08 and 162's, .308 and 130's.

I'm curious to hear your results. TAC is new to me and I have a lifetime supply of it.

As to 2000MR (a ball powder), it's very close to the temp stability of Varget, and far ahead of RL15.

My less than scientific quality tests conducted by loading four rounds and shooting two at an indoor range at 70 deg, and then two outdoors in colder temps ~12 deg, ~17 deg, and all measured by Magnetospeed:

12 deg
200 Hot Cor, TAC (-100 FPS avg)
200 E-Tip, TAC (-71 FPS avg)
185 TTSX, TAC (-68 FPS avg)
210 Partition, 2000MR (-61 FPS avg)

17 deg (sat out all night at 9 deg)
210 Partition, 2000MR (-25 FPS avg)

AA2230 lost 90-100
Leverevolution lost 43

Powders that lost less than 10 FPS are 8208 XBR, RL16, IMR 4451, H4350

The idea that different cartridges has some merit in that RL17 lost nothing on the 338-06, but lost 63 FPS in the 6.5 Creedmoor. Data points of four rounds for each cartridge. Hardly conclusive.

Brad - where did you find the bullets sold as components? I'd be interested in trying some.

On TAC, I have some loaded under 165 Part in my 308 but haven't had a chance to shoot them yet. I'm also curious on your results with MR 2000. I saw the vels from that powder in the 308. Please keep us posted.