Hornady pod cast on bonded bullets!

[MagnumManiac]

I'll will admit though... they are finicky

They CAN BE. Seating depth testing first with a middle load always produces the goods and it stays consistent across all testing.

I aim for consistent clover leafs, I don't have to find a load that prints 5 into one hole, but I want a 10 shot average that is sub MoA and I am happy. If it was my comp rifle, then I would be concerned.
I have never gotten great results with the 129g ABLR, however the batch I have (500 same #lot) are the very first run, even the BC has been changed since these were made. They shoot ok, .75MoA is best group to date, but I get much better groups with both the 142g & 150g ABLR.

Cheers.

 

[coop2564]

My 6.5 PRC shot the ABLR the best of any of my guns so far. But it's hair pulling frustration, I can get 2 or 3 touching and then for no reason I can find, a 1.5" flier. If I shoot enough groups I can get a 3 shot .6 moa group but next one maybe 2" because of unexplained flier. Seating depth has no real effect on my ABLR loads that I can see. I can make an adjustment and get a better group but it won't hold up, like anything else I've tried keep shooting and next group is back with the flier. I get exact same thing buying factory loads using ABLR. In any bullet, I get a flier occasionally, but not near as often. The standard AB has always shot pretty well for me, it's my go to bullet In my 243, so bonded bullets can shoot well. Maybe not as well as some target bullets, but good enough for hunting at 600 and in.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

My 6.5 PRC shot the ABLR the best of any of my guns so far. But it's hair pulling frustration, I can get 2 or 3 touching and then for no reason I can find, a 1.5" flier. If I shoot enough groups I can get a 3 shot .6 moa group but next one maybe 2" because of unexplained flier. Seating depth has no real effect on my ABLR loads that I can see. I can make an adjustment and get a better group but it won't hold up, like anything else I've tried keep shooting and next group is back with the flier. I get exact same thing buying factory loads using ABLR. In any bullet, I get a flier occasionally, but not near as often. The standard AB has always shot pretty well for me, it's my go to bullet In my 243, so bonded bullets can shoot well. Maybe not as well as some target bullets, but good enough for hunting at 600 and in.

A couple guys on here reported that sorting ABLR based on base to ogive length eliminated flyers for them. I haven't tried it, but likely will.
Makes sense if the lot has a lot of variation.

 

[Roughrice]

A couple guys on here reported that sorting ABLR based on base to ogive length eliminated flyers for them. I haven't tried it, but likely will.
Makes sense if the lot has a lot of variation.

They do have variation.
More so than the Ballistic Tip and Accubond in my experience.
Perhaps that's why my loads work better with a long jump.

 

[Lou270]

It'd be fun if on a live interview someone asked them if the felt their own interbond bullets weren't accurate haha.

I love hornady, I use some of their stuff, but good lord the marketing, spin, hype, etc gets a bit thick sometimes.

I like Hornady as well but could never get interbonds to shoot that well. Now I see why. They made the move to remove an inferior product from their line. No shame in that. The annoying thing is saying how a feature is bad because they could not put out a good product with their manufacturing capablities.

Lou

 

[Gary in MD]

Hornady?
I guess their bullets are fine for varmints

 

[Varmiter71]

In the 90's I was looking at making my own bullets. And I was going to bond them. But I started to read the same things that Hornady said in the podcast. So I abandoned the project.

Wasn't there a thread on here that talked about the chemicals in the bonding process degrading the tips. That would be enough for me to not want to use them. I looked for the factory 25wssm AB loads until I saw that.

A few years ago, a friend of mine and myself filled 32 late season doe tags. He was shooting the 140 AB (he couldn't get the ABLR to shoot) and I was shooting the 143 ELDX (these were rejects) ranges were between 150 and 500 yards. My load was running 2846 fps and he was running his at 2595 fps. Both 6.5 creedmoor.

We would set together in a crop field and wait for enough to come out. Then we would take turns until they would go in (all shots were standing broadside). Then wait for the next batch to come out and do it all over until dark.
When the season was over he was able to get out more than I was and shoot 6 more than me. But the ones that I was there with the performance was the same. Same amount of exsits.
Our best day was 9

 

[Grey Goast]

I will always use Hornady bullets I'm not stuck with a large magnum rifle mentality some old dogs will never learn. but the true hunter uses everything to reach his goal in providing meat for his friends and family and doesn't make excuses he adapts and continues to learn, He becomes a better hunter and a little wiser. Some are quick to blame the bullet when it's the shooter or his reloading skills.

 

[birddog 68]

He was shooting the 140 AB (he couldn't get the ABLR to shoot) and I was shooting the 143 ELDX (these were rejects) ranges were between 150 and 500 yards. My load was running 2846 fps and he was running his at 2595 fps. Both 6.5 creedmoor.

performance was the same. Same amount of exsits.

Performance was the same BUT you were pushing the eldx 250 fps faster than the accubond. Curious if you slowed your load down to the 2600 fps range if you would have got pass through's?
I'm not knocking the eldx because I've read enough about them to know that they work.

 

[birddog 68]

Seating depth testing first with a middle load always produces the goods and it stays consistent across all testing.

After being taught to do the powder charge first many years ago I decided to do seating depth testing first after not being able to get the interbond to shoot. My results were eye opening and I now always do seating depth first.
Amazingly I have not only changed powder charge weight but actually used different powder and it still shot well after finding the depth it prefers!

 

[fruitnut]

Do the ELDX expand/perform similar to a Berger? I haven't shot them, but it sounds like a similar concept. Penetrate a little and then dump all the energy.

 

[VinceMule]

Bergers are money in the bank and simply eliminate a lot of issues.

I do shoot the 6.5 Caliber 129 and 142g LRAB, 7mm 175g LRAB, and 30 cal 168g LRAB. I sort all the bullets by ogive length, and found a great node with the bullet barely kissing the lands with all four of the above bullets. I could not get the 7mm 150g LRAB to shoot to my satisfaction in a 7 ReM mag.

I have had great luck over the years with most cup and core bullets on deer with a couple of exceptions, the 270 Win in 130g SST and the 308 Win in 150g SST. Now, going Heavy for Caliber with the SST has proven a wise theory.

I have killed a lot of white tails with the 7 Rem Mag with 140g Nosler ballistic tips fired at 3250 fps. In fact, I killed two bull elk with the old 140g Nosler ballistic tip. Only a fool does not pick his shot when shooting a ballistic tip of any brand.

With the bean counters running NON family owned businesses, Covid, labor shortages, the quality of bullets of any brand has suffered. One lot # of bullets can vary from another lot number, and some lot # give fits in trying to get to shoot well.

Bullets varying by over .020 over a box will be difficult to tune.

Heavy for caliber Bergers are money in the bank when it comes to saving you headaches in finding a load tune, and the issue becomes finding enough bullets of the same lot#. Going from one lot# to another Lot # can be a real pain in the *** as Ogive lengths can vary tremendously.

I learned to Hedge my Bets, If you like a particular bullet, it is prudent to buy 5-10 boxes at the same time, and hope that you get the same lot#. If your barrel does not like the bullet, sell them off.

I have often wondered if the guys setting up dies for the bullet making machines go out and smoke a joint on break. It is not hard to get a particular ogive length when setting up a point up die. The point is, the companies do not even try to achieve any kind of uniform ogive length from lot to lot. In fact, they may have multiple machines running the same bullet, with bullets from all machines mixed in the same Lot#.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Bergers are money in the bank and simply eliminate a lot of issues.

I do shoot the 6.5 Caliber 129 and 142g LRAB, 7mm 175g LRAB, and 30 cal 168g LRAB. I sort all the bullets by ogive length, and found a great node with the bullet barely kissing the lands with all four of the above bullets. I could not get the 7mm 150g LRAB to shoot to my satisfaction in a 7 ReM mag.

I have had great luck over the years with most cup and core bullets on deer with a couple of exceptions, the 270 Win in 130g SST and the 308 Win in 150g SST. Now, going Heavy for Caliber with the SST has proven a wise theory.

I have killed a lot of white tails with the 7 Rem Mag with 140g Nosler ballistic tips fired at 3250 fps. In fact, I killed two bull elk with the old 140g Nosler ballistic tip. Only a fool does not pick his shot when shooting a ballistic tip of any brand.

With the bean counters running NON family owned businesses, Covid, labor shortages, the quality of bullets of any brand has suffered. One lot # of bullets can vary from another lot number, and some lot # give fits in trying to get to shoot well.

Bullets varying by over .020 over a box will be difficult to tune.

Heavy for caliber Bergers are money in the bank when it comes to saving you headaches in finding a load tune, and the issue becomes finding enough bullets of the same lot#. Going from one lot# to another Lot # can be a real pain in the *** as Ogive lengths can vary tremendously.

I learned to Hedge my Bets, If you like a particular bullet, it is prudent to buy 5-10 boxes at the same time, and hope that you get the same lot#. If your barrel does not like the bullet, sell them off.

I have often wondered if the guys setting up dies for the bullet making machines go out and smoke a joint on break. It is not hard to get a particular ogive length when setting up a point up die. The point is, the companies do not even try to achieve any kind of uniform ogive length from lot to lot. In fact, they may have multiple machines running the same bullet, with bullets from all machines mixed in the same Lot#.

Interesting on what you have to say about the bullets. I haven't any real problems in getting my rifles to group. I hadn't in the pass worry able setting depth either. When I diid, I noted a change in grouping. I had always figured it was in component, like powder charges and setting of primers, case weight, and cutting of the neck to a set thickness. Used a standard set of RCBS die to reload with. I had changed to Nosler B.T. and AB bullets. Found they seem to work the best and very little bloodshot area too. I have looked over the years at different animal that have been shot. Ask what type of bullets they were using. I'll stay with the Noslers BT and AB. Bloodshot count real big in my figuring on what bullets I am going to use. I have placed bullet in all type of direction into an aminal. Nosler takes the cake.
Different now with the bushing dies, and setting neck tension. There a lot of other steps I have set up to reload with now. Almost a complete change in reloading equipment now. I ve been without a place to reload for well over a year now. Just about to complete a reloading shack at my sons home. We got ran out of his spot to reload at. His wife took it over as a office for her. That's find, I got stop until I could figure out what to do. Now almost complete, and I can or able to pick up and transport it if needed. I am part owner in 2 recycling business now. Lots of Heavy equipment to move things around, including a lowboy. So I can move wherever.
Going back to MT in a week or so, and be there until Feb-25. .