Swift A-Frame & Trophy Bonded Bearclaw Performance

[WAB]

Just back from a month in Africa. I thought I’d share some recovered bullets.

Right: 7 mm, 175 gr Swift A-Frame recovered from a Nyala. 2300 fps muzzle velocity (7x57), 180 yd shot, 1 shot kill, recovered weight 168 gr (96%)

Center: 9.3 mm, 286 gr swift A-Frame recovered from a Cape buffalo. 2450 fps muzzle velocity (9.3x62), 50 yd shot, 1 shot kill, recovered weight 275 gr (96%)

Left: .45, 500 gr trophy bonded bear claw recovered from a Cape buffalo. 2300 fps muzzle velocity (.458 Lott), 100 yd shot, 1 shot kill, recovered weight 470 gr (94%)

In my opinion this level of performance is as good as it gets. Not to mention that each of these loads shoot sub moa. You know that you can put the bullet where it needs to go and trust that it will do it’s job when it gets there.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Pretty much perfect performance it would appear. I'm impressed the 7mm opened as much as it did, the impact velocity I'm guessing was sub 2000 fps.

 

[meigsbucks]

You can’t ask for better bullet performance, especially the 7mm.

 

[tarbe]

All three are textbook!

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Are Trophy Bonded solids fmj or monolithic ?

 

[WAB]

Are Trophy Bonded solids fmj or monolithic ?

They’re softs, and as far as I know are only available in Federal factory loads. The Lott is the only caliber I don’t load for. The 9.3x62 and 7x57 are handloads.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

They’re softs, and as far as I know are only available in Federal factory loads. The Lott is the only caliber I don’t load for. The 9.3x62 and 7x57 are handloads.

Thanks , man .Does Federal still manufacture the .375 HH Magnum and .458 Win Mag sledgehammer solids ?

 

[WAB]

Thanks , man .Does Federal still manufacture the .375 HH Magnum and .458 Win Mag sledgehammer solids ?

Sorry Hoss, I’m no help
on that one. Perhaps someone else knows.

 

[Royal27]

@WAB ,

What happened?

Did the airlines lose your Hornady ammo and that crap was all you could find?

 

[WAB]

You’re cracking me up Royal. I suspect you’re a closet DGX user. We may have to inspect your ammo locker...

 

[tarbe]

Thanks , man .Does Federal still manufacture the .375 HH Magnum and .458 Win Mag sledgehammer solids ?

https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle/premium-safari/

Listed, but "currently unavailable". But is says that for all the selections!

 

[Ridgewalker]

MidawyUSA shows TBBC on their website, but they have yet to get any in stock. It makes me wonder if there’s some serious manufacturing issues.
So sad to see NorthFork go away. They were very expensive, but of the same design concept.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle/premium-safari/

Listed, but "currently unavailable". But is says that for all the selections!

Thanks bro I am getting worried now. However , it may be a blessing in Disguise. I hear that the only good ones were the ones made during Jack Carter's era . Apparently new ones have been distorting A LOT

 

[Hoss Delgado]

MidawyUSA shows TBBC on their website, but they have yet to get any in stock. It makes me wonder if there’s some serious manufacturing issues.
So sad to see NorthFork go away. They were very expensive, but of the same design concept.

Currently it would appear to me that in regards to Solids , the monolithic meplat brass Solids have ALMOST completely ousted the full metal jacket design which l grew up with
Now , it appears to me that we only have Hornady ( yuck ! ) And Kynoch and Norma ( the latter two use Woodleigh bullets ) . So depressing.
I love Monolithics but l never wanted the fmj to go obsolete !

 

[Ridgewalker]

Just checked out https://www.northforkbullets.com/magento/products?p=4 . They still have a lot of bullets left in several calibers particularly .366 and .423 (9.3mm & .404). No .375 of any weights or construction I could find.
Also good pricing compared to their original prices.
I also believe the South Africa Rhino brand is constructed the same, but they aren’t available in the US.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Just checked out https://www.northforkbullets.com/magento/products?p=4 . They still have a lot of bullets left in several calibers particularly .366 and .423 (9.3mm & .404). No .375 of any weights or construction I could find.
Also good pricing compared to their original prices.
I also believe the South Africa Rhino brand is constructed the same, but they aren’t available in the US.

But Ridgewalker , doesn't Rhino only make homogeneous bullets ?

 

[Ridgewalker]

http://rhinobullets.co.za/

They claim “solid shank, core bonded”. That tells me they are constructed similar to TBBC and NorthFork.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

http://rhinobullets.co.za/

They claim “solid shank, core bonded”. That tells me they are constructed similar to TBBC and NorthFork.

But these are " designed to form 4 mushroom petals ". Not a real solid FMJ

 

[IvW]

Rhino Solids

• Specifically designed for big dangerous game. Often used by professional hunting guides in their backup guns to eliminate threats from poorly placed shot by their clients.
  
  
• Made up of 95% brass and 5% lead. The lead acts as a lubricant and pressure rings are added to the bullet to lower the pressure in the barrel.
  
  
• Made for extreme penetration through the toughest skinned animals on the planet
  
  
• This bullet will not even mushroom or deform

The Rhino Penetrator

• Designed for hunting and target shooting.
  
  
• Made from pure copper with no lead
  
  
• Specifically designed to form a smaller mushroom which produces a smaller wound channel.
  
  
• The smaller wound channel allows for deeper penetrations and minimal meat damage.

The Solid Shank

• Specifically designed for hunting.
• Made up of a copper jacket with lead core. The lead is bonded to the copper jacket and the bottom half of the bullet is solid copper.
• Strategically designed to form four mushroom petals that produce a large but controlled wound channel.
• This bullet deeply penetrations game whilst leaving a good wound channel behind therefore maximizing kill efficiency.

Penetrator left and Solid shank right

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Rhino Solids

• Specifically designed for big dangerous game. Often used by professional hunting guides in their backup guns to eliminate threats from poorly placed shot by their clients.
  
  
• Made up of 95% brass and 5% lead. The lead acts as a lubricant and pressure rings are added to the bullet to lower the pressure in the barrel.
  
  
• Made for extreme penetration through the toughest skinned animals on the planet
  
  
• This bullet will not even mushroom or deform

The Rhino Penetrator

• Designed for hunting and target shooting.
  
  
• Made from pure copper with no lead
  
  
• Specifically designed to form a smaller mushroom which produces a smaller wound channel.
  
  
• The smaller wound channel allows for deeper penetrations and minimal meat damage.

The Solid Shank

• Specifically designed for hunting.
• Made up of a copper jacket with lead core. The lead is bonded to the copper jacket and the bottom half of the bullet is solid copper.
• Strategically designed to form four mushroom petals that produce a large but controlled wound channel.
• This bullet deeply penetrations game whilst leaving a good wound channel behind therefore maximizing kill efficiency.

Penetrator left and Solid shank right

Ha ! See , I knew the Rhino Solid Shanks were designed to Mushroom , Ridgewalker !
I currently use Cutting Edge 300 grain Monolithic meplat brass Solids and Nosler Monolithic meplat brass Solids ( also 300 grain ) .
Someday , l would love to try Rhino Monolithic solids . But l don't see a retailer in the States Maybe , l can buy some when l go to Africa next year .