trophy bonded bearclaw

Greasemonkey · #1 10-09-2009, 10:02 PM

can anyone tell me why federal quit using trophy bonded bearclaws and started using these stupid accu bonds which are like a hollow point because they explode upon impact and cause so much damage to the animal. i really liked tbbc and now the only way to get them is to reload them, which lately i dont have the time for unless one of you guys know of some secret store that still sells them?

shooter · #2 10-09-2009, 10:13 PM

not sure of any stores, but why not switch over to the Barnes Triple Shock. Great bullet for penetration and yet not too bad of a hole left behind with next to no major meat loss. 100% lead free!

CaberTosser · #3 10-10-2009, 08:13 AM

If Federal did quit making Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, it was only short term. They've got them out, as well as these ones that are slightly different in that they now have a polymer tip, like your dreaded Accubonds. I'd read a magazine article on them a year ago and saw them on the shelf at Wholesale Sports this week. The tipped variety look to have some plating on them, the whole cartridge, both case and projectile are nickle plated or at least something silver on the bullet itself. Heck.... I just went to their site and they've got both the regular Trophy Bonded Bear Claw and the Trophy Bonded Tip listed for .300 Win Mag. Looks like they chamber it in calibres suitable for dangerous game: 7mm Rem Mag and up.

Rockymtnx · #4 10-10-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grease monkey

can anyone tell me why federal quit using trophy bonded bearclaws and started using these stupid accu bonds which are like a hollow point because they explode upon impact and cause so much damage to the animal. i really liked tbbc and now the only way to get them is to reload them, which lately i dont have the time for unless one of you guys know of some secret store that still sells them?

Just checked out Federal's website. They still list it being loaded in many calibres.
?????

joeti7 · #5 10-10-2009, 02:35 PM

I cant seem to find them either, been told by numerous store owners that they can't get them in anymore either.

They better not be pulling my chain.

Silverado · #6 10-10-2009, 03:18 PM

I suspect many stores won't stock them, as many hunters won't pay for them.

#7 10-12-2009, 09:48 PM

Quote:

I suspect many stores won't stock them, as many hunters won't pay for them.

Same price as any other premium load from Federal.

They are being replaced by the Trophy Bonded Tip. Not sure why but I suspect it's because the new bullet is their own. I've shot it a fair bit and it offers superior accuracy and BC from what I've seen but I haven't killed enough with it to say what it performs like. I loved the TBBC but this new bullet looks good too.

elkhunter11 · #8 10-12-2009, 09:53 PM

The original Trophy Bonded Bear Claw,pioneered by Jack Carter,and later sold to Speer,didn't have a very high B.C. so it was redesigned with a synthetic tip and a boat tail to increase the B.C.It still has a solid shank and bonded core just like the original Bear Claw.

#9 10-12-2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The original Trophy Bonded Bear Claw,pioneered by Jack Carter,and later sold to Speer,didn't have a very high B.C. so it was redesigned with a synthetic tip and a boat tail to increase the B.C.It still has a solid shank and bonded core just like the original Bear Claw.

Not sure I'd call it a redesigned TBBC. I know there is some marketing hype to that effect but it truly is a different bullet...one that Federal holds the distribution rights to.

elkhunter11 · #10 10-12-2009, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Not sure I'd call it a redesigned TBBC.

Take the original TBBC,add a plastic tip,and a boattail and you have the new bullet.The success of the original TBBC is basically due to the solid shank and bonded core,and those remain virtually unchanged.

It's not that much different than adding a plastic tip to the TSX and calling it the TTSX.

#11 10-12-2009, 10:18 PM

Quote:

It's not that much different than adding a plastic tip to the TSX and calling it the TTSX.

LOL..well quite a bit actually. The Trophy Bonded Tip is a completely different bullet style... a boattail and bonded cores are hardly unique to the TBBC. Definitely symantics either way but I suspect it had more to do with proprietary ownership than actually improving/redesigning the TBBC.

elkhunter11 · #12 10-12-2009, 10:26 PM

Quote:

a boattail and bonded cores are hardly unique to the TBBC.

So how many other bullets do you know of that have a solid copper shank,with a bonded lead core in front?

#13 10-12-2009, 10:47 PM

The TBBC vand TBT definitely have a longer copper shank than most. Definitely lots of similarities but many differences too....including proprietary ownership.

elkhunter11 · #14 10-12-2009, 10:52 PM

I asked.

Quote:

So how many other bullets do you know of that have a solid copper shank,with a bonded lead core in front?

Your reply.

Quote:

The TBBC vand TBT definitely have a longer copper shank than most. Definitely lots of similarities but many differences too....including proprietary ownership.

In other words NONE.

That would make the solid copper shank with a bonded lead core in front unique wouldn't it?

#15 10-12-2009, 10:56 PM

How long does a shank have to be? The answer could be several but North Fork makes one very similar to the TBBC and I'm sure there are others.

elkhunter11 · #16 10-12-2009, 11:02 PM

The North FORK is as close as there is,but they don't use the same shank to core ratio,and they use a ribbed shank unlike the TBBC.

#17 10-12-2009, 11:05 PM

Unique implies there are no others like it....the North Fork has an equally long solid copper shank with bonded lead core.

#18 10-12-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The North FORK is as close as there is,but they don't use the same shank to core ratio,and they use a ribbed shank unlike the TBBC.

LOL...good edit.....

Never said they were identical...just that they were a bonded core bullet with a solid copper shank. Isn't that where this began....

As I said, it mostly symantics but from what I understand, the TBT was more about profit than improving the TBBC.

elkhunter11 · #19 10-12-2009, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Unique implies there are no others like it....the North Fork has an equally long solid copper shank with bonded lead core.

The North Fork also has a grooved shank,unlike the TBBC.The TBBC is therefore unique,just like the NorthFork is

Quote:

As I said, it mostly symantics but from what I understand, the TBT was more about profit than improving the TBBC.

A bullet with the same basic features,but with a higher B.C. would improve sales,which would improve profit.

#20 10-12-2009, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The North Fork also has a grooved shank,unlike the TBBC.The TBBC is therefore unique,just like the NorthFork is

You said...

Quote:

So how many other bullets do you know of that have a solid copper shank,with a bonded lead core in front?

I said the North Fork......

It does have a solid copper shank,with a bonded lead core in front! Let's end it there.

Quote:

A bullet with the same basic features,but with a higher B.C. would improve sales,which would improve profit.

I think the fact that it's a Federal proprietary bullet and not a Speer bullet would have more to do with the profit margin.....

elkhunter11 · #21 10-12-2009, 11:21 PM

Quote:

I said the North Fork...... It does have a solid copper shank,with a bonded lead core in front! Let's end it there

So you contend that a grooved shank is not enough to make a bullet unique,but a plastic point and boattail added to an otherwise unchanged bullet makes for an entirely different bullet?

Quote:

I think the fact that it's a Federal proprietary bullet and not a Speer bullet would have more to do with the profit margin.....

If you can't sell it,you don't make a profit.If the stores don't carry it,as is being reported here,profits will be small.
I personally would never have bought the TBBC with the TSX and TTSX available,but I might consider the TBT.

PoppaW · #22 10-13-2009, 05:12 AM

The jacket material was also changed and reports are that the old bullets were better for dangerous game. That in itself makes it a new bullet. A bad bullet. The north fork has a stellar reputation but recently changed hands too so time will tell.

elkhunter11 · #23 10-13-2009, 06:01 AM

Quote:

The north fork has a stellar reputation but recently changed hands too so time will tell.

Perhaps if the owners of North Fork had improved the B.C.,they might have sold a lot more of them?Myself and others would not try them because of the poor B.C.

#24 10-13-2009, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Perhaps if the owners of North Fork had improved the B.C.,they might have sold a lot more of them?Myself and others would not try them because of the poor B.C.

You do a lot of extreme range shooting elk?

I'm not sure how an improved BC would help North Fork sales. They are sold on their terminal performance not on their long-range abilities. BC is but one small component of what makes a bullet desireable. What happens when it strikes flesh and bone is far more important.

If BC is the be all and end all as you proclaim it to be, why on earth are you shooting the TSX?

elkhunter11 · #25 10-13-2009, 08:31 PM

Quote:

You do a lot of extreme range shooting elk?

It depends on your definition of long range.I will shoot out to 500 yards under the right conditions,and at distances as close as 300 yards,a higher B.C. is certainly desirable,especially when it comes to reducing wind drift.

Quote:

I'm not sure how an improved BC would help North Fork sales. They are sold on their terminal performance not on their long-range abilities. BC is but one small component of what makes a bullet desireable. What happens when it strikes flesh and bone is far more important.

Contrary to what you might think,it is entirely possible to have a decent B.C.,and have very good performance on game.Why would you not want to have both,since it very possible to do so?

Quote:

If BC is the be all and end all as you proclaim it to be, why on earth are you shooting the TSX?

Would you kindly point out where I proclaimed that B.C. was the be all and end all of hunting bullets?What I did suggest was that improving the B.C. of a bullet that offers very good on game performance would attract even more buyers.As for the TTSX that I am using,it offers very good on game performance with a much higher B.C. than a Northfork.

#26 10-13-2009, 08:39 PM

Quote:

As for the TTSX that I am using,it offers very good on game performance with a much higher B.C. than a Northfork.

Seems to me the E-Tip would be a far better choice based on that criteria.

elkhunter11 · #27 10-13-2009, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Seems to me the E-Tip would be a far better choice based on that criteria.

It very well might be,except for two factors.The first factor being that it is very new,and availability is spotty at best in some calibers and bullet weights.More importantly,it is not offered in the bullet weights that I choose to shoot.If a company doesn't make a bullet weight that interests me,I am not going to change bullet weights just to try their product.
I do certainly intend to try the new Hornady GMX when it becomes readily available.

hoserheim · #28 10-21-2009, 10:30 PM

What's the skinny on the Hornady GMX, also when and where will it be available?

Cal · #29 10-21-2009, 11:25 PM

From the reports I read it needs more velocity to open up than the barnes does. Not that you should listen to my opinion on premium bullets since I still havnt found a need for them.