Trophy Bonded Bear Claw Family

by
posted on April 6, 2010
201046125924-fed-new-trophy-bonded_f.jpg

In dangerous-game cartridges the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw has received all the updates of the Trophy Bonded Tip, except the tip and the boattail. The reason is because these big cartridges typically need all the magazine capacity they can get. A polymer tip (and, to a lesser extent, a boattail) creates a longer bullet. This will rob magazine capacity by making the cartridge longer or rob powder capacity because the bullet must be seated deeper. They are not needed with the big, dangerous-game cartridges, as they typically are not used at long range.

I tested the new version of the 300-grain TBBC in .375 H&H in Zimbabwe last year. I shot nine animals, including a leopard and a couple of tough zebras. This bullet worked extremely well. In fact, my professional hunter, a guy who is impressed by nothing and who believes that only solids should be used for hunting, raved about it. The penetration was amazing on zebra and kudu, yet the bullet expanded well on small animals like the impala and bushbuck. It killed the leopard so fast the PH insisted I missed, because he didn’t hear the death cough. He later told me that in more than 40 years of big-game hunting it was one of the most impressive leopard kills he has witnessed.

The traditional Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) is still loaded in several cartridges by Federal and is available for handloading. In my Mark Bansner custom Model 70 chambered for the wildcat .358-300 WSM, the 225-grain will shoot sub-MOA groups. My handloads push it at 2950 fps. The bullet has shot through both shoulders of a bull elk at 250 yards, yet it expands quickly enough to work well on antelope and whitetails.

Federal loads the Trophy Bonded bullets in factory rifle ammo. They also offer them as components for handloading.

Latest

Bears Ears National Monument Chestnutlede
Bears Ears National Monument Chestnutlede

NRA Protests Shooting Ban at Bears Ears National Monument

The National Rifle Association has joined a group of sportsman's organizations in filing a protest with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over the BLM’s final management plan curtailing sport shooting opportunities at Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) in Utah.

NRA Contributions Recognized by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) highlighted the aid it continues to receive from the NRA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Oklahoma Hunters and Anglers during an Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting on Dec. 2.

Cartridge Breakdown: 8.6 Blackout

I briefly covered the 8.6 Blackout in my last Alternative Ammo piece, in which I compared it to the .338 Federal. But because this is such a new, niche cartridge, my editor thought it also deserved a deep dive, so I’m here to provide an in-depth look at the new 8.6 BLK.

#SundayGunday: Maven RS.2 Riflescope

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re taking a look at the Maven RS.2 Ultralight riflescope, a 2-10x38mm, Second Focal Plane (SFP) riflescope perfect for the hunter looking to maximize performance out of a small, light package.

Taurus TH Series: .45 ACP vs. 10mm Auto

These sturdy hammer-fired, budget-friendly pistols pack plenty of punch in both calibers, and provide an excellent, consistent testbed to compare the attributes of .45 ACP and 10mm Auto.

State Game and Ag Agencies Monitoring for Avian Flu

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is asking waterfowl hunters and wildlife watchers heading to the field to keep an eye out for any sick or dead birds they find in the wild that may be the result of avian influenza. Meanwhile, the disease has been found in domestic flocks in neighboring Oklahoma.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.