Hornady DGX un-bonded on deer?

[Badboymelvin]

Hey guys,

I've read enough horror stories on the Hornady DGX un-bonded projectiles to know that they weren't the best choice for DG... but how do they perform on big deer/ elk?

The rifle l'm referring to is a 425 Express shooting a .423" 400gn @2300fps

When I was working up loads for my 425 and I was looking for projectiles (there was no Woodleigh's at this time), l came across a packet of Hornady DGX on a dusty shelf so l snapped them up!
But in my eagerness buying them l thought they were the bonded ones...

So l loaded up 50 rounds, fired a few through the chronograph and a few more sighting it in before l discovered the Australian made 360gn Atomic 29 all-copper projectiles.
Funnily enough, these 2 totally different projectiles fired to the same POI - so the Atomic's are what l'll be using for hunting now.

BUT! I still have 35 loaded DGX rounds that are sighted in and l need to use up...
It would be a pity to waste them and I'm thinking surely they would work on Sambar deer....?
But I don't know as I've had no experience with them...

So for people who DO know, how would my 425 Express go loaded up with the non-bonded DGX on a 200-300kg deer?

Cheers,

Russ

 

[AimSmall]

500 grain non-bonded DGX into wet clay weighed 385-410 grains after recovery. I'd say use them on deer.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I can’t see any reason it won’t work. It will probably work better on deer.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

It will work well. Just make sure to avoid hitting the scapula/shoulder bone of those heavy Australian Sambar stags.

 

[dchum]

It will work well. Just make sure to avoid hitting the scapula/shoulder bone of those heavy Australian Sambar stags.

It’s 400 grains of lead! I think he does not need to worry!

 

[ChrisG]

I would guess they will blow most of the way through a sambar from just about any angle. If American elk are any metric to go by (they weigh between 500-700lbs on the hoof. And we hunt those with cup 'n core 180 grain 30-06s. You'll be good! What happened to your .458 by the way?

 

[Hillbilly Marine]

My .416 Rigby with the old non-bonded DGX work great from any angle on whitetail. The largest deer I shot with them was a complete passthrough from rear to front with a very little expansion but a dramatically dropped deer. The Bonded DGX act like a solid on a deer.