Why avoid Hornady DG bullets and ammunition?

[AB2506]

I have asked Hornady employees at the Hornady booth at DSC what "Interlock" means a few years ago. They said it was proprietary, but explained it as "bonded"! (using that specific word) I will take it, that is what they meant.

If that is what they represented, they are wrong. Interlock is a mechanical attempt to secure the base of the jacket to the lead core. Bonding is a chemical process.

 

[AB2506]

What I don't understand is why anyone would have a conversation regarding the use of any Hornady product. There are several products on the market that have proven positive results including A Frames, North Forks and AccuBond to name just a few.

Hornady refuses to accept and/or admit that it has a serious problem with one of their products, a product that people rely on to protect them from dangerous animals. If they refuse to acknowledge such a serious problem, what leaves you to believe that quality control is at the forefront of their other products.

Today, we have the luxury of choosing from an array of quality bullets and hunting products. I personally will not experiment with questionable products when there are so many products on the market with proven track records. Engaging in a conversation regarding the use of Hornady products is something I personally won't waste any time on debating. My time can be better spent on discussing the merits of wearing multi-colored socks.

Because Hornady makes bullets like the Vmax and Amax, that when used as intended work very well.
Would I use a DGX or DGS is I ever won the lottery and hunted dangerous game? No way! Not when I could use a Barnes TSX or Solid or a Swift AFrame. Maybe Woodleighs or Northforks. The current Hornady dangerous game bullets are so far down the list, it isn't even funny.

On another note, we all owe Hornady a vote of thanks for their innovations like the 204 Ruger, 375 Ruger, 416 Ruger and loading for many of the old dangerous game cartridges that on could not easily find ammo for. Too bad their DG bullets aren't up to the task.

ABTW, you guys who don't handload, find someone who does, or hire one of the many custom loaders to load you ammo, with the best bullets for your needs, for you. No excuse not too.

 

[AB2506]

Accubonds are without question the most frangible of the bonded bullets and are often called Accubombs. They do have a reputation for extreme accuracy though, something not typically associated with bonded bullets. They do have a reputation for bang flop kills as well. Something often associated with more flangiblre bullets with well placed shots of course. That one actually has that classic mushroom shape that so many desire. Many I've recovered haven't but when placed well they kill

Interbonds have a reputation as being more frangible than the Accubonds. Neither a good thing or necessarily a bad thing. Just saying.

I believe some writers claim the Accubond is the modern Partition. I don't really care as I haven't been impressed with the Partitions (.270-150 gr vs broadside WT buck).

I have become a Barnes user (TSX, TTSX, LRX). Equal or better penetration than the Partition without the bloodshot meat of a lead core bullet.

One last thing. Some of the early "premium" bullets, Partition, Grand Slam etc, did not radically retain weight more than common cup and core bullets. IIRC, the Partition was considered a success if it retained between 60-75% of the weight. The Speer BT I used at the time retained 50-65% of it's weight.

Doesn't mean I didn't use the GS in my 25-06. I wasn't to shoot a deer any which way it stood (if I thought I could kill it cleanly).

A Barnes does bloodshoot an animal way less than a lead bullet, everything being equal.

 

[cagkt3]

ABTW, you guys who don't handload, find someone who does, or hire one of the many custom loaders to load you ammo, with the best bullets for your needs, for you. No excuse not too.

For large caliber/DG ammo perhaps, but I would argue there are plenty of factory loads for smaller caliber/PG/North American game that would cost half as much and perform well enough. To be honest, I've taken all my whitetail deer with plain old Remington CoreLokt at $16-18/box. Wouldn't use that on larger antelope species necessarily, but there's plenty of factory ammo loaded with A-Frames, Partitions, TTSX etc.

 

[AB2506]

Sorry Dan, gonna have to add a bit to this...
I'm sure they are financially successful, but why keep up the false advertising and ticking hunters off by dismissing any and all claims against their product, when they have the technology in the smaller calibers to potentially develop a much better product in the DG calibers?

Why do some auto makers keep making vehicles with bad transmissions? It must be cheaper to do warranty repairs than to design a better transmission.

What we need is for another manufacturer, Federal, maybe, to load for the DG calibers that Hornady does.

It was likely competition that forced the big 3 automakers to improve their product, and it will likely take that for Hornady to design or load a better DG bullet.

 

[Uncompahgre]

There seems to be a general consensus that the DGX Interlock design is a poor soft point bullet (I agree) and that the DGS is a poor solid design. All kidding aside would it be fair to ask if the DGS would be better used as a soft point? At least in this application it should have about the same weight retention and penetration that one would see with an A-Frame or a TSX. The only thing I could see wrong with this application would be bullet expansion? What say the experts?

 

[gizmo]

There seems to be a general consensus that the DGX Interlock design is a poor soft point bullet (I agree) and that the DGS is a poor solid design. All kidding aside would it be fair to ask if the DGS would be better used as a soft point? At least in this application it should have about the same weight retention and penetration that one would see with an A-Frame or a TSX. The only thing I could see wrong with this application would be bullet expansion? What say the experts?

I wouldn't just because if one got a hold of the 1 or so out of a box that actually works as advertised it may cause a big problem. I.E. one with tooth, claws, and a really bad attitude

 

[mdwest]

These bullets weren't recovered from DG and arent from a big bore.... they are 168gr TTSX fired from a .308 at distances of 100+ yards at zebra and wildebeest respectively...

but they are representative of TTSX performance.. from animals harvested by @Huntress in Heels , and a testimony as to why I am a recently converted barnes guy (used to think any "quality" bonded bullet would work.. and have shot/used a pretty wide variety of them)..

When I go after Cape Buff in 2019.. Ill have 300gr barnes TSX loaded..

 

[TTundra]

What I don't understand is why anyone would have a conversation regarding the use of any Hornady product. There are several products on the market that have proven positive results including A Frames, North Forks and AccuBond to name just a few.

Hornady refuses to accept and/or admit that it has a serious problem with one of their products, a product that people rely on to protect them from dangerous animals. If they refuse to acknowledge such a serious problem, what leaves you to believe that quality control is at the forefront of their other products.

Passing judgement on an entire company based on a few products seems rather ignorant. Hornady does make some decent, good, and even very good products across their categories. I use a number of their reloading products as well as some varying bullet types as well as brass.


Frankly, even their DGS and DGX has its merits. I use it to practice and help break in a new rifle. For as cheap as it is, its great to shoot and work on the muscle memory of a new big bore rifle and then reload the brass. I recently used some of the 416 Rigby DG ammo on a CZ550. I think I paid $80/box....it was too cheap to pass up and served its purpose very well as the magnum actions require so much practice thru the bolt cycle added to snap cap practice.

Add to the new offerings such as the 375 & 416 Ruger, Hornady does great in some areas and just needs help (some areas lots) in others.

 

[Velo Dog]

Passing judgement on an entire company based on a few products seems rather ignorant. Hornady does make some decent, good, and even very good products across their categories. I use a number of their reloading products as well as some varying bullet types as well as brass.


Frankly, even their DGS and DGX has its merits. I use it to practice and help break in a new rifle. For as cheap as it is, its great to shoot and work on the muscle memory of a new big bore rifle and then reload the brass. I recently used some of the 416 Rigby DG ammo on a CZ550. I think I paid $80/box....it was too cheap to pass up and served its purpose very well as the magnum actions require so much practice thru the bolt cycle added to snap cap practice.

Add to the new offerings such as the 375 & 416 Ruger, Hornady does great in some areas and just needs help (some areas lots) in others.

+1

 

[cagkt3]

Passing judgement on an entire company based on a few products seems rather ignorant. Hornady does make some decent, good, and even very good products across their categories. I use a number of their reloading products as well as some varying bullet types as well as brass.


Frankly, even their DGS and DGX has its merits. I use it to practice and help break in a new rifle. For as cheap as it is, its great to shoot and work on the muscle memory of a new big bore rifle and then reload the brass. I recently used some of the 416 Rigby DG ammo on a CZ550. I think I paid $80/box....it was too cheap to pass up and served its purpose very well as the magnum actions require so much practice thru the bolt cycle added to snap cap practice.

Add to the new offerings such as the 375 & 416 Ruger, Hornady does great in some areas and just needs help (some areas lots) in others.

+2

I love several Hornady products - my 6.5 Creedmoor eats the 143gr ELD-X and loves it. I even have a little 17 HMR with some of the V-Max that I love to shoot varmints with.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Add to the new offerings such as the 375 & 416 Ruger, Hornady does great in some areas and just needs help (some areas lots) in others.

I agree with your post as a whole. However, Hornady and especially their leader Steve, needs to first accept, privately if not publically, that their DG bullets need to be rethought. I'm not so sure about that happening. Perhaps only when sales drop off enough will it.

 

[TTundra]

I agree with your post as a whole. However, Hornady and especially their leader Steve, needs to first accept, privately if not publically, that their DG bullets need to be rethought. I'm not so sure about that happening. Perhaps only when sales drop off enough will it.

I would bet that it will only happen when sales are almost all but gone on the DG side. Quite frankly, they could be welcoming a good amount of business from the DG community if they improved quality and performance and kept the prices down.

 

[mdwest]

the previous post should say "WEREN'T".. not "we're".... damn you autocorrect!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

the previous post should say "WEREN'T".. not "we're".... damn you autocorrect!

I changed to "weren't" in your post above.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I would bet that it will only happen when sales are almost all but gone on the DG side. Quite frankly, they could be welcoming a good amount of business from the DG community if they improved quality and performance and kept the prices down.

I'm truly not sure how you keep the prices down on a top of the line quality DG ammo line. The volumes just aren't there in comparison to your typical deer sized ammo. Between low volume, higher material cost and the overall risk that an ammunition company takes, you have to expect to pay to play.

If you really want to save money on DG ammo, loading your own is the best way to go.

 

[TTundra]

I would bet that it will only happen when sales are almost all but gone on the DG side. Quite frankly, they could be welcoming a good amount of business from the DG community if they improved quality and performance and kept the prices down.

I'm truly not sure how you keep the prices down on a top of the line quality DG ammo line. The volumes just aren't there in comparison to your typical deer sized ammo. Between low volume, higher material cost and the overall risk that an ammunition company takes, you have to expect to pay to play.

If you really want to save money on DG ammo, loading your own is the best way to go.

That's what that "if" up above is for

 

[Royal27]

I agree with your post as a whole. However, Hornady and especially their leader Steve, needs to first accept, privately if not publically, that their DG bullets need to be rethought. I'm not so sure about that happening. Perhaps only when sales drop off enough will it.

Problem is.... it's so cheap in the big bores that people who don't reload will buy it all day long as practice ammo. PRVI is the only thing I know of that's consistently cheaper. I've still got some in my closet...

Point being, if it will take sales dropping off to almost zero in order to get Hornady to rethink then there is likely a very long wait.

 

[1dirthawker]

tundra is right,

hornady has done a lot to resurrect ammo for calibers that are not common in the good ol USA. many rifles are regulated to their ammo. i just wish that they would give a hard look at the comment from guys in the field that use it, and improve their product. truth is, with good bullets they could really have a lions share of this market.

 

[Philip Glass]

Wow, Thank you all, especially thanks for the link to that thread. While I have also had good results with the solids, I had planned to follow up with or try the DGX but the thread linked above with pics have convinced me. The 416 Ruger stays home when it's DG time, ol' faithfuls will be coming with me. Really appreciate having this forum.

I have my .416 Ruger loads made by Safari Arms in NY. The 400gr Barnes TSX and Northfork solids. They are more accurate than factory Hornady by a country mile for starters. I took both buffalo and elephant and was pleased with results. I also took a hippo and red lechwe as well. You should have seen that frontal shot on the lechwe, he just went straight down.
Regards,
Philip
P.S. don't leave the Ruger at home!