RE: Bonded or not??
 

and here is what a bonded 250 grain SW looks like at 50 yards on a cow elk...

RE: Bonded or not??
 

I really like the old reliable Barnes Expanders for 150 yards or less. For longer distances, the Knight TMZ polymer-tips are supposedly very good also.

RE: Bonded or not??
 

Excellent advice, however if you use the Knight TMZ (I think it is the Untimate Slam bullet I think), you gotta buy it early, because they don't make a run of the bullets for Knight every month. Best to use a Barnes TMZ, I know the Knights are cheaper by a couple of bucks, but if they shoot well in your gun, buy 3 or 4 packages for the hunting season. Chap Gleason

RE: Bonded or not??
 

Bonded and regular 250 Shockwaves shot into the same hole with my Omega... here is a bonded 250 that was shot into the shoulder of a buck at 57 yards. The Shockwave was found under the skin on the off side... the load was 100 grains of 777 3f.

RE: Bonded or not??
 

The bonded SW shoot into the same hole as the regular SW in all three of my guns also.

RE: Bonded or not??
 

I agree with lemoyne, mine shoot the same bonded or not in 250 gr. I am also surprised your bullets are exploding like that. I get pass thrus all the time and the deer fall dead right where they are shot. I see in Chaps post he is shooting a Savage with smokeless on these bullets. I think they are being pushed too hard with that smokepole. I would be curious to see what speeds he is getting to see if it is possible that the bullet is exploding due to the load of (44gr of smokeless?) I get consistent 1750 fps out of my Traditions Lighting Bolt and the bullets hold similar to the pictures of AZBear and flint head has posted. It may be all the tweaking we get invloved with on our loads. I use the sabots that come with both the bonded and unbonded and they work awesome. I use the bonded on hogs and the unbonded on deer and can't complain. Just my two cents.