Look at a line of defensive ammo like Federal HST (doesn’t matter which caliber) and take a look through the specifications.
You will see that these hollow point rounds are loaded with non-bonded bullets.
But what does this ultimately mean and how does it affect the ballistic performance and energy transfer capabilities of this ammo?
This short post will break down the details between bonded and non-bonded hollow points.
Bonded Hollow Points
Hollow point bullets, like the majority of bullets, consist of a bullet core (usually lead) and a jacket (usually a copper alloy).
When the bullet is bonded, that means the jacket is physically or chemically attached (that is, bonded) to the core.
There is more than one way to accomplish this; some methods are mechanical and others are chemical.
One of the most common ways to bond a bullet core to the jacket is by soldering it, which basically creates a fixed joint between the two components.
Another process used to bond the core to the jacket is electrochemical, whereas the jacket is applied as a plate that is physically integrated with or attached to the core.
Other processes may be more or less proprietary, in which public information is not as readily available.
Regardless of the process used, however, the basic effect of bonding a hollow point bullet core to the jacket is that the two components cannot be separated, or at least cannot be separated easily.
The main advantage of bonded bullets is that they retain weight better on impact. This means they tend to perform better when encountering interposing barriers, like glass, or on contact with a bone.
Also, bonded hollow point bullets tend to produce deeper wound channels than bullets that are non-bonded, because the core and jacket stay together on impact.
However, this isn’t just a blanket approval of bonded hollow point bullets; there are some instances in which non-bonded hollow point ammo, like Federal HST, actually performs better.
Non-Bonded Hollow Points
Now, let’s consider what non-bonded hollow point bullets are. Basically, in a nutshell, these are hollow point bullets in which no additional steps are taken to bond the core and jacket.
That is, the core and jacket are separate pieces that are free to come apart from each other.
While non-bonded hollow points don’t typically produce the same weight retention characteristics, they tend to expand much more violently on impact than their bonded counterparts.
As a result, non-bonded hollow point ammo tends to perform better on lighter, thin-skinned targets. It also means that in some situations non-bonded ammo is also preferable.
But it’s not just about this aspect of performance. Because there are no extra steps in the manufacturing process, non-bonded bullets are easier and therefore cheaper to manufacture, which makes them more affordable.
On top of that, the design complexity of non-bonded hollow points presents less room for aberrations, which means that in theory non-bonded hollow points might perform more consistently or be more accurate - although the latter case is rarely a concern at the ranges at which hollow points are customarily used.
Ultimately, though, this is not to suggest that non-bonded hollow points are unequivocally better than bonded hollow points. It just adds a layer of nuance into the decision making process based on the application to which the round will be put.
Other Concerns with Hollow Points
In addition to bonding, here are some other complications that hollow point ammo can sometimes experience:
- Plugging: Plugging with a hollow point round occurs when the round encounters an obstacle prior to the intended target. Typically, the obstacle must be soft and flexible, such as a fabric, which will tear away and fill up the hole in the nose of the bullet. When plugging occurs, the hollow point will not expand as consistently or reliably as intended, counteracting its energy transfer characteristics and harming its ability to incapacitate the intended target. Some ammo, like Federal HST, has been extensively tested against plugging and has been demonstrated to perform consistently, even when fired through an interposing barrier of fabric.
- Jamming: Many, but not all grades of hollow points, experience issues with jamming. This is because the ridge created around the rim of the depression in the nose of the bullet can have a habit of hanging up on anything that gets in the way - such as a magazine’s feed lips, the edge of a chamber, or even just on the feed ramp. This is something that must be tested individually, as some guns have issues with certain grades of ammo whereas others do not.
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