Which Type of Hunting Bullet is Right for You?

The varieties of hunting-appropriate bullets on the market can be broken into four, high-level categories: cup-and-core, bonded, partitioned, and monolithic. Here’s a basic overview of each type, and why each one might be right for you.

Cup-and-core: The Traditional Hunting Bullet.

Cup-and-core bullets are likely the most popular of all bullet types. Their production is a simplified process in bullet manufacturing, done by inserting a pure lead core into a copper alloy “cup” that is eventually shaped to the bullet’s profile.

Designs vary from classic exposed lead round nose with flat bases, to high-BC match-profile types fitted with modern polymer tips. Often, they’re extremely forgiving, generally produce excellent accuracy, and for many big-game hunting applications, work admirably.

Notable examples: Winchester^® Power-Point, Federal^® Power-Shok, Hornady^® ELD.

Bonded: Heavy Hitters.

An advancement over the cup-and-core design, bonded bullets improve weight retention upon impact, maintaining shape and integrity during penetration, allowing the projectile to overcome dense bone and tissue with lower failure potential.

Bonded bullet production utilizes a lead-alloy core chemically bonded to a copper alloy jacket, or an advanced plating process to “build” a jacket around a lead alloy core.

Notable examples: Nosler^® Accubond, Swift^® Scirocco^®, Federal^® Fusion Tipped.

Partitioned: Built to Drop Tougher Game.

Partitioned bullets will incorporate a partition of copper alloy through the bullet, effectively walling off the “nose” and the base into two separate portions of the projectile. In some designs, the “nose” portion of the projectile also incorporates bonding technology to further increase integrity.

The idea behind the design was to again improve upon the cup-and-core, elevating the weight retention, penetration, and integrity of the projectile post-impact. While less common than cup-and-core or bonded designs, the partitioned examples are still very relevant for hunters looking for a high-integrity solution for larger, tougher game

Notable examples: Nosler^® Partition^®, Swift^® A-Frame^®.

Monolithic: Maximum Stopping Power.

Monolithic projectiles will typically utilize either pure copper, or a copper alloy to create a single-material projectile, with specifically engineered cavities in the “nose” to facilitate expansion or intentional “fracturing” during impact. Because they’re formed from copper and not lead, you’ll frequently hear these bullets called “non-toxic.”

Some of these projectiles will have a simple hollow meplat, and others a modern polymer tip. Typically, monolithic projectiles will yield the highest weight retention, and deepest penetration of any of the other conventional designs.

Notable examples: Barnes^® TTSX, Hornady^® CX, Hammer HHT^™.

Want an even deeper dive into bullet construction? Check out this podcast, “Bullet Construction Breakdown.” Looking for more on the science behind ballistics, and how bullet design drops big game? Tune in to this podcast, “Terminal Ballistics on Game with Hornady^®.”

See the full Vortex^® Cartridge Talks playlist to learn more.

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