bonded vs non-bonded SD ammo

[8Cylinders]

I've done my homework and read numerous threads about bonded ammunition. Most of what I read was all opinion and speculation, and a little of it contained solid numbers and facts. The pictures were the best. We know a FMJ round puts a small hole in someone, leaving the potential for kinetic energy to leave the body. A JHP round will drop all of its kinetic energy inside a person and do more damage as it mushrooms. But from what I'm gathering from people, is that the bonded JHP seems to act as an in-between of these two rounds... Is this correct?


Anyway, I still have some questions. If I'm shooting 9mm bonded Winchester Ranger ammo (ZQ4364) do I have anything to worry about once that bullet enters a bad guy? Of course, no bullet is effective without proper placement. I guess what I'm asking is will a bonded FMJ have the same stopping power as a non-bonded FMJ?


Your opinions as well as personal experiences would be most helpful!

Thank you.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BlackJack]

Good questions. I would also like to see a definitive answer to this.

Based on what I have seen and heard the bonded JHP was developed to prevent jacket separation, which is not good for the performance of the round, and to help with barrier penetration. An unfortunate side effect of the bonding is that the round does not expand as well, or as reliably, as the non-bonded rounds.

Of course, this is just what I have heard and do not know how accurate it is.

[P95Carry]

No personal experiences at all but - I suspect a ''thru-and-thru'' might be more possible with a bonded if it holds together better - more perhaps like regular ball ammo - 9mm in particular. No proof however!

From choice i will stick to my EDC ammo which is GD JHP - from wet paper and clay tests - it seems that is certainly likely to stay in the target and, cause ''useful'' damage. As for 'stopping power' - haha - how long is a piece of string!

Indeed too - where that round ends up is or will be - a critical determining factor.

[Superhouse 15]

A bullet that fragments produces secondary wound paths, in theory creating more damage. I don't consider a core and jacket separation to be a "failure" of a bullet. I have been known to carry Cor Bon +P in 9mm, Hydra Shok in 9 and .45. I wouldn't change ammo just because it wasn't bonded. A lot of these requirements for deeper penetrating bonded ammo comes from LEO requirements, which may or may not be the same as the needs of a CCW holder.

Of course lately, I'll take what I can get for SD ammo.