Nosler Accubond test... now with a picture

1899

1899

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
35   0   0
Location
West
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have started using Accubonds. The accuracy is very good, but the proof is in the pudding. I shot a buck this weekend with my 7mm RM and 160gr Accubonds. He was a gigantor, all of 100lbs, give or take a few. :D

Anyways, the tips didn't break off in the magazine, and the bullet performed very well. The shot was a tad high, double lunger. Took out some ribs going in and coming out. The damage to the lungs was excellent and the bullet opened up (ie: it did not "pencil through" on this admitedly soft/light target). The shot was at 100yards and he dropped immediately.

There was minimal bloodshot meat, I was very impressed. I think I will keep using these bullets.

The 7mm is a great cartridge...from 100 lb deer to 1400lb moose, it has done it all for me. With very few hiccups along the way.
 
We also experienced little bloodshot on the whitetails taken with 140gr Accubonds in a .270 Win. last year. I have one recovered bullet (one of these days I'll weigh it and post a pic) As for the versatility of the 7mm Mag, it's a terrific chambering for the one gun hunter for most North American game...KF
 
I think I need to switch to a smaller calibre for deer.

My buddy shot a mule deer with the accu-bond and it made a lot of damage. about half the ribs were garbage and a lot of the meat on the shoulders too.

Accubonds might be good, but I think (in my opinion & after comparing them to a lot of others) they are really no different than sciroccos, a-max or even my old speer hot-cor. Except for the white tip and good marketing... Just a thought.

Oh and here is a pic of the bullet recovered from the mule deer.

f98ef648.jpg


For the record the bullet is a nosler accubond 180 grain.

It was flying out of a 300 win mag.
 
Oh, just wanted to add that I will probably be sticking with my speer hot-cor's till the end of this season and will be using barnes-x next year.

I have seen what they do (barnes-x) and they cause a little damage but good energy transfer and drop the animals. My friend uses them and he is happy with their performance.
 
well I may as well add a test we just did here and save a new post for something usefull like 375 Vs 340 :roll: :lol:

we took out 2 boxes of factory federal ammo ysterday

box #1 federal vital shok, prerolled barnes triple shock 180Gr
box #2 federal fusion 180Gr

both were shot from a 2005 Tikka T3 wood/blued 300 win mag with a mueller tactical 3-10x44 nildot scope

the barnes preloaded averaged a 2"-2.5" group at 100 yards and 3" high
the fusions averaged a .5" group on the bullseye at 100 yards

I do have a target here just to lazy to take a pic and post it right now :lol:

I also shot both bullets out to the 200 yard board, the 2 barnes I shot were 3" high and 3.5" to the right with a 2 shot group of about 3.9"

the 2 fusions I had left were 1.5" high and about a 1.5" group on the bullseye line

by this time I had mirage in the scope and had to get going anyhow + I need some ammo for hunting season this week :lol:

now to see if these fusion bullets stop moose @ 100 yards , no worries I have a 338 shooting 250gr barnes X tuned handloads as a back up :twisted:
 
bone-collector,

That's funny about the groups. :lol:

I have my BBR shooting .5" @ 100yds with Fusion, Barnes-X & my favorite :lol: federal classic speer hot-cor 180grain. Accubonds manage 2.5" thru 3.5" groups out of my gun. Not good enough for me when I know the gun will do a lot better.

The funny thing is, my hunting buddy who has a Styer shoots accubonds well but get ####ty groups with barnes-x. Go figure. :lol:

In either case, if I do get my LEH ticket for mr. Grizz and head up to see you, I will be coming down with a remmy 700 in .338 loaded with 250 grain nosler partitions.

Cheers.

Alex
 
remember the barnes I am shooting are prerolled by federal in there vital shok ammunition , NOT handlaods , I know barnes can be loaded to great accuracy with time and patience , of which I have neither this year so I will try the fusions , there claiming 90% weight retention on a deer at 200 yards so I would expect at least 80% on a moose at 100 yards or they may become dust collectors on my shelf with the partitions and the hot cors :lol:
 
From what I have seen (on mule deer) the pre-rolled 200gr. nolser partition high energy from Federal does the least amount of meat damage with the most knock down power. Go figure. The fusion bullet is the same thing as the speer hot-cor but with a nicely trimmed top.

When we were just out hunting a few weeks ago we fired numerous rounds into a cut off tree stump and the split the wood to see what remained.

The accubond, fusion & speer hot-cor all preformed the same in distance and mushrooming. The partition found a way out of the stump at a wierd angle (?) :lol: and the bullet which travelled furthest with real weight retention was a winchester made round, 165 grain fail-safe.

The stump was fired at from about 20 yds.
 
Here is a picture. Not a great one, but it's the only one I have.

BlacktailOct142005.jpg


barnes can be loaded to great accuracy with time and patience
Click to expand...

For some reason certain rifles will not shoot certain weights of X bullets accurately. Maybe it is due to the twist rate combined with the long for weight X bullet. I could not get one of my .375 H&H to shoot X, while the other would. I tried 3 different powders. Same story with my friend's .270 Win.

Why is everyone making the switch? What are the pro's?
Click to expand...

They are quite inexpensive, have a nose that resists deforming, have high ballistic coefficients (especially in the .284 160gr and the .308 200gr.) and have a bonded core. The plastic tip promotes expansion (which is nice at low speed or on light game) while the jacket shape and bonded core promote weight retention and penetration. I won't be getting a chance at a moose this year, but I will try with these bullets next year.
 
I think Ted (why not) had that same problem with the X bullets at a point, I had great luck with my 375 browning a-bolt shooting the 270Gr X's it loved them, and my buddies 338 ruger stainless loves the 250gr X's , I even shot them at the 1000 yard shoot here 1 year for a joke and pulled off a 14" group out of the 338 , sounds bad but a 1000 yards with a hunting bullet I thought was pretty good :lol:

I would like to find someone with a 300 win mag here other than a Tikka T3 and try these federal x loads in it , my Tikka may not like the bullet either , I did however get that free dvd from Barnes , great video for a freebee :D , they do a penetration/group size test on the dvd that I think is probably the best fairest test I have seen yet , no BS about OUR bullet rules just a test , the sierra game kings and accubonds were just as accurate as the triple shocks , the fail safes and partitions were out of that test with poor grouping, the fail safe did beat the X bullet in penetration but lost alot of weight compairably .

Olek , I dont like the hot cors for 1 reason we tried them in a 338 a few years ago and @ 225 yards the bullet litteraly destroyed an entire 1/4 of moose when it conected with a shoulder , was the worst mess of meat I have ever seen , I relise it could have been the load or just a bad bullet but it turned my nose away from them in a hurry and I am a huge speer grand slam fan and gold dot 44 caliber bullet fan :D
 
Bone, like I said.

I tried the barnes in my BBR (not a Tikka :lol:) and with excellent results. 3 shots, 2 holes. The ammo came in the vital shok box, right?

Here is a pic to prove it :lol:

BBRonbench.jpg


(and yes the ammo is the mag is accu-bonds. This is when I was doing my comparo test between 4 factory loads)

Too bad about the 1/4 moose you lost due to the hot-cor.

I had a problem on my deer, not as bad, but my black bear this year was clean. Went in one shoulder, got stuck in the other and not a complete loss of the other shoulder at all.

Maybe the 338 had a thinner jacket...??? nah.. never mind..
 
yes same box of ammo then, I just asked a friend and long time shooter his opinion on the fusions , he said they wet phonebooked them and they did well in holding together but looked like a 150-200 yard bullet moreso than a close range bullet , I respect his opinions so I will pack the barnes preloads in my pocket as well in case of close up shots , I also have a box of winchester power points that grouped exeptionaly well in the tikka and have shot a few animals with them
 
bone-collector,
wasn't the moose that was shot with the 338 Speer, taken with a 225 gr. boattail? If so, that is not a Hot Cor bullet, and them BT's have paper thin bullet jackets and expand fast


I really like the Accubonds, I got some 110 gr. to load in my 25-284 once I get my new scope in the mail ( :x )

I need Nosler to make a 120 or 125 gr. 6.5mm Accubond and a 30 cal 165 gr., then I'd be set. Between the Accubond and the Barnes Triple Shock, I can't think of a need to shoot any other bullet at game. If you need deep penetration go with the X, if you're after deer and such, the AB would be my go-to slug.
 
bone-collector said:
I think Ted (why not) had that same problem with the X bullets at a point.
Click to expand...

Actually, it was the 160 Accubonds I could not get to shoot in any of three 7mm rifles I tried them in. All three rifles shoot an inch with partitions, but barely make three inches with the ABs.

The problem I had with 375 X bullets was with the 250 gr not opening up at all on moose. Went back to Hornady 270gr spitzer flatbase Interlocks.

IMGP0327.jpg


Both from moose, one on the left at about 30 yds, the other at around 250, both one shot kills. 8)

Ted
 
Here's a recovered .270 Win. 140gr Accubond from a mature whitetail buck taken last fall. The deer was shot at less than 100yards and the bullet broke ribs at entry, took out the heart/lungs, broke the off side shoulder and was recovered under the hide. The bullet retained 62% of it's weight, very similar to Partition preformance. The bonded jacket and core showed no sign of seperation.

Accubond1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom