Nosler Accubond bullets

salty · February 13, 2006, 12:07 PM

I'm looking for input on how the Accubond bullet stacks up as a hunting load. It shoots real fine in my 7mm08 Abolt but I am wondering about its knockdown as compared to --say ballistic tip or partition.

918v · February 13, 2006, 12:26 PM

The newer ballistic tips are unbonded accubonds. Same jacket, same core. The partition always gives better penetration and always has a lower BC in the same weight range. I think the rule of thumb with these super-duper bullets is that you can go one step down in weight and get similar performance to a conventional bullet, i.e. 165 instead of a 180gr. 30 cal. As you can see, there is no magic. In fact, you can buy three times as much regular ammo for the price of one box of these premium loads and the animal you shoot whon't know the difference.

rnovi · February 14, 2006, 04:26 PM

Others may have another opinion. Here's my take:

The Accubond is a bonded bullet designed for thin skinned hunting - aka, deer. The core is bonded to the jacket and tends to offer controlled expansion.

The Balistic Tip's I've seen tend to really explode on impact. Thin jacket that expands violently. I suppose if you throw a big enough chunk of lead at something at a reasonable velocity (aka, 30-06 or so) it might perform well. But my gut says they are a bit too fragile to be relied upon for hunting. Accuracy wise though they are very hard to beat.

The Partitions are designed as a premium hunting bullet that offers controlled expansion coupled with deep penetration. Use them on anything you pretty much want. Great bullet.

Other bullets:

Swift A-Frame. Think, Partition on steriods for even deeper penetration without fragging to pieces.

Barnes X: solid copper bullet for maximum penetration with controlled expansion.

Woodleigh bullets. No expansion. Period. Maximum penetration from the get go.

If you like the Accubond, then just use it on thin skinned game. If you want to hunt Boar, then you absolutely want a thicker jacket bullet like the Partition or A-Frame.

ClarkEMyers · February 14, 2006, 06:52 PM

My impression is that there is a qualitative difference as the bore sizes go up - at least I hope so - I've got a lifetime supply of the 260 grain Accubond in .375 which I hope will work for a shoot everything in North America bullet in the caliber. I understand without having run my own tests that the .338 and .375 are toughened up for the game normally taken with the larger bores.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the Accubond in a 7mm08 for anything I would normally shoot with a 7mm08 - but I'd be happier with a Partition where I was pushing the cartridge for anything larger than whitetail/blacktail.

steve4102 · February 14, 2006, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Others may have another opinion. Here's my take:

The Accubond is a bonded bullet designed for thin skinned hunting - aka, deer. The core is bonded to the jacket and tends to offer controlled expansion.

The Balistic Tip's I've seen tend to really explode on impact. Thin jacket that expands violently. I suppose if you throw a big enough chunk of lead at something at a reasonable velocity (aka, 30-06 or so) it might perform well. But my gut says they are a bit too fragile to be relied upon for hunting. Accuracy wise though they are very hard to beat.

The Partitions are designed as a premium hunting bullet that offers controlled expansion coupled with deep penetration. Use them on anything you pretty much want. Great bullet.

Other bullets:

Swift A-Frame. Think, Partition on steriods for even deeper penetration without fragging to pieces.

Barnes X: solid copper bullet for maximum penetration with controlled expansion.

Woodleigh bullets. No expansion. Period. Maximum penetration from the get go.

If you like the Accubond, then just use it on thin skinned game. If you want to hunt Boar, then you absolutely want a thicker jacket bullet like the Partition or A-Frame.
__________________
Robert N.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Steve

Ruger4570 · February 14, 2006, 08:30 PM

rnovi: good post. I totally agree with it. I have shot Elk with less than "premium" bullets ie: Sierra Game King and had as much good luck as with the super expensive brands.

rogn · February 15, 2006, 09:35 AM

Over the years Ive had many standard grade bullets fail to stay together. or theyve expanded excessively. My experience has been limited to whitetails and the bullets are any known brand, so I moved on to the partions many years ago and do not look back. The terminal performance gives full pentration at virtually any range, the wound channel is more cylindrical in shape with a moderate exit wound, usually only about an inch. This gives a good blood trail if you need it, but doesnt bruise an entire shoulder into garden mulch. Expect this performance at 10 yards or 300. The little bit it costs extra for the "premium bullets pales when compared to hunting licences, scopes and any other stuff we use. If the added 20 cents per bullet prevents the occasion performance failure and subsequent loss of an animal then its darn cheap. The standards are great for targets and varmits when softer termuinal performance is desired.

Wild Bill Bucks · February 15, 2006, 09:44 AM

I've been shooting the Combined Technologies lubalox ballistic tip in a 168 grain for several years, and have shot deer with it from about every angle.
I hear a lot of the guys saying that they blow up and stuff but I have never had that problem with them. I shoot them in a .308 and keep the velocity under 2800 fps, and so far, from 30 yards to 150 yds, they go in about the size of my finger and come out the other side big enough for my fist.
They give me quick one shot kills and just haven't had any problems with them.
I wonder if the guys are loading them up to drive them so fast that they come apart?

trooper3385 · February 24, 2006, 05:09 AM

The only experience I'd had in the past with the ballistic tips was not to long after the came out. I was reloading my 243 with the 95 gr ballistic tips and they were awful. I didn't think I would ever use them again. I've heard they have gotten alot better. I tried some factory loads for my 7mm rem mag in the 150 gr ballistic tips and they worked great this year. I shot a 300 lb pig with it at around 250 yards and it passed straight through and left about a 1 in exit hole. Dropped the hog on its butt. I shot about a 150 lb whitetail with it right at 320 yards quartering towards me. I hit it about 3 in. further back than I would have liked. Ran about 50 yards and killed over. I passed through doing alot of damage and I found the bullet right under the skin on the other side. Perfect expansion and it looked like it retained most of its weight. Maybe I got lucky with those two, but the performed way better than expected. I just got that gun before the season and didn't get set up to reload for it yet, but I'm planning on it pretty soon. I think I'll either start out with the accubonds or the failsafe. I've heard pretty good things about the failsafe, but I think I want to stick with the boattail. Open to suggestions though.

Leftoverdj · February 24, 2006, 11:31 AM

My suspicion is that it all depends on where and what you hunt and what you hunt with. The bullet is a lot more important under .30 cal than over, and under expansion is a lot worse than over expansion, at least on whitetails.

There just ain't much there on a cross chest shot on a white tail, and they will travel a loooooooooooong ways when a bullet does not expand.

I see absolutely no need for premium bullets in a 7mm-08 for whitetail under east coast conditions. One of my buds uses a 7x57 with 154 grain Hornady RN for orchard pest control, and when she pulls the trigger, they go down. I've seen that bullet expand on hide, lungs, and nothing else, and I've seen it chew up a foot of pelvis and spine on a straight up the rump shot.

February 13, 2006, 12:07 PM	#1
salty Junior Member Join Date: January 18, 2006 Posts: 5	Nosler Accubond bullets I'm looking for input on how the Accubond bullet stacks up as a hunting load. It shoots real fine in my 7mm08 Abolt but I am wondering about its knockdown as compared to --say ballistic tip or partition.

February 14, 2006, 04:26 PM	#3
rnovi Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2005 Location: So. Cal. Posts: 401	Others may have another opinion. Here's my take: The Accubond is a bonded bullet designed for thin skinned hunting - aka, deer. The core is bonded to the jacket and tends to offer controlled expansion. The Balistic Tip's I've seen tend to really explode on impact. Thin jacket that expands violently. I suppose if you throw a big enough chunk of lead at something at a reasonable velocity (aka, 30-06 or so) it might perform well. But my gut says they are a bit too fragile to be relied upon for hunting. Accuracy wise though they are very hard to beat. The Partitions are designed as a premium hunting bullet that offers controlled expansion coupled with deep penetration. Use them on anything you pretty much want. Great bullet. Other bullets: Swift A-Frame. Think, Partition on steriods for even deeper penetration without fragging to pieces. Barnes X: solid copper bullet for maximum penetration with controlled expansion. Woodleigh bullets. No expansion. Period. Maximum penetration from the get go. If you like the Accubond, then just use it on thin skinned game. If you want to hunt Boar, then you absolutely want a thicker jacket bullet like the Partition or A-Frame. __________________ Robert N. "Remember, Eagles may soar but Weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!"

February 14, 2006, 06:52 PM	#4
ClarkEMyers Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2004 Location: PacWest Posts: 455	Better than Ballistic tip maybe worse than Partition My impression is that there is a qualitative difference as the bore sizes go up - at least I hope so - I've got a lifetime supply of the 260 grain Accubond in .375 which I hope will work for a shoot everything in North America bullet in the caliber. I understand without having run my own tests that the .338 and .375 are toughened up for the game normally taken with the larger bores. I wouldn't hesitate to use the Accubond in a 7mm08 for anything I would normally shoot with a 7mm08 - but I'd be happier with a Partition where I was pushing the cartridge for anything larger than whitetail/blacktail.

February 15, 2006, 09:35 AM	#7
rogn Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2005 Posts: 203	better bullets Over the years Ive had many standard grade bullets fail to stay together. or theyve expanded excessively. My experience has been limited to whitetails and the bullets are any known brand, so I moved on to the partions many years ago and do not look back. The terminal performance gives full pentration at virtually any range, the wound channel is more cylindrical in shape with a moderate exit wound, usually only about an inch. This gives a good blood trail if you need it, but doesnt bruise an entire shoulder into garden mulch. Expect this performance at 10 yards or 300. The little bit it costs extra for the "premium bullets pales when compared to hunting licences, scopes and any other stuff we use. If the added 20 cents per bullet prevents the occasion performance failure and subsequent loss of an animal then its darn cheap. The standards are great for targets and varmits when softer termuinal performance is desired.

February 24, 2006, 05:09 AM	#9
trooper3385 Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2005 Location: South Texas Posts: 814	Ballistic Tips The only experience I'd had in the past with the ballistic tips was not to long after the came out. I was reloading my 243 with the 95 gr ballistic tips and they were awful. I didn't think I would ever use them again. I've heard they have gotten alot better. I tried some factory loads for my 7mm rem mag in the 150 gr ballistic tips and they worked great this year. I shot a 300 lb pig with it at around 250 yards and it passed straight through and left about a 1 in exit hole. Dropped the hog on its butt. I shot about a 150 lb whitetail with it right at 320 yards quartering towards me. I hit it about 3 in. further back than I would have liked. Ran about 50 yards and killed over. I passed through doing alot of damage and I found the bullet right under the skin on the other side. Perfect expansion and it looked like it retained most of its weight. Maybe I got lucky with those two, but the performed way better than expected. I just got that gun before the season and didn't get set up to reload for it yet, but I'm planning on it pretty soon. I think I'll either start out with the accubonds or the failsafe. I've heard pretty good things about the failsafe, but I think I want to stick with the boattail. Open to suggestions though.

February 13, 2006, 12:26 PM	#2
918v Junior member Join Date: September 25, 2005 Posts: 1,372	The newer ballistic tips are unbonded accubonds. Same jacket, same core. The partition always gives better penetration and always has a lower BC in the same weight range. I think the rule of thumb with these super-duper bullets is that you can go one step down in weight and get similar performance to a conventional bullet, i.e. 165 instead of a 180gr. 30 cal. As you can see, there is no magic. In fact, you can buy three times as much regular ammo for the price of one box of these premium loads and the animal you shoot whon't know the difference.

February 14, 2006, 08:30 PM	#6
Ruger4570 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2005 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 2,136	rnovi: good post. I totally agree with it. I have shot Elk with less than "premium" bullets ie: Sierra Game King and had as much good luck as with the super expensive brands.

February 15, 2006, 09:44 AM	#8
Wild Bill Bucks Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2005 Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, Next door to Sasquatch Posts: 1,266	I've been shooting the Combined Technologies lubalox ballistic tip in a 168 grain for several years, and have shot deer with it from about every angle. I hear a lot of the guys saying that they blow up and stuff but I have never had that problem with them. I shoot them in a .308 and keep the velocity under 2800 fps, and so far, from 30 yards to 150 yds, they go in about the size of my finger and come out the other side big enough for my fist. They give me quick one shot kills and just haven't had any problems with them. I wonder if the guys are loading them up to drive them so fast that they come apart?

February 24, 2006, 11:31 AM	#10
Leftoverdj Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2004 Posts: 934	My suspicion is that it all depends on where and what you hunt and what you hunt with. The bullet is a lot more important under .30 cal than over, and under expansion is a lot worse than over expansion, at least on whitetails. There just ain't much there on a cross chest shot on a white tail, and they will travel a loooooooooooong ways when a bullet does not expand. I see absolutely no need for premium bullets in a 7mm-08 for whitetail under east coast conditions. One of my buds uses a 7x57 with 154 grain Hornady RN for orchard pest control, and when she pulls the trigger, they go down. I've seen that bullet expand on hide, lungs, and nothing else, and I've seen it chew up a foot of pelvis and spine on a straight up the rump shot.