300 WSM BAR

We’ve literally shot hundreds of Mule deer with Ballistic tips since they were introduced. They just plain work. When I hunt Montana, where I might have a deer and an elk tag in my pocket I switch to Accubonds. With the exception of the 375 and Cape buffalo I run accubonds in any rifle I’m using in Africa. From the quarter horse size eland to the Labrador size Mountain Reed buck, from about 150 to 450 yards the 180gr AccuBond generated quite a pile of one shot/drt results. If I’m just hunting deer. Ballistic tips. If I might shoot a bear or an elk I’ll switch up to Accubonds. This is true if I’m hunting with a 257 Roberts, a 338 Jarrett or something inbetween. I don’t particularly care of the AccuBond long Range.
 
As an all around African plains game and North American antelope, deer, elk, black bear, and moose cartridge the AccuBond is a great bullet.

I’d aim for the shoulder using that bullet and plan on wasting a little meat or I’d switch to the Ballistic Tip and aim for the crease behind the shoulder.

Just my $0.02.

Vince
 
I vote for the Accubonds. I've used the 100, 125, 150 and 165 in 6.8, 308, 30-06 and 300 SAUM to good effect. Furthest and biggest animal I've shot with them was a cow elk right at 260 yds with the 165 running about 2960fps in the SAUM. No issues with that bullet on anything I've shot with them.
 
Use the one that performs best in your rifle.
I prefer the AccuBond as I have the most experience with it.
Easy to find good loads with it, regardless of caliber or weight.
The ABLR can be finicky to find good loads for. I only have one rifle that likes it so far (my 6.5 PRC).
As I hunt a wide variety of game from pronghorn to bison, I have opted for the 180 gr AB in my 300 WSM, bit that is for my circumstances.
For you, either the 150 or 165 gr will work fine for your scenarios.

I too do not find the Sierras to be hard bullets, and the only one that I recall them reporting that they developed a heavier jacket for in the SGK line, is their .338 215 gr bullet so that expansion would be proper for the 338 Win Mag.I use it in my 338-06. I have also used their 165 gr SGK that was only made available in the .284 for Federal's 7MM STW ammo. I have taken many game over the 29 years I've owned this rifle with this bullet, on game ranging from pronghorn to elk, and from 5 yards to 475. Every well placed shot has resulted in quick clean kills, regardless of species or distance. Some of the shots resulted in complete pass throughs, while others resulted in the bullet being caught in the hide on the far side, depending on the bone encountered and/or distance the bullet penetrated in the animal.

At the end of the day, a quick, clean kill is the desired result, and regardless of the final result of the bullet's expansion and weight retention, which will vary from circumstance to circumstance, I put more value in the kill, than in the perfect mushroom. It's too easy to get bogged down in the weeds otherwise. And yes, we all want to see that perfect mushroom; but is it the key factor?
Keep it simple. Did it kill well? And did it do it consistently?
Meat on the table is my first priority when hunting! What's yours?
 
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