225gr Accubond and the Ruger M77 358Win

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I had a friend of mine buy some Conely 225gr AccuBond ammo for the 358Win and he said they fit in his Ruger M77 magazine and they shot good.

Well if you buy a box of Conley ammo it comes to 66.00 and after shipping and handling you spend 90.00 a box. Well that comes to 4.50 a round. NO way Hosea!!!!!!

I measured my magazine and it is 2.935" and Conley's fix OAL is 2.820". So, since my Ruger M77 can handle the 225gr AccuBond a box of them is on the way.

Now what I did was take once fired brass and only neck size it so it gives me just a little more volume for powder so I can get the 2550fps that Conely gets. With the OAL at 2.82" I will not have the bullet protruding any future into the brass than the 225gr Sierra SBT.

When I load and do my testing I will report to you all. It will give me over 3200 f/p of energy and the same ballistics as a 165gr in a 30-06.

Now on top of all of that if it works well and has good hunting accuracy or better it will provide a a bullet that will handle the toughest stuff I could hunt in North America at the velocities I can get out of a 358Win. While at the same time a bullet that will open up good on deer size game.

 

[JD338]

bullet,

Sounds like a good plan. The 225 gr AB has a BC of .421 and will offer you some nice down range performance.
Let us know how they shoot for you.

JD338

 

[bullet]

bullet,

Sounds like a good plan. The 225 gr AB has a BC of .421 and will offer you some nice down range performance.
Let us know how they shoot for you.

JD338

I certainly will, you can count on it. I am looking forward to the results.

 

[SJB358]

I would like to try the Accubonds in my BLR. At the most, I might try filing the tips down a little in order to get them to fit. They are really about the most economical bullet to shoot at big game that requires a stoutly built round. Scotty

 

[FOTIS]

Very interested .
I have a 350 Rem mag and was thinking about using the 225 AB.

 

[bullet]

If the AccuBond load work does not work out good I have all I need in the load I have already developed to handle this falls hunting.

I take a carry 44mag Ruger Super Blackhawk or Redhawk revolver for emergency back up and my back up rifle is a custom 300Wby.

 

[SJB358]

If the Accubonds don't work for my 358 they will work for my 35 Whelen. So they won't go to waste. I wonder whàt the best way to file the tips down would be? Load them and then file or try to do it before there loaded? Scotty

 

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If the Accubonds don't work for my 358 they will work for my 35 Whelen. So they won't go to waste. I wonder whàt the best way to file the tips down would be? Load them and then file or try to do it before there loaded? Scotty

I won't need to file or cut the tips off. My Ruger M77 in 358Win has enough magazine and chamber for me to handle the Accubonds. I am not sure the magazine will handle the AccuBond in the 350mag version of the Ruger M77 but I know it does in the 358.

Two file the tip or cut the tip of an AccuBond defeats the very reason I would want to use them in the 358Win. I want them for the extra BC. My velocities in the 358Win are just enough to make good use of the AccuBond but so are the Sierra's perfect in my 358Win due to velocities.

 

[SJB358]

I wouldn't think it would hurt the ballistics too much on the 358, plus the Abond is a little stronger bullet and should make a really effective elk bullet. Still a little sketchy on Sierras performing when hitting a solid leg bone from a bull elk. Scotty

 

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Well my Nosler Accubonds should be here tomorrow but no later than Monday and tomorrow when I go to Baton Rouge to shoot with GB300win I will pick up some Ramshot TAC that Jerry found for me and some mag primers he is giving me.

Tomorrow should be fun. He will be shooting his 300Win at 400, 500 and 600yds and I will be shooting my 358 out to 300, 350 and 400. Should be a real hoot. Also, seeing how my 300Wby does with my 165gr back up load at 400, 500 and 600 using a BDC.

Can't wait to see what the AccuBond do in my 358Win.

 

[SJB358]

Well my Nosler Accubonds should be here tomorrow but no later than Monday and tomorrow when I go to Baton Rouge to shoot with GB300win I will pick up some Ramshot TAC that Jerry found for me and some mag primers he is giving me.

Tomorrow should be fun. He will be shooting his 300Win at 400, 500 and 600yds and I will be shooting my 358 out to 300, 350 and 400. Should be a real hoot. Also, seeing how my 300Wby does with my 165gr back up load at 400, 500 and 600 using a BDC.

Can't wait to see what the AccuBond do in my 358Win.

I would think your 358 will like the Abonds. It shoots pretty good with about everything you have put in it. I have some AA2520 I am going to try next in the 358. Good luck at the range. Scotty

 

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The AccuBond will fit in the 358Win ruger. I will be using TAC powder which will allow for great velocities and the bullet will not crowd the powder because a max load of TAC will not come all the way up to the base of the brass neck. I will post the results soon.

 

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Just finished some 358win loads using the Accubonds. I set my OAL the same as Conley Ammo does which is 2.882" and they fit the magazine with some to spare and chamber easier than the 225gr Sierras do which had an OAL of 2.770". Will go to the range this Monday or Tuesday weather permitting.

 

[bullet]

With the AccuBond should be -5" at 275yds, -10" at 315yds, at 320yds hold on top of shoulders of deer size game and will be able hit the kill area out to 400yds being -14" from top of shoulders out to 390yds. The best I can do with my 225gr Sierra load is 375yrds being 14" from top of shoulder.

Just was out yesterday shooting the 225gr Sirra at 300 and 350yds so those figures are for sure. The group at 300yds was inside a six inch circle and at 350yds was just at 6" groups in side a ten inch circle. Will know more about the AccuBond soon.

Sure is a lot of fun to shoot in those swamps in White Castle, La. with GB300win down those long right of ways.

 

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Here is the 225gr AccuBond 358Win load I will be testing Monday or Tuesday:

Here is the 208gr Amax 300Wby load I will be testing as my back up:

 

[FOTIS]

HMMMM If my 350 Rem mag does not sell I might try them......

 

[bullet]

POP, If you have a Remington or a Ruger the AccuBond might not work in your 350Rem Mag. They did not work in my 350Mag Model 7

 

[FOTIS]

True. I forgot the ruger has a slightly longer COAL than the short 700 rem.

 

[bullet]

Well, I went to the range today with my 358Win and my new loads using TAC powder and Nosler 225gr AccuBond.

It was a good day and I have a hot rod for a 358Win.

My OAL for the AccuBond was 2.882" and my rifle has a magazine length of 2.935" so I have plenty of room in my 358Win Ruger Hawkeye for the Nosler AccuBond.

I need to ask a question of you all at Nosler - "Does the AccuBond like to be almost on the lands or does it like a jump? I need to know this to make any OAL adjustment to tighten my group. Now as you will see my group minus bore is just barely over and 1" infact 1 1/16" is the group size for my fastest velocity load of today which is the load I want to go with.

My rifle will take 50gr of TAC with out the base expanding past .0004" so this is my max load for my rifle. Here is a picture of the base of my brass using 50grs of TAC. Also, the powder with 50grs of TAC is just at the top of the shoulder and not up in the neck area of the brass.

Here is the group and the black circle on my home made target is one inch across.

Here is the consistency of my load if you will see my recorded notes on the velocity of 50grs of TAC.

This will be my hunting load and at 2555fps this 358Win using the AccuBond will be a serious hunting rifle for what ever I want to hunt with it anywhere in North America.


Here is the ballistic card I will carry with me this year.
Ballistic Chart
358Win Ruger Hawkeye
225gr AccuBond
2555fps

Sight in at 3" high at 100yds

1000 foot pounds energy as minimum on deer size game

Yards--------Velocity-----Energy-----(above/below line of sight)

0--------------2555------3261-------------(-1.5")

100-----------2348------2770-------------(+3")

220-----------2127------2260-------------(Zero)

275-----------2027------2052-------------(-5”)

314-----------1957------1914--------(-10” P/B-hold top of shoulder)

371-----------1824------1663--------(-10” from top of shoulder)

390-----------1804------1626--------(-14” from top of shoulder)

 

[bullet]

Yes for a 358Win 225gr load this AccuBond is smokin. The reason I decided to try the TAC powder and the AccuBond is that I needed the extra down rang with retained energy because where I will be hunting 30-50yds extra could make the difference.

If the group tightens up I will be using it instead of the Sierra 225gr SBT. Plus both bullets need at least 1800fps to open up. The Sierra does not meet this requirement due to fact I can't push it as fast in my rifle and it's BC keeps it from maintaining energy at it's outer limit of range. On the other hand the AccuBond has the energy needed to open the bullet even at the extreme range of it's use.

Yes, I have lengthen my OAL from 2.882" to 2.885" assuming that it would like to be close to the lands.