Mountain Goat
Handloader
- Dec 14, 2010
- 386
- 12
There's always reports out there of "bullet failures" from any and all manufactures. This is no such report. I am not partial to any brand in particular, for I have loaded, shot, hunted and taken game with just about all brands over the years. I like bullets that work and that shoot well, period.
Let me cover all the deer and antelope I have taken with the .277 130gr AccuBond fired from the same 270WSM. My load is Winchester brass, WLRM primer, RL-17 and, of course, the Nosler 130gr AccuBond. This load reads about 3240-ish over my chrono and groups consitently under an inch, with several groups going into the .6's and smaller. I like this load, cartridge and rifle, for I got familiar with it out to 413 yards in the off season(s.)
Enough of the boring details, let's get to results on game. First off, all animals died and were recovered quickly, so there is no speculation on shot placement, bullet blow up, pencilled through, or any of those stories that we have all read.
First buck, I hunt blacktails out here in Oregon, was shot at just over 230yds in a heavy downpour. He was facing me, slightly quartered to, and the bullet entered just left of center about half way up. I thought he ran off, but found him dead where he stood. The bullet did not hit the front of the scapula, the round "ball" part, nor the brisket, but the bullet did NOT even make it to the diaphram. Maybe it hit a rain drop, or a piece of sagebrush, but the entrance wound did not reflect this. It looked normal.
Second buck was 340+yds vertually broad side. He ran off after the shot and made it about 80 yards or so. This was a double lung shot just above and behind the heart. The bullet did NOT make it through the offside rib cage.
Antelope buck was a long shot for me, 466yds. The wind got me a little bit, and I hit further back than I wanted, and ended up with a solid liver shot. We watched him run for a spell and then laid down. I made a wide circle approach for the finishing shot at about 45yds. The first shot hit the liver and back of the off-side lung. It did not exit. The follow up shot was placed bewtween the shoulder blades and caught the spine. That bullet was not found, and the enterance wound was the size of a plate! I wasn't expecting it to be quite that bad.
The last buck was not ranged. He was about 200yds or closer, just slightly quartered to me. I hit him tight to the shoulder about 1/3 the way up. He spun away and ran about 50-60 yards and fell. That bullet did not exit either.
I have no complaints about the results as far as taking game are concerned. What does concern me is that this bullet is marketed as performing similar to the Partition bullet does. I did expect better penetration from this bullet. I saw nothing better than what I shot for years in the Hornady Interlock, Nosler Ballistic Tip and Sierra GameKing. I just didn't experience the "premium" bullet thrill with this over the past few years.
Three other members in my hunting party carried 270's of some variety, 270 Win, 270SWM, and 270WBY. The WBY shoots Interlocks and did a fine job. The other WSM shot Federal Blue box factory ammo, and it performed wonderful. The 270 Win shoots my handloads of H4831 and a 130gr TSX. That rifle and load has shot 3 deer, 2 pigs and 1 antelope all with one shot kills. Some were at quite a distance too.
Now, am I happy with the results of the 130gr AccuBond? I'd say that I am. I just don't see it as the equal or better than the garden variety that has been available for decades.
not edited for spelling or grammar
Let me cover all the deer and antelope I have taken with the .277 130gr AccuBond fired from the same 270WSM. My load is Winchester brass, WLRM primer, RL-17 and, of course, the Nosler 130gr AccuBond. This load reads about 3240-ish over my chrono and groups consitently under an inch, with several groups going into the .6's and smaller. I like this load, cartridge and rifle, for I got familiar with it out to 413 yards in the off season(s.)
Enough of the boring details, let's get to results on game. First off, all animals died and were recovered quickly, so there is no speculation on shot placement, bullet blow up, pencilled through, or any of those stories that we have all read.
First buck, I hunt blacktails out here in Oregon, was shot at just over 230yds in a heavy downpour. He was facing me, slightly quartered to, and the bullet entered just left of center about half way up. I thought he ran off, but found him dead where he stood. The bullet did not hit the front of the scapula, the round "ball" part, nor the brisket, but the bullet did NOT even make it to the diaphram. Maybe it hit a rain drop, or a piece of sagebrush, but the entrance wound did not reflect this. It looked normal.
Second buck was 340+yds vertually broad side. He ran off after the shot and made it about 80 yards or so. This was a double lung shot just above and behind the heart. The bullet did NOT make it through the offside rib cage.
Antelope buck was a long shot for me, 466yds. The wind got me a little bit, and I hit further back than I wanted, and ended up with a solid liver shot. We watched him run for a spell and then laid down. I made a wide circle approach for the finishing shot at about 45yds. The first shot hit the liver and back of the off-side lung. It did not exit. The follow up shot was placed bewtween the shoulder blades and caught the spine. That bullet was not found, and the enterance wound was the size of a plate! I wasn't expecting it to be quite that bad.
The last buck was not ranged. He was about 200yds or closer, just slightly quartered to me. I hit him tight to the shoulder about 1/3 the way up. He spun away and ran about 50-60 yards and fell. That bullet did not exit either.
I have no complaints about the results as far as taking game are concerned. What does concern me is that this bullet is marketed as performing similar to the Partition bullet does. I did expect better penetration from this bullet. I saw nothing better than what I shot for years in the Hornady Interlock, Nosler Ballistic Tip and Sierra GameKing. I just didn't experience the "premium" bullet thrill with this over the past few years.
Three other members in my hunting party carried 270's of some variety, 270 Win, 270SWM, and 270WBY. The WBY shoots Interlocks and did a fine job. The other WSM shot Federal Blue box factory ammo, and it performed wonderful. The 270 Win shoots my handloads of H4831 and a 130gr TSX. That rifle and load has shot 3 deer, 2 pigs and 1 antelope all with one shot kills. Some were at quite a distance too.
Now, am I happy with the results of the 130gr AccuBond? I'd say that I am. I just don't see it as the equal or better than the garden variety that has been available for decades.
not edited for spelling or grammar
& I plan on shooting the 150ABLRs or the 168gr. ABLRs depending on the accuracy & animal I am hunting!
