.375" 260 gr Nosler Accubond

[FOTIS]

My 378 Bee loves them also. with 106 gr of H4350 it is smoking at 3150 fps. Accuracy is great also.

 

[Guy Miner]

I'd really like it if you ended up with my Model 70 someday Scotty. But, I need to take it to Africa first! :grin:

Fotis & Gerry - I agree - for my purposes I think it's a terrific bullet. Accurate and performs very well on game.

BTW - my Alaskan outfitter, Lyle Becker, was using handloaded 260 gr Accubonds in his 375 H&H last spring. He's got a very battered Rem 700 that he's improved a bit.

Guy

 

[FOTIS]

No flies on the venerable 375 H&H

 

[SJB358]

I'd really like it if you ended up with my Model 70 someday Scotty. But, I need to take it to Africa first! :grin:

Fotis & Gerry - I agree - for my purposes I think it's a terrific bullet. Accurate and performs very well on game.

BTW - my Alaskan outfitter, Lyle Becker, was using handloaded 260 gr Accubonds in his 375 H&H last spring. He's got a very battered Rem 700 that he's improved a bit.

Guy

Got plenty of time.. I'd like to see you whomp some animals with it myself. Always nice to have a rifle with a good track record.. :mrgreen:

 

[FOTIS]

https://southwestammo.com/index.php/pro ... nd-bullet/


https://cacassociatesinc.com/products/n ... bond-54413

 

[Charlie-NY]

Don’t count the 260gr Partition out while waiting for a few Accubonds. I started my load development with the Partitions because Accubonds couldn’t be found. Interestingly enough, I was able to get the Partitions to shoot into 1.5” at 300 yds when fired from my 375 Ruger.
Kind of makes the AccuBond unnecessary.

 

[Guy Miner]

Don’t count the 260gr Partition out while waiting for a few Accubonds. I started my load development with the Partitions because Accubonds couldn’t be found. Interestingly enough, I was able to get the Partitions to shoot into 1.5” at 300 yds when fired from my 375 Ruger.
Kind of makes the AccuBond unnecessary.

That is some mighty fine accuracy!

The 260 gr Partition gives up a lot of BC, but... accuracy like that is mighty impressive. Lately I've been shooting 270 gr Hornady RNSP bullets, and have been impressed with them out to 300 yards as well.

Guy

 

[badaxeriverman]

I tried the 260 grain AccuBond on a quite a few whitetail out of my 375 RUM. Same results every time with broadside heart and lung shots. All ran a good 100 yards after the shot before dropping over dead. IMO just way to hard of a bonded bullet and doesn’t open up enough for instant killing on Whitetails. I had the exact same issue with the 180 grain .308 version out of my 30-06. Almost zero blood to follow every time and it was a guessing game where they went but all were found stone cold dead at 100 to 130 yards. All textbook “archery” placement shots. I shot 2 deer on purpose with high shoulder shots, also connecting with the spine, that didn’t go anywhere. Wanted to see how hard bone would act with the shot placement. They both were still laying with their heads up looking at me when I walked up to them and needed finishing off. When I processed them it looked like I shot them with a FMJ or arrow with a field point. Almost zero signs of trauma. Both the .375 260’s and .308 180’s were bought within weeks of introduction so maybe Nosler has changed to a softer alloy or thinner jacket since? I also tried a good hand dozen powders in both guns with ladder tests. Never got a MOA group both at best were 1 1/4” groups. Was enough to turn me off on accubonds and never use them again. The Scirrocco’s I’ve had excellent results with but they are now to darn expensive and no one carries them accept for on line. I’ve been sticking with the Partition. They still blow off the front end causing tons if traumas for a quicker kill and big wound cavity. I’ve taken some 7’ plus black bear with both bullets and great results. I would guess the occupants are probably good for Elephants or rhinoceros..lol. I can say I saw some pretty good performance shooting a large Russian boy at a game Farm. I loaded up that 180 in my 30-06. I let a buddy use my gun and load for the hunt. Absolutely huge pig. He high shoulder shot it it slammed to the ground like a Mac truck hit it! They do have their place for heavy bones and skinned animals. But imo on Whitetail deer they act like FJM’s for me even when bone is hit.

 

[Guy Miner]

I tried the 260 grain AccuBond on a quite a few whitetail out of my 375 RUM. Same results every time with broadside heart and lung shots. All ran a good 100 yards after the shot before dropping over dead. IMO just way to hard of a bonded bullet and doesn’t open up enough for instant killing on Whitetails. I had the exact same issue with the 180 grain .308 version out of my 30-06. Almost zero blood to follow every time and it was a guessing game where they went but all were found stone cold dead at 100 to 130 yards. All textbook “archery” placement shots. I shot 2 deer on purpose with high shoulder shots, also connecting with the spine, that didn’t go anywhere. Wanted to see how hard bone would act with the shot placement. They both were still laying with their heads up looking at me when I walked up to them and needed finishing off. When I processed them it looked like I shot them with a FMJ or arrow with a field point. Almost zero signs of trauma. Both the .375 260’s and .308 180’s were bought within weeks of introduction so maybe Nosler has changed to a softer alloy or thinner jacket since? I also tried a good hand dozen powders in both guns with ladder tests. Never got a MOA group both at best were 1 1/4” groups. Was enough to turn me off on accubonds and never use them again. The Scirrocco’s I’ve had excellent results with but they are now to darn expensive and no one carries them accept for on line. I’ve been sticking with the Partition. They still blow off the front end causing tins if traumas for a quicker kill and big wound cavity. I’ve taken some 7’ plus black bear with both bullets and great results. I would guess the occupants are probably good for Elephants or rhinoceros..lol. I can say I saw some pretty good performance shooting a large Russian boy at a game Farm. I loaded up that 180 in my 30-06. I let a buddy use my gun and load for the hunt. Absolutely huge pig. He high shoulder shot it it slammed to the ground like a Mac truck hit it! They do have their place for heavy bones and skinned animals. But imo on Whitetail deer they act like FJM’s for me even when bone is hit.

Yup, both the .375" 260 gr and the .308" 180 gr Accubonds are likely better suited to heavier bodied game than whitetail.

I think of both of them as better suited for elk sized critters.

Fun to see this ol' 2011 thread still kicking!

Regards, Guy

 

[badaxeriverman]

I couldn’t resist…lol. I can remember the very first deer that I shot with that 180 grain occupy out of my 30-06. It was a buck that came limping up opening morning. It had one of its front legs flopping loose. The neighbors were shooting a few minutes prior like there was a war going on. They hit low just below the brisket and broke the leg. I would not have shot the buck myself and waited for something bigger. It was a decent 8 pointer just out side the ears. I let it stand by me in the woods for a while and figured I didn’t want it to suffer so I shot it about 3” behind the front shoulder center mass while it was perfectly broadside to me. The deer stood there like it wasn’t even shot and acted like nothing happened. I then saw blood starting to leak down down its fur exactly where I shot it. I then shot again. He still stood there like nothing happened!!!…now with 2 holes within an inch of each other both barely leaking blood from them. He was approx a 100 yards away from me at the most. I then aimed high shoulder with the 3rd shot to make sure to knock him down. It dropped the buck with the shot but he sat there still trying to get up. I figured he would lay down and die after a few seconds to a minute and a half. He finally put his head down after about 2min. After about 25 minutes I gave up waiting for the neighbors to come over and get their wounded deer I finished off for them, of which they never did, so I made my way towards the buck. When I got within 20 yards of it, it picked its head up and was trying to crawl away! I wasn’t gonna shoot again so I just slit its neck with a knife. I swore off accubonds after that. I got that buckle and field dressed it. It looked like I shot it many times with an arrow with a field tip. Zero Trauma with both the broadside shots. There was nice little hole pull through the backbone, which paralyzed it from the third shot. I figured at least at 3100 ft./s out of my 375 RUM it would be devastating on Whitetail but no, it acts the same as the odd six did. I’ve seen a few guys on YouTube hit elk with them and they stand there like they’re not hit either. IMO Nosler needs to thin the jacket walls down a little and use a lot softer alloy inside them. Same exact shot placement using a 180 grain Remington core loct or a Nosler ballistic tip will DRT deer most of the time. I would say maybe six deer out if 100’s of my deer have not dropped their tracks over the decades using BTs and core locts. Always a few that have the world to live or who knows what’s going on but those two are pretty much a surefire for dropping deer pretty quick for me.

 

[RL338]

From experience the 180gr AB with a muzzle velocity of 3500fps will make a big hole in any whitetail. AB are a stout bullet that needs some extra horsepower behind it.

 

[badaxeriverman]

That would be my guess, but even in my 300 ultra hot loading it isn’t gonna get it 3500 fps without pressure signs. I don’t think there is a factory chambering that going to get a .308, 180 grain bullet up to and past 3500 fps without pressure signs. Even if, it’s going to be more recoil than most could tolerate and put in the oddball category of chamberings . I can tell you when they get down below 3200 ft./s they sail right through deer if you don’t hit bone from personal experience. I’ve tried them on deer in my 300 RUM as well 2ce with the crappy non expanding performance. The 375 RUM load was close to 3,200 fps as well.

 

[Guy Miner]

The Ballistic Tip is an outstanding deer bullet.

With the 95 grain 6mm, 115 grain .257" and the 165 grain .308 I've taken quite a bit of game. Pronghorn, whitetail, mule deer, black bear and elk.

Faster expanding bullets tend to do really well on deer.

Those 260 and 180 grain Accubonds are intended for heavier game.

I'd recommend going to the Ballistic Tip instead of the heavier Accubonds for whitetail.

Badaxe - I think you just chose too tough a bullet for excellent performance on whitetail. The 260 gr AccuBond has taken cape buff, grizzly and elk. The 30 cal 180 gr AccuBond is tailor made for big bull elk. I wouldn't choose either one for whitetail or pronghorn or other light game. There are better choices. If that's your point, you've made it, and it's a pretty obvious one. Nosler has a whole range of great bullets intended for whitetail sized game, the wonderfully accurate and effective Ballistic Tips.

Regards, Guy

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've taken quite a few whitetails with 7mm 160 AB (7WSM), .308 165 AB (.308 Win) and .264 140 AB (6.5 PRC). I have never experienced any AccuBond bullets that failed to expand or deer that ran off for any distance. I've shot several bull moose with the .338 250 AccuBond and can only say good things about their terminal performance. Bullets typically exit and game drops in short order.

 

[JD338]

I've taken well over 100 WT deer crop damage hunting with the 338 RUM 250 gr AB. I've also used .224 70 gr AB, 257 110 gr AB, 6.5mm 130 gr AB, 7mm 140 gr AB, 160 gr AB, 308 168 gr ABLR, 180 gr AB, 338 265 and 300 gr ABLR, and 375 260 gr AB. Always good expansion with an exit, usually DRT but a few runners. Those usually were the result of not perfect shot placement but they were recovered under 100 yards and plenty of blood to follow.
First picture is a crop damage deer with the 375 H&H Mag 260 gr AB. Second picture is an evening out with the 338 RUM 250 gr AB.
The Nosler AB has been very good for me.

JD338

 

[badaxeriverman]

A 100 yards can put a deer on a neighbors property for me. That’s why I stopped using them. If I ever had to use them again for deer I’d be aiming high shoulder shots to brake them down. With archery text book shots using Accubonds I have had 100 to 120 yard runners every time all the way up to 3350 fps muzzle velocities. Maybe the the first run of the Accubonds they used harder alloy? Still have a box of the 260’s from back in day I found yesterday along with a box of 260 partitions and few boxes of 235 grain soft points I plan on trying on deer some day. I loaded up some 260 grain partions last time around for when I was drawn for black bear. I rotatated it with my 300 RUM loaded with 200 grain partitions. The the 300 was the lucky winner on a 7’ 1”, 350 pound boar. A summersault and then a 35 yard track job at the most. I can still hear the gargling roars it let out when it stopped and dropped. Only one of my three that did the death moan. First one was a heart shot with an arrow and the second one dropped dead in its tracks with a 180 grain Scirrocco out of my RUM. I learned long ago not to listen to all the magaine writers that premium bullets were needed in the rums….for deer anyways. A good old fashion 180 grain cup and core bullet pushed hard holds together in my 300 RUM just fine on deer and drops them way quicker. I did have a 125 yard track job on a low heart broad side shot using a 180 grain Seirra RN. I had a blood trail a blind man could follow. About a fifty cent sized entry and exit hole. Similar holes of what I’ve seen using 180 grain hot cores in my 35 Rem on deer…or a little larger.

 

[RL338]

I thought the 180gr AB out if my 30-378 was on the soft side. I will add that they were overruns that had a cannelure. Wether this aided it a quicker expansion on the front end of the bullet , I can’t say for sure.

 

[Guy Miner]

I thought the 180gr AB out if my 30-378 was on the soft side. I will add that they were overruns that had a cannelure. Wether this aided it a quicker expansion on the front end of the bullet , I can’t say for sure.

Well... it was from a 30-378... That might just flatten any doggone 30 cal bullet!

Guy

 

[badaxeriverman]

I thought the 180gr AB out if my 30-378 was on the soft side. I will add that they were overruns that had a cannelure. Wether this aided it a quicker expansion on the front end of the bullet , I can’t say for sure.

I had some undersized hornady .358’s that measured at the other day at a consistent .357”. I also have a new box that undersized and measured the same at .357” so probably just came undersized from factory. I traded for them and didn’t know they were seconds till I found the note packed inside.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I've taken quite a few whitetails with 7mm 160 AB (7WSM), .308 165 AB (.308 Win) and .264 140 AB (6.5 PRC). I have never experienced any AccuBond bullets that failed to expand or deer that ran off for any distance. I've shot several bull moose with the .338 250 AccuBond and can only say good things about their terminal performance. Bullets typically exit and game drops in short order.

I’ve not had any trouble with the AccuBond in any caliber that I have used or seen them used in.