Accubond.....discuss

[Wolfshead]

I try and save money when I can, but I also want the best I can get.
With that said, I love Accubonds, and now I only purchase the seconds, as my eyes can’t tell the difference between the firsts or the seconds.
They are extremely accurate in my rifles, (30-06 & .308 Win.) and the ones I’ve recovered have done exactly as they were proclaimed to do. See post #23.

I grab a couple bags of them (more if needed) when they come on sale and I’ve been buying them right through the Covid times. They come on sale often enough for me as I only use them to hunt with, and not target practice.
I will say I had a lot more trouble buying Barnes (NewYorkistan may go mono’s only on public land) than I have ever had buying Nosler.
Even some Hornady was hard to get during the shutdown.
To be honest the shutdown did not change my buying habits, and I was able to purchase if I needed them, when they came on sale.
I buy the .30 cal 150s and as I mentioned I get a couple bags, or more of them every time they come on sale which I feel is often enough.
So I haven’t had any problems with my supply, but if you don’t have time to chase them, “that are only available for a week every four months”, then probably not worth looking for the seconds anyway….

 

[300WSM]

I try and save money when I can, but I also want the best I can get.
With that said, I love Accubonds, and now I only purchase the seconds, as my eyes can’t tell the difference between the firsts or the seconds.
They are extremely accurate in my rifles, (30-06 & .308 Win.) and the ones I’ve recovered have done exactly as they were proclaimed to do. See post #23.

I grab a couple bags of them (more if needed) when they come on sale and I’ve been buying them right through the Covid times. They come on sale often enough for me as I only use them to hunt with, and not target practice.
I will say I had a lot more trouble buying Barnes (NewYorkistan may go mono’s only on public land) than I have ever had buying Nosler.
Even some Hornady was hard to get during the shutdown.
To be honest the shutdown did not change my buying habits, and I was able to purchase if I needed them, when they came on sale.
I buy the .30 cal 150s and as I mentioned I get a couple bags, or more of them every time they come on sale which I feel is often enough.
So I haven’t had any problems with my supply, but if you don’t have time to chase them, “that are only available for a week every four months”, then probably not worth looking for the seconds anyway….

Consider yourself lucky if you didn't find Nosler difficult to obtain.
I suppose one can paint a prettier picture if you're looking fairly frequently for those seconds to pop up....
I can tell you I've got extensive resources and during those times for me Nosler in what I shoot was next to impossible to obtain.
Another example...
I haven't even seen 30 cal ballistic silvertip 180's in 4-5 years. Once in a blue moon an odd grain/cal might pop up as available but availability is a shadow of days ago.
Regular ballistic tip aren't a great deal better.

I shoot a lot. So I need usually more than most.

As I said I haven't paid attention to the AccuBond lineup and its availability so I'm definitely anxious to hear the feedback on that.

 

[salmonchaser]

While there may have been some business decisions I’m unaware of that impacted Nosler’s supply chain during covid, getting people to work in Bend is real. It has become a very high rent entitled recreation community, when Nosler moved there it was a cow and timber town with just a hint of what was coming. When I hear a Montanan bitch about what’s happening to Bozeman I just tell them to take a trip to Bend and Central Oregon, it happened there 30 years ago and it’s coming for you next.
I digress, Nosler’s issue with available work force is real.
I’ve been shooting game with Nosler’s since 1967. Couldn’t really say when dad started shooting them, probably from the start. Never seen a Nosler fail to kill game though I’ve tracked a few post hit. We don’t cotton to the concept of seeing how light a caliber you might kill an elk with but I’ve witnessed elk killed with accubonds; 270/130 up to 338/250s from bayonet distance to around 500 yards. Never lost one out of perhaps, well a lot of elk, across my hunting family. They are a damn good bullet.

 

[JD338]

The AB has been my go to bullet in several calibers since it was introduced. I had some difficulty getting 308 180 gr AB and 375 260 gr AB bullets but some members here stepped up and helped me out! I've bought thousands of AB bullets in various calibers and weights from SPS, usually when they are on sale, so I really don't have any availability concerns.
I stock up when they are on sale.

JD338

 

[badaxeriverman]

Consider yourself lucky if you didn't find Nosler difficult to obtain.
I suppose one can paint a prettier picture if you're looking fairly frequently for those seconds to pop up....
I can tell you I've got extensive resources and during those times for me Nosler in what I shoot was next to impossible to obtain.
Another example...
I haven't even seen 30 cal ballistic silvertip 180's in 4-5 years. Once in a blue moon an odd grain/cal might pop up as available but availability is a shadow of days ago.
Regular ballistic tip aren't a great deal better.

I shoot a lot. So I need usually more than most.

As I said I haven't paid attention to the AccuBond lineup and its availability so I'm definitely anxious to hear the feedback on that.

Not to mention when I first started reloading probably 25+ years ago they were cheaper than Hornady! Also on everybody’s shelf on the planet. Wherever I walked into, they were sitting on the shelf in bulk. Now they’re three times as much as Hornady Red tips so it made my decision pretty easy to them because the price and availability. Ballistic tip was my go to. I think they’re a very small company and don’t have a lot of good buying power and sales anymore. IMO price they charge now they try to keep the lights on with every box out the door since they’ve tripled in value compared to everything else on the planet. I remember I could get a box of 100 ballistic tips for 12 to 16 bucks back then. Hornady plastic tipped bullets aren’t much more then that right now. I’ve ran into Hornadys everywhere lately for $22-$28 per 100 on sale. Ballistic tips are 40 to 50 bucks…. when you can find them. I mainly geared away from the company just because of the lack of availability and when I need them, I’ve been trading private individuals for other bullets and goodies. It’s about the only way to get my hands on them. I still like the 55,70, and 90 grain ballistic tips for my 243. Also like the 180 ballistic tips in .308 but gave up on those years ago there’s 100 other cup in core bullets that do just as good for a 10th of the price and are available. Partitions have priced there way out of the market IMO. They weren’t much more than the ballistic tip back in the day and now they’re literally 2 to 3 dollars apiece….when you can find them.. No Thanks.

 

[RL338]

SPS is my go to place for Nosler bullets , period. I keep an eye out for newly stock bullets.

 

[Guy Miner]

The only AccuBond I've ever recovered. It was hanging in the off-side hide of a 300+ pound black bear shot at about 15 feet. 260 grain Nosler from 375 H&H. I was following up a bear wounded by another hunter:


The accuracy from it impressed me. 3/4" three-shot groups at 100 yards from the Ruger Number One.


I've got some 110 gr Accubonds loaded up for my 25-06 now. They've been shooting in the .6's from a Rem 700 CDL with a 6x scope. Am sure they'll do a fine job whenever I get around to using them.

Regards, Guy

 

[6mm Remington]

AccuBond - Partition - E-tip out of my 6mm Remington into water jugs at 400 yards. They all performed exceptionally well.

Accurate as well. I didn't work this load up for my rifle, I just picked what I thought would be a decent load with accuracy and good velocity so I could use them in my water jugs tests. 3 shots at 400 yards. The circle is 3" in diameter so the group is right at 3". Not bad for just plucking it out of the blue!

90 gr. AccuBond out of my 1B in 6mm Remington at 3200 fps into water jugs at 25 yards. Now that's a torture test!

25 yard tests into water jugs. Partition, E-tip, and AccuBond

 

[6mm Remington]

This is out of my son's 300 WSM and is a 180 gr. AccuBond we recovered under the hide on the offside shoulder of his nice cow elk at about 150 yards broadside. She dropped on the spot and never moved. I "borrowed" Guy's really neat picture that he did using one of the Nosler books as a background for the bullet. Great idea Guy and thanks!

 

[Bruce Mc]

I've not killed anything but whitetail deer with accubonds, and a few coyotes. I use the in 243 win 90gr, 257 Roberts 110gr, and 7m Rem Mag 160gr. I've killed one more deer with the 160 than shots fired. I shot a doe through the neck and the bullet then hit another doe in the head. I had several MLD doe tags to use so it shortened the hunt by one. I've never recovered an AccuBond. The 160gr always did a fine job without much destruction considering it was coming from a 7mm mag. I've taken one deer with the Bob and a 110. That one destroyed a shoulder. Don't shoot 'em on the shoulder. Next season the 90gr from the 243 win is going to get one.

 

[EOD Diver]

I think you would be hard pressed to find a better all around bullet. Great on-game performance, good bc, and usually fairly easy to work up a load for in my experience. My family uses them in 6mm, 25 cal, 6.5mm, .270 cal, 7mm and, of course, 30 cal without complaints because they’ve always worked well on everything from reh deer to elk.
V/R,
Joe

 

[jjs405]

Where's your threshold for the AccuBond in relation to type of game and size?

.... Elk and so on.

What say you about the AccuBond?

...

Late to the discussion - Prior to AccuBond's I was using Nosler Combined Technology Ballistic Tips exclusively ... I have no issues with AccuBond's & have posted several results of my experience here in the forum.... one of my last AccuBond post here with pics:

2024 Hunting Season

I was able to get this young buck yesterday evening, believe it or not this is my first mule deer buck. Shot was from 190 yards using the 170 gr Ballistic Tip from my 6.8 Western. Buddy and I were sitting on a timbered ridge separating two clearcuts. All of a sudden he started growing but I...

forum.nosler.com

Personally I quit using Nosler Partitions because of too many issues with core separation observed when I recovered my bullets. I then switched to regular Ballistic Tips then to Combined Technology Ballistic Tips

 

[300WSM]

Not to mention when I first started reloading probably 25+ years ago they were cheaper than Hornady! Also on everybody’s shelf on the planet. Wherever I walked into, they were sitting on the shelf in bulk. Now they’re three times as much as Hornady Red tips so it made my decision pretty easy to them because the price and availability. Ballistic tip was my go to. I think they’re a very small company and don’t have a lot of good buying power and sales anymore. IMO price they charge now they try to keep the lights on with every box out the door since they’ve tripled in value compared to everything else on the planet. I remember I could get a box of 100 ballistic tips for 12 to 16 bucks back then. Hornady plastic tipped bullets aren’t much more then that right now. I’ve ran into Hornadys everywhere lately for $22-$28 per 100 on sale. Ballistic tips are 40 to 50 bucks…. when you can find them. I mainly geared away from the company just because of the lack of availability and when I need them, I’ve been trading private individuals for other bullets and goodies. It’s about the only way to get my hands on them. I still like the 55,70, and 90 grain ballistic tips for my 243. Also like the 180 ballistic tips in .308 but gave up on those years ago there’s 100 other cup in core bullets that do just as good for a 10th of the price and are available. Partitions have priced there way out of the market IMO. They weren’t much more than the ballistic tip back in the day and now they’re literally 2 to 3 dollars apiece….when you can find them.. No Thanks.

Thx for sharing.

Allow me. ...
I was employed high up deep in the industry some years ago and lets look at a couple things.






The packaging...oh the packaging.
These were all around the same era
and were pretty much the same for many years. They all had the cardboard box with metal reinforced corners with simple and subtle art work. Speer was the first to get into the plastic but again the art was nothing overly loud. The packaging held the course for a long time.
oh that packaging...
which kind of rhymes with....
marketing.

And then...drumroll....
Don Draper happened to Nosler.
It wasn't really Don Draper but some marketing guru sold them on this...
Make some glitzy and glamorous art work, get rid of the metal on the boxes, cut your bullet count in half from 100 to 50, only cut your price by 20 percent.
What happened? It pissed some people off at first but it worked.
There are people out there who think if a box and the art are new it must be a new cutting edge bullet.
YES THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT REALLY THINK LIKE THAT.
Plus it lowered the price. Not an equal 50 percent but it was a littke cheaper.
Perception rules the day and Nosler has worked and ruled the perceptive marketing game now for 30 years.
Every few years the packaging is freshened up, art work anew, and the price keeps rising.
Even with that said the availability was really good.

AND THEN...

IMO what really started hurting availability with Nosler was their venture into loaded ammo, brass and of course building actual weapons.

I can't tell you what someone's vision was but it does take a ton of bullet sales to equal the profit of selling one rifle.
It takes a lot of bullet sales to equal the profit from 20 rounds of loaded ammo. A box of new brass.

Nosler expanded their portfolio priduct segments 300% by adding weapons, brass and loaded ammo in addition making bullets.

I suspect they didn't increase staff by 300 percent. Perhaps staff was only increased a small margin. Certainly not relative to the added segments in their catalog today.
Hence product availability takes a hit.

By all means this isn't a Nosler bashing moment. On the contrary. I like their bullets. They work well ...at least what ive used, (partitions, BT's, pistol bullets, all great) BUT....
BUT....
Obtaining them over the last decade at times has become a futile endeavor.

P.s.
I want any of those who will jump on the sword for Nosler that my expectations are realistic. I don't expect product to be available 24/7/365
BUT
out of stock should NOT exceed the amount of time it's in stock.

In Nosler's case out of stock FAR EXCEEDS in stock.

 

[PJGunner]

Only one kill with the 165 gr. AccuBond from my 30-06.I was doing a cow elk meat hunt and the day before the hunt was at the NA's Whittington Center checking out the scope on my .35 Whelen and a custom Mauser 30-06. The 30-06 was brought as back up rifle. When I shot the .35 the reticle in the scope disappeared so it was up to the 30-06 to do the hunt. The load was 56 gr. w760, Winchester brass and Winchester WLR primer. Velocity is 2800 and change FPS.

When the time to shoot came, the elk was about 100 yards out trotting from east to west. My shot hit the right side in the short ribs and stopped in the elk's left lung literally turning into scrambled Jello. We never found the bullet and I believe in may have been in the mess that was her left lung. At the hit she traveled about 30 or so yards and dropped. When we got up to her she required a finisher. She was a fairly good sized elk and dressed out but not skinned out at 350+ pounds.

I would have no qualms about using that bullet on another cow elk but just might prefer something in the 180 gr. weight. The rifle is based on a commercial FN Mauser, 24" barrel and is bedded into a classic style McMillan stock. The barrel is supposed to have a 1 in 12" twist but does not do well with 180 gr. bullets. I think the twist may be a bit slower than 1 in 12". Trigger tests out to have a 1.5 pound pull. I haven't found it to be a problem on a hunt or at the range. The rifle was built by Cal Albright, a great metal man He barreled that action which was supposed to be a 1 in 12" Douglas barrel but I've always thought it ha a slower twist. I've own several Husqvarna 30-06 rifle and they're all 1 in 12" from the factory and they all shot decent groups from the bench with 180 gr. bullets. I did run a few 220 gr. Sierras through it one day for kicks, no pun intended, and they shot reasonably decent groups. (1.25"-1.50") That rifle is definitely one of my all time keeper favorites.
Paul B.

 

[300WSM]

Late to the discussion - Prior to AccuBond's I was using Nosler Combined Technology Ballistic Tips exclusively ...

Personally I quit using Nosler Partitions because of too many issues with core separation observed when I recovered my bullets. I then switched to regular Ballistic Tips then to Combined Technology Ballistic Tips

Sounds identical to me of the last 20 years. Minus the AB bullets.

I have exclusively used #51170

They shot amazing. Target and game...
The cleaning was a dream with the black coating....

I'm definitely going to find an alternative bullet though because again it's been at least 5 years since I've even seen that bullet available for sale.

(I had a large supply in stock)

Today I have 70 bullets left. Thus I've been shooting other bullets because I WILL SHOOT....


it's what we do.

 

[Blkram]

As for supply of AccuBonds, I didn’t suffer through Covid or since, as I had laid in a sufficient supply to last me for a while as I continued to buy various rifles/calibers.
Yes, we have seen limited supply of Nosler bullets on the LGS shelves for past 5 years, but it us starting to get better. And yes, the prices have gone a lot higher.
For me, the cost of the bullet is still cheapest part of any hunt, and while I am not rich, or have pockets as deep as others, I will continue to buy and use AccuBonds, regardless of the price, as they are proven performers in my rifles, and continue to put meat in the freezer for me and my family. And that is worth the investment to me.
If all I want to do is plink, I’ll use a cheaper bullet…but I also will do this with my 22 or 204 which are less expensive to shoot than my hunting rifles.

 

[TackDriver284]

I love Accubonds for tough critters. These two was recovered from a tough nilgai bull. 180 Accubonds at 3125 fps at the muzzle. When I see a good deal, I buy a large stash of the same lot. I have some 130 Accubonds for my 6.5 x 284 and Creed that I never used before. Soon, real soon.

 

[Blkram]

I love Accubonds for tough critters. These two was recovered from a tough nilgai bull. 180 Accubonds at 3125 fps 2 the muzzle. When I see a good deal, I buy a large stash of the same lot. I have some 130 Accubonds for my 6.5 x 284 and Creed that I never used before. Soon, real soon.

I too want to develop a load for the 6.5 Creedmoor using the 130 gr AB, as the 140 gr AB is doing doing so well in the Swede

 

[RL338]

I still have some 180gr AB loaded up for the 30-30

 

[Hunter26]

I learned a while ago, if there's a bullet I like and it shoots well, I buy a good supply. That way I don't have to worry about it and prices of things are only increasing. I'm like a lot on here, I constantly keep an eye for the Nosler blems/2nds. Much better deal and I can't tell a difference. You can get great prices on Partitions in particular. Within reason, I don't mind spending extra money on a bullet. In the grand scheme of things, it's a drop in the bucket on what we buy for other things in our chosen hobby and it's the only part that actually touches the game we're after.