Accubond or BT?

[ElkHunter]

I want to try some 140gr Nosler bullets out of my 7STW, as I have always been able to get Noslers to shoot well. Would you run 140gr BT's or AB's? Cruising along at 3475fps+, will the AB's hold up better than the BT's? Do the .284, 140gr BT's have a thicker jacket than other BT's? Looking for your advice.

thanks in advance

 

[JD338]

ElkHunter

I would defiantly shoot the 140 gr AB in your 7mm STW. The BT is designed to expand at impact velocities at 3000 fps and below. The AB has a thicker jacket as well as the bonded core and is rated to 3100 fps impact velocity. I tested the 338 cal 200 gr AB at 3200 fps from my 338 RUM and recovered bullets from water jugs held up great.
If you anticipate impact velocities much above 3200 fps, I would go with a 140 gr PT.
Another option for you would be the 160 gr AB. Much higher BC so it will give you less wind drift at long range. Up close, it will work just fine.

JD338

 

[Bigwheels]

+1 on what JD338 said. I have tested the BT in my 338WM & they are explosive to say the least. The jacket will almost allways seperate on impact with soft stuff. I'd go with the AB & don't look back.

 

[ElkHunter]

That was what I thought. Someone suggested the .284 140BT, and said it had a thicker jacket and argued it would hold up at that velocity, maybe they were thinking the 120gr BT's had a thicker jacket. I run 160gr A-Frames for mulies and elk out west, the 140s are for whitetails in the KY bean fields. JD and Wheels, thanks.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Depends on how far your shooting IMO.

I've always like ballistic tips for deer, no matter caliber or weight they've never failed me or my family and friends.

The 140g NBT would work great if your average shot would be no closer then say 200 yards. That should put the impact velocity around the 3K mark and then you wouldn't have to worry about it not doing its job as advertised. If a shot happened to be up close, I would try to stay off the shoulder, but I dont think theres a muley or whitetail out there that could take a 140g nbt behind the shoulder and not be DRT or go further then about 20 yards. So I really wouldn't hesitate to use them, but then again, my average shot is about 200-250+ for deer. I woudl not spend the extra money on the AB if its not needed.

The only thing the AB does is hold up better at closer ranges on heavier bone. If your that close, you should be able to slip it in behind the shoulder and have no problems.

Since your hunting beanfields, I would assume your taking a farther then average shot, so I would be totally fine with NBT's. EIther one will work great though, I say get both and see what your rifle shoots the best.

I've used several in different caliber/weights that were anywhere from 3100-3600fps and they all worked great for us on deer. They exit 90% of the time even with shoulder shots.

If I had a 7 STW, I would shoot a 140g or 150g NBT for deer. They'll open up a little better at longer range then the AB as well which is a good thing.

The AB is still a good bullet, I've just yet to really find I need them to kill animals. The NBT has served me well on a variety of animals, up to and including elk and black bear so I dont feel the need to pay any more for a bullet when the NBT does all I need it to. Its cheap, accurate, has high BC for "hunting bullets", looks good, tips dont get smashed (except on RUMS), performs as advertised.

 

[hubcap]

ElkHunter

I would defiantly shoot the 140 gr AB in your 7mm STW. The BT is designed to expand at impact velocities at 3000 fps and below. The AB has a thicker jacket as well as the bonded core and is rated to 3100 fps impact velocity. I tested the 338 cal 200 gr AB at 3200 fps from my 338 RUM and recovered bullets from water jugs held up great.
If you anticipate impact velocities much above 3200 fps, I would go with a 140 gr PT.
Another option for you would be the 160 gr AB. Much higher BC so it will give you less wind drift at long range. Up close, it will work just fine.

JD338

JD338, nosler changed there listed impact velocity to " unlimited" for the AccuBond. Don,t know why but they did away with the previous 3100 impact velocity.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Well, I know why they changed it to unlimited.
160gr AB recovered from a deer with an impact velocity of about 3400.
It left the barrel of my STW around 3475, an impacted the deer 50 yards in front of the muzzle.

On average, the BT's are a little more accurate, but the AB's can do it all.

 

[FOTIS]

That is why I love them!

 

[Ridge_Runner]

well if I'm shooting 140's from my STW, it'll be a BT, I haven't recovered on from it yet. after 19 bucks a a bear from 37 to 626 yards, I still havent recovered a 140 BT since they packaged them in 100 round boxes (got 2 of those, 18 and 23 steps from a 7 mag.)
I even run them at 3550 fps, though I try to stay off the shoulder, I can think of 2 instances when I felt I needed to break the shoulder to ease recovery and they still exited, one was a large (for here) whitetail buck at 47 yards, the other was a 200 pound black bear at 61 yards, both hit very hard and done they're job and exited, the days of the tender BT's are over, but I also like accubonds in 160 gr.
RR

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

I could drive the 140's about 3700 out of my gun...I'm just not convinced the 140 BT's would do the job against an elk shoulder at that velocity. On the other hand, I have total confidence in the 160AB's.

 

[SJB358]

I would feel "safer" with the AccuBond at such a high velocity. I have put the AccuBond in Elk at very close range with my 270WSM and they held up really well. I know the NBT are good, and I plan on loading the 150gr NBT's in my 270WSM, but it is a little heavier and won't be going much over 3100. So it should work fine for deer and such. Scotty