AccuBond, Partition Penetration Test Results

[Jon A]

From left to right:

308 Cal 200 AB, 3170 fps: Penetration 11". Retained weight 133.6, 67%
338 Cal 225 AB, 3100 fps: Penetration 12". Retained weight 145.2, 65%
375 Cal 260 AB, 2700 fps: Penetration 12". Retained weight 203.6, 78%
375 Cal 260 PT, 2700 fps: Penetration 10". Retained weight 219.0, 84%

It was nothing too scientific, but I thought some might enjoy seeing the results. The medium was firewood:

Over the years I've found it to give results very close to what one can expect on game (depending upon where you hit the game, of course--no medium contains all the variables a big game animal does). This wood was greener and wetter (and of course, frozen) than what I've usually used in the past and penetration was about 35% less compared with past tests with the 200 & 225 which I've tested quite a bit. I feel it was a pretty tough test at full muzzle velocity.

Of note, the 260 Partition was the only bullet that failed to exit the first log:

The 200 AccuBond exited the first but bounced off the second. Both the 225 AB and 260 AB made it 1" into the second log.

All outstanding bullets IMHO. Sorry, I haven't recovered any of these bullets from game yet. Maybe someday I will, but I'm not holding my breath. :wink:

 

[NOSLER]

Thanks for the wonderful pictures and tests!!!

That is a great media....

The first 200grain AccuBond we made, we shot in our tunnel.

We lined up a gelatin block and pulled the trigger, the block bounced off the ceiling and we had to crawl down our tunnels to find the bullet :grin:

 

[JD338]

It was nothing too scientific, but I thought some might enjoy seeing the results. The medium was firewood:


Jon A,

Like yourself, I enjoy reviewing this type of information!
I usually shoot into 1 gallon milk jugs. I line them up on a 2x12 plank.
My 257 Roberts, 280 Rem, 30-06, class of cartridges are usually found in the 5th or 6th jug. My 338RUM is usually found in the 8th jug.
Thank you for sharing your photos and data.

Regards,

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

Like yourself, I enjoy reviewing this type of information!
JD338

Hell yes. I will take any info on bullets. Scientific or not!

 

[FOTIS]

308 Cal 200 AB, 3170 fps: Penetration 11". Retained weight 133.6, 67%

what was the load?

 

[Jon A]

That's funny, NOSLER. I hope you guys aren't claustrophobic! :wink:

POP, that's a 300 RUM using 95 grains of Retumbo.

 

[FOTIS]

smokin................

 

[perkins42]

Great Info!
I as well enjoy this kind of information, Good Work!

 

[M W]

Scientific? Maybe not. I bet you had fun doing it though didn't you? I might have to do some similar tests.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I usually fire my bullets into wet newspaper stacked in a box shot at 50 yards. The accubonds sure do perform very close to the Partition, while still having a high BC. I like to test all the bullets I"ve shot into this type of test just to see the results. IT can be quite interesting.

 

[Guybo]

Good info and great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[longwinters]

Interesting info. I would like to see how the lighter Accubonds hold up in this test.

Long

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

longwinters

I dont have any pics. But like I said, I like to shoot most my bullets into wet newspaper stacked in a a cardboard box. It does what I need it to do. I have shot the 110g AB into it. That little bullet could very well be the best dual purpose bullet for .257" cal. If I remember correctly, it penetrated roughly 8-10 inches. It expanded just like the above picture. The retained weight was 71.5g or 65% I have also shot the big 200g AB into the test with my 300 RUM at 3200fps. It fully penetrated the first box, and got lodged a couple inches into the 2nd box. This is 1 of only 2 bullets that have ever went through more then 1 box, the length is 12 inches. That bullet flat penetrates. It weighed out at 132.5g or about 66% For shedding that little weight and to still penetrate through the whole box was all it took for me to use that bullet. I dont suspect I will EVER find one of those bullets.

P.S. If you really want to see a horrible bullet, shoot the factory core lokts into these kinda expansion/penetration tests. I have proven the BT to always hold up more in weight retetnion and penetration when using the same bullet weights to compare. Another bullet that was real bad believe it or not was the 7mm 175g Grand Slam. That jacket totally slipped off, the lead core was gone, it looked like a varmint bullet exploded.

 

[ramseeker]

hi, great test, can you tell me the reload data for the 338 win mag and how your groups are. thanks

ken eng

 

[FOTIS]

Jon:

Do you still have the pix of the 200 AB vs XLC's etc , you did from your Browning prior to rebarrelling?

 

[old #7]

I have been using the water filled milk jugss for years but the other day I was emptying my shreader and thought it might be fun to stuff a milk jug with shreaded paper then fill it with water. I only had enough paper to fill one jug and my son shot it when I was reloading. I didn't get to see the shot or recover a bullet but the impact had a nice sound. I am going to try it again with multiple jugs next time I go out.

 

[FOTIS]

btt
for those who claim that accubonds are too soft or pancake and fail..... :twisted:

 

[old #7]

look at that deformed wood grain around the bullet!
Impressive

 

[froggy]

Thanks for posting Jon A. Very interesting even if not very scientific. I'm surprised at how much the 375 AccuBond looks like the Partition. I'm hopefully going to try my hand at reloading this winter for the first time and I have been going back and forth between accubonds and partitions for a combo elk/mule deer load in my .270. This test is making the accubonds look pretty good.

 

[Jeff Olsen]

I recovered an AccuBond. It took a deer hip joint, then 39" of deer to stop it. That was a 200-gn AB from a .325 WSM at a muzzle velocity of 2925 fps. Range was 40 yards. Thirty-nine inches of penetration AFTER smashing a hip!

I would say a deer hip joint at 40 yards from a magnum rifle is a pretty good test. Oh, retained weight was right at 140 grains = 70%.

I totally botched the shot; I wasn't TRYING to shoot it through the hip joint! I was trying to slip it in behind the last rib on a sharply quartering away deer...