Accubonds and WhiteTails

[steve4102]

There has been some negative talk about the AccuBond and how well it works on deer sized game. I personally have use the AccuBond on MN Whitetails in 7mm-08, 30-06, 300WSM and 7.62x39. I have found them to work exceptionally well.
Here is a quote from another site concerning the AccuBond on Whitetails. I find the part about a representative from Nosler stating that the AccuBond holds together to well for Whitetails and was designed to go through the shoulder of an Elk very interesting.

"Steve4102, that was from the Nosler Site? A buddy of mine last year shot a whitetail at approx 175yds. It punched straight thru both shoulders and the deer went 200yds. After field dressing, we found that the wound channel was next to nothing. He was at a show and talked to a Nosler guy. Told him what happened. The Nosler guy told him that the AccuBond holds together to well for whitetails. It was designed to go thru an elk shoulder and mess him up, but will punch holes in a whitetail."

Hey Nosler, Is this what the AccuBond is all about or is this guy misinformed? I am a bit confused and some clarity would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Greg Nolan]

steve4102

I can't speak for Nosler but I can speak from experience.
The AccuBond bullet is not a "penetation based" bullet like Barnes or the defunct Fail safe. It has the most linear expansion after massive energy transfer bullet made. It will penetrate but it is designed to maintain about 60% bullet weight after shedding the first 40% in energy transfer. It's claim to fame is that after the initial massive shock and hemmorage transfer the remaining 60% sheds energy very slowly in order to penetrate while maintaining about a 200% frontal presentation. It maintains that by continuing to shed mass very slowly due to the jacket to lead core ratio. If you've seen pictures of a cut-away AccuBond you'll see why. I speak from elk,deer and pig hunting. I have said this before because it continues to leave me in awe." The Nosler AccuBond is as close to a Smart Bomb in it's ability to do just the right thing at just the right time as I can imagine" If I had to hunt with just one bullet type for every type of hunting for the rest of my life it would It would be AccuBond. Unfortunately I live in California. Thank God for the E-Tip.
If you care to e-mail me I will give you all the specific event details.
Good Hunting
Elkhunt :grin:

 

[J300UM]

IMHO the AccuBond is THE best all around hunting bullet hands down. In the past four years I have killed all of my critters ranging from coyotes to elk with them and have yet to experience any negative issues with their performance. I've tried other bullets like Barnes, Swift, Hornady, etc. and find myself going back to the AccuBond. Btw, the last antelope I killed was with my 300 rum 200gr AB. Entrance was bullet diamater, the exit was about the size of my thumb, and you could literally pour out the remains of his heart and lungs. If it worked that well on a speed goat, I thing it should perform just as well on deer.

 

[FOTIS]

I agree. I have been using them for years, along with my friends with no problems at all.

 

[JD338]

steve4102

The AB is a great all around bullet for all big game animals. Expansion and penetration are excellent with the AB and they work very well on WT deer.

There are a couple of forums that seem to have a lot of negative comments about certain bullets. Some of those comments are based on rumor and not actual experience.
Below is a picture of the buck I shot last year with a 160 gr AB from a 280 AI.

JD338

 

[Woodycreek]

This past deer season the 200 gr ABs worked great on the two Bucks and the doe i killed. Also had the .270 140 ABs work really good on whitetails.


300 RUM with 200 gr AB

300 RUM with 200 gr AB

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[Mighty Peace]

My hunting buddies & I all use Accubonds. Switched from the PG's in our 300WM in 2004 when I bought a box of 180gr Ab's for my 300 and 140gr for my 270WSM in Winchester Supreme ammo. I reload since 2005.

Great performance on all big game here in Alberta at variuos yardages with both caliber. Most shots are double lung complete pass-thru penetration. I have only ever recovered 2 bullets-on from my 300WM from a mulie buck and one from my 270WSM on a cow elk. One was about 69%+( if I recall correctly) retained weight for the 300WM from a quartering away shot behind the LF shoulder and recovered the bullet inthe hide of the RF shoulder at 45 metres. I shot a 8x7 whitetail close to an hour later with a long shot (554 m) double lung pass thru. Same performance on moose when we go to moose camp.

The 270WSM was 83.3% on the cow elk from about 150 metres last season by my wife. My wife also took her first bull moose a couple years ago @ 325 metres 2 shot double lung pass thru with her 270WSM.

Wound channels were with small entrance with big exits and total destruction of internals. Most animals dropped or went a few steps.

I was so impressed with my accuracy with my reloads for both calibers (0.217" @ 100m for a 5 shot group with the 270WSM and just under 0.4" with my 300WM), I traded all my TSX bullets for both for more Accubonds.

Here is a picture of a guy' from Alberta- bull elk from a 300RUM with 200gr AB's exit side. SHot at about 200 metres. A bit graphic maybe for some viewers....lol

 

[coyotetrapper]

I have shot coyotes,deer and antelope with 110 accu bonds in my 25-06 and they kill stuff dead. The problems some may have is a gut shot type situation and then unless your using a very thinned jacketed bullet your not going to do much. Keep those accu bonds in the front 3rd of any critter and they just fold doesn't matter what it is. I wouldn't shoot no other bullet in my 25-06 as it does everything perfect no matter what critter I pull the trigger on!

Now how about a 80 or 90 in .243!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Richracer1]

I use Accubonds exclusively now. Beit my 270WSM, 300Sav, 300RUM, or 338WM. Now I HAVE TO switch to the E-tip in my WSM (Thanks CA). Anyway, I have many a CA wild hog with ABs and I gotta tell you, they work. Horgs are a very tough critter, thick hides and a very think "armour plate" behind the shoulder. My longest shot to date is 291yds with the 300RUM using 200ABs. The entry was about the diameter of the bullet and the exit was about the size of a nickle, may be a quarter. I have no hesitation on using them for any NA big game animal. I have recovered one AB, from the RUM. The hog was 50 - 75yds. I hit him in the right rear leg, blew the femur apart. It passed through the abdomin (did not rupture any of the guts - lucky) and logged in the skin in front of the left leg. Weight retention was about 60%. Use them they are great.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

I average three speed goats a year, anywhere from 100yds, to 1000yds, and I kill them all with accubonds. I've never used a bullet where shot placement mattered less. It doesn't matter how far they are, or where I hit them, (so long as it not a broadside gutshot), the results are always the same: a little hole going in, a 3"-6" hole comimg out, a dead antelope, and no bullet to find. So long as I can calculate the range and distance, I'll throw an AccuBond at anything in North America.

 

[shrpshtrjoe]

The 150 grain AccuBond rocks out of my 308 this deer didn't go 40 yards. I have had very good kills with the AccuBond. Not one complaint.
Joe

 

[jtoews80]

I've never shot an animal with the famed AB, I have used 6.5mm 120 grn BT's @ 3265 from a 264 win mag and the exit holes are BIG, like 3" minimum most times. SO, I ordered 250 130 AB's from the SPS, yeah they have them in 2nds...... And need to buy some Retumbo and RS Magnum to try and build another load.

Has anybody hit anything right up close and personal with a velocity in the 3200-3500FPS range, like from a 7mm, 300RUM or 30-378, anything fast really. My 30-378 is deadly on WT at any range, but last year's deer was 105yds and the bullet frag'ed BAD. All I recovered out of a 180 speer bullet was a 26 grn piece of jacket and NO exit wound at all. Albeit the deer sloshed when I loaded him, nothing really left of the vitals to mention. Not an Elk load, woulda been tracking for a looong time.

CC

 

[DrMike]

I have read some amazing condemnations of the AB. However, I harvested three deer this past fall, and the AccuBond worked very well. Using a 7 mm WSM shooting 160 grain ABs, I took a white tail buck at about 40 yards, a mule deer buck at 150 yards, and a mule deer doe at 190 yards. Bullet performance in each instance was very good. The mule deer were DRT and the WT only went about 30 yards. A year earlier, I took my first game with the same load, shooting a WT buck at 225 yards. He did run about 40 yards, leaving a good blood trail. I found him piled up on his back just inside the tree line. My hunting partner has taken bison, elk and WT with the AB and he uses them preferentially in his 300 WSM, 7 mm STW and 376 Steyr. Nosler did a great job when they developed the AccuBond.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Yep, I did. About 2 years back, with my 7mm stw. I was shooting a 160gr AB at 3400fps from the muzzle. Antelope was 125 yards on a dead run, caught her in the middle of the spine, she went straight down. Exit hole was a little on the large side, probably about 6 inches, but it didn't ruin too much meat. It was a much better experinece then I've had with BT's at those velocities.

 

[DrMike]

jtoews80, I cannot say that any more meat was shot up on any of the four deer that I have shot than would have been observed with other bullets (Sierra, TBBC, Nosler PT, TSX, Hornady, etc.). Wound channels in each instance was more than adequate and exit wounds were not exceptional. In other words, the AB is a fine bullet that does what it is designed to do. I have not recovered one, nor has my hunting partner.

I suspect that if the bullet hits bone on the way out, it will cause some major damage. Then again, what bullet wouldn't? I also suspect that on a pass through without hitting bone, the bullet will expand about as well as any cup and core bullet, though meat damage will not be excessive. The same holds with about any bullet.

 

[jtoews80]

That is good to know since I ordered a more than I need to shoot for traget use, for quite awhile. They've been great on paper so far tho and I'm looking forward to trying them on game.

CC

 

[JD338]

Has anybody hit anything right up close and personal with a velocity in the 3200-3500FPS range, like from a 7mm, 300RUM or 30-378, anything fast really. My 30-378 is deadly on WT at any range, but last year's deer was 105yds and the bullet frag'ed BAD. All I recovered out of a 180 speer bullet was a 26 grn piece of jacket and NO exit wound at all. Albeit the deer sloshed when I loaded him, nothing really left of the vitals to mention. Not an Elk load, woulda been tracking for a looong time.

CC

Here are some recovered 200 gr AB's from my 338 RUM at 3200 fps MV to give you an idea.

JD338