bears - accubond or partition?

[Guy Miner]

Have a black bear hunt coming up in a few months here in Washington. Good chance of 300 pound bear. Likely ranges from 150 - 300 yards. Taking the 7mm Rem mag Number One. Was virtually out of hunting bullets :shock: and kind of wanted to try the 160 gr AccuBond, but the local shop was out of 'em so I got some 160 Paritions instead. I think they'll do just fine... I used a 175 gr Partition from the 7mm RM on a big elk with excellent results. Anticipating much the same from the 160's. Have had good results from the partitions whenever I've used them off and on over the past 20+ years.

Which would you have chosen and why?

 

[YoteSmoker]

I switched from the 160 Partition to the 160 AccuBond this year as my do all hunting load for everything, mainly for the higher b.c. However, that 160 Partition is a great bullet and shoots very, very accurate in my m70. It worked well on a mule deer at 286 yards a couple seasons ago and I would have absolutely no doubt it would work very well on a black bear. Post pics of your bear!

 

[R Flowers]

Guy, you did good getting the 160 Partitions. I am sorry, but there is just no substitution for the tried and true 160 Partition in a 7mm Mag of any sort.

I am now forced to shoot the 160 TSX in my 7mm Mag due to the stupid California law, but believe me, if were not for politics I would still be using Partitions.

The last black bear I shot with my 270 WSM using a 140 Partition was running full out but never took another step when I shot it. Same goes for a big mule deer in New Mexico, it was at a dead run but stopped in its tracks when hit by the 140 Partition.

Last fall I shot a great 6x6 elk in another part of New Mexico using a 180 Partition in my 300 Wby Mag. He made it maybe 10 yards before going down.

The Accubonds are good, to be sure, but they will never replace the partitions in my book.

 

[DrMike]

Guy,

Either the AccuBond of the Partition will work very well on black bear in the 7mm RM. The 160 grain bullet will work very well, delivering significantly better velocities than the 175 grain. You con't go wrong with a 160 grain bullet in either of the bullets mentioned. However, the Partition is the tried and true.

 

[JD338]

Guy,

A Black Bear, regardless of size, is pretty easy to kill so long as you put your bullet where it needs to be. You want a tough bullet to hold together to break bone and provide you with an exit from any angle as well.
Either the 160 gr PT or AB would fit the bill. Try them both and pick the one that shoots the best in your rifle.

JD338

 

[Divernhunter]

Cannot go wrong with a PAR bullet. In my (and other friends) 7mm Rem mag we use the 140gr PAR with great results on deer/pronghorns/elk. I have not use it on bear but sure it would be fine. A friend killed many with it in a 7mm mauser and was a guide for many years. The very large(475+lb) jet black 15.5year old boar I shot was with a nosler 200gr HP in a 44mag pistol. One shot in the eye and out of the tree he fell dead.

Do not worry about using a PAR bullet...........it is the stand-by that all others are measured.

 

[FOTIS]

Whichever shoots better....

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

They'll both do the job equally as well. The Partition doesn't hold that much more weight or penetrate that much more then an AB to make a noticable difference.

I would personally use the AB for the improved BC. They are also cheaper then partitions with virtually the same performance.

I've shot a few animals with partitions and they were mostly DRT. However, I've shot a pile of animals with the Ballistic tips and they have been DRT. Shot a few animals with the AB and they've been mostly DRT. Bottom line is Nosler makes a heckuva bullet and as long as you put it in the boiler there not making it far.

Black bears are not all that tough to kill in the first place. I've killed 4 and I've not used 1 premium bullet, infact 2 were with 115g NBT's from a 25-06, 1 was a 117g SGK from a 25-06, and the big bear was killed with a 200g SMK.

 

[jmad_81]

I have shot several different animals with both bullets and they both work great. Whatever penatration advantage the Partition has over the AB (which isn't much) is passed up by the AB after a few hundred yards because of the higher BC of the AB. The higher BC allows the AB to keep its speed up for a longer period of time, creating more energy ferther out.

Bottom line is both work great, I would use the AB if it was me, but if the PT shot better I would use it.

 

[Alaska]

used the Sierra 180gr in 06 with excellet results along with the 130gr Sierra Pro Hunter in the 270 win

In the 308 win the 165gr HPBT Sierra Gamekingis excellent.

suggest a 160gr AccuBond in the 7mm Mag with IMR 4350.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

to 300 yards the BC advantage is a moot point. and at 7 RM velocities either one will do the job on a black, as JD said, they don't take much killin.
If you drive them hard in todays high energy cartridges, the AccuBond is a better bullet. Because if you happen to have a high velocity impact on a shoulder from say a 7 STW or a 7 RUM or the like, more than a few times you'll rupture the Partition, once the H-Mantle is breeched, penetration stops cold. This doesn't happen nearly as often with the bonded AccuBond. It may become a twisted mangled mess of copper and lead, but if it stays togather it penatrates.
I've shot 17 whitetails with the 160 accubonds at 3575 fps, from 307-1350 yards, had one that didn't exit, the bullet hit an unseen limb on its way to a buck at 450 yards, POI was off 6", just on the top of the hip on the front edje of the ham on a hard quartering away whitetail, entrance was tennis ball sized, went up and did some damage to the lungs but never recovered the bullet, guess it was lost in field dressing.
and most of my rifles shoot accubonds better than partitions.
RR

 

[Mighty Peace]

Accubonds is what my buddies and I use for bears here in Alberta. 140gr in my 270WSM and 180's in my 300WM and 225 in my 338-06AI. All work great.

Very impressed with 140gr AB's in the 270WSM

 

[cold_hunter]

hey ridge how in the world did you get a PT to breach the H. I have hit deer at point blank with a 100 grain PT .25 cal and it did its job at 3350 man you had to have shot it into a darn tree or something like that right?

to 300 yards the BC advantage is a moot point. and at 7 RM velocities either one will do the job on a black, as JD said, they don't take much killin.
If you drive them hard in todays high energy cartridges, the AccuBond is a better bullet. Because if you happen to have a high velocity impact on a shoulder from say a 7 STW or a 7 RUM or the like, more than a few times you'll rupture the Partition, once the H-Mantle is breeched, penetration stops cold. This doesn't happen nearly as often with the bonded AccuBond. It may become a twisted mangled mess of copper and lead, but if it stays togather it penatrates.
I've shot 17 whitetails with the 160 accubonds at 3575 fps, from 307-1350 yards, had one that didn't exit, the bullet hit an unseen limb on its way to a buck at 450 yards, POI was off 6", just on the top of the hip on the front edje of the ham on a hard quartering away whitetail, entrance was tennis ball sized, went up and did some damage to the lungs but never recovered the bullet, guess it was lost in field dressing.
and most of my rifles shoot accubonds better than partitions.
RR

 

[Ridge_Runner]

hey ridge how in the world did you get a PT to breach the H. I have hit deer at point blank with a 100 grain PT .25 cal and it did its job at 3350 man you had to have shot it into a darn tree or something like that right?

to 300 yards the BC advantage is a moot point. and at 7 RM velocities either one will do the job on a black, as JD said, they don't take much killin.
If you drive them hard in todays high energy cartridges, the AccuBond is a better bullet. Because if you happen to have a high velocity impact on a shoulder from say a 7 STW or a 7 RUM or the like, more than a few times you'll rupture the Partition, once the H-Mantle is breeched, penetration stops cold. This doesn't happen nearly as often with the bonded AccuBond. It may become a twisted mangled mess of copper and lead, but if it stays togather it penatrates.
I've shot 17 whitetails with the 160 accubonds at 3575 fps, from 307-1350 yards, had one that didn't exit, the bullet hit an unseen limb on its way to a buck at 450 yards, POI was off 6", just on the top of the hip on the front edje of the ham on a hard quartering away whitetail, entrance was tennis ball sized, went up and did some damage to the lungs but never recovered the bullet, guess it was lost in field dressing.
and most of my rifles shoot accubonds better than partitions.
RR

The partitions I'm speaking of were 115 gr .257 dia. they were fired during developement of the 257 Allen Mag, its a 338 Rum necked to .257 and improved. they had a muzzle velocity of 3800+ and would rupture out to 500 yards fired into water. Like I said in todays high energy cartridges. I can run a 160 part. to 3700 in my 7mm AM but its not your average .284
RR

 

[cold_hunter]

that is a wildcat did you ever load 75's or 87's in that monster and i want one with a 6.5 neck that would be the sh t. i love the 6.5 as much as the 25 because of great shooting abillity and a bad shoulder and neck. hearing about that caliber almost makes me giddy

 

[JD338]

that is a wildcat did you ever load 75's or 87's in that monster and i want one with a 6.5 neck that would be the sh t. i love the 6.5 as much as the 25 because of great shooting abillity and a bad shoulder and neck. hearing about that caliber almost makes me giddy

I agree with you on the 6.5mm, they shoot flat and far. My only concern with that case size is barrel life, I don't think it would last more than 1000-1500 rounds.

JD338

 

[Ridge_Runner]

Kirby's 6.5 is a 7 RUM necked down to 6.5 and improved. barrel life isn't too long but once you get a load tweaked, 700-800 shots is alot of long range hunting. and a barrel is the cheapest part of a custom rifle if you think about it. But I will add this

I have around 1 dozen custom rifles, built by some top notch builders, Mark Bansner and Ray Romain are among them. Now, the APS rifle I have built by kirby Allen, burns 110 gr of very slow burning ball powder (one of the secrets of extending barrel life in very overbore cartridges) and it is absolutely the most accurate, least temperamental rifle I've ever fooled with. It shoots anything very well! I've brought this up on Kirby's "home forum" and the 20-30 guys with kirby's rifles all have the same results that I do. The mans work and advise has went "above and beyond" what I expected so figured I would give him a plug.
RR

 

[JD338]

Ridge_Runner

I know Kirby and LRH.com. :wink:

JD338

 

[Ridge_Runner]

yeah, the guy is a ballistic genious, and a world class smith, I'm amazed every time I talk with him!
RR