Cup & core (Remington Core-lokt) vs Bonded (Accubond)

[jspickar]

Growing up I shot both factory and handloaded Core-lokt's in 243 & 30-06. Anytime in hit a front shoulder I would loose a fair amount of meat to bloodshot. I tried to shoot behind the front shoulder to not waste meat, but I found the mountain mule deer I hunt are really tough and so I would always aim for their front shoulder to break them down and just accept the meat loss. Thus was all with my 30-06 & handloaded 180 grain Core-lokts at 2650 fps. I found that the Core-lokts would break the shoulder on the mule deer but the bullet would come apart and there was no telling which direction the fragmented would travel. - With that said the core lokts held together and performed well if they did not hit bone. When i got my 280 ai, I decided to go with the 160 AccuBond. I shot a moose with it this year at 60 yards quartering towards. I intentionally aimed for the front shoulder. After breaking the front shoulder and passing through the lungs the bull went less than 10 yards before falling. I was plesently suprised how little bloodshot there was around the wound channel as I cut meat.
I have also been loading 100gr partitions in my 243 for 10 years. I shot some deer with it and tried to miss heavy bone. They ran 100 yards and died. In the heavy vegetation I hunt it took quite awhile to recover them(maybe an hour). In 2016 I started aiming for "heavy bone" on the front shoulders. Deer went down and bloodshot was minimal.

Bottom line when I hunt with an AccuBond or Partition I aim for the front shoulder for energy transfer because meat damage will be minimized. If I use a cup&core type bullet I aim to miss the front shoulder to minimize meat damage .

I am sold on the they AccuBond and am in the process of switching my hunting rifles from cup&core style bullets to either Accubonds or partitions

*180 gr Core-lokts bullet #2 is a mangled lead core. It is only about 1/8" -3/16" thick

The 180gr Core-lokts now weighing 69gr sheared off after hitting the front shoulder and it's trajectory though the animal changed significantly. I was suprised to find it where I did

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[SJB358]

Thanks for the pictures. That 160 AccuBond is a great bullet for us. We’ve seen no difference between it and the Partitions.

 

[salmonchaser]

I've been real happy with the AccuBond on elk. Meat loss is minimal with shoulder shots, near side even better on the far side. I generally aim for the far shoulder.


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[jspickar]

Thanks for the pictures. That 160 AccuBond is a great bullet for us. We’ve seen no difference between it and the Partitions.

Copy that. I almost went with the Partition, but had heard so much good about the AccuBond I wanted to try it. Funny thing is I was a little leary of the AccuBond because it was a "new" bullet. I tend to stick with the tried and true components

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[Blkram]

While there are some very good cup and core bullets out there that I have used and/or still use (favourites include; Sierra GameKings, Winchester Power Points, Speer Hot Cor and the Nosler Partitions and Ballistic Tips) I have to say that my favourite bullet overall has been and is, the Nosler AccuBond!

Since it first came out, I have harvested more game with it, in various rifles and calibers, than any other bullet, whether factory loaded or hand loaded. It has proven to be the most consistently accurate and easiest to work up a load for, of anybullet that I have used to date. Performance on game has been very good, and when I do recover a bullet it is almost always twice its original diameter and weighing 90-95% of its original weight. To date, I have harvested the following with the AccuBond; wolf, black bear, mountain goat, stone sheep, antelope, whitetail, mule deer, caribou, moose, elk, and bison.

I have used it in the following cartridges: 6.5x284, 270 Win, 270 WSM, 280 Rem, 7MM STW, 300 WSM, and 376 Steyr. I have yet to try them in the following: 250AI, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, 7mm-08, 284 Win, 338 Federal and 9.3x62.
Have used it most in the 7MM STW; 160 gr.

 

[jspickar]

Copy that Blkram! Great information and thanks for sharing!

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[Guy Miner]

jspickar - I think you're going to like that AccuBond!

I've only used the 260 gr AccuBond, from my 375 Number One, on a couple of black bear. Bullet worked very well. It's funny, like you, I tend to think of the AccuBond as a "new" bullet too, though it's been around at least a decade now.

Might be worth trying the Partition as well. I don't think either is a bad choice. Have had success with both.

BTW, I really like your practice of writing the info on a piece of paper, when you're taking those photos. I've got some photos of recovered bullets... That I struggle a bit trying to remember which bullet, what range, which animal... I need to get better about writing the info down.

Regards, Guy

 

[jspickar]

Guy, thanks for the feedback. 375 h&h or 375 ruger? Yes, I may try partitions yet, but I did finally find a good load before hunting season with the 160 AccuBond. Granted it is only one target, and three shots.

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[Elkman]

I have used the Partition since the 60's and the AB in a couple of different rifles in the last few years. They both do well, the BC on the AB is a little better. My last 4 elk have been killed with an AB.