Load Development with Accubond bullets

[NYDAN]

Last night and today are the first times I have been on the forum in months. I was very busy with my work, farm, and home responsibilities. Also, I was having a terrible time getting my rifles to shoot the AccuBond bullets consistently well.

First, I would like to apologize to all of you shooters who have posted great targets and reloading results and to all of you hunters who have posted photos of the game they have shot. I am sorry that I haven't been on to make responses. A lot of hard work goes into producing a good target or into tagging a personal trophy. We all like to read the responses of other readers to our posts of great results. So, a big congratulations to all of you.

Second, I tried to get the AccuBond bullets to shoot in both my 300 WSM and my 7mmRM at around .100" jump but was unsuccessful in getting consistently good results. However, I was getting great results with BT bullets with jumps in the .030" and .040" range. Finally in the last two weeks before my Montana hunt, I tried using .030" and .040" jumps with the AB's. Finally, I got the consistent accuracy I was looking for. I took some good loads with me to Montana although neither of the elk loads were speed demons. I used the 180 AB out of the 300 WSM to take a nice 5x6 bull. I hit it three times before it went down. But, it did go down and I had my first bull elk. Two of the three hits were fatal hits. One was in the shoulder/neck (probably) above the backbone. However, I don't know which shot was which hit.

Best wishes to everyone for success in their remaining hunts.

Dan

 

[jezzolo]

Awesome. Always nice to fill a tag and enjoying the whole process that goes with it, the load development, the trip and lastly the work getting the harvest processed and out of the woods.

I have a 160gr AccuBond load in a 28 nosler,, shot lights out, a ragged hole right out the gate. Now a 300wm with the 168 long range AccuBond forget it. Lucky if I get a 2 inch group. I can’t for anything get those to group. Now the 168gr ballistic tip, another animal. Shot 3 times and thought I missed the last 2 shots. Same hole.

 

[DrMike]

The AccuBonds can be finicky. When they produce accuracy, it can be exceptional. When a rifle doesn't like them, it can be frustrating, to say the least. Generally speaking, it is true that they like a lot of jump to the lands. I have had a few exceptions, however. I don't know what accounts for the difference. Sounds as if things worked out well for you, Dan. Congratulations on the elk. Fine dining, for sure.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Glad you were able to find the load and take a elk with it. My only AB use was in an 7mmRM 140 gr with RL22. Not much jump as I remember and it worked from 40-375 yds. Got some 150gr to try in my 30-06 sometime. Dan.

 

[SJB358]

Congrats on getting a good load Dan. What were the final specs on your load?

 

[NYDAN]

Congrats on getting a good load Dan. What were the final specs on your load?

Scotty,

300 WSM
Once fired Norma brass
Federal GM 215 M primers
61.0 gr. Reloder 16 powder
180 gr. AB
Base to Ogive measurement of 2.270" for about .030" bullet jump
Velocities averaged about 2880 fps - no speed demon.
MOA at 200 yards with a light breeze - horizonal spread due to breeze.

I know I have a lot of room to go faster with this load, but I didn't have time to really wring it out. However I did shoot and kill a nice bull with this mild load. To be honest, I think I have shot 30-06s with more recoil than this load and rifle combination.

I think Reloder 16 worked very well in this cartridge. I consistently achieved extreme velocity spreads of less than 20 fps and single digit Std. Dev..

Reloder 16 really shines with the 165 gr. bullets. I was easily getting 3100 fps. I almost used the 165 AB for elk. I do use the 165 BT for deer.

Dan

 

[SJB358]

Sounds like it worked well to me Dan. 16 has been a great powder in the 06 for me as well.

With solid accuracy like that, the tiny bit of speed doesn’t make a hill of beans difference in the real world.

 

[1Shot]

Glad you found a workable load and got your Elk. Yep the Accubonds need to jump more than the BTs in my experience. In my 264 Win mag with 27 3/4" long 9" twist Shilen barrel I decided to give the 130 AB a try. Started out 10 thousands off and accuracy was unexpectable. Went to 20 thousands off and BINGO. With Retumbo powder I get 3350 fps and sub MOA accuracy. This bullet works the same at 25 yards as it does at 525 yards on white tail deer. Through and through with destruction in the middle. I have shot around 25 deer with this combo and all have been one shot DRT.

 

[Anonymous]

I really like the 180 AB in my 300WSM- my load isn't a speed demon either, just 2900 and maybe a bit of change. But does it ever work!

I usually use BTs to work up loads, since in the rifles I've tried there's simply no difference in POI between the two bullets. In my .300, the bullet likes a lot of jump, in my 6.5...I load them 10 thou off...but my EDLX load is 100 thou off. No rhyme or reason to it.

 

[Blkram]

I have had really good luck with the AccuBonds!
It has proven to be the easiest bullet I have worked with to date for finding good loads for my rifles, regardless of caliber and cartridge. For the most part, I was not worrying about jump, but loading to COAL's provided in the manual. Always figured I could play with jump afterwards to fine tune a good load. Never really had to go to that next step.

My two loads for the 180gr AB in my 300 WSM are:
- 69.5gr of WXR in new Winchester cases with WLRM primers giving 2978 fps and 0.442" for 3 shots at 100 yards, and
- 70.0gr of N165 in new Winchester cases and WLRM primers at 0.817" for 3 shots at 100 yards (sorry, did not chrony).
I have more than 200 rounds of the WXR load on hand, and still have 3 lbs of that powder left for when I do run short, so am set for awhile!
Have harvested several moose, elk, black bear and a wolf with it to date. Performance has been excellent.
When I do recover a bullet, it has averaged double its original diameter expansion and retained 90-95% of its original weight.
As a comparison, the Federal Premium factory ammo with the 180gr AB gave 2970 fps and 0.630" groups for 3 shots at 100 yards, in my rifle.
My rifle is a custom LH Rem 700 w/ a 23 1/2" King barrel, bedded into a Wenig pepper laminated stock.

 

[Richracer1]

Most of my hunting rifles are shooting Accubonds. I've found that for me, they have liked very little jump. For instance, my 30-06 has an OAL of 3.39" vs. the Nosler listed SAMMI OACL of 3.34 and their own load data OACL of 3.30.

 

[PJGunner]

I've only used the 165 gr. AccuBond in the 30-06.. I guess I got lucky running it with W760 for about 2860 FPS and good groups. I've only shot one elk with the load and it dropped after a short 30 or so foot run.

My base rifle on my elk hunts is my .35 Whelen but usually on the first day I take something else. That time it was the 30-06. This year I'll probably do the fist day with my .280 Rem. running the 160 gr. old two core Grand Slam bullet at bit over 2900 FPS. Days two and three will be with the Whelen.

Last year's hunt was a cliffhanger as I didn't even see a legal cow until about 20 minutes before the end of legal shooting time on the last day of the hunt. As it was she was spooked and running like hell directly away from me. I hit her at the base of the skull and she dropped like a rock. I've kind of felt the .35 Whelen was a lucky rifle as it brought at least three elk to bag that I might not otherwise have gotten. Two, late on the very last day and one when the scope on the rifle turned toes up. I held for chest shot and the bullet hit her in the neck close to the base of the skull. Sometimes I think I should just get rid of everything else and stick to that .35 for everything. Yeah, but what would be the fun in that?
Paul B.