Settle an argument for me, Solid Base VS. Accubond

[Sako7STW]

So my Dad and I have been fighting about this for over a year. Back 15-20 years ago my dad shot the 100gr Solid Base bullet out of his .257 WBY Mag.. He absolutely loved that bullet and it worked very well on everything from Antelope to Elk. He pushed it hard, really hard behind a load of the old Winchester 785 (I think) ball powder and later RL22. It was accurate (sub-moa easily) and it put the critters down. Well Nosler doesn't make that bullet anymore so we have been trying to find it's replacement.

I talked him into the 110 gr AccuBond as to me the construction looks very similar. It is bonded and is slightly heavier is the main difference. He swears up and down that the AccuBond will only punch a pencil hole and wont do the damage and isn't as accurate and blah blah blah. I have it running right now at around 3480 FPS in front of RL22. The accuracy is good for being pushed hard but he wants the velocity he got out of the 100 gr SB but we tried the same load with the Ballistic tip hunting 100gr as he was shooting before and it blew em apart.

So how do you all think the 110AB and his old 100SB will compare?

 

[Sako7STW]

BTW, that was my first post here but I have been on many of the other shooting forums for years under the same name. I am in good ol SW Wyoming. I am an avid STW shooter and shoot a few other goodies as well. Fotis might remember me from back in the Groove Bullets days on their forum. Glad to be here!!

 

[Wincheringen]

How does the 100 grain Partition shoot? You definitely will NOT blow them apart. The AB is a very tough bullet and Nosler says they have an unlimited max velocity. I've only run the AB to about 3200 FPS (25/06) and it performed well.

 

[DrMike]

Glad to have you aboard, Sako. The AB will not punch through an elk. I've taken, or been with hunting partners who took, elk, moose, mule deer, whitetail and black bear using AB bullets from a variety of cartridges (including 7STW). I've never witnessed one of these fine bullets "penciling through" any of the game. They are an exceptional bullet that maintain their integrity under the stress of high velocities. You and your dad can use this bullet with confidence.

 

[Mighty Peace]

Cant comments on the solids, but the Accubonds is my bullet of choice since their release in 2004 and my reloading since 2005. Most of the game I have taken were double lung-complete pass thru penetration. Small entrance, large exit with major internal damage shot at various distances (44 metres to 554 metres with average around 200m). Never had the "penciling"

Of bullets recovered, they retained weights between about 64-88% with near perfect expansion. This is out of 300WM, 300WSM, 270WSM, 338-06AI, with the majority recovered bullets either from my 300WM (180gr) or the 270WSM (140gr).

A 160gr AB in your 7mmSTW would be a sweet load!!

Now if a guy could buy the XP3 bullet to reload, that would be sweet! But i am happy with my Accubonds.

 

[JD338]

Sako7STW

Welcome to the forum.

The 110 gr AB will open up and penetrate well at 257 Wby velocities.
You should also consider the 100 gr PT.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

I shot a mule deer buck last year.

110 AccuBond at 3500+ fps. Shot was at 30 yards and took out both shoulders and exited.

 

[SJB358]

Glad to have you aboard, Sako. The AB will not punch through an elk. I've taken, or been with hunting partners who took, elk, moose, mule deer, whitetail and black bear using AB bullets from a variety of cartridges (including 7STW). I've never witnessed one of these fine bullets "penciling through" any of the game. They are an exceptional bullet that maintain their integrity under the stress of high velocities. You and your dad can use this bullet with confidence.

Mike says it all. The AB's will open up like a Ballistic Tip and hold together like a PT. That load you have out of the 257 sounds fearsome to me.. I bet it'll strike like lightning!

 

[nvbroncrider]

Look under the bullet test section. I collected a 6mm 90AB outta a 6-284 at 25 yards. Out the barrel at 3714 it stayed together don't remember all the specifics but its on the post. I wouldn't even worry they will expand and will hold together.

 

[Silent Sam]

I believe the Solid Base was the predecessor to the Ballistic Tip. I used the 30 cal version and they were very frangible. Definitely not a good choice for elk.

 

[Sako7STW]

I believe the Solid Base was the predecessor to the Ballistic Tip. I used the 30 cal version and they were very frangible. Definitely not a good choice for elk.

That's what was weird about them. Nosler quit making them and changed them to the Ballistic Tips but they were not the same thing as we had boxes of both. For some reason the .257 SB bullets were very well liked by alot of the Roy shooters including the Weatherby's themselves as they are the ones that recommended them to Dad. Dad tried them in his .300WBY and they did not do well in it. Sometimes it seams some bullets are great in some sizes while not so great in other sizes.

 

[FOTIS]

Well the first gen of BT's were quite a bit softer that the SB's and current BT's.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

If dad thinks the Accubonds will pencil through, he's just plain wrong.
Maybe he's confusing them with the Barnes TSX?

 

[Oldtrader3]

The Nosler Base bullet originally was design to be a varmit bulle (Zipedo) and then they issued them as a precurser to the Ballistic Tip. IMHO, there is not any doubt that, having shot both, that the Ballistic Tip now is a better bullet and I would much prefer using the BT to the solid based bullet. There is no aurgument that I can see?

 

[Ridge_Runner]

todays ballistic tips packed 50 per box, are the exact same bullet as the solid base boattail with the exception of the polymer tip, the AccuBond is the same bullet also but with a bonded core.
so for as close to the same performance of the 100 gr SBB shoot a 100 gr ballistic tip, personaly I think there isn't a better whitetail bullet made than the 115 gr .257 BT.
RR

 

[Oldtrader3]

Unless it is the 110 AccuBond!

 

[Ridge_Runner]

Unless it is the 110 AccuBond!

I run the 115 BT right at 3000 fps in a 25 wssm, and the 110 AccuBond at 3100+ can't tell one iota's difference in terminal performance, this is from around 15 deer shot with both bullets.
RR

 

[Oldtrader3]

Exactly!

 

[Sako7STW]

Thanks for the info. I was hoping someone would chime in that had actual knowledge of the progression of the SB bullets.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

ok, let me clarify
the solid base bullets were a farite of hunters for years, then nosler developed the polymer tip to keep deformation in the magazine under recoil to a minimum, they also introduced the nosler ballistic tip, all bullets were packaged 100 to the box, then it was discovered that the BT's in larger sizes were very tender when used for hunting medieum thin skinned game. I witnessed several of the jacket core separations back in the day shooting 140 BT's from a 7mm Rem Mag. bullets wouldn't exit on 20-30 yard shots on deer even when no bone was encountered.
so nosler took the heavier weight for calibers from 243 up and built them to the exact specification of the SBB except they kept the polymer tip, these bullets are pachaged in box's of 50. Today I still shoot the 140 .284 NBT only now in a 7mm STW running them 3550 fps and they will exit deer and bear most of the time If I stay off heavy bone for the first 150 yards. the unchanged varmint bullets are still packaged either 100 or 250 to the box. nosler then discontinued the SBB and only make them in limited runs last I heard.
RR