What should be my go to bullet?

[Canuck]

Hi guys,

I just purchased a Sako 85 grey wolf in 300 winchester mag. I want to build a load with a 180 grain bullet. I'm thinking either the AccuBond or the E-Tip. Which would be the better performer for most of all North American game? Cause I'm planning on only one load for this rifle.

Thanks in advance
Mike

 

[Hawkeye270]

Haven`t tried the E-tip.
AccuBond is very accurate, have good ballistics and the bonding makes it a very tough bullet.
Try both, then use the one your rifle prefers.

 

[BK]

My M70 gets 180 Partitions exclusively. Maybe after I shoot through my stock of loaded rounds I might try something else... but then again, I might not.

 

[FOTIS]

180 PT or AB whatever she likes.

 

[DrMike]

I can't imagine that you would ever regret any of the following bullets: AccuBond, Partition or E-Tip. Essentially, whatever your rifle likes.

 

[Guy Miner]

I went with the 180 grain Nosler Partition in a .300 Win mag about 25 years ago and it was a superb performer. Suspect that the 180 AccuBond would be just as good, maybe more accurate. Either one.

I'd use the E-Tip if I had to by law (lead free areas) or if I wanted the ultimate in weight retention & possibly penetration. Suspect it's a very good bullet, but I haven't tried any yet.

Hard to beat a .30 cal magnum and Nosler bullets for an all-around deer, bear & elk cartridge - or most anything else it was pointed at...

Regards, Guy

 

[Canuck]

Well, I just learned something. I wasn't aware that a rifle might digest a particular bullet better than another. I'll start with the E-Tip cause I like the full copper deal. Thanks guys!

 

[6mm Remington]

Well, I just learned something. I wasn't aware that a rifle might digest a particular bullet better than another. I'll start with the E-Tip cause I like the full copper deal. Thanks guys!

I don't think you could go wrong with any of the three and if you are kind of thinking about the E-tip first. Try it and see what it can do in your rifle. But like the others, I completely agree that you cannot go wrong with the E-tip, the AccuBond, or the Partition. If you cannot find a load your rifle likes in the E-tip, then just pick one of those other two and start on them. Whichever of those three shoots the best, use that bullet and never look back! They are all great :!: My son has now taken two antelope and a nice buck deer all with his 6mm and 90 gr. E-tip and it has performed spectacularly. We have not been able to recover one in an animal yet, but here in a couple days we can find one inside his elk! :mrgreen:

 

[Elkman]

I went with the 180 grain Nosler Partition in a .300 Win mag about 25 years ago and it was a superb performer. Suspect that the 180 AccuBond would be just as good, maybe more accurate. Either one.
I'd use the E-Tip if I had to by law (lead free areas) or if I wanted the ultimate in weight retention & possibly penetration. Suspect it's a very good bullet, but I haven't tried any yet.
Hard to beat a .30 cal magnum and Nosler bullets for an all-around deer, bear & elk cartridge - or most anything else it was pointed at...
Regards, Guy

I am with Guy on this one, I started using the 180 gr. PT in the early 60's. Never looked back, I use the all copper bullets in one of my rifles (I am working with Accubonds for it as we speak) and prefer by far the Partition. I have taken and seen a lot of game taken with the PT and if it shoots in your rifle, there is no reason to shoot anything else. They work the right way, the same way, every time, time after time. (I am not paid by Nosler) :grin: :grin:

 

[roysclockgun]

A few years back, I began using the 140 grain AB in my 7mmRemMag. To date, I have taken three mule deer, three Pronghorn, five white tail and two large wild pigs. The range at which most of the deer were killed went from 250 yards to 404 yards. On the boar shot last year I was disappointed in the penetration, as I shoot the boar quartering away, right to left. The 140 AB entered his ribs, half way back and blasted through his heart lung area, STOPPING in the front of his right shoulder. The bullet did break up his right shoulder, big time, before lodging in his hide and not exiting. The bullet weighed 95 grains when I retrieved it and had the look of a flower with sharp pedals curled back. Amazingly, the boar did not go down and instead, reversed directions and ran 85 yards to die behind me. I was disappointed in two things: (1) that the boar did not go down and (2) that the bullet with an MV of 3200 fps, did not go through the hog at 85 yards. I called Nosler and the rep. advised that to get more penetration, I should use the Nosler PT.
I have not been disappointed in the 7mm 140gr. AB accuracy, but after this year, when I reorder bullets, I will try the PT and see if results on game are any better.
Good hunting,
Steven

 

[30-338]

A few years back, I began using the 140 grain AB in my 7mmRemMag. To date, I have taken three mule deer, three Pronghorn, five white tail and two large wild pigs. The range at which most of the deer were killed went from 250 yards to 404 yards. On the boar shot last year I was disappointed in the penetration, as I shoot the boar quartering away, right to left. The 140 AB entered his ribs, half way back and blasted through his heart lung area, STOPPING in the front of his right shoulder. The bullet did break up his right shoulder, big time, before lodging in his hide and not exiting. The bullet weighed 95 grains when I retrieved it and had the look of a flower with sharp pedals curled back. Amazingly, the boar did not go down and instead, reversed directions and ran 85 yards to die behind me. I was disappointed in two things: (1) that the boar did not go down and (2) that the bullet with an MV of 3200 fps, did not go through the hog at 85 yards. I called Nosler and the rep. advised that to get more penetration, I should use the Nosler PT.
I have not been disappointed in the 7mm 140gr. AB accuracy, but after this year, when I reorder bullets, I will try the PT and see if results on game are any better.
Good hunting,
Steven

Steve, I shot my first mulie buck (5x5)this year with 165gr AB out of my new 30-338mag @ 3188fps. Bullet entered just back of the front shoulder hit a rib bone broke his shoulder bone on the other side and that were the bullet stopped. I"m not a timber shooter but he was in some light timber as I was walking in to more open type country and shot was 80yds at best. Dead is dead and I hate to get picky but I would expect that bullet to exit. My other 30-338mag never had a problem from elk to deer with 165gr Rem bullet.

That 165gr AB is the first bullet I ever recover from a deer since 1965 and the total weight on that recover bullet was 81.1grs. The blood shot and damage was pretty bad more than I would expect but what do I know. I'm going back to the 165gr rem bullet in that rifle. I was looking at the diagram on page 13 of the Nolser manual of the AB and I sure didn't get uniform expansion guess you cann't have everything.

 

[Elkman]

Last one from me. Bullet recovery! you don't recover Partitions, the vast majority or our use has been with the 180 out of 06 and up. I have lost my little stash of recovered bullets but out of well past 100 head of big game the total was about 5 or 6. The ballistic information narrative that I put on the net several months ago had the PT at 1500 fps penetrating 32 inches. The Swift A frame and the 180 gr remington RN corelok was also a stellar performer. I have shot through numerous elk, deer caribou etc at 17 to past 400 yards and they just march right on through. They are not my go to bullet for game they are my "only" bullet when I can get good accuracy. There are some rifles that dont like them. 30-338 I used the 160 PT in my 7mm with really good results.

 

[boolit]

Not all game are built alike. So a go to bullet isn't in order. Whitetail or mule deer wouldn't take a 180 PT instead a lighter bullet.



Guyminer wrote............................................

The various Partitions I've shot into game have all exited, so I don't have any recovered bullets to show. From what I've read (mostly from John Barsness, whom I trust completely on these matters) Nosler controls the performance of the various Partition bullets by varying both the jacket thickness and the position of the Partition itself.

According to Barsness, the heavier bullets intended for bigger game have the Partition moved farther forward in the bullet. This decreases the amount of bullet avail to expand, and increases the amount of bullet retained in the rear portion, which penetrates deeply. He also stated that the lighter Partition bullets, intended primarily for deer, have the Partition farther back, which provides more material up front for expansion.

Makes sense to me - but I haven't been able to keep one in game yet.



Boolit wrote.................................


filed down a 130 grain .270 and a 150 grain .270 and seen the difference.... Barness is correct

 

[Canuck]

I'm aware that a 180 grain is a little heavy for a white tail. But what I'm looking for is one load for anything white tail and up without having one load for white tail, one load for black bear, one load for wild hogs, one load for moose etc... I've mentioned I was going to try the E-Tip but after reading all the replies. I'm also going to buy a box of 180 Partitions and load them at the same time and see what my rifle likes more at the range.

Not all game are built alike. So a go to bullet isn't in order. Whitetail or mule deer wouldn't take a 180 PT instead a lighter bullet.]

 

[boolit]

I guess you didn't understand the post.. sorry I couldn't help. :wink:

 

[onesonek]

My first thought is to use which ever is most accurate,,,,,,,but with that said, the PT is my go to bullet in most any big game caliber. I have also used a .30 cal. 180 gr PT on many a whitetails. Only for Alaskan/Yukon Moose and the Brown Bear would I consider moving up to a 200 gr..

Dave

 

[SJB358]

Canuck, I am much the same as you and want one bullet for my 300 Win Mag. I cannot see where you could go wrong with a 180 or a 200gr PT. The Accubonds look and work well, and the ETips are probably just as good, but for me, the PT will get the nod. You should be able to get close to 2900 with a 200gr PT out of your 300WM and over 3000 with the 180's. Either one is pretty excellent. I figure since I am using a magnum, that can push a 200gr bullet at flat shooting speeds, why not? It has more SD and bucks the wind a little better. I believe Bill makes a good point though, I used the 140gr PT in my 7mm Rem Mag for alot of deer hunting when I was younger and I NEVER caught one inside a deer. They don't really make a mess of things, unless you catch a bone pretty hard, and they will penetrate far. I have ran with Accubonds for a few of my rifles, but I think it is hard to get better than the PT for an everything bullet. Scotty

 

[Elkman]

boolit
I guess you didn't understand the post.. sorry I couldn't help.

So what part was not understood???? Guess I missed something? do you think 180 is to heavy?

 

[boolit]

boolit
I guess you didn't understand the post.. sorry I couldn't help.

So what part was not understood???? Guess I missed something? do you think 180 is to heavy?

According to Barsness, yes. I never knew the inner construction effected bullet behavior.

 

[Elkman]

boolit
I got it. I also like Barsness but I disagree on the heavy, light bullet concept. I am a simple guy when it comes to my guns and shooting. Once I get a good accurate hunting load developed for a rifle I use it for whatever comes along. I think maybe a heavier well constructed bullet has its benefits on lighter game also. Because of that construction it is less likely to break up at close range when bones are hit. I know that the conception is that a lighter bullet for deer sized game is the norm but I prefer to shoot the same bullet for all. That way I am not resighting, buying different powder and bullets nor adjusting the rifle in any way. When you touch things enough times, things will go wrong. I have probably killed 30+ deer with the 300 Win Mag and the 180 PT at slightly over 3000 fps. I am careful with my shots and have experienced little or no unusual meat loss or damage, I have lost two deer that I can remember and both of those were because I did not do my job. Just my take on the post.