308 Win Accelerator

Joec7651

Handloader
Apr 7, 2019
926
1,233
I was bored and trying to figure out how to make use of about 3/4 lb of RL-7. Ended up loading .223 caliber Accelerators for my 308’s. They aren’t tack drivers but accurate enough for coyote hunting, and at 4000 fps they make quick work of song dogs. It’s been a while since I’ve loaded any of them but they are mostly for play. I almost loaded them with 55 grain E-Tips but couldn’t bring myself to do it. If they were accurate the little ET’s would be pretty wicked at the velocity they run.A408D8EC-5316-4F70-9BEC-2FDCE2C830AD.jpeg
 
Nice. I didn't realize that the sabot was offered as a component. I have a box of factory loaded 30-06 Accelerators that have a .224 55 gr bullet.

JD338
 
They run around 1 1/4” or so accuracy wise at 100 yds if you play with them. They give a COAL of 2.500” in their load data but they shoot best at 2.525” for me. I get them at E A Brown, https://www.eabco.com/remington-accelerator-sabots.html

I bought 500 of them about 4-5 years ago. They last me a good while because I only shoot 20-30 of them a year. Give or take.

The picture makes the sabot look off center but it isn’t.
 
I think I’m going to load .223 55 grain E-Tips with the sabots. If they don’t shoot well I’ll simply pull them. If they do shoot well the little mono bullet will make a wicked load at 4000 fps. I have 700 of the little ET’s not including the 100 loaded for coyotes in 223 Wylde, so I can play with them some. Plus 1250ish Hornady 2266’s, and 750 Hornady .223 75gr bthp’s. If I can’t get them to shoot with the first 20 I’ll scrap the idea.

The ET’s are already hell on wheels from my 24” barreled 223 Wylde at a velocity of 3350. They are slightly longer, and more sleek than the 55gr Hornady 2266 bullets. This gives a higher BC of .305, which is pretty good for a 55gr .223 caliber bullet.
 
Good luck with them!
4k sounds very interesting - would like to see the results!
What are the sabots made from so they hold up? Lots of heat and friction.

Over here, sabots for rifles are illegal.
I think the idea is to have the rifling on the bullet in a crime investigation to identify the weapon.
Good luck puzzling if a fragmenting bullet is used or it can't be found outdoors...


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Noslerpartition - several of us, Marines and other Feds had that conversation in the 1980's.

I remember one was worried about the accelerator/sabots because the bullet would have no rifling marks.

He apparently wasn't a varmint hunter - 'cause he was shocked when I explained that commonly available varmint bullets simply disintegrate when they hit something... Like a skull... He was thinking in terms of the old 173 grain FMJ match bullet that was commonly used in 308 & 30-06 loads.

Also I wondered if the sabot itself could be found, like a shotgun wad can be found. The sabot would have rifling marks I'd think.

Good conversation with some very interesting people, quite a while ago. :)

Guy
 
I grew up deer hunting with dogs, and everytime we pulled up to a clear cut my dad would put one of the 30/06 accelerator in the barrel. He called them his magic bullets lol. Ive witnessed several bang flops from his magic bullet too haha. I even dug a few out while skinning deer, and they weighed right at 25 gains with pretty little mushrooms. His was the factory loaded 30/06 accelerator with the 55 grain core lokt. To this day he still uses them in the barrel and backed up with 150 gr core lokt. I dont think he will ever use anything else lol

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I used the 30-06 accelerator cartridge back in the 1970's for woodchuck hunting. I would say accuracy was in the 1-1/2" range. Just good enough to use. They were devastating on woodchucks. That was my guest woodchuck rifle when I had a guest hunter with me.

The most memorable hit I ever saw was one day when we were hunting a rolling field with high spots and deep spots with the ridge tops 100 yds to 200 yds apart. We came over a rolling high spot and spotted a woodchuck working on his hole down in the depression. We got down and belly crawled to where my friend could take a prone shot. The woodchuck spotted our movements and turned facing us while on all fours. My friend shot the 30-06 accelerator while I was watching through my scope or binoculars. The bullet hit with a resounding thud and the woodchuck expanded like a balloon. I would say he expanded to about twice his normal diameter, rose a bit in the air, and then just settled into a limp pile.

Upon examination, we did not see an exit wound. The dead animal felt like a balloon full of water. Curious, I took my jackknife and cut the woodchuck open. The entire insides were like soup. There were pieces of rib cage down in the pelvis. Absolutely devastating.

Dan
 
Great memory Dan. They do the same to coyotes from what I’ve seen. I’m going to see if I can get the .223 55 grain E-Tips to shoot well. Use them on some friends farms that let me hunt under their crop damage permits. The 55 grain Hornady 2266 bullets are pretty accurate with them. One of those Hornady bullets to the base of the neck hits the off switch every time.

Thinking of loading some for my Winchester 94 in 30 WCF. It’s got an accurate little peep sight on it and would make a nice little walking around groundhog gun. It’s light as a feather even loaded, and handles quickly and comfortably. You can get 3800+ out of a 30-30 with them. You can load one in the chamber and one in the tube without having to worry about the spritzer bullet setting a round off. It was my Granddads rifle, made in 1897. It only has 5 digits in the SN, he traded a Model A Ford for it long before I was born. It still shoots 1 1/2” groups and 100 yards with my light loads of CFE223 and a 150 gr Speer FP Hot-Cor. I think it spit them out at 2317 fps from the 20” barrel the last time I chrono’d it a few years ago. The stock is only 4” high and pretty narrow, with a REALLY rounded steel but plate. It will let you know when you pull the trigger if one of those sharp points get stuck in the wrong spot on your shoulder. Lol. It’s got a cherry stock and forearm that’s turned dark red through all its 124 years. Case hardened receiver, and the barrel still has its old deep Winchester bluing. I still hunt with it from time to time. It’s almost time to pass it on to my son. He will be the 4th generation of Jarrell to hunt with it and make meat.
 
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