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Anyone use .308 200g Accubonds on Deer?

LRAB areslightly "softer" than ABs. LRAB is specified to have a lower minimum impact velocity (1300 fps) vs. AB (1800 fps). Whether there is a practical difference in the field who knows but there is a design spec difference.
Its definitely a better design but they are finicky. But they fly like Berger match bullets if you get them dialed in.
 
Legacy Accubonds bullets are exactly what Nosler designed them to be 21+ yrs ago. I believe it was 2003 but im 60 and my memory is trash after 28.5 yrs in military. They are game bullets period without limitation they ALWAYS get the job done. With that said there are better cheaper bullets for point blank range but I have never seen a AB fail to do the job if you do your part. If you miss and hit bone its still going through. Its a great bullet, not stellar B.C but not the worst either. You dont always need the latest and greatest. Partitions have been around forever and you cant compare any bullet kill count with them hardly unless its corelokt. Hurt to say last part but they work.
 
I thought I'd report on the 200g Accubond performance when started at 3050. At 478yds (impact velocity of approximately 2258) I hit this bull at the junction of the neck/shoulder slightly quartering away. The bullet did not exit and the bull collapsed at the shot. Because we use the gutless method on elk, I did not see the path or destructive nature of the bullet.

At 178yds(impact velocity of 2744), I shot this mule deer in his bed hitting him in the heavy knuckle joint. Again the bullet did not exit and was found under the off side hide. Although, I don't have access to a scale, I'd guess the retained weight was 40g or so. As you might imagine, the vitals were obliterated with about a 8" diameter cavity.

My observation after these two shots is these 200g slugs were softer than 140g .277 bullets I've shot on similar sized animals ….but they were very deadly. I wasn't really surprised at the performance on a large bull. I was very surprised I recovered the bullet on albeit a large mule deer.

I've got lots of experience with partitions and know I'd have an exit on the deer, but perhaps not on the elk. These shoot so well I'm unlikely trade a little more penetration for less accuracy as this rifle was designed as a do everything rifle (I use a 340wby as my general caliber of choice for elk).

Anyone with experience with this bullet surprised by these results?
 

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have used 200gr accubonds from a 30N, going 3000fps, I have used it on 2 bull elk, both pass through 2 shots on each so 4 pass throughs 260y and 100y. I also used it on a bison on the crow reservation at around 80y I didn't find the exits but here was the heart.

I have only ever recovered 1 bullet it went completely through a elk shoulder knuckle and was on the off side skin I didn't weigh it but I would guess 40% retention

I like the the penetration and they shoot really well out 2 different rifles.
 

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Almost every design for every product contains trade-offs. For bullets, reliabe expansion at long range often equals over expansion at shorter ranges.

There are simply very few absolutes in bullet performance and big game reactions to being hit.

One thing that I have found funny over the years is what I call the Barnes-Partition hypocrisy amongst some shooters. First, I love both bullets and have used both many times. But I always get a chuckle that when a Partition sheds the front half many people will say that's ok becuase the back end now works like a solid, but when a Barnes sheds 1 petal it's a failure. But these are the things campfires are for.
 

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