168 Berg vs 160 Accubond for 7 mm STW

[Blacktail]

I just got done testing some 168 vlds after hearing good things about them in my 7mm STW. The guns sports a 26" Shilen tube on an MPI stock. Unfortunately i was limited to the seating depth due to the box mag. Got my best accuracy at 80 grains of h1000 with a three shot group a hair under 1/2" at 3145 fps. With the 160 accubond i got 1/2" to 3/4" at 3212 fps with 79 grains of h1000. I use the gun for antelope, blacktails and mulies. I have yet to take a shot over 400 yards but hunt where the shot could easily exceed this. However i still manage an occasional 80 to 200 yard shot. Like both bullets on paper but limited experience with either on game. All suggestions much apprectiated. Thank you.

 

[J E Custom]

I just got done testing some 168 vlds after hearing good things about them in my 7mm STW. The guns sports a 26" Shilen tube on an MPI stock. Unfortunately i was limited to the seating depth due to the box mag. Got my best accuracy at 80 grains of h1000 with a three shot group a hair under 1/2" at 3145 fps. With the 160 accubond i got 1/2" to 3/4" at 3212 fps with 79 grains of h1000. I use the gun for antelope, blacktails and mulies. I have yet to take a shot over 400 yards but hunt where the shot could easily exceed this. However i still manage an occasional 80 to 200 yard shot. Like both bullets on paper but limited experience with either on game. All suggestions much apprectiated. Thank you.

I started using Bergers when they were new in the market and found them to be excellent
bullets and when I single loaded them they were great .

With magazine length being an issue back then they were not as user friendly as some other
brands and some times substitutes had to be used.

They have an advantage at extreme ranges but at any thing under 800 to a 1000 yards there
is not as much, so if the accubonds do well for you then by all means use them.

The accubonds are very dependable on game and can be used in a standard mag .

Both bullets are capable of extreme accuracy and dependability.

There was a survey on this site and the accubond was # 1 with the hunters on this site.

So the choice is yours.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Ridge Runner]

my STW will run 160's at 3340 fps with 95 gr of WC872 with a 26" 9 twist lilja, but haven't deer hunted with this load yet. I have taken 14 deer with them out of my 7MM AM at 3575 fps and let some new shooters take 4 others with that bullet in that rifle. these 17 deer fell between the ranges of 307 and 1,350 yards and the accubond has been flawless in performance. only 1 out of 17 didn't exit and it hit an unseen limb and made a tennis ball sized entrance wound, on the top of the onside ham of a hard quartering away whitetail buck, the bullet still shreaded the lungs and the deer was down after a 125 yards sprint.
RR

 

[Pdvdh]

I develop accubond loads for use out to ~ 400 yds. I develop Berger VLD loads for ranges from ~ 400 yds out to 1000 yds. Since my Berger VLD loads are intended for use at longer ranges where the utmost in accuracy is required, I spend a lot more time fine-tuning an accurate VLD load compared to the amount of time investing working up the accubond loads.

I load and carry cartridges with both of these bullets for both my 300 Win Mag and for two different 7mm Rem Mags. The accubond is a much stouter bullet and used for the closer, higher velocity impacts. It's a controlled mushrooming bullet that kills well with less meat damage on the closer shots. The VLD isn't a bonded core bullet like the accubonds. It has a very thin jacket, and it typically comes unglued after a couple inches of penetration, shredding everything in its path. So at longer ranges where bullet velocity has slowed down, I find the high BC VLDs to be preferable to the accubonds - provided I find a very accurate VLD load. Both bullets have a good track record for being very accurate.