225 Accubond vs Elk Report

[LDHunter]

Mostly groundhogs in the 400yds to 650yds range... Tough stuff.... LOL

For a true game animal I think I killed an antelope at 425 once and have nailed a few coyotes well beyond that.

Oh yeah.... Once poked a whitetail at 613 but I'm pretty sure I got lucky on that one... I grossly miscalculated the wind and when I got my Kestrel out after the shot it was blowing 7mph and I estimated 15 but was in too much of a hurry to get the shot made. That shot was purely a hail Mary and as I started squeezing the trigger I was already thinking I was taking too much of a chance wounding him.

I swore I saw him run off but when I finally found him he appeared to have dropped in his tracks because the Partition made it through which was another surprise and there was hair and blood just beyond him. It's hell shooting game here in north Florida long range because unless they're standing in a road, as soon as they lay down, they disappear completely until you're standing over them due to the crazy thick vegetation.

Anyway... Why do you ask?

 

[cohunter14]

Mostly groundhogs in the 400yds to 650yds range... Tough stuff.... LOL

For a true game animal I think I killed an antelope at 425 once and have nailed a few coyotes well beyond that.

Oh yeah.... Once poked a whitetail at 613 but I'm pretty sure I got lucky on that one... I grossly miscalculated the wind and when I got my Kestrel out after the shot it was blowing 7mph and I estimated 15 but was in too much of a hurry to get the shot made. That shot was purely a hail Mary and as I started squeezing the trigger I was already thinking I was taking too much of a chance wounding him.

I swore I saw him run off but when I finally found him he appeared to have dropped in his tracks because the Partition made it through which was another surprise and there was hair and blood just beyond him. It's hell shooting game here in north Florida long range because unless they're standing in a road, as soon as they lay down, they disappear completely until you're standing over them due to the crazy thick vegetation.

Anyway... Why do you ask?

I believe he is asking because it is difficult for someone to praise a bullet without a lot of experience in actually killing big game. When you add in that this is a Long Range Hunting forum, people want to know what works at ranges well over 500+ yards. Don't get me wrong, I am an Accubond fan as well, but when people want to know what is going to drop an Elk at 800 yards and your longest kill was an 'accident' at 613 yards (with a different bullet than we are talking about), it doesn't provide the evidence people really need when choosing a bullet.

As I said, I initially chose the Accubond for my rifle because I read a lot of good information about the bullet working consistently at longer ranges, while not having to worry about shrapneling at short ranges that supposedly came with Berger bullets. Well, the worries of the shrapneling at short ranges have been put to bed for the most part, thanks to Broz and others. The solid evidence that they have provided for those bullets working both long and short ranges has gotten me to the point that I might be switching up my load soon We'll see...I would like to see some evidence, good or bad, from the new Accubond LR to make an educated decision between the two.

Anyway, I think what Jeff was trying to get to is evidence instead of opinion. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but evidence is the proof.

 

[Broz]

Anyway... Why do you ask?

. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but evidence is the proof.

Cohunter14, was reading my mind and is correct. These bullet discussions have gotten to the point where many of us are tired of reading them, especially unsupported results. I happen to be of the belief that there is no perfect bullet for all situations. But that some work better than others. It is my opinion that most results in bullet performance is controlled by distance used, or better stated as impact velocity. I too am a fan of the Accubonds, that is, for use where I feel they shine. I still have a rifle that is near and dear to me with an Accubond load. That rifle is not one of my long range rigs though. For my long range rigs I look for best performance at my longest distances I will shoot. So this means accuracy, consistency and the ability to open up at slowed velocities. Then I look at how they will work up close. I don't look as hard at shortcomings up close. Lets face it, it is more important to me they do a better job where my placement may not be as good from field conditions like wind and other drifts, where the game could have a 1/2 mile plus head start, and finding the blood trail could take a while.

So when I read your post, and from my own experiences with them, I got the feeling you were referring to what you have seen at distances that some would consider "up close". I thought I would ask and that criteria could be added so people would know how and at what distance you base your opinion of them.

Bullets get labeled as "great" or my favorite " Premium Hunting Bullets" or " Target Bullets" . The fact is any bullet will kill effectively when placed reasonably well. Last season we took 19 big game animals at all distances with a bullet labeled as a " Target Bullet" This was with one rifle and the same lot of bullets, several shooters. I trusted this bullet to make my longest one shot kill on an antelope at 1285 yards. That was right after I took one from the heard with a cold bore shot at 1005 yards. I also trusted this bullet to take my biggest Bull elk I have ever sighted on at 636 yards. We continued to use this bullet for the taking of many elk from 200 to 800 yards. Many antelope and deer as well. All one shot kills, not one needed any tracking. I think I will label this bullet as a " Premium Killing Bullet"

Thanks for your reply.

Jeff

 

[Timber338]

I've shot a few elk with the 225 Accubond, at ranges from 75 to about 350 and always been happy with the results. large wound channels, fast kills.

Have also shot a few with the 250 Accubond with amazing performance. Complete pass through shots with very large exit holes, massive organ destruction and DRT.

 

[Timber338]

forgot to add that the 250 accubond shots were all at about 150 yards with a bullet impact velocity in the 2400-2500 range. One of the shots traveled through several branches of a gamble oak, and both entrance and the exit wounds on the elk were very large, and the organs were liquified.

I like the accubond for close to medium distance shots... although I have no experience shooting the accubond long range at animals. I also think that Jeff's premium killing bullets perform flawlessly at all the ranges he's shot them at animals... those field results are priceless.

 

[D.Camilleri]

Cohunter14, was reading my mind and is correct. These bullet discussions have gotten to the point where many of us are tired of reading them, especially unsupported results. I happen to be of the belief that there is no perfect bullet for all situations. But that some work better than others. It is my opinion that most results in bullet performance is controlled by distance used, or better stated as impact velocity. I too am a fan of the Accubonds, that is, for use where I feel they shine. I still have a rifle that is near and dear to me with an Accubond load. That rifle is not one of my long range rigs though. For my long range rigs I look for best performance at my longest distances I will shoot. So this means accuracy, consistency and the ability to open up at slowed velocities. Then I look at how they will work up close. I don't look as hard at shortcomings up close. Lets face it, it is more important to me they do a better job where my placement may not be as good from field conditions like wind and other drifts, where the game could have a 1/2 mile plus head start, and finding the blood trail could take a while.

So when I read your post, and from my own experiences with them, I got the feeling you were referring to what you have seen at distances that some would consider "up close". I thought I would ask and that criteria could be added so people would know how and at what distance you base your opinion of them.


Bullets get labeled as "great" or my favorite " Premium Hunting Bullets" or " Target Bullets" . The fact is any bullet will kill effectively when placed reasonably well. Last season we took 19 big game animals at all distances with a bullet labeled as a " Target Bullet" This was with one rifle and the same lot of bullets, several shooters. I trusted this bullet to make my longest one shot kill on an antelope at 1285 yards. That was right after I took one from the heard with a cold bore shot at 1005 yards. I also trusted this bullet to take my biggest Bull elk I have ever sighted on at 636 yards. We continued to use this bullet for the taking of many elk from 200 to 800 yards. Many antelope and deer as well. All one shot kills, not one needed any tracking. I think I will label this bullet as a " Premium Killing Bullet"

Thanks for your reply.

Jeff

I have to agree with Broz on this issue. Last year I started shooting 300 gr Bergers in my 338 rum and took a big bodied bull elk at 550 yds. It was the quickest kill I have ever witnessed on an elk and I am comparing to numerous bulls I have killed with 225 nab's, 250 partitions and 210 barnes x's. The berger didn't exit, but what it did do right was go off like a grenade in the chest cavity. I also killed a mule deer at 620 and several antelope at 350+- (a little over kill for antelope) So the question now becomes, what makes more reliable quick clean kills, a grenade in the chest cavity or a in tact mushroomed bullet with full penetration?

For me, the jury is still out for what I want to have in my gun to stop a grizzly intent on proving he is the ultimate predator and using me for lunch. There is a local gunsmith by me who was stalked by a grizzly and attacked while he was watching a herd of elk. He was able to get to his 338 win mag after the first mauling and shot the bear point blank with a 200 gr balistic tip. He had bear blood mixed in with his blood as the bear attacked him again. He was able to get another shot into the bear and finished her, but it really brings up the question as to what will make the quickest kill. If I could be assured the Berger would penetrate the needed 3 to 4 inches and then grenade, I think this would be hard to beat. If the bullet hit the shoulder and grenaded though, it might not be the best. What about a full frontal skull shot?

Back to the accubonds, I have recovered one 225 from a quartering shot on a big muley at about 250 yards, DRT. Recovered the bullet in off side ham after breaking front shoulder. Since this was a high country hunt, we just quarter our animals and leave the carcass, so I didn't even look at the internal destruction, but it was plenty. The bullet recovered I would estimate at 60% weight retention. One thing that I believe makes the accubond kill well is the fact that it grenades with the frontal part of the bullet and the rear portion stays mostly intact. The total fragmentation of a bonded bullet would be a bullet failure to me and there seems to be some inconsistanies with the 225's. I have not experienced any such failures with my 225's.

I have yet to take an animal with the 215 berger's from my 300 ultra, but following Broz's recommendations, I will not hesitate. Last week I set up a target out in the badlands at 1040 yards. My first shot hit low and the target looked like it had been hit with #4 buck from a 12 gauge. If that is the damage that happens inside of an animal, it is deadly! My second shot was a little better, and I found a small piece of lead in the dirt, maybe only weighed about 30 gr and was very flat and deformed.

I am starting to believe that the way a Berger explodes makes the smaller calibers act more like a bigger caliber and makes the bigger caliber act like a really big caliber.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

...I think I will label this bullet as a " Premium Killing Bullet"

...
Jeff

Thats good stuff right there. Hurry up & get your TradeMark application in


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