Bonded vs Non Bonded - Accubond vs Berger or SST or Ballistic Tip

[Idaho Lefty]

@ NorthernHunter,.
I was ready to put another one into my Elk, but, my son said,.. "hold up dad,.. he's dead on his feet" !
I'm hoping that, the Berger Classic Hunters, do a little better job ( More damage to Lungs / Heart for, a quicker Kill ) as I'm trying to Draw an Idaho Moose Tag this year myself and didn't want, to have to shoot him, 5 times ( LOL ) They can be pretty tough, too !
I've read / heard that, the Accubonds work much better in, the 7's and 30 Cal's !
I HAD a wonderful, Custom built, .338 Win Mag that, shot 210 Partitions at 2,970 FPS and it was a REAL, "stomper" ( on both ends ! ).
But, I can't take the Recoil on, the Bench and in Practice shooting Steel, like I could when, I was 30- 40- 50 years old !

 

[Wachsmann]

All this talk about which bullet. Well here a different perspective.Hunting whitetail in Va. Had one at 48 yards. No trophy just a doe. Took the shot. Took about 1 bounce and fell over kicking. So for the story part the deer was looking away and the instance that I took the shot she started turning her head to look in my direction and like a classic whitetail she dropped about 6 inches muscles tensed ready to bounce but by then it was to late as the muzzy was piercing her shoulder and before she was able to make a move there was complete pass through. No retained knock energy just good old fashion slice and dice. She made one bounce to her death. It crazy no trophy but that shot has been etched into my mind like it happen yesterday. It seem like slow motion, I never thought I would ever experience seeing everything happen like that. I can still remember seeing the bending of the arrow as it was in flight before it straighten out. No that said I'm mostly a gun hunter and longest kill is 762 yards with my 300RUM on a mule deer. 220 grain ELDX. Muzzle velocity is about 3150 I think.

 

[Wachsmann]

For me I never expect an animal to just bang flop. If that happens then for me that's all the stats lining up and all that mess. I've seen animals go 5, 10, over 200 yards with a golf ball size whole in them from a core lock 165 30-06 round and them plow dirt for about another 10 and start kicking around for about 30 seconds. I think it depends on the animals will to survive. Are they **** when they are on high alert or just moseying around. Personally I like the ones that run closer to a access road for a shorter drag. Those times I think keep running it will be much easier as long as I can keep track of them.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Hopefully, I can draw, a couple of Elk and Moose Tags this year and am looking to get, my .270 WSM Performing better on, the "Big Stuff".
Yes, I agree that, it's probably un-realistic to have, an Elk drop,.. DRT !
I have, a couple Hundred, slippery / accurate, Berger, 140 grain Classic Hunters coming, in my QUEST, to make, more Humane Kills by "scrambling" the Heart / Lung area with, "Boiler Room" shots ! I will test these Bullets, before using them, in Gelatin Blocks and Wet Newspaper with, OSB Board or, 1/2" plywood in front ( like, a Rib would do ). Best Bullet for Penetration / Mushroom that, I've ever tested was the Hornady 154 gr Interbond, in my Rem 700, 7mm Rem Mag. ( Sold that, Gun as went to a 1 Pound, Lighter weight gun,.. a TIKKA ).
And, the Interbond's were a bit, DIFFICULT to make shoot, accurately as they were "fussy" on seating depth !
I WILL keep, a couple of Accubonds "handy", just in case,.. the Berger "fails" ( unlikely tho, from what I've read about, them ! ).

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I've been giving a lot of thought about, quicker Killing, Elk & Moose Bullets, lately (actually about, 3 Years worth, on / off, since my last Elk,.. LOL ) and I have done, a lot of reading / thinking, on the "Subject" and along with, the original poster ( LVJ76 ) and, a few others here, I assume that, "we", have come to, the conclusion that, the Nosler Accubond is, a VERY Hard & TOUGH, Bullet that, penetrates well, but "can" Kill,.. SLOWLY, "sometimes" when passing thru, the Vitals. They seem, to create, a smallish wound in, the Lungs, as not much resistance there, to expand, the bullet !
So, I'm gonna switch Bullets, to a softer, more "frangible" bullet that, will do MORE destruction to the Heart Lung area and "hopefully" Kill quicker ! My top 2 choices, for Testing, are going to be, the Berger Classic Hunters and the Nosler, Ballistic Tip, BOTH, in the 140 grain, persuasion @ 3,150 FPS for, my .270 WSM Tikka and, I will aim for the "Boiler room", AGAIN, as my Family likes, Shoulder Roasts and Back straps !
I just, cut apart, a NEW, NBT ( they get a bad rap, from, the OLD Days, 20+ years, ago ! ) and the Jacket is, THICK and nicely Tapered !
Yes, I'm well aware that, there's, NO, "perfect" Bullet, but for me and MY Rifle, I think that, one of, these 2, will be, fine !

 

[LVJ76]

I've been giving a lot of thought about, quicker Killing, Elk & Moose Bullets, lately (actually about, 3 Years worth, on / off, since my last Elk,.. LOL ) and I have done, a lot of reading / thinking, on the "Subject" and along with, the original poster ( LVJ76 ) and, a few others here, I assume that, "we", have come to, the conclusion that, the Nosler Accubond is, a VERY Hard & TOUGH, Bullet that, penetrates well, but "can" Kill,.. SLOWLY, "sometimes" when passing thru, the Vitals. They seem, to create, a smallish wound in, the Lungs, as not much resistance there, to expand, the bullet !
So, I'm gonna switch Bullets, to a softer, more "frangible" bullet that, will do MORE destruction to the Heart Lung area and "hopefully" Kill quicker ! My top 2 choices, for Testing, are going to be, the Berger Classic Hunters and the Nosler, Ballistic Tip, BOTH, in the 140 grain, persuasion @ 3,150 FPS for, my .270 WSM Tikka and, I will aim for the "Boiler room", AGAIN, as my Family likes, Shoulder Roasts and Back straps !
I just, cut apart, a NEW, NBT ( they get a bad rap, from, the OLD Days, 20+ years, ago ! ) and the Jacket is, THICK and nicely Tapered !
Yes, I'm well aware that, there's, NO, "perfect" Bullet, but for me and MY Rifle, I think that, one of, these 2, will be, fine !

Makes perfect sense, at least to me.

In my 7mm-08 I'm going back the 139gr SST, I do have a couple of nice loads with the 168gr Classic Hunters and the 150gr ELD-X that I will try on game.

My wifes 7mm-08 will stay with the 120gr Ballistic Tip and the 162gr Amax.

No more messing around.

 

[NorthernHunter67]

I've been giving a lot of thought about, quicker Killing, Elk & Moose Bullets, lately (actually about, 3 Years worth, on / off, since my last Elk,.. LOL ) and I have done, a lot of reading / thinking, on the "Subject" and along with, the original poster ( LVJ76 ) and, a few others here, I assume that, "we", have come to, the conclusion that, the Nosler Accubond is, a VERY Hard & TOUGH, Bullet that, penetrates well, but "can" Kill,.. SLOWLY, "sometimes" when passing thru, the Vitals. They seem, to create, a smallish wound in, the Lungs, as not much resistance there, to expand, the bullet !
So, I'm gonna switch Bullets, to a softer, more "frangible" bullet that, will do MORE destruction to the Heart Lung area and "hopefully" Kill quicker ! My top 2 choices, for Testing, are going to be, the Berger Classic Hunters and the Nosler, Ballistic Tip, BOTH, in the 140 grain, persuasion @ 3,150 FPS for, my .270 WSM Tikka and, I will aim for the "Boiler room", AGAIN, as my Family likes, Shoulder Roasts and Back straps !
I just, cut apart, a NEW, NBT ( they get a bad rap, from, the OLD Days, 20+ years, ago ! ) and the Jacket is, THICK and nicely Tapered !
Yes, I'm well aware that, there's, NO, "perfect" Bullet, but for me and MY Rifle, I think that, one of, these 2, will be, fine !

Some hunters answer this dilemma with the Nosler Partition,guaranteed to expand but still hold together at about 60%. I tried them 30 years ago in a Sako 7mm-08 but could not get acceptable accuracy. Otherwise it's maybe carry Accubonds for under 100 yards and Ballistic Tips for over 100 yards. I know that for the 30 caliber the 180gr Ballistic Tip is a good compromise as it has a tougher jacket. I've never used Bergers and can't comment on them. I may load my magazine with alternating Accubonds and Ballistic Tips.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Agree with you, on the Partitions, they are, an AWESOME Bullet and I used them for, Decades, in my .30-06, .270 Wby and .338 Win Mag.
The 165's in the 06 and 210's in, the .338 W M,.. were, and still ARE,.. "Killers" !
The Berger's, AccuBonds and Bal Tips, just shoot better at, "distance", in my .270 WSM. I will keep a couple of Accubonds Handy, in case I ever have to, "scramble" a Bears Head, tho as, one Tough, Bullet ! I happen to think that, the Bal Tips will do a great Job on the "Boiler room" shots, kinda like, a Berger does but, without, most of, the Fragments.