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

[257Tony]

I've killed Bull Elk with SST's (.338 225 gr), Accubonds (.264 140 gr), and Bergers (multiple). They are all dead, no drama with any of them. I still load the 225 SST in my .338, which is now my oldest Son's, most of my other rifles get Bergers. My new 6.5 RPM will probably get 130 Accubonds.

 

[NorCalRiceGuy]

The interbond and Accubond don't perform the same in my experience. The interbond performed more like an interlock for me out to 300ish yards. I shot two whitetail this year with an Accubond for the first time. Both died but not the performance I wanted. Will be looking for a load around the 3100fps range for a 25cal Accubond

If you reload, try Hammer bullets.

 

[7fan1967]

This past deer season I took a coues with a 168gr Berger with my 7mm Rem Mag, my first kill with a Berger and total destruction of vitals, dead on the spot.

I've taken several deer with the 139gr SST with my 7mm-08 with the same results, quick kill with vitals turned to smush. Some deer with 120gr Ballistic Tips and also the same results.

Now, my buddy took a coues with a 270 WSM and a 140gr Accubond, result was a slower death, bullet went through one rib and both lungs and rested under the skin the on the opposite side. The damage to the lungs was not as severe, a decent hole through them but still complete.

Last week I took a javelina with a 140gr Accubond with my 7mm-08, now usually I take these down with head and neck shots to preserve the little meat they have. In this case his head was behind some prickly pear cacti so lung shot it was, and to the ground he fell. About 15 minutes later as I approached him he pops up about 15 yards in front of me takes a few steps then slowly lays down and expires. Lungs were complete with a nice hole on them but still pretty complete. Now I have taken a couple of these desert pigs with lung shots in the past with SST and BT's and there were no lungs left.

I know bonded bulllets. Are designed to hold together, punch through bone and leave and exit wound, but I don't see them providing a fast kill. The deer I have killed with soft bullets I have pretty much always gotten exit holes and a quick kill.

Now on an elk I get it, its a tougher animal, but I would still want a fast kill, especially on this animal, and I dont see a bonded bullet doing this if they all (Accubond, Interbond, etc) behave the same.

Now I tried these Accubonds because I had some laying around and said why not, heard and read good things but now I'm convinced they don't do what I want. Animals don't bleed out as fast.

Just wanted to share my experience with them.

Stay safe all and enjoy your weekend

I have shot 22 mature bulls . All with 162 grn precision hunters or SST' s 18 of them were one step and DRT . The other 4 took about 10 yds then drt . The closest one was 210 yds the farthest was 735 . All out of the mighty 7rm .

 

[sierracharlie338]

If you reload, try Hammer bullets.

They are on my short list. Got a couple of rifles I plan to try them in.

 

[StumpGrinder]

This past deer season I took a coues with a 168gr Berger with my 7mm Rem Mag, my first kill with a Berger and total destruction of vitals, dead on the spot.

I've taken several deer with the 139gr SST with my 7mm-08 with the same results, quick kill with vitals turned to smush. Some deer with 120gr Ballistic Tips and also the same results.

Now, my buddy took a coues with a 270 WSM and a 140gr Accubond, result was a slower death, bullet went through one rib and both lungs and rested under the skin the on the opposite side. The damage to the lungs was not as severe, a decent hole through them but still complete.

Last week I took a javelina with a 140gr Accubond with my 7mm-08, now usually I take these down with head and neck shots to preserve the little meat they have. In this case his head was behind some prickly pear cacti so lung shot it was, and to the ground he fell. About 15 minutes later as I approached him he pops up about 15 yards in front of me takes a few steps then slowly lays down and expires. Lungs were complete with a nice hole on them but still pretty complete. Now I have taken a couple of these desert pigs with lung shots in the past with SST and BT's and there were no lungs left.

I know bonded bulllets. Are designed to hold together, punch through bone and leave and exit wound, but I don't see them providing a fast kill. The deer I have killed with soft bullets I have pretty much always gotten exit holes and a quick kill.

Now on an elk I get it, its a tougher animal, but I would still want a fast kill, especially on this animal, and I dont see a bonded bullet doing this if they all (Accubond, Interbond, etc) behave the same.

Now I tried these Accubonds because I had some laying around and said why not, heard and read good things but now I'm convinced they don't do what I want. Animals don't bleed out as fast.

Just wanted to share my experience with them.

Stay safe all and enjoy your weekend

Not enough information, how far away were the shots? What was the estimated impact velocity? Personally I would rather NOT clean an animal with the lungs turned to mush. Very messy! I have a friend that hunts deer with his 300 wm, 45-70, 444 marlin and 454 casuell. But he DOESN'T clean them! He takes them all to the processers. I clean my own and I hunt for the meat. I want double lung behind the shoulder with Barnes bullets or FMJs long enough to tumble on impact. I DON'T want to be picking lead out of the meat. Or have to throw away a 10 pound shoulder because a lead bullet exploded on the bone. I prefer to use 22lr with 40 to 45 grain copper plated solids. They ALWAYS tumble, give me double lung hits and exit the other side. Providing that I wait for a standing broadside shot and put the bullet where it won't hit bone. Which I ALWAYS do unless they are close enough for a head shot.

 

[Rooks]

This past deer season I took a coues with a 168gr Berger with my 7mm Rem Mag, my first kill with a Berger and total destruction of vitals, dead on the spot.

I've taken several deer with the 139gr SST with my 7mm-08 with the same results, quick kill with vitals turned to smush. Some deer with 120gr Ballistic Tips and also the same results.

Now, my buddy took a coues with a 270 WSM and a 140gr Accubond, result was a slower death, bullet went through one rib and both lungs and rested under the skin the on the opposite side. The damage to the lungs was not as severe, a decent hole through them but still complete.

Last week I took a javelina with a 140gr Accubond with my 7mm-08, now usually I take these down with head and neck shots to preserve the little meat they have. In this case his head was behind some prickly pear cacti so lung shot it was, and to the ground he fell. About 15 minutes later as I approached him he pops up about 15 yards in front of me takes a few steps then slowly lays down and expires. Lungs were complete with a nice hole on them but still pretty complete. Now I have taken a couple of these desert pigs with lung shots in the past with SST and BT's and there were no lungs left.

I know bonded bulllets. Are designed to hold together, punch through bone and leave and exit wound, but I don't see them providing a fast kill. The deer I have killed with soft bullets I have pretty much always gotten exit holes and a quick kill.

Now on an elk I get it, its a tougher animal, but I would still want a fast kill, especially on this animal, and I dont see a bonded bullet doing this if they all (Accubond, Interbond, etc) behave the same.

Now I tried these Accubonds because I had some laying around and said why not, heard and read good things but now I'm convinced they don't do what I want. Animals don't bleed out as fast.

Just wanted to share my experience with them.

Stay safe all and enjoy your weekend

My experiences echo yours. I have killed dozens of deer with cup and core thin jacketed target bullets and the results are fantastic. I get pass throughs with the core of the target bullets and yes, extreme expansion and fragmentation. But by definition, it is because the energy is being expended on the animal instead of carrying beyond. Pass throughs are fine for blood trailing. Pass throughs with no need to blood trail are better.

 

[brian b]

Just my experience..........the one bullet that has never let me down in 7mm is the 160gr Accubond, has worked flawlessly from 100yds to 1200yds.

I did have a problem with them about 10 years ago, had a couple box's where all the white tips had fallen off (bad lot). Nosler replaced them before I loaded any

 

[jumpmasterkolo]

I can definitely see water causing a premature expansion. I have read multiple times that Ballistic Tips and Accubonds have same POI, you can provably try that.

I know for a fact the SST and Ballistic Tip/ Accubond do not have the same POI. The rifle I used for Javelina last week loves the 139gr SST, and the Accubond I used has a POI 4" to the left at 100 yds. The lighter 120gr Ballistic Tip has a POI of almost 6" to the left of the SST.

Let me know please what results you get out if your tests.

Thanks

I will. I'm going to throw in some 143grn ELD-Xs as well.

 

[LVJ76]

Not enough information, how far away were the shots? What was the estimated impact velocity? Personally I would rather NOT clean an animal with the lungs turned to mush. Very messy! I have a friend that hunts deer with his 300 wm, 45-70, 444 marlin and 454 casuell. But he DOESN'T clean them! He takes them all to the processers. I clean my own and I hunt for the meat. I want double lung behind the shoulder with Barnes bullets or FMJs long enough to tumble on impact. I DON'T want to be picking lead out of the meat. Or have to throw away a 10 pound shoulder because a lead bullet exploded on the bone. I prefer to use 22lr with 40 to 45 grain copper plated solids. They ALWAYS tumble, give me double lung hits and exit the other side. Providing that I wait for a standing broadside shot and put the bullet where it won't hit bone. Which I ALWAYS do unless they are close enough for a head shot.

Thanks Stumpgrinder

The coues I killed with the 7mm Rem Mag and 168 Hybrid was 280 yds. The deer my buddy took with the 270 WSM and 140gr Accubond was under 70 yds and my javelina with the 7mm-08 and 140gr Accubond was about 200 yards.

The shot from the 270 WSM should've done more damage under 70 yds. If the shots were at say 400 or 600 yds then I get it, not enough velocity to ensure proper expansion.

The shot from the 270 WSM impacted at around 3,000 fps, the 7mm-08 was at around 2,440 fps and the 7mm Rem Mag was at 2,630 fps. The shot from the 270 is what turned me off the most.

If I'm not shooting through shoulders I should stay away from the bonded bullets. If I want to shoot through the shoulder then I'll use a Partition, those have never dissapointed when going through bone.

Thanks again.

 

[LVJ76]

My experiences echo yours. I have killed dozens of deer with cup and core thin jacketed target bullets and the results are fantastic. I get pass throughs with the core of the target bullets and yes, extreme expansion and fragmentation. But by definition, it is because the energy is being expended on the animal instead of carrying beyond. Pass throughs are fine for blood trailing. Pass throughs with no need to blood trail are better.

Agreed 100%. Although I'll say this, most of my shots have passed through, very few was I able to recover a bullet.

The ones where the animal was not perfectly broadside I recovered some on the offside shoulder.

Stay safe

 

[Hard rock]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that! I now better understand your dilemma, however.

Wish I could offer more insight. I would be tempted to try the 120gr ballistic tip, but I don't have a ton of experience with it yet myself.

About the only reason I know of if hammer hunter bullets wont group is the wrong twist for the given bullet I've been reloading for 55 yrs and have never seen a easier bullet to find a load for might reconsider on the hammer bullets the velocity gain is worth trying to get things to come together they to me are the best of both worlds when it comes down to penetration and expansion or trama and wound channel with little loss of meat

 

[Far North Hunter]

On soft skin animals I prefer Fusion. My first experience was factory loaded ammo in my 300 WSM..as a result of leaving my reloaded ammo 220 miles from my hunt! I was very impressed with its performance on two northern large body white tails. One through the shoulder, crushed bones and left an impressive exit hole. The second was a heart/lung shot. Both organs emulsified and a good exit. Very pleased to see we can now purchase box bullets. For larger game I have stayed with partitions and trophy bonded. You just never know if your best shot opportunity is less than ideal.

 

[LVJ76]

My experiences echo yours. I have killed dozens of deer with cup and core thin jacketed target bullets and the results are fantastic. I get pass throughs with the core of the target bullets and yes, extreme expansion and fragmentation. But by definition, it is because the energy is being expended on the animal instead of carrying beyond. Pass throughs are fine for blood trailing. Pass throughs with no need to blood trail are better.

Yup, the energy is dumped inside the animal.

Thanks Rooks

 

[LVJ76]

About the only reason I know of if hammer hunter bullets wont group is the wrong twist for the given bullet I've been reloading for 55 yrs and have never seen a easier bullet to find a load for might reconsider on the hammer bullets the velocity gain is worth trying to get things to come together they to me are the best of both worlds when it comes down to penetration and expansion or trama and wound channel with little loss of meat

I have the right twist. It's 9.25" and tried the 140gr Absolutes and the 131gr Hunters. Like I said got 1 MOA groups but could not do better. Next barrel will try them again.

Thanks