Nosler ABLR Testing

[Ingwe]

Zebra at 180lbs 7mmRM 175gr ABLR at MV 2,815

Broadside, broke shoulder penetrated through and found under skin far side

 

[adamjp]

I switched over to 142gn ABLR in my 6.5 SAUM after the 2018 season.
They do like a jump and I'm running 120 thou jump, 60gn of AR2217 (H1000).
3029fps with an ES of 11fps and SD of 5.7fps.
.302 G7 BC calculated
.610 G1 BC calculated

Not a rifle I use for culling deer, but for walking around spot and stalk it is my preferred rifle. Last year 3 shots, 3x deer, all from 270 to 320m range, all bullets exited, two dropped on the spot, one ran 20m spraying blood and collapsed.

Photo is the exit wound @ 300m impact, ran 20m with this.

Oh, and the rifle weighs in at exactly 7lb with scope, no ammunition.

 

[MZmoose]

Are you guys running .080-.100 bullet jump with the ABLR?

I'm in the process of having a 7 SAUM built on a Defiant XM action and I need to send in a dummy round. I have the heel of the bullet set just a touch above the shoulder/neck junction and I'd like to keep it out of the case. I'm on the fence as to how much jump to add to the throat.

With throat erosion in mind, would I be shooting myself in the foot by having .075 jump so I can keep the bullet above the SNJ and be able to shoot the ABLR to their potential? After 1000 rounds down the barrel, that would be about .050-.070 erosion, correct? What would you guys do?

Only jumping 0.010" in a .308 win, luckily this Savage rifle has a long magazine cuz they are seated long.

 

[Flare]

That's awesome info man, inadvertant shoulder shots leading to wounded elk is the reason I'm abandoning Berger and Hornady ELDs after a decade of use.
Do you recall the range and approx impact velocity?

Right on this is great to hear as well! I know nothing about African game but a zebra has to be pretty solid.
Totally agree with your last paragraph

Great post and info from all.
I am at this moment developing a new load for my 6.5 cm using ABLR 142 do to poor performance with one of the above mentioned bullets at close range on relatively small wt. Tail Deer last season.
Have actually been saving empty milk jugs for testing as well so appreciate the water test in cans as well.
I have seen Ingwe's post on the results from his African hunts. Impressive!

Are you having accuracy issues? I tried the 129 grain in my cm and the accuracy was dismal I'd be interested in what you end up with

Corey

 

[Flatbow]

Haven't had the chance to shoot many yet still working up new. Load for them after dropping the Eldx .
Have a few loads ready to try tomorrow

 

[Westernhuntr]

Are you having accuracy issues? I tried the 129 grain in my cm and the accuracy was dismal I'd be interested in what you end up with

Corey

With the few I've loaded I'm getting .75 moa or better at 200, I also need to really dial in my load development it would have been a .5" group if I didn't get a little vertical stringing.

Also I weighed the bullet I tested in the metal water filled jugs, it was 62 grains.
I'm pretty impressed with that for an impact velocity of 2900

 

[dennisinaz]

The ABLR is the worst bullet I have ever tried. The jackets are extremely thin and I found it hard to get consistent seating depths. The BC when the came out was so optimistic that I felt Nosler should have been fined for false advertising. I would get unexplained fliers in a group- 4 into .5 and then one an inch out. Oh, did I mention the BC was off by like .075???

I have tried pretty much everything in my 6.5-284s and 260 AI. For under 500 yards I use the 140 Sierra game king and for long range, I use the 143 ELD-X. Extremely reliable and shoots .3 MOA out to 800 meters (longest I have shot groups).

 

[Mike D Texas]

I think the ABLR has the potential to be a great bullet in cartridges of medium velocity; i.e. 260 Rem, 6.5CM, 6.5 Grendel. I've just not had great accuracy from them. But I've only been jumping them between .010 - .030. Maybe I need to increase the jump and try again.

 

[Ingwe]

The ABLR is the worst bullet I have ever tried. The jackets are extremely thin and I found it hard to get consistent seating depths. The BC when the came out was so optimistic that I felt Nosler should have been fined for false advertising. I would get unexplained fliers in a group- 4 into .5 and then one an inch out. Oh, did I mention the BC was off by like .075???

I have tried pretty much everything in my 6.5-284s and 260 AI. For under 500 yards I use the 140 Sierra game king and for long range, I use the 143 ELD-X. Extremely reliable and shoots .3 MOA out to 800 meters (longest I have shot groups).

I couldn't disagree with your post any more

I'll leave it at that...

 

[Bob Wright]

My 7RM would shoot 175 ABLR touching groups at 200 zero. at 600 those groups opened up to 8 inch groups and dropped 8-10" lower than predicted. Thought I was the only one having problems....

 

[MZmoose]

The ABLR is the worst bullet I have ever tried. The jackets are extremely thin and I found it hard to get consistent seating depths. The BC when the came out was so optimistic that I felt Nosler should have been fined for false advertising. I would get unexplained fliers in a group- 4 into .5 and then one an inch out. Oh, did I mention the BC was off by like .075???

I have tried pretty much everything in my 6.5-284s and 260 AI. For under 500 yards I use the 140 Sierra game king and for long range, I use the 143 ELD-X. Extremely reliable and shoots .3 MOA out to 800 meters (longest I have shot groups).

Some guns don't like some bullets. I've had none of the issues you experienced. I have tried the Sierra's and Eldx and they shoot great but performance on game is lacking in my opinion that's why I switched to the ABLR.

 

[Ingwe]

My 7RM would shoot 175 ABLR touching groups at 200 zero. at 600 those groups opened up to 8 inch groups and dropped 8-10" lower than predicted. Thought I was the only one having problems....

That doesn't sound right....your rounds are "touching at 200 yards" then within 400 yards they are opening up to 8" at 600??

Something isn't right Bob, and I bet that it isn't the bullet

 

[DocDoc]

Bob, what is the twist on your 7mm RM? Marginal stability could have them opening more than expected, but that is a big increase.

 

[Flatbow]

I agree and even though they are a decently high bc, most factory twist will work with bc's in that range.
I guess I will find out... Getting ready to try some right now!