Nosler Accubond Performance

[ELoodo]

Got a very large cow elk with the 180 accubonds two weeks ago. I estimate it was at 150 yards roughly 6% slope down hill. Shooting a 22" barrel 30-06 using reloads at around 2650fps. First shot dumped it but I put a second in for good measure. Recovered both bullets. One hit the lower leg bone (second shot) but the first came in just below the back strap and was recovered in the front shoulder. all that remained was 84grns of the second and 114grns of the first. The first shot corresponds to the earlier post saying that they should retain about 60% of weight. I didnt need to shoot it a second time but elk are tough and I didnt want to chance it. Im happy with the performance of these bullets.

 

[jasonprox700]

I've been running them out of my .280 for 7 or 8 years now. They are the 140's, so a little light. They have shot great, and I've been extremely happy with their performance on whitetails. I've never recovered a bullet, and the exits are half dollar sized. To me, they are about the perfect whitetail bullet. I just started loading some for my .308 AR, so we'll see how they perform in a couple of weeks.

I have used the 225gr AB in my 338 WM on two occasions, once on a small black bear, and the other was on a mule deer buck. The bear was severely quartering away at 75 yards. The bullet entered behind the shoulder, traveled up through the neck, and stopped inside the skull. Perfect mushroom, but I never did weigh the bullet.

The muley buck was taken at 498 yards. Shot entered in front of the hind quarter and exited just behind the off shoulder. Exit was half dollar sized. Again, I was extremely happy with the performance.

I may try the 338 with the AB's for deer this year along with the 308, just to see how they do when presented with a closer shot. I feel it'll do great regardless.

 

[Blwebster]

In my 30/06 I used to load Speer's 180 grain Hotcor bullets for deer, elk and moose.
Averaged 78% weight retention and no animal I shot moved more than 10 feet. Most just fell down. Shot an elk and a moose as well as two deer each season from 1958 to 1979 when I sold that 30/06 for a 7MM Rem Mag which shot 160 gr hotcores.

 

[unclefish]

I took 2 elk with nosler accubond 180gr with 300 win mag. both shots where right behind the shoulder mid ship. Both ran about 150 yards and dropped. both did have very small entrance and exit holes. This year my friend shot a bull quarting way ..I think it went right behind the shoulder and came out the brisket. we followed drops of blood the following day for about 1/2 mile it seemed like . one of the guys saw 2 bulls and 20 cows go flying past him over onto private land across the road. from where we found last blood. I have switched to Barnes lrx 175 gr 30 cal. last year's elk dropped in tracks. this year's 250 yard shot and made it 75 ft. I have heard of other people crying about the accubonds. I did see a cow elk takin at 325 yards, with nosler partition first shot went clear through never hit a rib animal never even flinched bullet never opened. sent another 3 inches down and she ran down 100 yards and flopped over. I could take my pointer finger and middle finger and put my fingers in both holes. The man who shot it off a small tree limb was 81 years young. He still thinks that the only hunting Bullet in the world is a nosler partition. I am currently sold on Barnes LRX . I just loaded some Barnes 80 gr ttsx in 6mm for white tail. we will se what happens there..

 

[Bbear]

Took two whitetail does with a 243 90 gr AB. One at 50' and the other just over 200 yards. Both drt with shots behind the shoulder. Took a 5x5 elk with the 142 gr AB at 137 yards. first shot through the shoulder blades on both sides and passed completely through. Exit wound about 1/2". Damage inside was plentiful. Took out the vessels coming out of the hear as well as punched two 2" diameter or so holes through each of the lungs. Dropped him in his tracks then he stood up again facing nearly straight away. 2nd bullet entered the ham, through the pelvis and ended up in the meat outside the off shoulder. Bullet weighed 60 gr (42% retention) after passing through about 5' of elk.
The bull gave me just over 300 lbs of meat so he was in the 700 pounds range.
I also used the 142 gr to take an axis doe at 109 yards. Entrance just below middle of the centerline took out the top of the heart and both lungs. DRT. Exit wound was about 1/2".
I use the 110 in my 25-06's but haven't taken anything with them yet.

Pretty good bullet all told.

I think every bullet will have 'failure' stories out there if you hunt long enough and shoot enough game. I've had partitions and TTSX's as well as LRX's and SGK fail in one form or another. Doesn't mean they aren't good bullets though.

 

[waspocrew]

The .284 168 gr Accubond LR accounted for 2 pronghorns, a muley buck, 2 bull elk, and 2 cow elk this season in WY (shot from a 7RM).

All worked out perfect except my bull at 725. Ended up hitting him square in the shoulder at 725. Broke his front shoulder but did not penetrate into the chest cavity. Had to find him and put another into him. At that distance, it may not have had the extra "oomph" required to get through tough muscle and bone. Our other shots ranged from 275 to 507 and all were one shot kills. I think the accubonds are great bullets in general!

 

[dougduey]

I've had great success with the Accubond in my 300 WSM. 2 years ago, I shot a 6x6 bull elk walking out of the timber at about 90-100 yards. First shot through the lungs, and he just stood there. So, I immediately put another one in him. His head dropped down, and he fell over as I was about to put a 3rd one in him. Both were double lung shots and the lungs were a jello, with 2 small entrance and exit wounds. Shot a big 4x4 Muley last year at 40 yards. Again, through the lungs and he was a bang flop. And, again, it was jello on the inside and small entrance/exit wounds. These bullets are very accurate and designed for longer distances, but they performed flawlessly for me at the short distances

 

[Jerry M]

Powder charge you are loading is very light for the .30-06. http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
Have you loaded it hotter to see if there is an upper accuracy node?

Good luck

Jerry