Wow, that's cookin for a 270 Win! I'm right at 3100 out of my 270WSM with 140 Accubonds, but I'm not rompin on er too hard.
I absolutely love the Accubond, & highly recomend it to anyone who hunts from point blank to long range. For DEDICATED LR, & ELR ONLY there are better bullets, but for 0 to Long Range, or wherever that range crosses the 1800 fps barrier imo, you cannot convince me that there is a better allround hunting bullet made for spot & stock, & still hunting big game in the northwest.
My hunting style is spot & stock, & still hunting for big game in every kind of country the northwest offers. I've killed a bear at 27 yards with a bonded bullet, & dug it out of him. I've killed quite a few critters & never once had a "pencil" pass thru issue. I've crushed bone, & missed bone. I've taken severe quartering shots to broadside, & even head on shots. I hunt public land where there isn't always time to wait for that perfect broadside. I will always choose a bullet that can, & will get to, & thru the vitals at most any angle with propper shot placement.
For me long range with an Accubond, means wherever you cross that 1800 fps barrier. So to answer the O.P.'s question, yes, I'll gladly limit my range to that velocity so I can trust the terminal performance of my choice in bullet.
I'd be of a different opinion if I was shooting a dedicated LR to ELR ONLY rig.
It's inevitable that these threads turn into a ****ing match, between frags vs bonded, vs solids & someone always gets bent that his bullet isn't best, so ill just throw this out there.
Now before anybody jumps in all hot & bothered, I'm not condeming other manufacturers bullets for you, & your style of hunting, weather its different it the same as mine. I even enjoy reading the articles like Berger kills. I have a ton of respect for many who have posted on that thread. I have no reason to doubt that the frags do work at a veriety of ranges on a veriety of critters. I have stated that for Dedicated LR only, & ELR there are better bullets than the Accubond, like the Berger. I will not say frags won't work at close range, but many folks need to get off thier high horse & admit that many other bullets work at long range (within thier velocity window) too.
Is an Accubond at 1600 fps a better choice than a frag? No. Not imo.
Is a frag at modest range, & high velocity a better choice than a bonded bullet? No. Not imo.
Can they, will they, & have they worked outside thier optimum Windows? Yes. But there have also been absolute horror stories on both sides, when operating outside thier optimum windows.
I'm in agreement with JE about shotplacement being the ultimate factor in the outcome when bullets are pushed beyond thier optimum performance window. Many of these shots are risky at best, & you'd better know exactly what your doing.
IMO, from Muzle to 1800 fps here is no other choice for me personally than the Accubond. Very respectable B.C., Boat tail bullet with a ballistic tip helps retain energy, reduce drag, & initiate expansion at long range, & it doesn't have a velocity ceiling so even at point blank you can trust it to stay intact enough to do its job on some critter trying to eat you, which is important to some folks, like me, who enjoy chasing bears in thick brush to wide open cross canyon shots. Accubonds are tougher than a frag, softer than a solid. That is why it is my personal choice.
Your hunting style may differ, & range you intend to shoot, & terminal performance expectations may differ whole heartedly. I'm fine with that, as long as its a two way street of mutual respect of different styles, & opinion.
I'll readily admit that if I was limited to whitetails from up in a treehouse, to waaay accross some field, my choice would be frags, not bonded bullets.
Since this is a longrange hunting stie, I have admitted to this bullets shortcomings at long range, to ELR. If you hunt a veriety of tough critters, from point blank to long range, a different bullet will serve you better than someone who starts at 6-800 & shoots well beyond there.
It's too bad that many on the frag bandwagon can't admit or comprehend that thier bullet has limitations too. But that'd require admitting that penciling bonded bullets happen about as often as frags blowing up just under the skin, when used within thier optimum window. It does happen, but its a very very rare thing. The same folks tend to preach B.C. as king for a person who may or may not ever even get to 6-800 yards. Why?
LR doesn't have to mean 3/4 of a mile + for everybody. Use the bullet that fits the bill for the game, & distance you intend to shoot. Stay within its limits & be happy with your choice.
Edit:
P.S. rich, this post was not directed at you, or any other individual member. I was typing while yours posted, & had not read it yet. It was a general statement meant to encompass both sides of the argument.
