Accubonds vs E-tips

[brettpsu]

What's the deal with the lack of accubond ammo on the market? I love my Nosler Trophy Grade in .300 mag 180 grain! But it's dang near impossible to find any ammo. I can find the e-tips but not the accubond. Anyone switch over to the e-tips? How do they perform compared to the accubonds? I do not reload so just talking factory ammo.

 

[Beastmode]

E-tips are going to good at closer ranges, under 400 yards. They need a high velocity to expand due to such a hard bullet. Solid copper bullets get a ton of bashing because people expect them to preform like jacketed bullets.

You rarely will find a bullet in an animal because the almost always pass through. The benifit is there is usually no wasted meat, the downside is if your shot placement is less than stellar chances of finding an animal are slim to none due to less terminal damage.

 

[brushape]

I think at 3100ish fps your not going to have an issue at any normal hunting range

 

[greyghostnw]

What's the deal with the lack of accubond ammo on the market? I love my Nosler Trophy Grade in .300 mag 180 grain! But it's dang near impossible to find any ammo. I can find the e-tips but not the accubond. Anyone switch over to the e-tips? How do they perform compared to the accubonds? I do not reload so just talking factory ammo.

accubonds are easy to find in my parts.... just picked up some accubond long range 30 cal bullets to try as they say at any range they will work. curious. have no experience with e tips but id keep looking as it seems accubonds are easy to find in wa

 

[Elkfitness]

I had great results on a handful of animals with the etips, but little expansion and always pass throughs. They were accurate in my 300, 3/4" groups but I haven't been able to find them in factory ammo for a while. What store are you finding them in?

 

[brettpsu]

Just looked at ammoseek.com and they are listing 8 vendors with the .300 win mag 180gr e-tip ammo in stock. One guy has the 180gr accubond but in the nosler custom not trophy grade. If anyone hears of any accubond ammo let me know.

 

[doverpack12]

I've shot both and both work when used correctly. I think what gets people into trouble with solids is they try to shoot the same weight they have always shot in a traditional bullet. I believe you need to step down in weight on or two bullet weights if possible to increase your speed unless you have a rifle capable of shooting very fast already. In 300 win I would think 168 grain E-tip would be about right. I shoot the 150's in my 30-06 and they shoot great. E-tips have performed for me from about 20-30 yards out to 400 yards. I originally switched away from accubonds to try and find a way to get less wasted meat (I shoot behind the shoulder) and the E-tips have done exactly what I want.

 

[GKPrice]

Nosler "e-tips" are not "solids" - I get over to Bend quite a bit so whenever I find a deal on the SPS website I choose the pick up at store option and stop in - twice now I've stopped during the lunch hour and guys from R&D were covering for the regular guy at the SPS counter - I've always seen this as an opportunity to talk to the people with their feet on the ground rather than administrative or sales reps and subtly pick their brains as much as I can - Twice (I know that's hardly a definitive sourcing number) I've been told that ALL are excited about the e-tip bullet and the general feeling is that Nosler came up with the "best hunting bullet in their history with them" They are certainly long so if one is attempting velocity maximums it might be wise to drop a weight class (168 vs. 180) Also, they are not "copper" but "gilding metal" and that is because Nosler recognizes the potential fouling and pressure "problems" with pure copper bullets - They sort of emulate the terminal performance of the TTSX - NOW, I am wondering what Nosler's response (or reaction) will be to Hornady's findings with plastic tips at 400+ flights and the new "ELD-X" they've just launched (no pun intended) - So far, what I've seen with recovered e-tips is those nasty looking peeled back ribbons dug from dead animals - They like a jump to the lands generally but I've moly coated some and those act pretty much just like Accubonds during load development although caution is advised when advancing in the pursuit of velocity just the same - I've changed my philosophy on elk shot placement, now I shoot for the shoulder and it's interesting to find a neat hole in the near side and how far the expanded bullet might travel in random directions - this is all limited in scope as I don't shoot beyond 500 yards anymore either nor do I get to shoot "that many" elk

 

[StrutNut]

I was thinking of giving those ELD-x's a try. Accubonds and Berger 215's as well. Seeing what I can get away with in my internal mag vs single loading which is actually still very quick in my Savage Bear Hunter in a 300 win mag. Some great options out there but I dont think I will should shoot as I like the meat in those shoulders too much! All these years of bow hunting has me a double lung guy.

 

[GKPrice]

I've been in on about 8 elk kills with .277/130 etips - all were one shot kills and very minimal meat was lost - on front shoulders my '06 / 180 Accubonds have not destroyed as much meat on 4 bulls as a Berger does on each kill - Accubonds and Partitions are very close in terminal performance results - Hornady INTERBONDS always did well for minimal meat damage as well, I'm optimistic about these new ELD-X's -

 

[ofl0926]

I have hunted with accubonds and no problems. Minimal meat was lost and ranges varied. My pops took his 300 weatherby magnum with accubonds to Africa with no problems. I've been wanting to test the etips but I can't find them anywhere for my 270 weatherby magnum or my 300wby magnum.

 

[GKPrice]

I have hunted with accubonds and no problems. Minimal meat was lost and ranges varied. My pops took his 300 weatherby magnum with accubonds to Africa with no problems. I've been wanting to test the etips but I can't find them anywhere for my 270 weatherby magnum or my 300wby magnum.

the .277 / 130's are often hard to find but the .30 Etips have been showing on the Nosler pro shop site regularly - the .30 / 182's are simply Federal's version and offer no difference from the 180's

those 130's in a Weatherby 270 will kill like a 7mm/160 premium, impressive combo

 

[6mm Remington]

My son shoots the 90 gr. E-tip in his 6mm Remington and has taken 3 or 4 antelope, a couple deer, and one very large cow elk. It has performed very well. His cow elk was broadside at 350 yards. He hit her tight behind her right shoulder in the lungs. It angled forwards slightly and exited out the far side shoulder, dead center in the shoulder. She went maybe 25 yards and tipped over.

Here are some bullets recovered from 1-gallon water jugs. I have a 400 yard catch somewhere and I'll see if I can find it. Even at 400 yards I was impressed at how well it opened up.



As you can see the frontal width of the mushroom isn't much less at 300 yards than it is at 100 yards.

 

[ofl0926]

the .277 / 130's are often hard to find but the .30 Etips have been showing on the Nosler pro shop site regularly - the .30 / 182's are simply Federal's version and offer no difference from the 180's

those 130's in a Weatherby 270 will kill like a 7mm/160 premium, impressive combo

Those 130s are the ones I am looking for. Hopefully soon I can find some

 

[GKPrice]

Those 130s are the ones I am looking for. Hopefully soon I can find some

check the Nosler shooters pro shop AT LEAST once a week, twice would be better as the high demand stuff goes quick AND don't be afraid of the "blems", they work exactly the same

there is a plethora of premium .277/130 bullets by other makers too - Swift scirocco and Aframe, Barnes, Hornady GMX and the rest, Nosler Accubonds(have worked well for us on elk), and more

 

[ofl0926]

check the Nosler shooters pro shop AT LEAST once a week, twice would be better as the high demand stuff goes quick AND don't be afraid of the "blems", they work exactly the same

there is a plethora of premium .277/130 bullets by other makers too - Swift scirocco and Aframe, Barnes, Hornady GMX and the rest, Nosler Accubonds(have worked well for us on elk), and more

I have accubonds in 130 and 140. Rifle did not like the 130s. Gonna start working with the 140s and see what happens

I'll keep a look out.