accubonds

[BuzzH]

They say, you want all the energy to expel inside the animal. Which means it doesn't exit, it stops on the aft side skin. Once it exits, yes there is a bleeding hole, but no more energy is used to put the game down.

That happened with accubonds on my Moose. I'm not a ballistic expert, but it seems to make sense.

I will tell you, since my shot wasn't perfect, and it was a gut shot, I was scooping out handfuls of grass. It probably wasn't the bullet expansion, but hydraulic shock that exploded the stomach.

Like groundhogs day...guy makes a crap shot on a big-game animal with a good bullet, its the bullets fault. Doesn't matter what bullet you're using, shooting them in the guts, twice isn't going to change the outcome.

Energy is a myth and the theory behind the "expend all is energy in the animal" is the biggest of all.

As to the accubonds? I fired exactly 5 of the 140 grain variety last year from 7-08 at big-game, one pronghorn, one whitetail buck, one bighorn ram, and 2 cow elk...5 dead critters with ZERO problems and exit holes in every one of them. I didn't shoot them in the guts though either.

I cant say how many animals I've shot with them or seen shot with them, but certainly over 100...no problems and they're a great bullet.

 

[Marbles]

The infamous and all knowing 'they.' I have to agree with BuzzH, not that energy is a myth, but that energy being the primary means of causing death is a myth.

Sounds like one shot to the vitals anchored it. I'd take that. Don't think there are many weapons a man can shoulder that will kill rapidly with a gut shot.

180 gr Accubonds from my 30-06 worked nicely on two blacktail bucks for me. Neither made it more than 20 feet even though the bullets exited, including on the quartering away shot that filled the chest cavity with stomach contents. It was a shameful waste of the heart and ribs.

 

[Jbehredt]

I think the thread title should be “gut shots”. Replace your complaints about bullet performance with shot placement and it all adds up. Can you believe I shot an antelope in the guts twice and it just stood there!?!? What more could you ask for after two muffed shots than a miraculous third try? I’d prefer my bullet to not expand in the guts just so I could get as lucky as you did.... twice.

 

[Rich M]

Not thrilled, but got it done. 6.5CM 140gr accubonds just blow right through an Antelope.
225 yards,
1st shot was a gut shot. Too far back. 4 of the 5 goats sped off.
My goat still standing in shock, but not walking anywhere..

2nd shot, just behind the lungs. Still standing, not walking anywhere.
Now I'm wondering if I'm missing, or what's going on. This thing is still standing still, like nothing is happening. Not even off balance.

3rd shot, finally caught both lungs, and he finally falls over.

Upon inspection, 3 exit wounds, not too big. Cleary accubonds don't expand in a speed goat. They just blow right through like target shooting. Better off using soft lead, but accubonds perform better in the wind. Chalk it up to experience.. My 1st goat, so I was rushing to get one, but a nice 13" buck.

Glad you had a successful hunt.

Thanks for an honest report. As you said - some critters don't need premium bonded bullets.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

OP: Chalk it up to experience..


Yes, anecdotal experience.

Respectfully, I'd be praising them Accubonds for NOT dumping a bunch of energy into the guts.

 

[Sled]

Respectfully, I'd be praising them Accubonds for NOT dumping a bunch of energy into the guts.

Interesting way to look at it. Had those been frangible projectiles like berger or ballistic tips it would have been quite the mess.

 

[Titan_Bow]

I’ve shot a bunch of antelope, and most all of them with accubonds, I’ve never had an issue with them, I think they are a great hunting projectile.
I would actually steer clear of the ballistic silver tip and bullets like that for antelope. I think they dump too much energy, and cause way too much meat damage. The first antelope I ever shot was a doe, with a 270 WSM and ballistic silver tips. She was probably 100 yards, quartering slightly to me. The bullet literally blew her shoulder apart, and the exit wound pulled half her guts out the off side. It was a mess, LOL.
My son actually just shot a doe antelope this afternoon with a 6.8 SPC. 110gr. Accubond, and it dumped her right there with just a little bit of blood shot meat. By the way, for deer size game, that little cartridge is fantastic. He’s shot 3 deer and an antelope with it, all with the 110 Accubond, and all have been drops right there with not a lot of bloodshot meat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Short Track]

What's interesting, while y'all call it a lousy shot, this goat just stood there, while his harem ran off. He was unable to move, even after the 2nd shot, just standing upright. Probably would have died, eventually. If he ran off and I lost him, then you can call it a lousy shot There is an FAK on the Nosler website, I have to find it.

In fact, I have shot Elk perfectly that still ran 50 yards. I shot a bear though the heart, and he ran 100 yards, without a heart. Talk about partitions, this heart was shredded.

 

[NMframed]

I think the reason people are saying it was a lousy shot is because you specifically said you GUT shot him the first shot and behind the lungs the second shot. To me and most others a gut shot IS a lousy shot whether he stood there after the shot or not. A GUT SHOT IS A LOUSY SHOT! You posted on here bashing a bullet that most have had great success with, my self included. I don’t know what kind of reaction you were expecting after saying “I don’t like this bullet, I made two bad shots and then a third shot in his lungs killed him”. I think all the comments have been right on par for your post.

 

[Tmac]

A lousy shot could be defined as one that does not result in a quick kill and causes needless suffering to the animal. As happened to you, one can recover game after a lousy shot or two. Shots like that happen, I am sure everyone is happy you recovered the animal. Most hunters I know would use that experience as motivation to practice more to avoid similar situations in the future, and not blame the bullet. We can agree to disagree if necessary, but you made two poor/lousy shots in my view. I’d own it, do whatever work needed to minimize the chance of another, and move on.

 

[FishfinderAK]

I agree. Sounds like a couple “less than perfect shots”.
But who among us hasn’t made a less than perfect shot?
If/when these shots occur, I THINK I would rather be shooting a softer/more “explosive” bullet. At least when hunting narrower thin skinned animals.
But, with a perfect shot that same bullet on same small animal is going to result in significant meat loss.
Pros/cons both ways.
And do all we can to minimize the less than perfect shots.
...just my opinions...

 

[wytx]

How did he look inside, I'm betting it was pretty lousy during the field dressing.
Watched the spouse drop his pronghorn doe with a 300wsm using 180 gr Accubonds at 160 yds. Perfect mushroom and exit hole opposite side.
He stood there after 2 gut shots 'cause he was in shock, he would have died but the lung shot put him out of his misery.

 

[Short Track]

Nosler FAQ - What is the difference between the Ballistic Tip® and the AccuBond®?

Externally, they look the same except for the tip colors, Ballistic Tip® bullets ...

faq.nosler.com

Certainly for an Antelope, the BT is a better choice.
and no, I never bashed Accubonds, I have taken Moose with them. My view is using the proper tool for a specific job. Like using a sledge hammer on a finish nail doesn't work well, but it bangs it in. Or a 300 short mag on a speed goat..

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve had great expansion with Accubonds on coyotes. Antelope ain’t constructed lighter than coyotes.

Certain NBTs are as strong as the Accubonds, so don’t be fooled by a blanket statement on a FAQ page.

 

[Huntinaz]

For a gut shot there are better bullets than Accubonds for sure. Something explosive that makes a mess is better suited to pure soft tissue. Get that shrapnel ripping

I love 180gr AccuBonds in my 300WSM. It's a great penetrating bullet with good weight retention and controlled expansion. Always amazed at how little meat is wasted even on small animals. I shoot this combo for Coues deer up to bull elk and results have been completely what I want. Which is an accurate bullet that expands in a controlled fashion and penetrates very well and doesn't make a mess of the meat when I hit them where I want because it doesn't blow up and send shrapnel everywhere


Killed two bucks this week with the 180gr Accubond from the WSM. I too was amazed at how tough Pronghorn seemed for their small size. Both took this combo on their feet just like elk do. They went nowhere, they each took about 3 steps and then wobbled and kicked over backwards. One blew out the top of the aorta and came out the opposite shoulder. The other just punched both lungs and hit no bone. Neither were knocked down. The last coues buck (roughly same size animal) I shot was hit in a similar manner and he went straight down

Here's an exit, notice not a softball sized hole. Clearly controlled expansion without a mess

Probably quarter sized , hair matted over it. Here's that shoulder. Notice hardly any meat wasted. This is completely typical of this bullet especially at distances past 200 yards. People always tell me 300WSM is too much gun for these animals. I beg to differ:

Here's the exit on the other goat, little bigger probably because tissue was softer. No meat wasted, no jellied blood shot into the shoulder meat at all. Had I center punched his guts I'd probably wished I'd been shooting Bergers or Ballistic Tips

Couldn't be happier with the Accubond. Nosler Up Front

 

[Jackal7]

I shoot Nosler accubonds out of my Sako A7 .270WSM. They have knocked over every whitetail I have shot for ten years.

Last September, I shot a bull caribou at 56 yards. That was very close. The round probably hit the bull at around 3000 fps right behind the shoulder. Nothing but ribs and lungs and heart were hit. Knocked the bull over. One of the cleanest kills I have ever had. No movement after the shot. I will continue to shoot that bullet as long as I own the rifle.

 

[marshland_max]

Like groundhogs day...guy makes a crap shot on a big-game animal with a good bullet, its the bullets fault. Doesn't matter what bullet you're using, shooting them in the guts, twice isn't going to change the outcome.

Energy is a myth and the theory behind the "expend all is energy in the animal" is the biggest of all.

As to the accubonds? I fired exactly 5 of the 140 grain variety last year from 7-08 at big-game, one pronghorn, one whitetail buck, one bighorn ram, and 2 cow elk...5 dead critters with ZERO problems and exit holes in every one of them. I didn't shoot them in the guts though either.

I cant say how many animals I've shot with them or seen shot with them, but certainly over 100...no problems and they're a great bullet.

This ^^^^^^^^^ x1000

I use them in my 7mm Rem Mag and other cartridges without issue.

Bang Flops on two goats this year with 160 AB out of 7mm's, yeah it aint the bullet.....................

 

[jruff002]

IMO it's hard to beat Hornady SST bullets for antelope and deer sized game. I will warn though if you are the guy who crosshairs the shoulder i would not use them as they are very devistating on meat. I basically double lung all my rifle shots and they are very mean, generally whitetail and antelope either drop or run 20-30 yards and done. On the bigger bodied whitetail the bullet will sometimes be stuck in the offside hide, pass through bullets are not an issue as SST dump all their energy inside the game. They do partially fragment and the core keeps going somewhat similar to the partition but outperform the partition on double lung shots. I've seen about 10 antelope and 50 whitetail victim to them and not a failure yet. But if you worry about fragments in your meat, pass throughs, or the guy who wants one bullet for coyote up to moose then SST are not for you. But you can't beat them if you are just hunting deer sized game. I'd stick with your accubond tho if you elk hunt cuz they are great bullets.

 

[manitou1]

The last dozen antelope I have shot have been with 140 gr Accubonds at 50, 110, 240, 379, 554, 435, 621, 70, 521 yds are some of the distances I remember off the top of my head. (.284 cal) All but one dropped in it's tracks and it only went 20 yds.

 

[EdP]

Muledreek expressed my thoughts exactly. ABs may or may not be the perfect bullet for pronghorns, but poor shot placement NOT bullet performance was the problem here. Sierra GKs have performed extremely well for me on pronghorns and whitetails and cost 1/2 what ABs cost. I love ABs but will reserve them for tougher game.