What is the issue with Accubond long range bullets?

[IDShane]

I have another post where I am looking for bonded bullets for an upcoming moose hunt and I noticed that there seems to be a lot of hatred for the Accubond LR bullets. Can anyone give me any reasoning for this? I have read that originally Nosler had an incorrect BC on these bullets but beyond that I really do not know. I came across some this weekend and plan to load them so I guess I am just trying to understand what the issue is? On another note if you have had success loading these for a 300 PRC I am all ears. Thank you.

 

[TxLite]

I haven’t shot them personally, but I do have a box of .284 175’s on my bench, but from one of my threads I gathered that they are difficult to get to shoot well, inconsistent flight, and inconsistent on game. Plus, as you said, Nosler has a reputation for inflating their BC.

 

[Slugz]

My experience out of our two 280AIs has been.

1) Little finnicky reloading. I'd say no more than a Berger VLD.
2) 4 elk and 2 shiras moose have either been low double lung or heart/liver shots. 5 of those recovered were 73% to 79% weight retention in the offside hide
3) Ranges were 282 to 464 yards. We haven't had any issues with groups out to 700 yards. ( just didnt shoot any further than that)
4) 4831SC or 7828SSC in the 57-59gr range is where we are seeing 1/2" Moa with our 24inch barrels / Brux SS 9G 4T #2

We like Nosler and reload Accubonds, Accubond LR and Partitions.

I think like everything in the hunting and fishing world, people either love it or hate it

 

[Tmac]

Both guns I have tried them in did not shoot them well. Getting ready to try them in a third. All I hear is they are too soft, but I suspect most guys don’t understand that’s how they are designed. When one complains about a bullets terminal performance, while standing over a dead animal, I tend to ignore them.

 

[LongWayAround]

I have shot three animals with the accubond lr.

Two elk at close range, both hit twice. Of the four rounds, I recovered one bullet core from the offside hide which had shed the jacket and mushroomed. I've never weighed the remnant.

One deer at +/-200, the bullet passed through and the deer was drt.

I have not noticed much difference between the accubond lr and the eld-x or -m, for my abilities and rifle with factory ammunition when shooting both at the range.

It seems that I have typically heard something about them "penciling through" but it's unlikely that I would ever shoot game at their minimum expansion range.

 

[Nbowlin]

I have loaded quite a few rifle with them and validate to 650. Ran a 142 at 3400 fps and put it into hardy board in front of milk jugs at 100yds and it was a perfect mushroom in the 3rd jug. So that dispelled the up close grenade thing for me. What I have found is that 90% of the loads i find for them are between 150-250 off. I typically use them for rifles with small magazines. Like cooper makes a 300 ultra with a 3/4 in mag box

 

[bradb]

I ran the 200 graiiners is both my 300 norma and 300 prc. Shot good in both. I'm the norma decided to use hammers for the hunt they were tested for. Last week used them in my prc on musk ox. Blew through the ox and it died after a very short quick run. Shot was about 300. I found a good load after only a few charges of h1000, and verified good at 500. Did not worry about farther or much as the musk ox shot would not be long

 

[Duh]

Has anyone had issues with them just blowing up completely?

I shot them in 300 win mag a while back and they shot awesome for groups (200grains).

Then I shot an elk at 340 yards in the shoulder with minimal effect. Another follow up in the lungs and it was a done deal but I found both bullets completely fragmented to the point, I never did find the core portion of the bullet. Shoulder had minimal penetration.

Shot a bigger bull the next year around 180 yards. Again, put it in the shoulder and had little effect. Ended up getting another bullet in the neck and that one slowed him down enough to get another vital shot. Again, I found the shoulder and Neck shot bullets completely blew apart.

At the end of the day, I hate biting into bullet fragments when I’m eating. I think they work but I just didn’t like the penetration and performance on shoulder and neck shots.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Consider yourself lucky if you can get them to group. I have rifles that are consistent .2-.3 guns with Berger’s that print groups from 1.5-3” with the ABLR bullets.


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[Truaxdw]

Used factory Winchester ABLR in 6.8 western 165gr we’ve killed two elk at 200 yards and two Ibex at 400 yards shot placement was lower lungs, all animals fell within 25 yards of the shot. Whitetail buck last year at 75 yards high lungs also fell with in 25 yards of the shot. Didn’t find the bullets to weight them.

 

[deerhunter628]

They have always shot good for me. I loaded 168 in a .308, 142 in a 6.5 cm, 190 in a 300 prc. All have shot good.

 

[Seeknelk]

Only one I saw shot into game was a 210? I think, from a 300wthrby. Bull at 810. Hit quartering away, bullet went above heart taking out plumbing so of course it killed it quickly. We found the bullet, slightly bent and slightly flattened on part. Plastic tip still in even.
I believe it tumbled thru the elk.
I've also seen a 180 standard accubond hit a cow on the thin scapula where it slid up the scapula ridge and was caught in the back strap meat. 300 win at 500 yards. The accubond was just slightly bent. That one I killed with my 06 after it came back in front of us at 630 yards. 178 eldx left golf ball sized exit and liquifyed the stuff inside in it's way thru.
Buddy that shot the bull, also shot a big Muley in the neck at about 75 yards and recovered that bullet, 180 accubond, it was just slightly bent.

I know tons of people have awesome luck with them and it's true these bullets weren't recovered from animals still running around wounded but they were quite interesting to me and Jason at goes to show, you have no idea what ACTUALLY happened or will happen when you pull the trigger until you find the critter. Make ZERO assumptions when tracking or whatever.

 

[Buddha]

Shot the 6.5 for several years. Accurate and effective on elk, mule deer. Shot just as well and same as 130 berger vld.
Would still use but now shoot cooper.

 

[crazybouthuntin]

I could never get the 150 gr ABLR to group in my 270 wsm.

 

[cmeadors13]

i just overpaid for 3 boxes of 190g 300wm because my gun likes them so much..

 

[Roosterstraw]

Ive got some on order to try out of my 7mm mag. Also have some eld-m coming. I’d shoot the berger vld as they group under 1/2” moa but they are hard to find.

 

[WyoHuntr]

They are finicky with depth. Way tougher to tune than a regular accubond. I've seen the results with a 26 Nosler on an elk (142gr) and a deer (129gr), as well as a .280 on deer (150gr?). I have no complaints on the terminal performance end, from the shots Ive seen. You'll find bad stories on nearly every bullet out there.

My complaint is how much the price has increased on them. I'm still going to try some 210's in my 300prc... if I can ever find any...

 

[Mike D Texas]

I just finished a 338 NMI build. I have some 300 grain ABLR so I decided to try them when fireforming and ended up with this group.

Most people say they have to jump but this was in the lands since I was fireforming.

Out of 7 rifles of varying cartridges, only 2 of them will shoot them like this.


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[TxLite]

I just finished a 338 NMI build. I have some 300 grain ABLR so I decided to try them when fireforming and ended up with this group.

Most people say they have to jump but this was in the lands since I was fireforming.

Out of 7 rifles of varying cartridges, only 2 of them will shoot them like this.

Hard to argue with those. I’d say load development is finished

 

[Mike D Texas]

Hard to argue with those. I’d say load development is finished

I was obviously very pleased with those results. However those were fireforming loads; now the development begins but I seem to know where they like to sit.


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