Nosler BT/Accubond

[reed]

I'm getting ready to start loading for my 280 rem., which would be a better bullet the Ballistic tip or accubond on deer only out to 400-500yds.

[cinch]

I have no experience shooting big game with ballistic tips. I have shot a lot of deer and antelope with the Accubonds though and they worked excellent. I was using a 300RUM and 308.

[Varminator 911]

My experince on big game is only with the Ballistic Tip. At close range they have killed feral hogs and a mountain lion very well. But mine were all very well placed shots thru the ribs into the vitals.

The most frequent complaint I've read about the Accubonds is that they don't expand enough, occasionally too much. BTs in the hunting wts have a good reputation for being stouter than one might expect. This leads me to wonder if the BT might actually be a better long range bullet, where inadequate expansion might be the issue. They are both very accurate, from what I've read and in my experience. Another big plus for the BT: they are significantly cheaper.

I don't have enough experince at long range to help.

[284stak]

Reed:
Have used both in my 7mm wildcat - 140gr going about 3400fps. The accubond is actually more accurate in my gun. Both bullets performed as designed. When the ballistic tips were recovered on the offside --- only the jacket was present. The accubonds when recovered on the offside were nice mushrooms with about 67-70% wt retention. Have shot deer with the BT from 50-350yds and deer/elk with the accubonds out to 560yds. Animals have gone anywhere from 5 yds to 70yds --- with both bullet types.
I would personally pick the accubond, as it is the better elk bullet and both are great deer bullets. I have found it much easier to pick one bullet/powder combo and learn the ballistics on that one setup, rather than dealing with multiple variables.

[Ridge Runner]

I've shot .284 ballistic tips and accubonds in several 7mm's from the /08 to a 7mm Allen mag, this spans a velocity range from 2800-3600 fps.
My thoughts on this is a 140 ballistic tip at less than 3000 fps behaves almost identical to an accubond at 3500. once in a great while a BT will separate but this is usualy at close range when heavy bone is encountered, the close range also allows for pinpoint shot placement so as far as deer are concerned really doesn't make much difference.
At 280 velocities I think I'd opt for a BT, I've shot the 140 BT's from my 7mm STW at 3550 fps and killed deer with them from 75-626 yards and never had any complaints.
RR

[Blacktail]

What powder you pushing the 140s with out of your STW and how much. I am still searching for a good load for my gun.

[reed]

thanks guys I think I might load a box of each and see if one is more accurate than the other in my rifle. Does anybody have a good load for either bullet for me to try. The 280 rem is mostly by go to deer gun to carry around.