Nosler ABLR Testing

[Westernhuntr]

Ok so I've been on a quest this year to find the ultimate med to long range deer and elk bullet, after having some pretty bad failures with a variety of non bonded target style bullets.

Not starting another bullet debate here but I asked about the ABLR's a while back and many members were claiming they are extremely explosive, more so than the target bullets that I'm moving away from.

So I'm starting a thread for people to post their results with any of the ABLR's.

Here's my results so far with the 142's.
I loaded a few last night for my ultralight 6.5 SAUM at 2.940 oal with 60.5 grains of H1000.
Mv was 3200, shot a 1.3" 200 yard group right off the bat.
I did an expansion test with 4 metal paint gallon jugs filled with water at 200 yards.
The results are looking awesome!
It blew through the first 3 and I recovered it from the 4th, perfect mushroom with the bonded core totally intact. I'll weigh it later.
Going bear hunting this weekend, hopefully I'll have some live results.

Here's a few pics of the bullet and the carnage on the first 2 jugs.

 

[26Reload]

If you're getting that accuracy...youre gonna be fine...a bear is thin skinned..bullets won't blow up on it unless you hit it directly in a heavy bone....depending upon how fat that bear is will determine if you will get pass thru or not.....but being it is spring you should be fine.....

 

[Lethal_Chica]

Following! Wow, impressive. Thank you for sharing. I just received my 6.5 SAUM build from GAP. I plan to load with the 142 ABLR bullet.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I've heard of good accurracy results from the 142 ablr. You're got me interested. What powder are you burning & what barrel length?

 

[Westernhuntr]

I've heard of good accurracy results from the 142 ablr. You're got me interested. What powder are you burning & what barrel length?

H1000 with Fed 215 primers in Norma 7 Saum brass.
It's a 25" barrel, I'm surprised with the velocity for sure.
I put one round on steel tonight at 670 yards and the ballistics are matching, I need to load more up and get things really dialed

 

[Westernhuntr]

Following! Wow, impressive. Thank you for sharing. I just received my 6.5 SAUM build from GAP. I plan to load with the 142 ABLR bullet.

Yeah I saw your new Saum, very nice looking setup.
I'm thinking it'll serve you well out here on Elk with the 142's from what I'm seeing so far.
H1000 is your friend in the saum

 

[Lethal_Chica]

Yeah I saw your new Saum, very nice looking setup.
I'm thinking it'll serve you well out here on Elk with the 142's from what I'm seeing so far.
H1000 is your friend in the saum

I have 8lbs of H1000... excited to load some up. Maybe start next week if all goes well.

 

[Troutslayer2]

168 grain high shoulder shot on a bull elk. I posted a thread about it, can't remember what the weight retention was but it did the job.

 

[Ingwe]

I shot a bunch of Africa animals with 7mmRM and 175gr ABLR'a at 2,815fps. They preformed great including a 180yd shot at a zebra where the bullet broke it's shoulder and fully penetrated the body and was under skin on off side...broadside shot

I would not shoot anything bigger than a deer with a "Target Bullet" that has been expertly marketed and promoted to preform miracles on game

 

[Westernhuntr]

168 grain high shoulder shot on a bull elk. I posted a thread about it, can't remember what the weight retention was but it did the job.

That's awesome info man, inadvertant shoulder shots leading to wounded elk is the reason I'm abandoning Berger and Hornady ELDs after a decade of use.
Do you recall the range and approx impact velocity?

I shot a bunch of Africa animals with 7mmRM and 175gr ABLR'a at 2,815fps. They preformed great including a 180yd shot at a zebra where the bullet broke it's shoulder and fully penetrated the body and was under skin on off side...broadside shot

I would not shoot anything bigger than a deer with a "Target Bullet" that has been expertly marketed and promoted to preform miracles on game

Right on this is great to hear as well! I know nothing about African game but a zebra has to be pretty solid.
Totally agree with your last paragraph

 

[catamountsierra]

I used the 150gr in my 7mm-08 for a season. Muzzle velocity was around 2750fps. I shot a cow elk and a doe that year, both at 200 - 225 yards, both shots through heart and lungs behind the shoulder. In both cases the bullet completely passed through with a nickel-quarter sized exit and the heart and lungs turned to jello. That rifle is now a 284 Winchester and I am testing the 168gr ABLR and the 165gr TGK for load development at this point.

 

[MZmoose]

Loaded some 190 LRAB in a friend's 308 win. Getting 2550 fps and 0.5 moa. Haven't put it on game yet but it makes pretty mushrooms plowing thru water filled milk jugs.

 

[Flatbow]

Great post and info from all.
I am at this moment developing a new load for my 6.5 cm using ABLR 142 do to poor performance with one of the above mentioned bullets at close range on relatively small wt. Tail Deer last season.
Have actually been saving empty milk jugs for testing as well so appreciate the water test in cans as well.
I have seen Ingwe's post on the results from his African hunts. Impressive!

 

[T3ninja]

Was this a 7mm or .30?