Nosler long range accubond bullet reviews

[Lefty7mmstw]

OK, I gots to ask. Are you guys actually happy with the performance of the accubond on big game?

Before you beat me up, let me explain:

I am a big game hunting guide and this past fall I guided 4 elk hunters that were using accubond bullets. Each hunter was using a diferent cartridge (300 win mag, 7mm, 270, 280 remington). Each hunter harvested an elk and hunter also killed a buck mule deer. The only 1 shot kill was on the mule deer. Shot distance varried from 60 yds (270) to 340 yds (300 win). Every elk was hit in the chest area and all but 1 took more than 1 follow up shot.

I have not had such a bad experience with bullet performance in all the years I have been guiding. Ive read several posts over time with people stating that they like this bullet but I could not, in good judgment based on this experience, ever decide to load accubonds in one of my elk rifles.

Thoughts?

In my opinion, accubonds are simply mid-game type bullets and are what the ballistic tip should have been to start with. If you want to stuff a big critter up close get a Barnes of partition in the neck of your round. Farther out, you may want to use a softer slug.

 

[redgun]

OK, I gots to ask. Are you guys actually happy with the performance of the accubond on big game?

Before you beat me up, let me explain:

I am a big game hunting guide and this past fall I guided 4 elk hunters that were using accubond bullets. Each hunter was using a diferent cartridge (300 win mag, 7mm, 270, 280 remington). Each hunter harvested an elk and hunter also killed a buck mule deer. The only 1 shot kill was on the mule deer. Shot distance varried from 60 yds (270) to 340 yds (300 win). Every elk was hit in the chest area and all but 1 took more than 1 follow up shot.

I have not had such a bad experience with bullet performance in all the years I have been guiding. Ive read several posts over time with people stating that they like this bullet but I could not, in good judgment based on this experience, ever decide to load accubonds in one of my elk rifles.

Thoughts?

Had unsatisfactory results with the 180gr AB out of a 300WSM on whitetails (unless you busted a shoulder) but always thought they would have been a great elk bullet??

 

[mrultramag]

200 AB out of 300 rum hammers elk...near or far. 260 AB out of 375 rum hammers elk. near or far. 140AB out of 7 rum killed elk from 300+ with no qualms. That's just my experience with the AB. I always think of them as not quite as tough as a partition but **** close. I would think that going heavy for caliber would be helpful though...ie 200 gr 30 cal.

 

[Wyodog]

Heavy for caliber might make more sense. At this point I think I will stay with what I have had good experience with rather than experiment with a heavier AB.

 

[WyoMountainMule]

Heavy for caliber might make more sense. At this point I think I will stay with what I have had good experience with rather than experiment with a heavier AB.

Wyodog: Just curious-what is your hunting caliber and bullet choice? What ranges have you used it to: close-far?

 

[longrangehunterII]

I think if a bullet comes in contact with the top of the heart and lungs..... it's pretty much DEAD! But if it hits a back edge of one lung or only the liver, and/or strikes the shoulder and blows up you've got problems! Big animals can over come what might seem like a major hit, you only think it was a perfect shot? But was it really or did it only nick a lung?

Shot placement is vital in any situation whether using a arrow or a bullet. Since when did shooting Big Game turn Hollywood? You know.... the bad guy gets shot and flies back from the shot to the ground like he was hit from a Mac Truck. I've shot Bobcat at four feet to only plink their eye on the shot through the chest with a 40 S&W! It does take a moment for the creature to die! Had I shot that animal in the head with my 22 LR pistol it would have more then likely fallen over dead from the shot.

I've shot Deer and Bear right behind the ear with a head shot, and YES they fall over dead on the spot. I've even dropped a charging Cape Buffalo with a 220 gr. Woodleigh Sold from my 30-06 with a head shot. But any shot to the lungs and heart they will run off and within a few minutes expire from blood loss to the brain and heart, and the lungs fill with fluid and then it dies! The bullet did its job, and whether it was a Nolser, Sierra, Speer or even a green box of Core Locks.

An Elk is a tough animal, and so is a Bison or a Cape Buffalo. Have you ever seen how long it takes for a 2,000 pound animal to expire to a shot? They don't just fall over unless shot to the head, but if a well placed bullet finds its mark within five minutes the animal will expire cleanly!

Case-in-point. Last night I had two mouse traps go off. One mouse got a direct hit from that trap! It took a direct hit to the neck and chest! Do you think it died instantly? No, it managed to pull itself and that trap a distance of over 14", and then die! The other mouse had only his leg caught, but broken very badly! He pull that trap from the back of the garage around the the front corner of the garage 24' until I finely found him hours later. I walked him outside and removed him from his leg hold. Now that mouse stood there for a moment breathing heavy but not completely in shock. He then started to scratch himself clean and run off to where he lives, with a badly broken leg! Let me tell you, if one of us had that bad of a wound, a broken leg turned backwards! We wouldn't run off like it was nothing! My point being is animals whether big or small can endure great trauma and run off great distances and even greater distances when pushed by hunters unaware they where not wounded fatally!

I've shot game with just about every known bullet maker out there, so whether is was a Accubond, Ballistic Tip, Corelock, Deadtough, E-Tip, GameKing, Hawk, Interbond, Loinload, Monolithic Sold, Oryx, SST, TSX, VLD, Weldcore PP SN, or even an IED? They aren't going to just fall over dead every time on the spot. Some go feet, some might go a 100 yards or more? But a well placed shot can and does kill with authority every time, no matter what it was shot with!

 

[Pdvdh]

But a well placed shot can and does kill with authority every time, no matter what it was shot with!

You simply haven't experienced the time when a well placed shot doesn't kill with authority. I have, and it's not the case "every time". Most of the time yes, every time no.

I provide two examples in my post that can be found using this link:
http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...-not-performing-103068/index8.html#post728433

 

[winmag]

I think if a bullet comes in contact with the top of the heart and lungs..... it's pretty much DEAD! But if it hits a back edge of one lung or only the liver, and/or strikes the shoulder and blows up you've got problems! Big animals can over come what might seem like a major hit, you only think it was a perfect shot? But was it really or did it only nick a lung?

Shot placement is vital in any situation whether using a arrow or a bullet. Since when did shooting Big Game turn Hollywood? You know.... the bad guy gets shot and flies back from the shot to the ground like he was hit from a Mac Truck. I've shot Bobcat at four feet to only plink their eye on the shot through the chest with a 40 S&W! It does take a moment for the creature to die! Had I shot that animal in the head with my 22 LR pistol it would have more then likely fallen over dead from the shot.

I've shot Deer and Bear right behind the ear with a head shot, and YES they fall over dead on the spot. I've even dropped a charging Cape Buffalo with a 220 gr. Woodleigh Sold from my 30-06 with a head shot. But any shot to the lungs and heart they will run off and within a few minutes expire from blood loss to the brain and heart, and the lungs fill with fluid and then it dies! The bullet did its job, and whether it was a Nolser, Sierra, Speer or even a green box of Core Locks.

An Elk is a tough animal, and so is a Bison or a Cape Buffalo. Have you ever seen how long it takes for a 2,000 pound animal to expire to a shot? They don't just fall over unless shot to the head, but if a well placed bullet finds its mark within five minutes the animal will expire cleanly!

Case-in-point. Last night I had two mouse traps go off. One mouse got a direct hit from that trap! It took a direct hit to the neck and chest! Do you think it died instantly? No, it managed to pull itself and that trap a distance of over 14", and then die! The other mouse had only his leg caught, but broken very badly! He pull that trap from the back of the garage around the the front corner of the garage 24' until I finely found him hours later. I walked him outside and removed him from his leg hold. Now that mouse stood there for a moment breathing heavy but not completely in shock. He then started to scratch himself clean and run off to where he lives, with a badly broken leg! Let me tell you, if one of us had that bad of a wound, a broken leg turned backwards! We wouldn't run off like it was nothing! My point being is animals whether big or small can endure great trauma and run off great distances and even greater distances when pushed by hunters unaware they where not wounded fatally!

I've shot game with just about every known bullet maker out there, so whether is was a Accubond, Ballistic Tip, Corelock, Deadtough, E-Tip, GameKing, Hawk, Interbond, Loinload, Monolithic Sold, Oryx, SST, TSX, VLD, Weldcore PP SN, or even an IED? They aren't going to just fall over dead every time on the spot. Some go feet, some might go a 100 yards or more? But a well placed shot can and does kill with authority every time, no matter what it was shot with!

100% agreed! This post is right on the money.
Everyone develops their own opinions based on personal experience(s). Even if its jaded, way off base, simply a willingness to ignore the facts.
This same opinion prevents me from ever again using or even owning a 7mm of any kind. Absolutely terrible experience(s).
Mathematically it makes NO sense whatsoever. Numbers don't lie. But, because of these experiences we make our own minds up, in our own way, about what works, & what doesn't.
I love Accubonds. From Bears, Bucks, & Bulls, theyve performed flawlessly for me. But, Im not gonna tell anyone what bullet works "best", & preach it as gospel for everyone. Even if I'm right hahaha.
Same with 7mm lovers. They may be completely in the right, but I will willingly dismiss any praise of the 7mm as "crazy talk".
Sometimes opinions don't have to make sense to everyone. If you've got personal experience(s) to back up YOUR opinion, then YOU can choose to willingly ignore the facts (as I do) or you can try, try, try again in hopes of better results.
As long as you don't preach YOUR experiences as the ONLY ones that matter, like its a true example of what always happens.
Some like em some dont. But opinions (like mine about 7mm's, & the guy who doesnt like Accubonds, even in the boiler room) are just not a true representation, compared to cold hard truth, & data that proves otherwise.

The only exceptions are complete freak occurances rguardless of bullet mfg. Some animals are just hard to die.

 

[longrangehunterII]

You simply haven't experienced the time when a well placed shot doesn't kill with authority. I have, and it's not the case "every time". Most of the time yes, every time no.

I provide two examples in my post that can be found using this link:
http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...-not-performing-103068/index8.html#post728433

I'd like to say Berger bullets and Acts of God don't count, but in those two cases I'd say otherwise! But Yah, there are instances where sometimes a bullet can and do fail..... for me it was with using a .338 FailSafe bullet that did not expand at 450 yards and I lost the animal, so I quite using them. I also have never hunted with the Sierra MatchKing or Berger Bullets either because of such issues. But that's my choice and not someone else's.

I did however forget to not use words like "always, never and all the time" in my postings because there is in real life no such thing! Which is true as the day will turn to light. But for the millions and millions of game animals put down since the modern bullet has been developed, they work if placed correctly..... most of the time!

Acts of God and Burger bullets not with standing in the cases you've mentioned clearly didn't expand as the developers had hoped for in those situations, and in some cases a few more. But those are rare for the amount that has taken game humanly.

 

[elkaholic]

I'd like to say Berger bullets and Acts of God don't count, but in those two cases I'd say otherwise! But Yah, there are instances where sometimes a bullet can and do fail..... for me it was with using a .338 FailSafe bullet that did not expand at 450 yards and I lost the animal, so I quite using them. I also have never hunted with the Sierra MatchKing or Berger Bullets either because of such issues. But that's my choice and not someone else's.

I did however forget to not use words like "always, never and all the time" in my postings because there is in real life no such thing! Which is true as the day will turn to light. But for the millions and millions of game animals put down since the modern bullet has been developed, they work if placed correctly..... most of the time!

Acts of God and Burger bullets not with standing in the cases you've mentioned clearly didn't expand as the developers had hoped for in those situations, and in some cases a few more. But those are rare for the amount that has taken game humanly.

Kind of makes you wonder where they came up with "FAIL SAFE"...rich

 

[Michael Eichele]

If the animal was lost, how is it known that the bullet didn't expand?

 

[J E Custom]

Well I just ordered a few boxes of 150 gr for my 280ai and once I get them and do some load testing I will post reviews.
It might take me longer to get these as I live in northern British Columbia so if you get bullets and some testing done post it here.
Can't wait I hope these live up to noslers claims

Most of the guys that I have built 280 AIs for are having great luck with the 160 grain Accubond,s
for hunting and some 600+yard shots have been made with deadly accuracy.

So if you cant find the 150s you might try the 160s.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Machann]

OK, I gots to ask. Are you guys actually happy with the performance of the accubond on big game?

Before you beat me up, let me explain:

I am a big game hunting guide and this past fall I guided 4 elk hunters that were using accubond bullets. Each hunter was using a diferent cartridge (300 win mag, 7mm, 270, 280 remington). Each hunter harvested an elk and hunter also killed a buck mule deer. The only 1 shot kill was on the mule deer. Shot distance varried from 60 yds (270) to 340 yds (300 win). Every elk was hit in the chest area and all but 1 took more than 1 follow up shot.

I have not had such a bad experience with bullet performance in all the years I have been guiding. Ive read several posts over time with people stating that they like this bullet but I could not, in good judgment based on this experience, ever decide to load accubonds in one of my elk rifles.

Thoughts?

For some reason it looks like Nosler send the better Accubonds to us over here in Africa. I used the 300gr (@2550fps) in my 375 H&H on a resent Zebra management cull. I took 4 zebra out of a herd in about 2 minutes time ranging from 150-180 and later two wounded ones. The herd first was a stallion look straight at me. I hit him straight in the middle of the chest and what happened next was phenomenal and nothing I've seen in my live in game management. Instead of the animal sort of jumping and picking up its front legs while dancing on the back legs, it picked up all four legs and dropped liked a headshot. Before I could gather myself, the one turned broad side looking at the stallion which had just rolled over. I hit her on the sergeant stripes. Her front legs gave way and tipped forward, rolled over and was stone dead. The next two was headshots without any problem. 5 and 6 was running shots on two zebras the guy wounded with a 300 Win Mag. The two wounded animals were both running away, quartering away, from us at between 180-250m. Both were hit behind the shoulder, lung shots and none of them went further than 50m before dropping. After examining the first zebra, I only hit vitals and no spine or nothing else. Yes, the 375 is much bigger but my feedback from USA client is that African game is much more tougher compared to dear, elk and moose they hunted. The guys who also use them in smaller calibres talk about the killing power. They do waste a little meat but they put game down. My friend also used them in his 30-06 on two zebra without any trouble and the correct shot placement. They didn't drop immediately but with a little patience they didn't went very far.

I wish Nosler would send a few of those LR Accubods her for us to test and also speed up their development of the .338 LR Accubond.

Could someone already confirm the BC values they advertise?

 

[cohunter14]

Could someone already confirm the BC values they advertise?

Good review here: http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/accubond-lr-comparison-g7-bc-test-115818/ BC isn't holding up to the advertised numbers, but still not bad...