Accubond, Hammer or Berger?

[Troutslayer2]

I would make that decision based on the longest distance I wanted to shoot. Kind of hard to beat an Accubond. I'd probably shoot it in most of my rifles if it were as accurate as anything else.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I have been 1st hand at 3 cow elk with Bergers.
2 were 135gr Classic Hunter from 6.5x55. Both had good shots behind the shoulders and hit lungs. The bullets punched good holes in the lungs and didn't exit. The 3rd was a cow elk with 115gr HVLD from a 257 weatherby. Shot 1 was double lung. She ran 30 yards and I shot her again quartering away. Punched the lung and ended up with a decent amount of blood shot meat on the far side shoulder. Shot 1 left quarter size holes in the lungs, she was going to die from shot 1. Shot 2 just anchored her.

Thank you ! That's exactly what, I was looking for ! ^^^^
Like you, I have heard "horror stories" about, the .30 and some .338 Cal. Bullets, having, a few, "Failures".
Lots of Hunters, seem to like, the high shoulder shot,. PERSONALLY,.. I'm, a "Boiler room" guy !
Not into, ruining Backstrap steaks or, Shoulder roasts and BONES, can cause,.. Bullet "Failures" !
I agree totally with, MagnumMania's Post # 38, FIRST Paragraph about, the AB's as that WAS, MY suspicion, too !
And WHY, I'm switching Bullets for, Elk & Moose !

 

[Raudy707]

I've used 140 grain Accubonds since they first hit the market and killed over 60 big game animals with them. They work! No failures. 25 to 670 yds they performed perfectly. I had to shoot one buck twice and one hog twice. The rest were all one and done. 5 years ago I rebarreled my 270 WSM with a 1:8" twist so I could shoot some heavies. I used the 170 grain Berger EOL. 150 to 400 yds and they are leaving my barrel at 3010 fps. Killed 5 bucks and 2 elk. All one shot kills. Worked excellent. I hit a shoulder on a Blacktail buck and it did bloodshot some meat losing a front quarter. My fault. Bad placement. 2 years ago I started using Hammer bullets in my 20" barrel 308 here in California. I've killed 2 bucks, 1 hog and a black bear. The Hammer Hunters are awesome! My favorite mono for sure. I switched my 300 win mag to Hammers, my 25-06 and 270 Win. I'm a meateater so I can't help but love the Hammers the Accubonds and then the Bergers. Accuracy at 100 yds the Hammers are easy to load up and shoot bugholes. At 600 yds Bergers are the most accurate as they have the least wind drift. Hammers and Accubonds tie. I think you have a winner with all 3 bullets but be mindful of keeping those Bergers off heavy bone at close range. They will all do their jobs if you do yours.

 

[Hoss50]

I won't purposefully shoot Bergers at shoulders because I know the construction is designed to fragment. Will they punch a shoulder, probably, but if I can boiler room them I am going there first.

I am going to try hammers out in a new barrel on my 257 weatherby though and hopefully get a chance to try one on a cow elk.

 

[Zen Archery]

Hammer, Nosler , if you are out or ammo Berger.

 

[dougduey]

Thank you ! That's exactly what, I was looking for ! ^^^^
Like you, I have heard "horror stories" about, the .30 and some .338 Cal. Bullets, having, a few, "Failures".
Lots of Hunters, seem to like, the high shoulder shot,. PERSONALLY,.. I'm, a "Boiler room" guy !
Not into, ruining Backstrap steaks or, Shoulder roasts and BONES, can cause,.. Bullet "Failures" !
I agree totally with, MagnumMania's Post # 38, FIRST Paragraph about, the AB's as that WAS, MY suspicion, too !
And WHY, I'm switching Bullets for, Elk & Moose !

Check out Nathan Foster and his website ballisticstudies.com. He's done a ton of terminal ballistic research with just about every bullet imaginable. He tests them out a varying distances on game (typically feral goats and hogs) in New Zealand. It's very eye opening. To get into further detail, he has written a book on it. You find that what works great in one caliber may not be as magical in another.
Elk are a different ball game than deer and pronghorn when it comes to bullet performance.
I've found the Berger 140gr VLD is just magic in the 6.5mm caliber. The LRAB's are a darn good bullet too.
That being said, Hammer bullets are my go to these days. They just perform and hit harder than anything I've ever seen

 

[Idaho Lefty]

You guys might want to watch, the Barbour Creek guys, Test Bullets in Gelatin, on YouTube !
Pretty Eye opening Bullet, "Expansion" or,.. LACK there of, by some Bullets !
Pay MUCHO attention to,.. the 500 Yard tests !
@ dougduey,.. I'm thinking that, the 140 Berger, Classic Hunters will be, "magic" in, a .270 WSM at 3,180 FPS and I will be doing my own "Tests", in Gelatin Blocks and wet Newspapers, behind a 3/4" thick sheet of Plywood, to simulate, a Rib / Hide.
I have heard about, the "good performance" from, the "softer" LRAB's, too,.. IF, you can get them to "shoot", in your Rifle.
And, I will be, looking at those Hammers for possible, Future use.
Opinions & Polls from, the "Masses",.. don't sway me.

 

[dougduey]

You guys might want to watch, the Barbour Creek guys, Test Bullets in Gelatin, on YouTube !
Pretty Eye opening Bullet, "Expansion" or,.. LACK there of, by some Bullets !
Pay MUCHO attention to,.. the 500 Yard tests !
@ dougduey,.. I'm thinking that, the 140 Berger, Classic Hunters will be, "magic" in, a .270 WSM at 3,180 FPS and I will be doing my own "Tests", in Gelatin Blocks and wet Newspapers, behind a 3/4" thick sheet of Plywood, to simulate, a Rib / Hide.
I have heard about, the "good performance" from, the "softer" LRAB's, too,.. IF, you can get them to "shoot", in your Rifle.
And, I will be, looking at those Hammers for possible, Future use.
Opinions & Polls from, the "Masses",.. don't sway me.

I shoot the 150gr LRAB in my 280AI. Have a gunsmith friend of mine that did extensive tests with this bullet in a 280AI build and it's performance was nothing but stellar from short to long range
Look up the Hammer Bullet threads on here. Tons of good info. You can also contact the owner, Steve Davis, for any help with choosing a bullet and load development. He is incredibly helpful and accessible. I've been loading them for about 4 years now and have a lot of experience with them. Don't hesitate to contact me or any of the other main guys in the Hammer threads for help if you decide to try them. A couple of guys have been doing a lot of tests on animals with them and have been amazed at how well they perform.

 

[Hard rock]

Not to mention, when an animal doesn't drop DRT, the bullet is always to blame with no discussion of shot placement or other variables.

Can

Hammer, Nosler , if you are out or ammo Berger.
[/QUOTE

I shoot the 150gr LRAB in my 280AI. Have a gunsmith friend of mine that did extensive tests with this bullet in a 280AI build and it's performance was nothing but stellar from short to long range
Look up the Hammer Bullet threads on here. Tons of good info. You can also contact the owner, Steve Davis, for any help with choosing a bullet and load development. He is incredibly helpful and accessible. I've been loading them for about 4 years now and have a lot of experience with them. Don't hesitate to contact me or any of the other main guys in the Hammer threads for help if you decide to try them. A couple of guys have been doing a lot of tests on animals with them and have been amazed at how well they perform.

I shoot the 150gr LRAB in my 280AI. Have a gunsmith friend of mine that did extensive tests with this bullet in a 280AI build and it's performance was nothing but stellar from short to long range
Look up the Hammer Bullet threads on here. Tons of good info. You can also contact the owner, Steve Davis, for any help with choosing a bullet and load development. He is incredibly helpful and accessible. I've been loading them for about 4 years now and have a lot of experience with them. Don't hesitate to contact me or any of the other main guys in the Hammer threads for help if you decide to try them. A couple of guys have been doing a lot of tests on animals with them and have been amazed at how well they perform.

I voted for Hammer but also load accubond it would be interesting how many accubond shooters have loaded them versus shooting factory ammo

I shoot the 150gr LRAB in my 280AI. Have a gunsmith friend of mine that did extensive tests with this bullet in a 280AI build and it's performance was nothing but stellar from short to long range
Look up the Hammer Bullet threads on here. Tons of good info. You can also contact the owner, Steve Davis, for any help with choosing a bullet and load development. He is incredibly helpful and accessible. I've been loading them for about 4 years now and have a lot of experience with them. Don't hesitate to contact me or any of the other main guys in the Hammer threads for help if you decide to try them. A couple of guys have been doing a lot of tests on animals with them and have been amazed at how well they perform.

It would be interesting how many that voted for accubond have loaded them versus factory ammo . I voted for Hammer because of the ease of load development velocity gain and terminal performance, I also use and like accubond, but have pretty much exclusively changed too the Hammers.

 

[odoylerules]

Went and shot 600 yard groups this morning. The orange dot is 3".

The yellow is Nosler 150AB at .040off
Blue is .070off
Next pic is the 124HH
Red is .015 off
Blue is .030 off

I'm pretty stoked for a factory gun with zero mods

 

[shooter7]

I'd like to get some "Autopsy" responses from anyone, who HAS Killed an Elk or, Moose with, any Berger, Classic Hunters from, 130 grains in 6.5 / .270's up to, the 150 grain, 7mm's. Be especially NICE to hear from, a .270 WSM user and the 140's.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to back up my claims. I've killed elk with 3 different bergers so far. The first was a 168 classic hunter out of a 7mm Rem Mag. Shot distance was 297 yards. It took 3 shots to drop her and a 4th to finish her off. It took roughly 15 minutes from first shot to last shot. The first 3 shots were all placed midway up the body, behind the shoulder and in front of the diaphragm. the 4th shot was from about 10 feet as she tried to stand up and run away. Nearly all organ tissue in front of the diaphragm was liquified when I opened her up. None of the bullets made it all the way through the body. 2 of them hit ribs on the entrance.

The next instance was with a 260 rem using the 130 Berger HVLD. I jumped a bull at 65 yards. I sent 2 to the lungs. The bull did not react in any manner whatsoever. The third shot I sent through his neck and breaking his spine. The 2 lung shots probably would have ended him if I would have given him enough time. However, I wanted him on the ground now. The 2 lung shots did not go through the body.

The last elk I shot was a cow at 35 yards with the 150 HVLD out of a 270 win. Broadside shot. Broke a rib going in. Near side lung messed up pretty good. She took about 45 seconds to die while just standing behind a tree.


In my experience, at close to moderate ranges there are better designed bullets that will penetrate and destroy more than what Bergers do. I think theyre probabaly a great 500 yards and beyond bullet but I have yet to test that theory.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

@ shooter7,.. Yikes ! That's not very promising info, on the Berger's !
At "moderate Ranges", in a 7 Mag.,.. I think that, I'd be, using, the 160 or, 175 grain Partitions, to 400ish for, sure !
Lung shots, with Arrows or, Bullets, DO take, a bit of TIME for most Elk,.. to die !
Maybe there is NO,.. DRT, "Magic Killer", Bullet for, the sub .30 Cals !
Ke-riest, I DON'T want to, go back to, a .338 Win Mag., as T'was, NO "fun",.. to practice with !

 

[Hoss50]

I honestly think alot if people especially newer hunters or people who don't know think if you shoot them and hit the vitals they drop like a sack of potatoes.

In my experience, which is still limited by many's standards, that just isn't the truth. A spine or neck shot maybe, but if you punch lungs it will probably take a minute or two for them to bleed out and not be able to breath.

I have been around 6 animals hit with good lung shots. Only 1 was DRT, but that was a small buck shot at 40 yards and it probably blew out the heart and other things at the same time due to the angle. That berger made a mess of that little deer.

 

[GrayCreed]

I voted for the Accubond but really you should have a spot for the ABLR bullet; Accubond but better, better expansion and good penitration at any range, they will expand well even at 1300fps (better than the Accubond)

Then again there are a few left out here,
ABLR
LRX
GMX
ELDX
A-frame
Edge-TLR to name a few,

Don't forget the old standard that all killing bullets are judged by...... The Nosler Partition, while it ain't got the high BC, we all are in some way trying to duplicate it's long-short range terminal performance.

Personaly if you are giving up the penitration by going with the Berger I'd just as soon shoot the ELDX.... Cheaper and they shoot just at nice out of a good rifle. Then again the LRX shoots even better and if driven fast enough has a longer range (and higher bc) than your hammer hunters out of the same caliber. (In theory)