Accubond, Hammer or Berger?

[Hard rock]

I'm not offended, you insinuated I said something about Hammer bullets.
The bottom line is match your bullet you want to the twist and speed, ive had excellent luck with Bergers on alot of deer and elk BUT I dont spin them more than necessary. People say oh they didn't do this or that but you only get part of the story.
I've shot alot of sage rats with 9-12 twist 20 cals and I can tell you for a fact the exact same bullet in a 9 will explode more than an 11 will you here guys that shoot alot of P.D say the same thing so why would a Berger be any different.

I'm not offended, you insinuated I said something about Hammer bullets.
The bottom line is match your bullet you want to the twist and speed, ive had excellent luck with Bergers on alot of deer and elk BUT I dont spin them more than necessary. People say oh they didn't do this or that but you only get part of the story.
I've shot alot of sage rats with 9-12 twist 20 cals and I can tell you for a fact the exact same bullet in a 9 will explode more than an 11 will you here guys that shoot alot of P.D say the same thing so why would a Berger be any different.
[/QUOTE like I said I was making a statement about Hammer Bullets was not referring too your post sorry about that

 

[dougduey]

All 3 will work well, but Hammer bullets absolutely destroy whatever they hit. I'm talking devastating results.
I switched to Hammers for hunting a few years ago.

 

[Backcountry sports]

I'm developing a load for my Tikka TX3 lite in 270wsm and have tested all 3 of these bullets. I did a 600 yard ladder, group and pressure test already, the gun seems to like them all. Now I'm trying to decide which one to roll with. I'll be using this for pronghorn thru elk. Terminal performance on game is the deciding factor. Here's the details on performance at 200 and 500 yards:
(100 yard zero)

Nosler AB 150gr 3155fps- 66.3gr RE-26
200y- 2796fps 2604ft-lb 0.3mils
500y- 2313fps 1782ft-lb 2.1mils

Hammer Hunter 124gr 3460fps- 69.6gr N560
200y- 3004fps 2485ft-lb 0.2mils
500y- 2400fps 1587ft-lb 1.7mils

Berger 140gr 3260fps- 68.0gr RE-26
200y- 2918fps 2647ft-lb 0.2mils
500y- 2451fps 1868ft-lb 1.8mils

I use 140 vld bergers great groups

 

[cabelasken]

The long range Accubonds are made to expand at a lower velocity then the standard Accubonds. Also their typical BC's are a little higher so they carry their velocity better beyond 500 yds. I have yet to take a game animal with one as I have gone exclusively to the Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets for the past 16 or 17 years. only real failure I have seen with Barnes Copper bullets was last year when the bullet reversed and went thru the bull backwards after glancing off the spine and lodged in the offside shoulder. An hour later after I got to it, the bull was not dead, but was not moving either.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

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.

 

[Cowboyblaster]

When it comes to elk I want a copper mono, no matter what brand. I voted for the Hammer because it is a mono, not because it is a Hammer. If it had been Barnes I would have voted for it over any lead core bullet. I have had disastrous results even with bonded bullets at close range. Many of the elk I have taken have been under 100tds. Years of actual in the field results mean far more to me than BC.

You god my vote im not big on bullets designed to designate when the enter a target and drop 70 to 80 percent of their weight either but i dont know much about the hammer bullets

 

[Cowboyblaster]

Sorry guys i meant decintigrate

 

[ndking1126]

They all work well. Pick the recipe that is cheapest to shoot and get a little more practice in.

 

[orifdoc]

Personally, I'd go with whichever shoots the best. I'm a big fan of copper monolithics at high velocities, but I worry a bit about expansion at <1800 FPS. I've killed steenbok to eland with them in Africa on multiple trips and they've performed very nicely.

Lately I've been using Berger HVLDs. One elk and 3 mule deer were DRT at 80, 425, 520, and 530 yards. I've used Accubonds, but not for many years. Never tried the hammers and have seen zero about them anywhere except this forum. Probably they work great. The concept is solid...... no pun intended.

If Barnes TTSX shot well in your rifle (not always a given) I'd personally use them.

No bullet is always perfect and weird stuff sometimes happens.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I have said this here before, the Accubond does not leave large holes on exit because the expanded section stays close to the shank and the mushroom stays relatively small. On comparison, the BT opens wide.
I have several recovered Accubonds, from 25 cal (110g) through to 37 cal (260/300g) and they all exhibit smaller mushrooms.
The cup and core bullets I have recovered, including Berger's, have all got large mushrooms and DO NOT penetrate like an Accubond does.
Have shot the full length of several Sambar and NZ Elk with 30/33/37 Accubonds and they leave a nice large permanent wound channel that initially takes a few inches to expand fully and tapers to 1.5 cal wide all the way until they stop. Berger on the other hand, have huge permanent wound channel and then tapers to just over cal, if there is any significant pieces left.
Another bullet that produces smaller mushrooms are the Speer Hot Cor, for the same reasons above.
I have been using Accubonds since they first came out, and am now using the ABLR with good success.
I'm not gonna bash other bullets, but I found on 6 occasions that Berger bullets cannot be relied upon to expand at longer ranges. This was all the same bullet in 338.

Cheers.

 

[JAYgs8163]

I know a guy that shot a cow elk 7x with 185 classic hunter in 300 WSM,. Under 200 yards. no penetration. I quit shooting Bergers for hunting after using 175 LRAB in 7mm and 210 LRAB in 300 prc. Near or far they have been 100 % reliable.

7 times, wow. 4 times in the hooves and 2 times in the knee caps and finally 1 in the boiler room?

 

[loonie]

7 times, wow. 4 times in the hooves and 2 times in the knee caps and finally 1 in the boiler room?

Not hardly! All broadside rib shots !

 

[dogz]

I'm developing a load for my Tikka TX3 lite in 270wsm and have tested all 3 of these bullets. I did a 600 yard ladder, group and pressure test already, the gun seems to like them all. Now I'm trying to decide which one to roll with. I'll be using this for pronghorn thru elk. Terminal performance on game is the deciding factor. Here's the details on performance at 200 and 500 yards:
(100 yard zero)

Nosler AB 150gr 3155fps- 66.3gr RE-26
200y- 2796fps 2604ft-lb 0.3mils
500y- 2313fps 1782ft-lb 2.1mils

Hammer Hunter 124gr 3460fps- 69.6gr N560
200y- 3004fps 2485ft-lb 0.2mils
500y- 2400fps 1587ft-lb 1.7mils

Berger 140gr 3260fps- 68.0gr RE-26
200y- 2918fps 2647ft-lb 0.2mils
500y- 2451fps 1868ft-lb 1.8mils

OY...lots of numbers gackola, curious what kind of groups have you gotten out of all 3 of them @ 500 yards?

 

[JAYgs8163]

Problem with these type of threads is they always turn into "let's bash the one we don't like" threads.

I've used all three and all three have performed excellent.