Nosler Accubond, Product No. 54357, .338 caliber/225grain Spitzer, Lot #KB08F102.
I purchased this 50ct box of Nosler Accubonds about 7 years ago. About the same time Long Range Hunting was becoming contagious. I loaded and shot a few bullets from this box at that time and didn't notice any of the white plactic bullet tips missing. They shot well from my .338 Imperial Magnum. Today I opened that box of bullets with the intention of HBN coating the bullets, and found five bullets that had popped their plastic tips.
My unofficial interpretation as to the cause? Corrosion formed behind the shoulder of these plastic tips, shoving the shoulder of the plactic tips forward until the shoulders separated from their shanks; because all five plastic tips separated at their shoulder joint. The shank behind the plastic shoulder did not remain attached to the plastic tips. The obvious concern is that if these bullets are losing their white plastic tips in the comfort of their box at room temperature, how much more likely will they be to lose their plastic tips in field use. Worse yet, what if they lose their tips at the moment of the high Gravity forces of bullet launch. The BC value of these bullets will be drastically reduced if you happen to shoot one minus its tip.
Might want to examine all bullets in your older boxes of Nosler Accubonds prior to heading out hunting. It could be a bitter disappointment to hit 1' low at 500yds due to a flat-nosed Nosler Accubond.
There IS evidence of corrosion byproducts inside the jacket tips. I don't know what, if anything, Nosler does to neutralize their bonded lead core bullets against corrosion prior to seating their plastic tips. Perhaps this Lot of bullets left their factory lacking that step of the manufacturing process?
The white speckles on the black surface is from the white plastic tips.
I purchased this 50ct box of Nosler Accubonds about 7 years ago. About the same time Long Range Hunting was becoming contagious. I loaded and shot a few bullets from this box at that time and didn't notice any of the white plactic bullet tips missing. They shot well from my .338 Imperial Magnum. Today I opened that box of bullets with the intention of HBN coating the bullets, and found five bullets that had popped their plastic tips.
My unofficial interpretation as to the cause? Corrosion formed behind the shoulder of these plastic tips, shoving the shoulder of the plactic tips forward until the shoulders separated from their shanks; because all five plastic tips separated at their shoulder joint. The shank behind the plastic shoulder did not remain attached to the plastic tips. The obvious concern is that if these bullets are losing their white plastic tips in the comfort of their box at room temperature, how much more likely will they be to lose their plastic tips in field use. Worse yet, what if they lose their tips at the moment of the high Gravity forces of bullet launch. The BC value of these bullets will be drastically reduced if you happen to shoot one minus its tip.
Might want to examine all bullets in your older boxes of Nosler Accubonds prior to heading out hunting. It could be a bitter disappointment to hit 1' low at 500yds due to a flat-nosed Nosler Accubond.
There IS evidence of corrosion byproducts inside the jacket tips. I don't know what, if anything, Nosler does to neutralize their bonded lead core bullets against corrosion prior to seating their plastic tips. Perhaps this Lot of bullets left their factory lacking that step of the manufacturing process?
The white speckles on the black surface is from the white plastic tips.
Gave me the bug eyes for a moment or two...
