Nosler LR accubond reloading experience?

[orch]

More specifically 7mm 150gr version....

A buddy and I have tried this bullet in 3 different guns, a 280 improved with a custom barrel, a 7mm stw with a custom barrel and a factory savage 7mm rem mag. We can't seem to get them to shoot accurately in any of the three rifles, and all three are known to be accurate guns (sub moa with other loads), the best we can seem to get is 1 1/2 to 2" groups with the majority of the test loads in the 2 to 4" range at 100yrds...

We are seeing good results as far as extreme spreads over the chronograph and velocities are what we were expecting to see with the loads we tried...
One of my 7mm rem loads had an ES of 10 but a 100yrd group of 2.5"

Are these bullets really sensitive to seating depth like bergers have a reputation for? Do they prefer seating into the lands? That may be part of the problem with the stw as it has a long throat and the bullet wouldn't even begin to seat in the case mouth if the bullet was to be seated at the lands...
With my 7mm rem I started test loads with a 0.060" jump and can make it to the lands but will end up having less than half the case neck length contacting the bearing surface of the bullet....
Has anyone else had any experiences getting these things to shoot?
Any input would be appreciated

Orch

 

[ready freddie]

The Long Range Accubonds are very sensitive to seating depths as all very long bullets are. Not only are the Bergers, but Swift SciroccoII and Hornady GMX also are difficult to find that "sweet" spot.

 

[brentc]

The ABLRs I've used like a good bit of jump and will probably end up in the window of .070"-.150" off the lands.

 

[Slick8]

The ABLRs I've used like a good bit of jump and will probably end up in the window of .070"-.150" off the lands.

I just read this very thing on another thread.

Very curious, I'm having an STW built and hope to shoot the 168 ABLR in it.

If not, there's always the well proven 160 AB.

 

[TOM H]

I've been shooting the 150gr ABLR in my long throated 284 .050" off the lands and I haven't shot them pass 300yds yet. I did try them in one of the 280AI and they shot OK. Can't win them all.

 

[bamadawg2009]

I shoot the 175's in my 7LRM and it loves them. I think Im about .01-.02 off the lands though. They like to be close!!! Just like bergers.

3 shots is generally one ragged hole.

 

[Engineering101]

orch

Here is a target shot with that bullet from 200 yards. There are 4 different groups on the target. As you will see it can shoot good and not so good.

 

[orch]

Thanks for the input guys,

I have ran them from jammed all the way to .130" jump in 0.015" increments and they seem to like to jump as the .130" loading yielded the best results so far with a group just over 1 MOA At 150 yards. I'm gonna load up a few more to test loads further off the lands and hopefully will get it tightened up a bit more then hopefully I can start finetuning it...

Orch

 

[jrock]

orch

Here is a target shot with that bullet from 200 yards. There are 4 different groups on the target. As you will see it can shoot good and not so good.

Did you conclude that seating depth with this bullet is not independent of velocity with this test? Did you run another seating depth test at one of the higher charges?

 

[Engineering101]

jrock

Since it shot under 0.5 MOA on one of the groups I figured I would call that good and go hunting so I did not test them at a different jump (0.020") than you see listed on the target. I guessed that these bullets would act like Bergers and favor being up close to the lands which appears to be correct from the little testing I've done so far.