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Nosler Partitions vs Accubond performance
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What is the difference in performance on game of these two bullets. I'm shooting 180 grain Federal Accubonds in new 300 WM for upcoming Alaskan Moose and Canadian Whitetale hunts. Any info would be appreciated.


"shoot quick but take your time"
 
Posts: 451 | Location: drummond island MI USA | Registered: 03 March 2006Reply With Quote
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Stud,
I shot a Kudu, Zebra, Wildebeest, Leopard, Impalas, and Bushpig with my 7mm 160 Accubonds, and I was very happy with them. The bullets I did recover looked like the mushroom in the Nosler ad's.
 
Posts: 6080 | Location: New York City "The Concrete Jungle" | Registered: 04 May 2003Reply With Quote
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STUDDOG,

I use to shoot factory Winchester Supreme Accubonds in 180gr from my 300WM before I started reloading in 2005. Great bullet choice. Its all my 2 hunting buddies & I use in our 300WM. Great performance on big game here in Alberta (moose, elk, whitetail, mulie, bears). Only time I used Partitions were inthe WS Partition Golds in 180gr when our 300WM were new in 1998 and switched to AB's in 2004. The PG's were a solid performer also.

I also use them in my 2 rifles in 270WSM in 140gr. Same results on elk, moose, deer, bears. My wife took her first ever moose last season with her 270WSM rifle @ 325metres- double lung complete pass thru penetration. I have only ever recovered 1 bullet our a my mulie buck in 2004. It weiged 150gr (83.3% retained). The shot was quartering away, behiund LF shoulder and recovered the bullet in the hide after it passed thru the RF shoulder. Perfect expansion.

The Accubonds leave a small entrance wound with a large exit wound channel on complete penetration.

Go hunt your Alaskan Moose and Canadian Whitetail with confidence with your 300WM using the 180gr Accubonds. Good Luck!

By the way, where are you hunting your whitetail in Canada?
 
Posts: 431 | Location: Alberta | Registered: 02 May 2005Reply With Quote
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I find accubonds and partitions to give almost identical terminal performance on game.

Both open reliably and both tend to retain about 65% to 80% weight.

I give the edge to the accubond because of it's polymer nose it will not deform in the magazine box like partitions are so notorious for doing.

I have had some issues with an accubond when pushed at to high a velocity.



 
Posts: 5210 | Registered: 23 July 2002Reply With Quote
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Thanls for the replies. The accubond shoot great in my rifle, bullet holes touching at 100 yards


"shoot quick but take your time"
 
Posts: 451 | Location: drummond island MI USA | Registered: 03 March 2006Reply With Quote
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I have shot many animals between deer and moose in size with Partition bullets and rarely recover bullets.

I shot a mountain goat and a largish Alaskan black bear with 160 gr Accubonds and recovered both bullets. I wonder if Accubonds lose penetration at higher velocity when compaired with Partitions? Mine is a limited experience with Accubonds but I have come to expect exit holes with Partitins and was a bit surprised with the lack of exits by the two Accubonds.

Inerestingly, based on the Alaskan hunt, I took the same rifle to SA for a plains game hunt loaded with 160 gr partitions. I collected a 35 7/8" Eland bull quartering away with one shot that entered a way back on the R. flank, transversed the guts and the liver and ended up in the lungs-and maybe beyond, but it was getting dark and I didn't try to find the unexited bullet.
Paul
 
Posts: 77 | Location: Pulaski, WI | Registered: 27 November 2004Reply With Quote
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PS
A 7mm Rem mag, both loads factory Federel premiums.

Paul
 
Posts: 77 | Location: Pulaski, WI | Registered: 27 November 2004Reply With Quote
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I used partitions for years until last year when I tried Accubonds for the first time.

They were incredibly accurate out of my 7mmRSAUM.

Their performance however was not up to the level I have experienced from Partitions.

I have only taken one animal with them.
It was a large mule deer buck.
One shot at 250 yards in the left shoulder rolled him three times down the mountain.
When I shot him to finish him off at 30 yards in the same spot he didnt die. I had to shoot again!
When I skinned him out I found the remains of two bullets completely blown up. And alot of shredded venison.

I can accept that the 30 yard shot might blow up, but the 250 yard shot should not have.

I haven't totally ruled the Accubonds out however. One deer isn't exactly enough to completely rule out a bullet for me.

In my opinion I would try the Accubonds again on deer or Antelope but not on elk or moose.

Thanks,

KC
 
Posts: 295 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 24 June 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by surestrike:
I have had some issues with an accubond when pushed at to high a velocity.


surestrike,
Could you elaborate some on the above comment? I'm considering trying the 200gr Accubond in my 8mmRemMag. I'll be able to touch 3000fps quite easily with it. I'm kind of hesitant because it'll be loaded to chase elk-sized game that are shot at typically under 75m range but with the opportunity for some longer range shots as well.
Your thoughts?
Cheers...
Con
 
Posts: 2198 | Location: Australia | Registered: 24 August 2001Reply With Quote
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in my opinion, partitions are great, have stood the test of time. Accubonds are new, gunwriters are whoping them up, but they are rather soft, not for velocity > 3000fps IMHO
quote:
Originally posted by studdog:
What is the difference in performance on game of these two bullets. I'm shooting 180 grain Federal Accubonds in new 300 WM for upcoming Alaskan Moose and Canadian Whitetale hunts. Any info would be appreciated.
 
Posts: 523 | Location: wisconsin | Registered: 18 June 2007Reply With Quote
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accubonds! i shot a deer at 30 yards with a 150gr ab out of my 300WSM doing 3200fps MV. animal went down pretty quick. nuff said
 
Posts: 735 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 17 August 2006Reply With Quote
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And my buddy shot an elk 3 times in the chest area at 80 yards with 180 gr accubonds at 3450 fps muzzle velocity; all failed to penetrate into the chest cavity. A little old 180 gr nosler partition from a 30-06 from his son did the job finally.
so maybe the accubonds are not for "ultra" velocities. I got great performance with a 260 grain accubond at 2750 from my 375 on gemsbok; penetrated onside shoulder, lodged under skin on the other side
 
Posts: 523 | Location: wisconsin | Registered: 18 June 2007Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Indlovu:
And my buddy shot an elk 3 times in the chest area at 80 yards with 180 gr accubonds at 3450 fps muzzle velocity; all failed to penetrate into the chest cavity.


I would expect most bullets to fail at such extreme velocitys.
 
Posts: 44 | Location: Norway | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Mighty Peace:
STUDDOG,

I use to shoot factory Winchester Supreme Accubonds in 180gr from my 300WM before I started reloading in 2005. Great bullet choice. Its all my 2 hunting buddies & I use in our 300WM. Great performance on big game here in Alberta (moose, elk, whitetail, mulie, bears). Only time I used Partitions were inthe WS Partition Golds in 180gr when our 300WM were new in 1998 and switched to AB's in 2004. The PG's were a solid performer also.

I also use them in my 2 rifles in 270WSM in 140gr. Same results on elk, moose, deer, bears. My wife took her first ever moose last season with her 270WSM rifle @ 325metres- double lung complete pass thru penetration. I have only ever recovered 1 bullet our a my mulie buck in 2004. It weiged 150gr (83.3% retained). The shot was quartering away, behiund LF shoulder and recovered the bullet in the hide after it passed thru the RF shoulder. Perfect expansion.

The Accubonds leave a small entrance wound with a large exit wound channel on complete penetration.

Go hunt your Alaskan Moose and Canadian Whitetail with confidence with your 300WM using the 180gr Accubonds. Good Luck!

By the way, where are you hunting your whitetail in Canada?



MP, I pretty much agree with everything except your statement Re: size of entrance and exit holes. The only animal in Alberta that I would expect to see that kind of performance would be on a coyote, or maybe a small whitetail doe. On a small, lightly constructed critter like a coyote or doe, the bullet may actually just be completing it's expansion, as it exits, and that's the only way the exit hole could be bigger.

On any (Alberta) big deer, elk, moose or bears, it is a fact that the bullet expands on impact and therefore the larger hole is always on impact. After the bullet has expanded, it then travels through remaining the same diameter and if it exits, the hole remains the same size.

You will always see the largest hole and largest area of the wound channel in the entrance side. It's just a fact.


Demonical.
 
Posts: 828 | Location: Whitecourt, Alberta | Registered: 10 July 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Con:
quote:
Originally posted by surestrike:
I have had some issues with an accubond when pushed at to high a velocity.


surestrike,
Could you elaborate some on the above comment? I'm considering trying the 200gr Accubond in my 8mmRemMag. I'll be able to touch 3000fps quite easily with it. I'm kind of hesitant because it'll be loaded to chase elk-sized game that are shot at typically under 75m range but with the opportunity for some longer range shots as well.
Your thoughts?
Cheers...
Con


Yes............please elaborate upon your findings of high velocity issues. I have only one "on-game" experience with the Accubond (a 140 gr. in top gear from a 7-STW) and it was a performance failure. Just wondering what you had run into.


Founder....the OTPG
 
Posts: 764 | Location: slightly off | Registered: 22 March 2004Reply With Quote
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I have seen one moose and a few deer killed with the 140gr accubond out of a 7mmremmag.The performance was very similar to that of the partition.However the 140gr tsx offered better performance than either.
 
Posts: 3104 | Location: alberta,canada | Registered: 28 January 2002Reply With Quote
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In my (limited) experience, acubonds dont exit on an animal >300 lbs; partitins do exit
 
Posts: 523 | Location: wisconsin | Registered: 18 June 2007Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Indlovu:
In my (limited) experience, Accubonds don't exit on an animal >300 lbs; partitions do exit
 
Posts: 523 | Location: wisconsin | Registered: 18 June 2007Reply With Quote
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quote:
In my (limited) experience, acubonds dont exit on an animal >300 lbs; partitins do exit


I have recovered several partitions including two 200gr partitions from the same elk that were fired out of my 8mmremmag.Both were lung shots with no shoulders struck,yet both bullets were found under the hide on the far side.
 
Posts: 3104 | Location: alberta,canada | Registered: 28 January 2002Reply With Quote
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The trouble with all of us here is that we get to do precious little shooting on game animals under various conditions, angles and bullets. I asked one of my friends that does a lot of shooting on game a question on this bullet or that one. He said you can get a decent idea on a bullet's overall performance after you have about 100 game animals killed with it. You will need to take notes so you do not forget details one kill to the next. Otherwise sample size is too small to make any real determination as to bullet performance on game. All bullets will fail given the right conditions, manufacturing quality control, shot placement.
Most of us will never kill enough game to make that determination. Cull hunters will be the best source of usefull info but they are often taking head shots. Nice that we have this forum that allows us to use other's experience to increase the sample size for consideration.

I have not used the AB on game. My understanding ,like several above have stated is that performance is similar to the partition up to about 2900-3000 fps. Above that better go to a tougher bullet. The partition worked well for me using 200 gr in a 300 winnie. I did not push velocity with it as accuracy was best in my gun at about 2850. Kudu, eland,zebra, leopard all died using this combo. On recovered bullets in the eland the front half of the bullet was gone. Back half stayed solid and penetrated as expected until major bones were hit. There is my part of the sample.


Although cartridge selection is important there is nothing that will substitute for proper first shot placement. Good hunting, "D"
 
Posts: 1701 | Location: Western NC | Registered: 28 June 2000Reply With Quote
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I have shot 15 bull moose with Nosler Partitions in 180gr .30-06 and 225gr or 250gr 338WM (and a couple of other bulls with different bullets). But pretty much all my bull moose ahve been shot with the GREAT Nosler Partition.

I shot a bull at 280 paces once, with the 180gr .30-06 and hit him twice. Both bullets went right through.
I shot a bull at 40 yards with the .338WM and 225gr NP's, 4 shots center of the lungs and all those went right through.

I have also hit a bull broadside at 40 yards with the .338WM and 250gr NP's and the bullets failed to exit.

I think out of all the other moose I shot, the NP's were recovered. So that's quite a few recovered bullets...
 
Posts: 828 | Location: Whitecourt, Alberta | Registered: 10 July 2006Reply With Quote
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Nosler partitions are the standard by which all bullets are judged, this thread is no exception so that should tell you something..

Surestrike,
If Nosler partitions nose damage bothers you, then buy the protected point Nosler partition..That is the partition that I mostly use.

I will stick with the partition, It has served me 100% for the last 60 plus years and I have only seen one failure and it was with a factory Win. round that my boy shot a deer with.

I know of a few other failures, in several of those cases it turned out not to be a Nosler at all, but mixed ammo in the box..

Any bullet will fail on ocassion I promise you that, it's man made, it will fail. Today we have so many good bullets that its hard to go wrong.


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 41798 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by olarmy:
quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:

I will stick with the partition, It has served me 100% for the last 60 plus years and I have only seen one failure and it was with a factory Win. round that my boy shot a deer with.


Ray: What factory cartridge did Winchester load a partition in?
 
Posts: 1416 | Location: Texas | Registered: 02 May 2003Reply With Quote
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Studdog: Both excellent bullets; choose whichever shoots best in your rifle. Obviously, the AB is shooting good for you; use it!!!! By the way, say Hello to Gordon for me! Good luck on your hunt; PM me your results when you get home.


Talk is cheap - except when Congress does it.

Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to
take an ass whoopin'

NRA Life Member
 
Posts: 837 | Location: NW Michigan | Registered: 02 February 2004Reply With Quote
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