I'm looking to load some less expensive bullets for my .257 Roberts. These would be 100 grainers for deer. how do they compare accuracy wise?
Thanks in advance.

My experience with the partitions is that they really really penetrate. The may allow a hunter to use a smaller caliber for the task with their penetration. I didn't find them super accurate and had bad experiences with them penciling through deer out of a 270 without much performance. It seemed like they performed as FMJ's and the deer required another shot when hit in the ribs at 160 yards with the first shot.

Accubonds, from my experience, will penetrate also but will also mushroom adequately for DRT performance with good accuracy.

My favorite big game bullet is the Nosler Ballistic Tip which excels in accuracy out of my shooters and performs exceptional at long ranges with the same DRT performance. These would also cost the lest of the three mentioned.

In the past I had loaded BTs for deer and thin skinned and Partitions for heavier game. In most of my loading the BT was easier to get tight groups and would give tigher groups.

I have phased out ALL partitions and have gone to accubonds for everything. They group very well and give excellent results for me.

Reo,
I, too, am loading for the 257Roberts and so far I've had excellent accuracy from the 110 Accubonds and the 100gr Nosler BT's. I've got some 100gr Partitions on the way. I feel like the velocities of the Roberts allow for good performance from the BT's, but I kind of hope the Partitions shoot good. I'll post my range results.

Myself I like BT but they quit making them for my .338 so I went to a accubond and i like boatail bullets--they fly truer-and partitions do not have boattails but they would not group for the live of me,I did take some bulls--elk--with them but I had to get close and I shoot alot of range so I went with tipped barnes and they are so nice, I will never go back.I have taken elk with them and they hit hard and fly true...

quote:

My favorite big game bullet is the Nosler Ballistic Tip which excels in accuracy out of my shooters and performs exceptional at long ranges with the same DRT performance. These would also cost the lest of the three mentioned.

YUP, like he said.

oakman, you can still get the 200 gr BSST's for the .338. I buy them in bulk at the Tanner Gunshow. They are serious elk killers.

The boy and I have killed 16 moose over the years, all with the same 7 mag, 160 nosler partitions. Kinda the lucky moose gun we take when hunting around the house and local. Never had a moose walk off, and always find the bullet on inside of hide. Goes clear through but never goes out the hide, good as it gets.

I use accubonds in pretty much all the other guns and have killed some caribou with them.

In my experience, a whitetail deer (although you didn't specifiy what deer species), heavy bullets punch thru without performing. Our deer in the South don't normally exceed 200lbs for a mature buck and depending on caliber , 150gr is the heavist I use...also I did use a 165gr in a 300winmag just because they would produce a ragged one whole group. I shoot .270, 7mm08, 7x57, .280, and 30-06, and I shoot 130, 140, 150, 150, 150 grain bullets respectively and this is because I've developed very accurate loads with them. If I was hunting Canadian or Montana bucks, I'd probably go to a little heavier bullet IF I found the bullets I am currently using didn't perform adequately. I have great success with Sierra Gameking SBT and spire bullets as well as Speer BTSP's. About as inexpensive as you'll find with a great performing bullet....in my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by reo:
I'm looking to load some less expensive bullets for my .257 Roberts. These would be 100 grainers for deer. how do they compare accuracy wise?
Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure anyone can answer that for you....buy both and see how it stacks up.

This much I can say.....both are great bullets so it's not a matter of terminal performance but the accubond has a slightly better ballistic coefficient.....and that can have a decided advantage to long range energy and trajectory.

Accubonds act like partitions only slightly more explosive. The 110 Accubond is hard to beat. That said, I've had good luck with plain 115 NBT in my 257R. Full penetration on a 100lb boar and explosive spine shot on a ram.

I agree, try both of them: 115 Partititon and 110 Accubond. I have used both and both are very accurate out of my rifles with the Accubond maybe sightly more so. I have also had very good exit holes with the Partition and never any failure of any kind in the 40 years I have used them.

110 Accubonds shoot great in my daughter's 257 Roberts! I have always been a Partition fan. I now use Accubonds when I can!

ive had the opposite luck then most. Ive allways found good loads with partitions but ive tried various manufactures bonded bullets in different calibers and have never go past mediocure in the load developement with them

Different weight bullets of the same class will perform differently. Example being, the Nosler BT's work better as they get bigger but the partitions aren't as fussy because of their split core design. So one can expect better terminal performance from the 150/.277 over the 130/.277 ballistic tips but the partitions would show similar terminal performance despite the bullet weight selected. Bullet design can be a critical component in achieving consistent terminal performance.