I sure like the potential of the accubond. It seems to be getting some really great accuracy reports here and on other forums. But, it seems like I'm seeing a few reports of unhappiness with "on game" performance. Can some of you who have taken game with the bullet give us some feedback about wound channels and bullet performance?? Thanks. I'm about to stock up on more Accubonds for other calibers but kind of want to see about responses here.

Last year I took a mule deer doe with my 7mmRemMag loaded with 160gr factory 2nd accubond. Accuracy was good for me with most 5 shot groups averaging at or just under MOA (I'm not much of a sharpshooter). Performance was good enough for deer. The bullet did a pass through front ribs (lung) shot. There was no major destruction from bullet fragmentation. I couldn't find the bullet to measure weight retention, but the exit hole was about the size of a quarter. I can for sure say that it didn't explode like ballistic tips and SST's have the tendancy to do a shorter ranges.

I have heard that performance on larger animals is not ideal with weight retention is about 60-65%.

For the cost of 1st Accubonds, you may want to try Hornady Interbonds. I have heard that accuracy isn't quite as good (I haven't shot any yet), but weight retention is 75-85%.

Two of my sons shot 2 mule deer and a bull elk with the 180 g. Accubond out of a 300 WinMag with great results. They are not into the measuring of the wound channel just a lot of hooping an holerin' over how fast the 3 critters went down.

Two animals taken with AB's I reloaded.

Elk: 200 yds 338 WM 225gr AB. Broadside chest shot. Bang flop. Exit hole slightly larger than entry hole

Black bear: 230 yds 30-06 180gr AB. Slightly quartering away. Bang flop. Exit hole slightly larger than entry hole.

I did help a buddy dress and skin an elk on which he used a factory loaded AB (338WM 225gr) at about 270 yds. He finally killed it (after one complete miss and one poorly placed shot) with a third shot. Even with the poor hit the elk was anchored and not going anywhere. We found one of the bullets just under the hide on the off side. Its polymer tip was gone and the front of the bullet was slightly deformed. But, there wan't really any mushrooming and the diameter of the bullet was not increased. Weight retention was probably in the high 90%'s.

I am sold on these bullets. My loads are extremely accurate in my rifles and their performance on the limited game I have taken with them has been perfect. They are the only hunting bullet I load now.

I have tried the Interbonds but only on paper. They had "adequate" accuracy but nothing like the groups I get with the AB's.

Here's a little info Kraky:

Accubond Performance

I don't have a negative comment as to the Accubond. I now use them for the majority of all my hunting.

I have shot one whitetail with the AB......a 140 gr. from a 7-STW at 3605 fps at the muzzle. 275 yard shot tight behind the front shoulder on a sligt quartering-toward angle. The deer ran approx. 100 yards leaving zero blood and giving no indication of a hit. Piled up in some goldenrod and we only found her after several guys spread out and did a search line. Exit hole similar to entrance and no blood even where the deer lay dead. I've since found that 140 gr. TSX's shoot considerably tighter groups than the AB's out of that gun. I'm done with the Accubond.

8 months ago I shot 2 roe deers with a 270 W. and Accubond 140 gr. I had good results, 2 very dead animals and reasonable meat damage; within 2 weeks I will be possibly able to say something more; a limited but positive experience. Anyway, for my october red deer hunt in Poland, I will carry a 300 WM Tikka, loaded with 180 gr. Partition.

quote:

Originally posted by Strut10:
I have shot one whitetail with the AB......a 140 gr. from a 7-STW at 3605 fps at the muzzle. 275 yard shot tight behind the front shoulder on a sligt quartering-toward angle. The deer ran approx. 100 yards leaving zero blood and giving no indication of a hit. Piled up in some goldenrod and we only found her after several guys spread out and did a search line. Exit hole similar to entrance and no blood even where the deer lay dead. I've since found that 140 gr. TSX's shoot considerably tighter groups than the AB's out of that gun. I'm done with the Accubond.

The 3600 fps is pretty good. Nosler could only get about 3350 from a 26" barrel so chambered.

I shot a buck at 150 yds and hit it in the back with a 140 Accubond that started out at 3200 from a 270 WSM. The impact velocity must have been quite similar to most 7mm STW's at 275 yds don't you think?

Not that it's the same bullet of course but its close and both are Accubonds. When the bullet struck the deer legend has it that it was forming the words 'bullet failure, bullet failure' on it's lips but it was pretty cold out so maybe it was just thanking me for selecting a neat bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by Strut10:
......a 140 gr. from a 7-STW at 3605 fps at the muzzle.......

Strut, which is your "recipe" to get such a high velocity? Just curious....

kraky, i shot a huge doe last year threw a screen of tag alders 270 winchester 140 noslers 2nds... bullet made it threw droped her on the spot and she required a cope -de -gra finisher, very happy with this bullet across the board, tested them in 25-06 two 270s one 7mm-rem magnum, and bought some 160s 4 my stw''s, heard alot of un satisfied hornady interbond users, iv''e got some 130 hib''s in 270 and 154 in 7mm to test but i don''t know when i''ll get to it, been really impressed with how well the accubond holds up at 625 yds, thats where all non bonded bullets fail to hold their jackets and cores together as one ... i''d say go 4 it! regards jjmp

quote:

Originally posted by wildboar:

quote:

Originally posted by Strut10:
......a 140 gr. from a 7-STW at 3605 fps at the muzzle.......

Strut, which is your "recipe" to get such a high velocity? Just curious....

One grain of IMR-7828 under what Layne Simpson calls max.......Fed. 215.....Win. brass.

Some of us were through this in the Medium Bore forum last week. I do not know how or why my gun's turning in these numbers?? My chrono is spot on with everything else I run across it. So I have no valid reason to doubt it....other than I really should.

I've been doing a lot of bench time lately. I'll have to toss another batch of these together and run them again.

I have taken Bull Elk the last two seasons with .30 caliber 200 grain bullets loaded in a .300 Wby Mag with one shot kills at 300 yards on both. Both rounds passed completly through and internal damage was substantial.

First- a hunting buddy took a bull moose in 2004 with his 300WM shooting 180gr. Winchester Supreme Accubond CT's - small entrance, huge exit @ abouty 150 yrds. My wife took a nice mulie buck with her 270WSm with 140gr Winchester Supreme Accubond CT's @ 440yrds and then her cow elk under 200yrds. I took a mulie @ 50 yrds and then a whitetail buck an hour later with mt 300WM with 180gr. The mulie was quartering away and hit behind the LF shoulder, and I found the bullet in the hide after it passed thru the RF shoulder (retained weight was 150gr-83% original perfect expansion). The whitetail was a complete pass thru double lung-small entrance huge exit @ about 565yrds (554metres). Since then, all I shoot is Accubonds, reloads for a few rifles, factory for the wife's 270WSM. Took a few elk last season with the same results-one shot kills. The litte 270WSM is proving to be a great performer with the 140gr Accubonds.

Reloads with 150(no loads yet), 180 and 200gr Accubonds for the 300WM (RL22 and Retumbo), 160grs for the fatherinlaw's 7mmRM-no reloads yet, and 140gr for the 270WSM (Retumbo).

2 calibers,2 years & 8 animals = 100% total satisfaction

Quoting from NRA's American Rifleman from their May, 2004 issue:

"While other bulletmakers tout 90 percent weight retention from their bonded bullets, Nosler took a different approach. Its goal is deeper penetration, even at the sacrifice of weight retention. The problem with bonded bullets that are designed for high weight retention is that they quickly form a large frontal area that impedes penetration. Nosler designed its bullet to have about 60 to 70 percent weight retention. That obviously means that it will lose some weight. That's because it's designed to shed some of the expanded bullet material to keep the frontal area of the Accubond bullet a little smaller than some other bonded bullets. Accubond is designed for early expansion, but rather than tear completely apart as a Ballistic Tip often will, the Accubond's petals are designed to fold back tighter against the bullet shank. This makes a slightly smaller diameter mushroom to allow deeper penetration."

A lot of shooters don't realize that the small exit hole is not a measure of the internal wound channel.

Well I hate to rain on the AB parade, but a friend of mine just got back from africa and reports abysmal performance with 225gr ABs out of his 338. He even had blowups on bushbuck! Lucky for him he was able to borrow ammo from his hunting companion who was using factory Remington 338s with Swift A Frames which performed in their as usual superb way.

His experiences, coupled with the equally substandard reports here on Hornady's version, the Interbond, ensures that I'll stick with A Frames, Partitons or TSXs. jorge

A hunting partner took a moose at 40 yards with a 140gr accubond out of his 7mmremmag.It left a good wound channel and actually performed very much like a partition.

I only have one first hand report to share.
180 grain Accubond in a 30/06 at max (2800 fps)
Huge bull elk broadside 180 yards distant. High shoulder shot that went through both shoulder blades and bones and nicked the bottom of the spine as well. Bullet came to rest under the skin on the far side remaining weight was 114 grains. The bullet "worked" as I ended up with a dead elk, but I must admit I've had the same performance from Sierra's and most of these included an exit as well.
I can't really say the Accubonds are good or bad as I would only be basing it on one kill. I will use up what I've already loaded but will most likely go back to Sierra's when they are gone.
One advantage is that in my rifle the 180 Ballistic Tips and the 180 Accubonds shoot to the exact point of impact.

quote:

Quoting from NRA's American Rifleman from their May, 2004 issue:

"While other bulletmakers tout 90 percent weight retention from their bonded bullets, Nosler took a different approach. Its goal is deeper penetration, even at the sacrifice of weight retention. The problem with bonded bullets that are designed for high weight retention is that they quickly form a large frontal area that impedes penetration. Nosler designed its bullet to have about 60 to 70 percent weight retention. That obviously means that it will lose some weight. That's because it's designed to shed some of the expanded bullet material to keep the frontal area of the Accubond bullet a little smaller than some other bonded bullets. Accubond is designed for early expansion, but rather than tear completely apart as a Ballistic Tip often will, the Accubond's petals are designed to fold back tighter against the bullet shank. This makes a slightly smaller diameter mushroom to allow deeper penetration."

In this regard, the Accubond mimics Nosler's Partition Jacket bullet.....

There is another way of looking at the AB verses the other Bonded bullets, ie Interbond, and Scirocco, not all of us are obsessed with passthru
shots. There is alot to be said for a bullet that expends the majority of it's energy "Within" the animal. I submit for thin skinned game, ie, deer antelope, etc, the latter two bonded bullets are far superior to the AB in characteristics.

I took two Ca Blacktails last fall using Federal 140gr Accubonds in .270win, the first buck was a shoulder shot and recovered it under the hide opposite side.




The second was a pass through lung shot, buck went 40 yards leaving a nice red carpet on both sides leading into the woods

I'm currently preparing some loads for a New Mexico Elk hunt in October using a 180gr Accubond in my Sauer 202 .300 Weatherby and am getting good results from 83gr of 7828.

I am also working up my own loads for my .270 with the same 140gr accubond for mule deer and whitetail in November.

I have had great results with partitions and x-bullets too but am getting really good accuracy with the accubonds.

=Sean
La Honda, Ca

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:
Well I hate to rain on the AB parade, but a friend of mine just got back from africa and reports abysmal performance with 225gr ABs out of his 338. He even had blowups on bushbuck! Lucky for him he was able to borrow ammo from his hunting companion who was using factory Remington 338s with Swift A Frames which performed in their as usual superb way.

His experiences, coupled with the equally substandard reports here on Hornady's version, the Interbond, ensures that I'll stick with A Frames, Partitons or TSXs. jorge

His safari/hunt report is here: AccuBonds vs. A-Frames in Africa

BTW, I like Woodleigh Weldcores.

http://www.woodleighbullets.com.au/

2006 Woodleigh catalog (pdf file)

-Bob F.

July O6 Plains Game
375 H&H
260 grn Accubonds
I chose ab's because of their accuracy.
Springbok 150 yds dead right there
Oryx 300 yds ran 50 yds
Zebra 180 yds drt
Kudu 80 yds drt
Blue Wildebeast 200yds drt
Black Wildebeast 250yds ran 20 yds

I was very impressed with this bullet , I did not try to recover any bullet just based on what I saw.

I took the 225 AB in a 338 win mag to Africa two years ago with very high hopes. Came away disappointed, and had the PH ask if I had any other bullets with me so we could throw the Accubonds away. That was my 5th trip to Africa, 1st with Accubonds, and the first trip with a bullet performing poorly.

Did poorly on a zebra (didn't recover the zebra), hit a kudu in the neck and we got the bullet back, hit an eland in the sweet spot right behind the shoulder, and only penetrated to one lung. Needed a bevy of 458s to anchor him a quarter mile away.

Great for deer, but who wants to have to shoot deer with a 338?? I'll not use them again for animals over deer size.

Before you go too far developing loads with the Accubond, take a look at this:
(go to page 1 first)
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...age=0&gonew=1#UNREAD

Kraky, I read the link Ray provided to AD's post on 24 hr, and it is surprising to me. I've not shot any of the 'whopper' game like eland or such, but have shot a couple of huge cow elk, and 250 lb. plus Kansas whitetail. My experience with the Accubonds has been just awesome. All shots have been pass-throughs.

I've taken a load, over 30, whitetails (through a crop depridation permit) ranging from 90lbx. to 180 lbs. live weight, and never a single issue--granted these size whitetails aren't hard to kill on a relative basis, but never a single blowup.

All these kills have been with the .270 at 140 gr. AB's, and I have had great accuracy as well. Having said that, I have experienced comprable accuracy with the Triple Shocks, and based on AD's report, am seriously considering shooting my AB's on paper for practice, and developing hunting loads with the TSX's--I don't want to learn on a whopper whitetail buck that the AB don't do right!

I've had a fair amount of on game experience witht the TSX, in .270 and .300 cals (270 Win and WSM, 300 in .308, 300 WSM and 300 WM) and the only thing I've seen of any concern, is the pencil through thing, with caliber size exits, but each of these animals was DRT or within 1 or 2 steps, so as I've told others, I guess the TSX was 'doing it's thing'

I think if you're working up loads right now, the TSX is probably worth while working on, I've found it to shoot as good or better than the AB in terms of accuracy.

Regards--Don

That is indeed a great report, a glaring example of why Allen's presence is missed here. Anyhow, the fact a 225gr AB blew up on a lightly boned bushbuck, spells only one thing: JUNK. jorge

If you believe Allen Day's post and Fish30114's post, and I do, then it might lead to the conclusion that the Accubonds do not perform as well in the heavier weights as they do in the lighter weights. Could it be that the Accubond has not been engineered well enough to stand the structural stress of more lead in the big ones? If they did not change the thickness of the brass in the forward part for the 225 AB then the additional weight and momentum of all that lead might break down the entire bullet shell.

Just a thought.

quote:

Originally posted by Ray:
Before you go too far developing loads with the Accubond, take a look at this:
(go to page 1 first)
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...age=0&gonew=1#UNREAD

This URL will take you directly to page 1 of the thread:
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=971465

-Bob F.

Lots of good feedback. I'm not sure if hearing that one guys' .338 load blew up on a bushbuck means all Accubonds are junk. But it is worth considering. Is doing 1" groups with accubonds vs. 1.5's with X-bullets worth the difference. I know I can deliver an x bullet into elk vitals at distance... I can't help but think the .338 sd might not be the best for the accubond construction but who knows what actually is going on there. I have no doubt they will kill deer. For my first elk hunt... I might reconsider now.

thanks,

Sean

What bullshit,you have a case of a supposed bullet failure on the internet no less. And people want to take it as the fucking gospel.

I've killed enough animals with the AB and seen enough animals killled with the AB to know full well that the bullet is up to the task of big game hunting.

Sledder, Your parents sure must be proud of your vocabulary. Speaks volumes for your upbringing.

I really can't imagine ANYONE on this Board giving your posts any credibility at all, simply due to your choice of words. Darn shame, you may actually know something, but it just won't fly here.

The funny thing to me is how you hear of one little story of a AB failing and all of the sudden all those that haven't used them say they are total junk . Hummm, I'll leave that one alone, reminds me too much of the just plain horrible NBTs

On the other hand, I've heard many tails of Barnes X and a few XXX failing to open and penciling. Those same fellas bashing the ABs will not bash the X for it . Just doesn't make sense does it

I'm sure that'll stir the pot.

Ya'll have a good one,

Reloader

Well, I'd much rather have a bullet "pencil through" and leaves two holes in an animal than fail to penetrate and kill.

Further, if one STOPS READS and actually comprehend the thread BFaucett so kindly put up the link to, you'll see that it was not the only failure of the AB. John S, a moderator here and with extensive world-wide hunting experience, also had problems wit the AB and so did D'ARcy Echols.

At least to *ME*, hearing it from individuals that I personally know and trust, goes a lot farther than some foul-keyboard internet poster, even thogh like HC says he might actually know something. To me, just like the thread over on the African Hunting section regarding the equaly abysmal performance of the Hornady IB on Buffalo (by Steve Hornady himself) is enough for me not to try them-EVER.

Reloader, your comments about the {sic} "just plain horrible NBTs" I find puzzling. I thoght you LIKED NBTs . jorge

quote:

Reloader, your comments about the {sic} "just plain horrible NBTs" I find puzzling. I thoght you LIKED NBTs . jorge

Just alittle sarcasm Jorge.

Hopefully by the end of October I'll have a report on how the .284" 160s do on a big Bull Elk and a Mulie Buck. May slam a few whitetails as well during the rut. So many guns so many loads, sometimes it's a coin flip as to which one I try out next. Just got to love it I guess.

Have a Good One

Reloader

I used the 180 AccuBond on Plains Game last year, and found them to work quite well. In fact I like them better than partitions.

Jorge, How can you ignore the positive results shown on this disscussion. Maybe the AB is not not suited for higher velocities like the fast magnums. But in the 375 H&H I used it did a great job on the larger plains game . I'm not a ballistics expert but dead is dead and a 25 yd run is just that. I would use it again in a heartbeat. I would also like to try the A-frame and plan to in the future. you make it sound like the guys who had good results don't know what they are talking about

Sledder clean up your language that kind of talk doesn't belong here.

I have an elk hunt coming up in Oct ,will use my 300wm sako with either nosler 165gr solid base(very accurate) or 180gr accubond (new never tried them) also have sierra 180gr and 220gr partitions already loaded.

BigMo: I didn't ignore the positive results, but I also took note of the large percentage of dissatisfied users. Did you read the other posts and the link? The ABs in question were out of a 338 at around 2800 fps. Hardly a barn-burner, but the fact they failed to penetrate on bushbuck is telling.
I don't doubt you had great results with them as others have, but the key, at least in my mind is consistency and in that regard the ABs are not up to my comfort level. There are some pretty impressive pictures on the link you might want to check out. jorge