Does anyone have any first-hand experience on game with the 250 grain 9.3 Accubond?

If so, what were your observations and opinions?

Took a pretty nice elk with a 9.3x64 with the 250 gr accubond. Yes the 9.3x64 that is not a typo. About 200 yds if I remember correctly maybe a little less. Elk went 3 ft ......... straight down. Bullet exited so I can't tell you much there. Nice wound channel.

John Barsness wrote an article on this 15 years ago.

PM me your email and I will send you.

I have shot 12 animals in africa from diker to blue wildebeest all were one shot kills and I was only able to recover two bullets and both looked like a add for nosler. The one on the blue wildebeest was a quartering to shot that went through the front right shoulder penetrated the length of the body broke the left rear hip and retained 201 gr with expansion to .573. The second was on a water buck and it high shoulder shot that was under the skin on the opposite side. The were shot out of a 9.3x62 bolt gun and a 9.3x74 single shot TC encore at 2550fps. Closest shot was 40 yards and the longest was 310yards. It is my main 9.3 bullet in the bolt and single shot. In my Chapuis double I use Swift A-frames.

My late FIL shot an oryx on the White Sands Missile Range in 2010 using 250s in his 9.3 CZ. I think the problem was more operator error than anything else. I recognize a sample size of 1 means nothing. I'd be willing to try them with some range. Other than that I like the 286 NP.

I have plenty of experience with Accubonds, just not that particular caliber or grain weight. All of the accubonds that I use in my rifles have performed flawlessly on big game. My last trip to Namibia I used a 325 WSM with 180 grain accubonds on numerous Gemsbok and Mountain Zebra, among others, and the PH referred to them and the rifle as the "Hammer of Thor." I also used the same caliber and bullet on Grizzly in Alaska and had the same outcome. DRT

Used that bullet in Namibia and here out of my 9.3X64 Brenneke. Perfect all around bullet for that rifle. I've shot a couple of dozen animals with it. Mostly whitetails.

I've only recovered one bullet out of my kudu. It travelled 40 plus inches through him and stopped under the skin on the far side. Still weighs 230 grains.

My load scoots it out at 2775fps.

Jeremy

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
I have plenty of experience with Accubonds, just not that particular caliber or grain weight. All of the accubonds that I use in my rifles have performed flawlessly on big game. My last trip to Namibia I used a 325 WSM with 180 grain accubonds on numerous Gemsbok and Mountain Zebra, among others, and the PH referred to them and the rifle as the "Hammer of Thor." I also used the same caliber and bullet on Grizzly in Alaska and had the same outcome. DRT

Thanks for the report. But do you mean 200gn Accubond? I thought that was the only weight they make in 8mm?

Yep, you're right, sorry! I use both the 300 WSM and the 325 WSM so much that I my feeble mind mixed the two up: 180 grain for the 300 WSM and 200 for the 325 WSM. And, I've probably used the 300 WSM more than the 325 WSM over the years and had the same result!

Thanks for the confirmation. I have had great results with the 180gn ABs in my 300 magnum. Just wanted to clarify because I am looking to load the 200gn AB in my sons 325WSM. But I have had people tell me the 8mm 200 AB is too hard for the 325. Just trying to find reliable data as I suspect most of those telling me they dont work are poor game shots blaming the bullet.

quote:

Just wanted to clarify because I am looking to load the 200gn AB in my sons 325WSM. But I have had people tell me the 8mm 200 AB is too hard for the 325.

Not sure what they are talking about. The 200 grain Accubond has been my 'go to' bullet for my two 325 WSMs for years. My bear guide in Alaska had three 325 WSMs and one of the other guides had one. My guide shot his biggest brownie with one and the other guide shot a huge interior grizzly last month with his.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:

Not sure what they are talking about. The 200 grain Accubond has been my 'go to' bullet for my two 325 WSMs for years. My bear guide in Alaska had three 325 WSMs and one of the other guides had one. The one guide shot his biggest brownie with one and the other guide shot a huge grizzlie last month with his.

Thanks. This is the the info I am after. I think the problem is the proverbial gun store guys. Not the most trusted source to begin with. Glad to hear its just more BS.

My bear guide was Jim Hubbs and the guide that killed the big grizzly last month was Mike Sciotti. Here's Mike's interior grizzly: Eight feet eight inch hide and 24 13/16 inch skull. Shot with the 325 WSM.

That’s a huge interior Grizzly.

Yes it is! An interior grizzly of a lifetime!

Good info.
Please keep it coming.

I’m about to start working a load up for my Ruger African 9.3 X 62 for a plains game trip that’ll likely be canceled due to the bat bug anyway. I’ve got a plan b in place for early season black bear in VT & NY to break it in.

I used the 250 gr. Accubond on 7 whitetails, all one-shot kills. I used the 250 gr. Barnes TTSX on two trips to Africa and prefer it for bigger animals. The rifle is a Ruger #1S. I shot nyala, waterbuck, eland, hone badger, civet, duiker, sable, and Burchell's zebra with the Barnes. All were one-shot kills except the eland. He did not want to go down and was headed for thick brush in a canyon so I shot him 3 times. The Accubond might have given the same results but I have had good luck with the Barnes.

It performs on PG and elk just like a partition as far as I can tell, It seems never to blow the front end off as a partition does on occasion, but that's no biggie, both kill very well indeed..

Dale, just curious why you prefer the TTSX for bigger animals.

I prefer the 286 gr. Nosler partition for eland and its worked great over the years, I also like the 300 gr. Swift A-frame with a dollop of RL-15 or 17..Ive yet to kill game with the RL-17 but get about 100 or more FPS more velocity, but I have so much RL15 loaded up that I'll never get around to hunting with RL-17. Would be interested in hearing about RL-17 field results, know it won't change much at all..

I like those Accubonds and as a matter of fact can't tell any difference in them with the partition, they are equal as can be..I do like more bullet weight than 250 grs in the 9.3s with 250 I will opt for 286 grs at 2600 fps and get that SD and penetration. Making no claims just my preference. Not saying I wouldn't use a 250 I have and it worked fine under the circumstances, but I just like heavier bullets and if wanting a 250 gr. Id use my .338 Win and getmore SD and penetration..

Tree Em: I had an experience on a whitetail that made me question penetration of the Accubond. It was a 140 pound buck shot at about 100 yards through the chest. The deer dropped in his tracks. When I turned him over I found the bullet next to the exit hole under the skin. I don't know how it made a 1.5 inch exit hole and was still under the skin, but I think it should have penetrated butter. It did on the other 6 deer.

I used the 250 gr. TTSX on a number of African animals. The only bullet I recovered was from a waterbuck. I hit him in the front of the right shoulder and it traveled diagonally through him and was under the skin at the front edge of the left hindquarter. That was about 4 feet of penetration. I just have more faith in the Barnes to penetrate. I am not going to skimp on the cost of a few bullets when I am paying for a trip to Africa. The Barnes also did well on small critters like honey badger, civet, and duiker. Hoe that explains my preference.

I have experience on one black bear with the 286 Partition and another bear with the 250 Accubond, both from my 9.3 x 62. The bears were about equal in size (6-feet from nose to tail). These were different seasons but on the same private property over bait from tree stands.

The first bear shot with the 286 was facing me from 68 yards (pre ranged from stand to bait barrel). The grass was 30-inches tall and all I could see was his head above the grass. I shot below his chin. He went 20 yards and fell down an escarpment rolling to the bottom. The bullet was found in the right-side flank just in front of the hip in skinning. It weighed 211 grains. MV was a tad over 2600 fps.

The second bear, two years later, was shot over bait from a tree stand at 85 yards. The 250 Accubond was leaving the muzzle at a bit over 2700 fps. Shot was angling downward and took the bear high in the ribs of the right side, pulverised the heart and made exit between the left leg and chest. The blood trail was liked it had been poured from a bucket for 20 yards where the bear died in stride. The 250 Accubond never retrieved.

My conclusion based on those two experiences on black bear is that the 250 Accubond and 286 Partition were too similar in results to choose one over the other for black bear. But for moose I'd likely choose the 286 Partition.

The propellant for each load was RL-17. The Accubond was more accurate at .44" for three at 100 yards (repeatable), and MOA for the Partition.

My 9.3 x 62 has replaced all mediums from .338 to .375.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

Some loads that you might like:
PPU brass, 210 fed,
250 TSX, 61 BL-2 2515 FPS
60.5 Varget, 2469
66. H414 2470
60, IMR4895 2538
61 ww-748 2535
62 RL-2448

Some of these loads I got 2600 Plus a little bit, in my gun but cut a grain and work up, RL-17 was excellent..start with 66 grs and work up..

Three safaris, one in Namibia and one in Botswana, used 250 ABs in a 9.3x62 for everything from a springbok to an eland and a leopard in Zimbabwe. ranges from 50 yards to 250 no issues...

Interesting observation.

My GUESS is that your bullet would not look like a traditional mushroom but have jacket metal on one side like a rudder.

My theory (just a theory) is that when a bullet hits say a rib it expand different to hitting just flesh between rib.

When the jacket peels to one side, the bullet stops going straight but takes a turn, like a boat with a rudder.

Once a bullet enters an animal all kinds of stuff can happen. A piece of jacket can break off and go into the spine, for example at 90 degrees.

Just some thoughts.

quote:

Originally posted by Dale:
Tree Em: I had an experience on a whitetail that made me question penetration of the Accubond. It was a 140 pound buck shot at about 100 yards through the chest. The deer dropped in his tracks. When I turned him over I found the bullet next to the exit hole under the skin. I don't know how it made a 1.5 inch exit hole and was still under the skin, but I think it should have penetrated butter. It did on the other 6 deer.

I used the 250 gr. TTSX on a number of African animals. The only bullet I recovered was from a waterbuck. I hit him in the front of the right shoulder and it traveled diagonally through him and was under the skin at the front edge of the left hindquarter. That was about 4 feet of penetration. I just have more faith in the Barnes to penetrate. I am not going to skimp on the cost of a few bullets when I am paying for a trip to Africa. The Barnes also did well on small critters like honey badger, civet, and duiker. Hoe that explains my preference.

Naki,
Your summation makes perfect since..but under some circumstance the bullets may not vary at all, is my experience, its not a given its a absolute possible..Same with a solid when its recovered in perfect condition, it can make a detour in a duiker or buffalo and did on two occasions with me..What a bullet does never fails to surprise me..I even know of a shot at an elk, bullet hit and killed the elk,left an entrance hole and an exit hole three inches from each other and struck a tree two feet from the shooter, Gary Painter of twin falls Idaho..strange is as strange does I guess. that beat all the rest..

I.ve noticed in many cases on AR and other blogs that the penetration of bullets are believed to great distances, but in fact the difference in all these caliber and penetration tests, the difference is in two to three inches, and at best 4 inches..The difference in trajectory is always in but a few inches, I can,t believe a silly millimeter can make such a difference. then we have cross section of bullet..No wonder the 30-06 keeps hanging on with the big bores!