I'm taking my .30-06 to Africa this May/June. It will used for plains game animals/my back up 2nd rifle.

I am thinking of either a 180 gr Nosler Accubond/Partition or the 200 gr Accubond?nosler partion.

I used the 180 gr Accubond to take a decent sized mulie doe in Montana in Nov. 2007, about a 140 yard broadside shot, NO bullet recovery on the 1 shot kill and the doe didn't cover 30 yards after the shot.

Opinions??

good choice

I'd opt for the 180 Accubond if your rifle shoots it. My wife and I used 7mms 140&160 in Namibia this spring. Made all one shot kills up through Kudu

I think you'd be hard pressed to best the 180 partition @2700f/s. That would be my choice in both primary, and back-up rifles. The Accubond has skyrocketed in popularity and for good reason, but fact of the matter is not every rifle shoots boat tail bullets well. The 200 grain bullet would make an excellent compromise bullet also.
For those that use iron sights, try a round nose bullet of either 180 or 220 grains. Heck, the only thing I wouldn't consider is the 150 grain bullet.

I would use the 200-grain Nosler Partition loaded to 2600 FPS using a slow powder like H4831 or RL22........

All of the bullets you describe are well constructed. Use the one your rifle shoots more accurately.

I used a 200 grain Nosler Partition to take my Black Bear in AK last spring. 200 yard shot complete pass through of both front shoulders. It wasn't the fastest load only 52 grains H4350, but it was the most accurate in my rifle. I'm very happy with the performance of the 200 grain in the 06.

The couple of times I have taken my 06 to Africa I have used the Nosler 220gr Partition. Everything I hit went down and I hit everything I shot at. Can't argue with success. Took a Wildebeest at over 300yds and put him to the ground. We were actually sitting having tea and my host said he needed the cape for a former client who had a poor cape. I shot the Wildebeest and he went straight down and never moved. My host said to finish our tea and we would go pick him up. 15 minutes later we looked up and lo he was gone. He had gotten up and walked over 100yds with literally half a heart. My 06 shoots 220gr particularly well and so I use them and feel I am well prepared for any plains game animal. In fact have only shot half a dozen rounds of any other bullet in Africa and that was a Swift A Frame. On an Impala it was .30 in and .30 out and they kept on running.after 4 rounds I went back to 375 for bait animals and didn't use my 06 rest of trip because Swifts were all I had. My only experiment with Swifts ever. I use Partitions almost exclusively. It taught me not to fool with a good thing. I really DON'T experiment with bullets and loads,find a good one and use it.

Swifts are too tough for impala, but Partitions reign.

62.5 grains of H 4831Sc with a 200 grain partition will give you about 2850 fps plus....

and according to Nosler, it is not overpressure specs according to their test results..

I used 200 grain Partitions on my first Safari and have never regreted that choice.

The 220 grain Nosler Partition worked perfectly for me on Plains Game. One shot kills, what is better? And the load was a hoary recommendation from the old Lyman manual, and my .30-06 loves it!

LLS