I was wondering if anyone here has taken an elk using 180gr Accubonds out of a 30-06 (or like caliber/velocity). I've read lots about the accubond, but don't personaly know anyone who has used that bullet on elk. I would appreciate reading of your experiences with this bullet. Thanks

I took a 6x6 elk on October 2nd that weighed 996#. I shot him with a 200 grain Accubond out of my 300 Ultra Mag. I hate to repeat myself on the fourm (sounds like bragging), but it was m 3rd 6x6, but my first with the Accubond. #1 was with an old style Trophy Bonded Bearclaw (worked fantastic). #2 was with a partition (worked just great). Both were 180 grain, out of the 300 mag. All in all, I would place the Accubond at a solid #3 in terms of relative performance. It killed him dead...nice and dead....just not as quickly nor as decisively as the other two. I think I will go back to the partitions from here on out unless something better comes along. The new TBB's made by Speer are not getting good reviews (see Hunting mag, this month). Petals breaking off. I am interested in the Northfork bonded bullets though...may give them a try. My main problem with the accubond was a significant weight loss for what a bonded bullet should experience. I can re-post pics if necessary. My shot was 167 yds broadside. Recovered bullet weighed 106.5 grains. I honestly think it may be a better deer bullet. Got two very nice 8 pointers this weekend (210 and 220#) and it did its work very dramatically on them.
Long story short: There are better bullets for elk in my opinion. Good luck this fall!

Thank you Hank. I appreciate your input.

Here is the pic of my elk bullet (200 grain accubond) and a 140 grain accubond (.284) that got a very nice 8 point this week. I just expected more on the 200 grain, given all the hoopla.

I have been looking for a "deer and elk" load for my 06, and have tried a few factory loads (180gs NPs, 180gr TBBC), but they aren't as accurate as are the 180gr Failsafes, which don't open worth a hoot on 140-150lb whitetails, at least for me. I have read that accubonds retain approx 61% of their original weight at recovery and that they tend to separate (core from jacket) if fired at high "magnum" velocity. Since the 06 won't do better than around 2700/2800 fps, I figured the separatiuon tendencies would not be a issue. Am I wrong?

I have used the 200 gr accubond to kill one elk. 80 yds broadside. Hit rib on both side, and off-side shoulder. Performance was great. Complete penetration, quarter size exit hole, but it didn't look like she had been hit with a grenade, is often the case on a shoulder shot with conventional type bullets. The bullet was fired from a .300 mag at chronographed avg 2980 fps. I would expect it to perform great in an '06.

Friend of mine shot a cow elk last week with the ab's through the front shoulder with the bullet ending up near the rump. It looked just like the second picture posted above. Anything can happen with just about any bullet, but I can't see how a bullet could perform much better than that.

Edit to add: The elk was shot with a 7mag, and I believe it was 160 ab's. Not sure on distance.

My first post on this forum.
Last fall I took an enormous bull in Colorado with a 180 grain Accubond in my 30/06 max load approx 2800 fps. Paced it off on level ground at 180 yards, high shoulder shot broadside bullet plowed through both shoulders and the bull dropped instantly, required a finishing shot when I got to him but he was not going to get up. The recovered bullet weigh 114 grains and penetrated everything except the hide on the far side. Adequate performance in my book but not astounding. I must admit I've made a similar shot several times with just a little more distance and using plain old Sierra 180 gr SPBT's and got similar results and an exit as well. I may try a Barnes X next time but I can't complain with the results I had with the Accubond, tough to tell with the results of only one elk so I can't recommend or talk bad about the bullet yet.

Thanks to all who responded! I sincerely appreciate learning from your experiences. I'll shoot a few groups with the ABs in a day or so. Again, thanks men!

Last year a buddy of mine was using them in a 300 RUM. He had to shot his Elk five times to get it to drop. The first shot hit the point on the shoulder and fragmented the second hit the right rear hip and fragmented and the last one he slipped behind the shoulder and between the ribs. The last bullet mushroomed nicely when it missed bone. I think the ultramag was part of the problem and the fact that the Elk was only 50 yds away, compounded the problem.

When it comes to Elk I personally think Accubonds are O.K. if you have a decent shot, broadside or head-on, with a non-magnum. But, when you have a shoot through the shoulder, it is a different story. The Elk shoulder can be tough, especially on the Rosevelts, west of the Rockies.

I personally like to shot them right in the shoulder, to break bone and put them down quick. In my experience, Elk can go a long ways with a vital shot once their adrenaline gets going. Your odds go up that that Elk will wonder in front of another hunter. That is when things can get ugly. Arguing over who shot it. Unfortunately, this is something a lot of people have to deal with around the Mt. St. Helens area. I have had friends who walked away from their mortily wounded Elk after another hunter finished it off and claimed it as their own.

That is why I use a .338 WM stoked with Fail-Safes or Barnes-X bullets and if in heavy cover I use A-Squares Dead Toughs. I am guarenteed that the bullet will not break up and retain 90+ percent of its weight. But, when it comes to deer I think that the Accubond will shine. I personally think it was designed to be more of a deer bullet than an elk bullet.