After this hunting season I'm wavering on continued use of Accu-bombs. First game killed was a heavy mule deer in '08 with a .30cal 165grain @ 75 yards. Complete pass through the ribs w/soup within.
I had lost a lot of tips from those bullets within the box before loading. Shot the big hollow points for practice, shot just as well as the pointy ones. I seem to recall that the early ones had an issue with broken tips.
Fast forward to this season. I'd booked a trip to New Mexico with some family and friends and instead of working up new loads I figured I should spend my time practicing and messing with a new Leupold CDS scope.
Practiced a bunch with some Nosler seconds that were dirt cheap and loaded some first run stuff from Cabelas to hunt with.
Commenced to hunting in NM and found a hapless 5x5 bull @ 130yds. Once I gathered enough oxygen to put the crosshairs on him I put one in through the ribs into the lungs and liver. He hunched back and I put another into the shoulder. Not having hunted elk before I was suprised with the resilence of taking two rounds in one side turning around without looking ill at all and taking another round in the opposite shoulder and one just back in the ribs before getting sleepy and taking a nap.
Four rounds of 30-06 165 Accubombs @2900fps shot at 130 yards at a mid sized elk broadside [both sides] and no pass throughs. No rounds recovered but produced a very dead elk that only moved about 10 yards.
Fast forward to that evening I shot a smallish muley buck [too big for the dinkathon] nearly straight on nicking the shoulder creating a nasty mess. Blew out about 4 ribs making jello inside. I found that bullet in the opposite ham fully mushroomed weighing 119 grains.
Again a dead critter but no pass throughs. Allthough a small sample it seems I've had better luck with Balltips at deer at similar distances with my .243 and 30-06.
