Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 300wsm elk/deer bullet

This is probably redundant, but given the same accuracy (5/8" groups for both), which would you rather have in your rifle for elk and mule deer out of a 300wsm. 165gr TSX at 3100fps, or a 180gr Accubond at 3000fps? If it matters, the rifle is a stainless Tikka T3 lite in an MPI stock with a leupold 4.5-14x40 cds on top.

180 Accubomb gets my vote.

180 Acc or 180 NP's - whatever your rifle favors.

Have you tried the 180gr. Nosler partition? That's what I used on elk when I had a 300 WSM...

180 gr Barnes TTSX has worked well for me.

donsm70

Either bullet will work with decent placement. I prefer the TTSX in the 180 grains flavor in my 300 Weatherby and would stick with that in a WSM if it shot well certainly for elk. Even in a 165 id prefer the tipped version. My experience with Barnes on several animals has been great my first experience with Accubonds was less than stellar on deer.

Bought a Kimber Montana 300 WSM for elk hunting and shot a 6x6 with a factory 180 Accubond Federal load. Bull was above me at 75 yards. Hit above the heart angling up and the bullet stopped on an off side rib.The bull kept walking as thought I missed, went thru a little section of trees and then turn to go back into them. I shot him again higher up in the chest and the bullet angled up and took out the spine and exited. The recovered bullet looked like a perfect mushroom but not the penetration I wanted.
I switched to 165 TSX Federal and now the 165 TTSX Barnes Vortex and my SIL and I have taken 15 more bulls with these loads. The last bull taken with this rifle/ TTSX was at 350 yards. Bullet hit high shoulder breaking both as well as the spine and exiting. Bull dropped on the spot.Both the TTSX and the accubond print quarter size groups at 100 yards but I want the penetration.
I also used the 165TTSX out of my 300 Win Mag to take a 6x6 bull last year in WY at 460 yards.

If you have the mag length I'd personally go 200-gn Accubond. I have killed a buck with the .30/180 and it worked well.

In 30 caliber 180 grain the Accubond is 1.38" long and the Partition is 1.26 inches long. I would give up the lower ballistic coefficient for the shorter length seeing as how the WSM is kinda shoehorned into the short action length.

The Tikka has a magazine length just over 2.900", not exactly "shoehorned."

Back to the question. I'd go with a 180, the Accubond will be perfect. I've had 6 300 WSM's and only ran 180's. Longest shot on a bedded antelope buck at 547 yards with a 180 Partition. Closest, bull elk at 50 yards with the same bullet.

I've recovered two 180 Accubonds on elk, they look like textbook mushrooms. Ditto the one 180 Partition I've recovered.

Pick a good 180 that shoots well and don't look back.

Sample of one, but I killed the biggest bodied elk I have ever seen with a 200-grain AB from a .300 WSM. The bullet entered between the shoulder and the base of the neck and exited behind the last short rib on the far side, traversing over 5 ft of elk. Of the two you mentioned, I would go with the 180 AB, but I suspect either would work well if you put the bullet where it needs to go.

People who ought to know, like John Barsness, say the Accubond is basically a tipped Partition. Hardly anyone thinks a Partition isn't an excellent elk bullet. The Barnes bullet has a solid reputation as an elk bullet. Given that, the only real question then is "which can I get cheaper"!

Or, "Which shoots best in my rifle."

He said they both shoot the same so my nod goes to which is cheaper.

I have killed quite a few elk with Accubonds.. Both in 300's and .340.. Mostly it is a perfect mushroom under the hide on the off side...

Thanks for the feedback guys. I've got 140rds of the factory tsx load, the 180gr accubonds I'm handloading. Already have a few hundred of those bullets, and a few lbs of powder, so cost really isn't an issue I guess. They both shoot quarter sized groups at 100, haven't gotten to shoot any farther yet, last week was the first trip to the range with this rifle. I guess long range accuracy will be the deciding factor. I'd hate to not use the factory ammo since I have it, but like the 180gr accubond better. For no particular reason other that "I just do". I guess I was just wondering if one of those bullets held a significant advantage over the other.

The AB will kill faster.

Brother, I spent most of last summer looking for a load for
my 300wsm ( Kimber Mt) I ended up getting the best results with the 180 TTSX. I have a load that was pushing 2950+ and very accurate. Shot it out to 400 with very good results. My Idaho bulled died within 50 yds of where he stood when I pulled the trigger on him last year. I can pm you the load if you are interested.

Shot a few bulls with my tikka in 300wsm with the AB 180. No problem with clean kills. Took my son on a ram hunt this summer and guide wanted him to be able to shoot 500 yards . Tried over 63 powder and bullet combinations. Couldn't get any groups at that distance to be confident in. Took off nikon and put on zeiss. Still not happy. Bought a leupold vx6 and still not good. Brought out wifes browning x bolt in 300wsm and several different loads were accurate at 500 yards. He shot a nice ram on the trip. I still like my tikka and will continue using just won't shoot passed 400 yards with it.

Please show some pics of said Rifle,I'm a Tikka T3 lover n luv ta see other peoples rigs Oh by the way I would use the accubonds...ScottyO.