Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Tell me about your elk kill with Accubonds.

Like to know how they penetrate inc. bad angles, bone, etc.

Any info on caliber/weight/velocity, range, any recovered bullet/retention info appreciated. Thanks.

180 gr AB at 300 yds from a 300 WSM. It turned to confetti. I later found the core in the heart. I did some head scratching before I realized what it was as it looked like a .22LR bullet. This was after it hit the shoulder.

Try a 180 gr Barnes MRX in your 300 WSM. I promise you, it won't turn to confetti.

My experience ranges from Whitetail, Sika, Oryx, Axis, Elk & Pigs. Thus far, with 30 one-shot kills they have brought home the back strap every time. Of those, only one acted suspiciously but it still put the critter in the morgue.

7mm rem mag almost straight down into a cow, distance 125 yards.
planted her right there, didn't want to dig into the frozen ground to recover the bullet, performed flawlessly

I've killed 3 or 4 bulls using 225gr Accubonds in my .338 WM. I believe muzzle velocity was around 2850fps. Never had any problems and bullets penetrated plenty. Ranges ran from about 75 yds up to a little over 200 yards. All were broadside shots if I recall correctly except for one big 6pt bull that took off a little too quick and I had to make a fast quartering away shot on him. Penetrated well and broke the off side shoulder. He stumbled around and was falling right when my second shot broke and I ended up hitting him in the skull, right behind and above the ear. That bullet penetrated the skull, but never exited. I didn't really dig around to find it either. I've also shot a trotting caribou with that same bullet and cartridge at around 330 yds. First shot ended up hitting him in the pelvis and the bullet broke him down right away. I can't claim to be proud of that shot, but considering the conditions it was the best I could do. All of the recovered Accubond bullets that I've found consistently retain about 60-70% of their original weight, which is what Nosler says they are supposed to do. I've also shot numerous deer, antelope, and a Dall ram using 140 gr. Accubonds out of my 270WCF at around 2900 or so. Accubonds have always performed well for me. I wouldn't hesitate to use an Accubond on elk, but I'd stick with the mid weight to heavy weight ones if you have the choice. I used a 180 gr Barnes TSX on a bull elk last year using a .300 Weatherby Mag at around 3000fps. The shot was around 225 yards and the bullet penetrated all the way through but did not drop him on the spot. He only wobbled about 10 steps, during which I hit him again. I can't say that I saw much difference in reaction between the 225gr Accubond and the 180 Barnes going somewhat faster. Just a few of my experiences. Hope it helps you.
Test

I forgot to mention with the same 7mm combo mentioned above I took a 300+lb bear at 20 yards broke one shoulder and he flopped right there

I've shot five using a 30/06 with the 180 AB and H-4350 at a chronographed 2725 fps.
Bull 1: 25 yds upward angle, almost facing and shot went between shoulder joint and the neck. He went about 35 yds. Bullet not recovered.

Bull 2: 250 yds broadside. Two shots-both hit in the angle above the front leg. Both hit ribs going in and out and both were found under the skin after penetrating the shoulder meat (no big bones). Bull staggered backwards on first shot and dropped on the second. Haven't weighed them but estimate 60-65%.

Bull 3: 25 yds uphill, broadside. Two shots-both hit ribs going in and out; one also broke the opposite shoulder blade. Both found under the skin of the far shoulder. The one that broke the shoulder blade probably retained 50% and the other 60-65%. Bull was walking on the first shot, stumbled and starting to trot off and went down about 25 yds after second shot.

Bull 4: 463 yds (by rangefinder). Two shots-first hit in the angle above the front leg. Bull stumbled, turned around and bolted uphill just as the second shot broke and it hit in the left ham. He went down but got up and went another 300 yds or so. Neither bullet was recovered but by the damage it looked like there was at least some expansion.

Bull 5: 150 yds broadside. One shot that hit meat in the angle behind the shoulder and went out in the same place on the other side. Hit ribs in and out. Went about 50 yds and dropped.

So far, I've been very pleased with the 180 A/bond and see no reason to change my load.

NRA Patron

Big cow at a little over 500 (too far I know) with my .300 winnie and a 180 AB. Didn't recover the bullet, but it hit her in the ribs and went into the vitals a fair ways. She stumbled about 50 yards and went down.

Was beside my buddy that shot his Shiras moose with a 165 AB out of his .300 RSAUM at 385 yards. Shot him three times admittedly, but two of the three penetrated all the way through. Bull only stumbled a total of about 20 yards.

Deer between 60 and 429 yards with no drama.

Great bullet for sure.

6x6 Bull @265 yards w/ 130 grain AB out of 270 Win. First shot broadside through the shoulder, took ten steps second shot in the same place and the bull dropped on the spot. Recovered both bullets under the skin. Didn't leave much of an entry wound and with no exit wound I might be concerned about a good blood trail but all the critters I have shot with them, none have have made it more than 20 yards. I'll stick with them.

Accubonds:

Two elk with the 8mm 200-gn version from a 325. First was large cow at 280 yards; it hit square on her "elbow", which is the definition of a hard, dense, big bone mass... then went through the chest and made it to the hide on the other side. She went DOWN rather spectacularly.

Second was an Oregon raghorn bull at around 150 yards. He was trotting. Broadside through the slats, nice exit wound. You can see it in the pic below. He kept trotting another 50-60-70 yards and piled up.

A guy in my elk camp used 225 AB's from his .338 to kill a couple bulls. They each died with one shot and both penetrated and exited.

I have a couple other perhaps pertinant AB experiences. I killed a big blacktail buck, which is to say a normal-sized buck since they run smaller than most deer you guys would be used to, and I shot him through the shoulder bones as he was quartering towards me at about 100 yards with a 30-06 and the 180-grainer. The bullet didn't blow up and it exited way back on the far flank.

A couple years ago I screwed the pooch and while trying for a steeply quartering AWAY shot into the ribs, I shot a buck right in the ass at about 40-50 yards. Oops. It hit directly on the hip joint which is a pretty solid bone- about as heavy a bone as you'll get on a deer, and comparable to an elk shoulder probably. Anyway it totalled the hip joint, went the length of the deer, and ended up under his chin at 70% weight retention. As long as I got Photobucket open I'll put up a pic of that too. That was the 200-grainer from my .325 as well.

I like the Accubond a lot. They've shot very well for me and all I've seen is good results. With that said, I'm not a "light for caliber guy" nor am I into trying to see how small a gun I can use to kill stuff. If I WAS into those things, I'd probably explore "harder" bullets.

Here's the elk and the bullet pics:

One shot, two holes and 40 yards later....dead.
.270 WSM 140 grn @ 2900fps Raton NM

Just for perspective's sake in terms of bullet performance... not trying to one-up your cow <grin>... look at the size of this beast! This is the one I hit at 280 yds (in Colorado, just north of the NM border)....

But, wouldn't they way overpenetrate?

I started using the Accubond in 2003. Since then I've taken over two dozen critters ranging from bears to antelope, including 7 bull elk. I think I've thrown everything at this bullet that it can handle. I killed a bull with the 200 grain at 42 yards, 3200 fps velocity. I killed another bull at 564 yards. I think it has proven itself, at least for me, at any yardage regardless of velocity. I haven't recovered any, so cannot comment on retension. mtmuley

180gr AB handload from my 30-06 @ 120 yards

I have taken two large 6x6 bulls with 260 ABs in a .375 H&H: one took one shot and the second stood around long enough to take a second, although he was dead on his feet. Broadside lung shots, exit holes about the size of a quarter.

Took a very large bodied 6x6 with a 200 AB from a .300 WSM. Entered between the neck and shoulder and exited at the last rib on the far side--went about 25-30 yards and died. Took an average 5x6 last year with a 250 AB from a 9.3x74R. One shot and did not recover the bullet. The animal stumbled around in a circle and went down before I could get off a second shot from my Ruger No. 1.

Took oryx, kudu and waterbuck in Namibia with the .375--all one shot kills and only one bullet recovered. I like them.

I used them on my elk hunt this year and was very impressed. Shot was about 200yds with a 300 weatherby mag using the 180gr AB. Went through the shoulder and punched out the other side. Bull took about 6 steps and that was it. I shot this off hand and was a little gassed from running up the hill to cut him off. To be honest the bullet saved my bacon on this one. I will certainly use them again. Sorry for the crappy cell pictures!

Excellent info guys, thank you.

I've just started loading Accubonds recently, and haven't shot game with them yet. Very accurate is all I can say. Hope to add a kill or three this season using them.

Don't shoot a bull in the shoulder with an Accubond.