Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Accubond frustration

I�m getting frustrated working up a 180 gr Accubond load for my .30-06. The rifle is a custom Featherweight with Krieger tube and shoot about anything into well under MOA, except the 180 gr Accubond. Using H4350, loaded .030 off, and getting nice symmetrical groups ranging from just over 1 � to 1 � , depending on the charge. The funny thing is the Winchester factory load will print into .6 - .75 all day long. Any thought on that?

I�ll give it one more try, perhaps reducing the OAL a bit and maybe breaking out the H4831. The factory load is considerably shorter OAL than my .030 off loads. Has anyone found the Accubond acting like the TSX in preferring more jump to the rifling?

This is the only bullet that this particular rifle has struggled with. 168 TSXs, 180 Partitions, 165 & 180 GameKings and 165 Interbonds shoot like crazy with H4350. In fact, when working up a 180 Partition load some years ago, I put 7 partitions into 1 � � group, with almost 300 fps difference between the high and low. That�s just one example of how not finicky this rifle is.

And no, I really can�t answer why I would like the 180 Accubond to shoot well�����can�t leave well enough alone.

Thaks for the comments.

Ken

Seat your handloads to the same dimension....seating depth as the factory load.

Looks like your rifle likes some jump to the lands with the 180AB.

Tony

Have you only tried 0.030 off?

If so, I'd scoot her closer with less jump and play around a bit...

I gave up with them in my .257 Roberts. I tried the 110's and could not get them to shoot a group at all best I could do was a shotgun pattern. I gave up and stuck with 100 gr TSX and 120 Partitions.

My buddys stock 30-06 700 CDL SF shoots the 165 gr Accubonds into tiny groups! Go figure Too many other better bullets to try than to chase something that would not work for my rifle.

Good luck.

First of all, I neither load for nor shoot a .30-06 and, I don't shoot Accubonds but from my experience in reloading, I'd guess that the bullet doesn't like your powder choice.
I would suggest that you look at the "Accurate" load as listed in the Nosler manual and use that powder with the bullet seated to their specs. That happens to be 54.5 gr. of AA-3100 with an OAL of 3.340". They don't list H-4350 powder but IMR-4350 is. I'd also look at the "Accuracy" load in the Sierra book for their 180 gr. bullet and go from there. That load is listed as 49.0 gr. of VVN, N550 with an OAL set to 3.300".
I can't believe that your rifle won't shoot that bullet better than it is. Good luck.
Bear in Fairbanks

61 grains of R22 has worked well for me with more than one '06 with 180�s. But heck what are you going to shoot with it that those groups won't work just fine. I know it would bug me too

I often find that when one bullet likes a jump to the lands (ogive to the lands) that others will too. Not always but often.
I would DEFINATELY seat the bullets to the same depth as factory that are shooting good.
I had a 300 wby ultralight that gave me fits for a long time. Finally set everything really deep and shazaam...a gun that was shooting 5" groups at 200 yds went under moa.
If the seating depth doesn't work.....definately change powders.

I worked up to 58 grains of H4350 on mine. It yields tight groups at 2800 fps in a 22" tube. How much were you running in yours? Mine are seated quite long.

This is something I've run into before. I wonder if it could be your dies. I had dies that were just a bit different than the chamber and gave me grief. I assume you are minimum full-length resizing right? If not, you should try that. Or, you might try to load up some of the same ammo in new brass and see if there is a difference.

In my case, the rifle would shoot great with reloads using new brass. Once fired brass, accuracy went in the tank. I finally checked dimensions with a fine-tooth comb and found that there was just enough difference that I was having some shoulder angle issues. And yes, the bolt was just a little difficult to close.

Good luck!

I'd focus on three areas:
1. Concentricity
2. OAL
3. Powder

I'd try a few at the factory length as suggested earlier and then focus on the list above in that order.

Listen to your rifle...it`s telling you it dosen`t like that combination. I`d first change my seating depth, going down in incremental changes, taking measurements of each, till you find a sweet spot.
It sounds like the rifle likes bullets that are seated a bit.

I`ve shot 4 different cal. Accubonds, including 30`s. All have shot very well.

Good luck

with a long bullet like an accubond, it could also be, that it isnt settled in yet at 100 yds, try shooting the best charge weight again at 300 just to see, and if you still arent happy, try the rest. what i am getting at, is make sure its truly broke, before you fix it.

GregW,

I started at .015 then backed it up. Thinking I may go a bit farther.

Ken

Last series was 56.5 H4350, in new Win cases @ 2754 average for 3 shots.

Thanks for everyone's comments.

Ken

kiss the lands back off 1 grain from you best powder thus far and see how it looks if still sucks think ttsx or diff powder

I would pull a bullet out of the Winchester factory load and replace it with a accubond. If you can make it the same OAL as the Win. factory load and see what happens.

Two things:
1. Are the factory loads crimped? Sometimes this makes a big difference, since the ACCU don't have a cannelure.
B. Try Ramshot Hunter powder. See JB's "Getting the most out of your 30-06" article.

P

I had a similar problem with a new rifle that didn't like Sierra SBT bullets. That particular bullet had always shot well in every other rifle I had ever tried it in. I never did find the right combination for that bullet in that particular rifle. In the end, that barrel did not like that bullet. Sometimes that is just the way it is. Hope that isn't the case with you.

Different powder goes a long ways. I'd suggest both R22 and H4831.

Nosler accubonds are typically some of the least accurate bullets I've used in a variety of 30 cals... the exception being the 200 grainer.