Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7STW - 154 Interbond or 175 LR Accubond for elk 25-450 yards?

I had posted this in the elk section but didn't get much response.

My current load for my 7STW is the 154 Interbond and it shoots it well. I'd like a little heavier bullet for Roosevelt elk. I tried the 175 Partition but accuracy wasn't quite up to snuff. What's the consensus on the 175 LRAB hitting an elk at short range? The 175 will be a little flatter at long range, but do they perform well at 50 yards?

Thanks.

I think anything in the 175-180 gr range would do a number on any elk, especially a bonded bullet. I wouldn't have any reservation if I were considering that bullet for short-range elk.

I'm currently shooting the 160gr AB's out of mine. Accuracy is good, and they hold up fine. I plan to experiment with the LRAB's, probably bother the 150's and 175's. I'll have to see what my STW likes.

Keep in mind, the LRAB is still a 175 grains of bonded lead. At 25 yards I'd just keep it off the shoulder.

My experience with the 154 gr. Interbond was not the best. They kill well in that they open very wide, etc. But they lack the kind of penetration I like from the 160 gr. Nosler Partition. And this was from a .280, not the much faster 7STW. Heck, the 140 gr. Nosler Partitions penetrated better than the IB's did. E

Consensus on the lrab up close is...OK for deer....not for elk.
For the range you are talking I would absolutely use the ib if i had to pick between the two.

Even a 175gr C&C bullet would work wonderfully. It's still a 175 gr 7mm bullet, and a bonded one at that.

The lrab is nothing like a regular accubond. The front nose jacket is ultra thin. Seating a bullet into even mildly compressed powder crunches a ring into the jacket.
A close up hit out of a 7 stw will almost immediately vaporize the front of the bullet leaving your 175 grain bullet a 90 grainer.

Empirical evidence would be worthwhile, instead of the theorizing that we're doing.

http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php...=10501&highlight=long+range+accubond

A gentlemans review of the .277 150gr LRAB. Summary of his results at 100 yards with a homemade bullet trap.


One mans test and it doesn't necessary apply to the 7mm LRAB, but his findings don't give me the warm fuzzies about the LRAB. Sounds as if it's designed for hits at 400+ yards which is approaching where my hunting ranges end, not begin.

To each their own...

I'd like to see some bullet on flesh reports before coming to a conclusion. The 175gr 7mm is also obviously not necessarily the same as the 150gr .277.

I have a hard time believing that any 7mm 175gr expanding bullet at 3050 fps would not get through an elk shoulder and make it to vitals.

Empirical evidence......this place don't run on Empiriacal Evidence!!! LOL!
OK...that is a fair question and I don't have what most will consider a good enough answer but....
I'm dealing with an immediate family illness that takes alot of my time. I do some reloading for myself and friends and have witnessed the ez crinkling of the jacket during seating as I have a number of different LRAB;s on hand. I have not done my own testing and none of my friends have tested the bullets either.
That said there are alot of reports that come in on the various chatrooms that (because of being homebound) I cruise way too much daily. I've seen the pics and descripts from lots of people water jugging, testing other media, and on game reports from this past fall. Sites like the nosler site, Long range hunting, and even the hunting forums here at 24 hour have had quite a few reports.
I'm not trying to bash nosler...I think for what its intended for the bullet is fine and I'm sure they'll make it even better as time goes on. But for now I'll say that it just isn't designed to hold much weight in high speed impacts on a tough animal. I'd consider the 168LRAB to be an excellent bullet for my 708. I told my buddy it would make my 708 a 600 yd carribou gun...and it would be perfect for that. I think the lrabs might even have great application in my 7-30 waters and 3030 contender pistols. In the meantime for what the OP wants being a 425 yd and inside bullet there are tons and tons of better choices. If he was sitting on a powerline, hilltop, large field, tundra etc etc the lrab could be his winner. All I can say is if you get time do some searches and see what your find. There are lots of valid honest reports.

Thanks for the post. I've ready plenty of reports on various sites about the on-game performance of the LRAB, but I have yet to read about a 7mm 175gr bullet being used at close range on heavy bone, when started at magnum velocity. That'd be interesting to see.

I'm not a Nosler guy usually, but in the interest of giving this new bullet a fair chance, I'd like to see what it'll do before determining what it'll do *grin*

Since everyone else is guessing, I will too... Bet it loses over half its weight but has enough length to likely work OK up close. It sure isn't going to do an elk any good.

After all, it's designed as a LR bullet, made to expand at distance with lower velocity, so it might not be reasonable to expect it to behave like a Partition of the same weight up close.

For the distances mentioned (25-450 yards)I'd pick something else.

25-450 seems like accubond ranges, just not long range accubond until a lot of information is available for the lrab. Better safe than sorry.

warlock well.....shidt for that matter and those distances, I'd just keep shooting them with Partitions. The other two Noslers are not gonna show us a thing over the NPT, at 25 or 450. No need for speculation.

Not that I like quoting old Swampy, but "In The World" comes to mind when I think of Partitions...in any cartridge at any velocity....

Not a 175 7mm but I put a 210 ALR out of a .300 RUM (3100 fps) into a bull at about 60 yards. High shoulder hit after I threaded some brush for the only shot I had. Didn't do him any good but no exit which surprised me. Haven't weighed it. Guess I could and try a pic if interested. I've smacked bulls in that range with the regular Accubond and had better results. The 160 Accubond would be deadly in that STW I'm thinkin. mtmuley

160 Partition or Accubond...450 isn't that far...


160 Partion, 125 yards, out of a 7STW..mv about 3300

Bullet is in orbit for all I know...bumped the bull in it;s tracks.

Tony

Seen that happen more than once; out to about 500.

They do pretty much the same up close, too.


Makes me wonder what all the conversation is about.

Funny, Partition or Accubond, either way Nosler wins..


or try a 175 Sierra, accurate, deadly, dependable..