Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Do Accubonds have a Dark Side?

I've used Accubonds extensively, and for me, they've never delivered anything except excellent on game performance.

However, at least one poster on this forum refers to them as "accubombs", and Tanner reported less then ideal on game performance during his hunt last year.

My experience with them is limited to .277-.338 bullets in the 130-225gr range. The AB I've used the most is the .284 160 grainer that I shoot out of my STW at around 3475 fps. I've only ever recovered one, and it was a point blank front to rear quartering shot on a big mulie.





As you can see, even at these extreme velocities this AB held up.

So, who's had different experiences and seen a Dark Side of Accubonds?

I have nothing bad to say about them. My buddy's big muley last year was taken at a mere 30-40yds with his 7STW/40 gr AB. I had a pic of it but it looks just like yours. 65% "ish" weight retention left me very impressed.

Mine was an example of one. My sister killed a buck and a cow elk with the same load days later.

Brother killed a good buck with 130s via his 270 a week or 2 later, also. Not pass throughs on any, but found balled up under the opposite side hide.

I have loaded them for 10 different cartridges ranging from .243 Winchester to .375 H&H. If they have a dark side, it hasn't put in an appearance so far.

Haven't recovered one yet but then again I'm shooting the 225 grain .358's

110 AB from Sisters buck, 200ish yards I believe?



So I'm not sure about 'em. Mine could have been a fluke, hit foliage, etc....

Only shot one whitetail w/ a 110 Accubond out of a 25 06 quartering at about 50 yards. Bullet acted like a Sierra boatail and exploded. Deer ran about 125 yds and died. Loading TSXs now in a 270. Only one example but no deer has ever traveled that far after a hit since the 60's. These bullets are very well respected so my one example is a moot point. They don't shoot in my 270 or I would use them. The TSXs shoot well in my Featherweight.

I believe the "Accubomb" poster dislikes them because he shoulder shot 3 elk with a 300 mag, and lost a total of 10-20lbs of meat. The answer, of course, is to not shoot animals in the meat if you're worried about meatloss.

I just call them accubombs for the haters.

I've never had anything but success with them.

I have had great experiences shooting Accubonds.
My question is how are you getting 3475 fps with a 160gr Accubond in a 7STW?

Two unfavorable experiences, both with the 25 cal 110gr AB.

Not a large sample, but an interesting coincidence.

Tanner, do you smoke 'em a little faster then you sis, or do you two shoot the same load?

My 25'06 110s out of 26" Sendero barrel chronied 3300fps w/Re25 so they were on the gas at 50 yds FWIW.

29" barrel.
98gr WC860
Rem Brass
Fed 215.

It's certainly not a starting load.

My experience with them is limited to 4 animals. 2 Bear 2 Whitetail . Of 5 shots fired I have recovered 2 , to me they appear to hold together very well , but at ultra high velocity they seem over expand and retard penetration. At 3000 fps and under I think they perform very well or at longer range. My shots were very close the bears were under 30 yards the Whitetail about 60. I shot them in a 338 RUM 225 gr. Velocity was close to 3100 fps ( 1 bear , 1 Whitetail ) and in a 300 Win Mag. 180 gr. ( 1 Bear , 1 Whitetail ) . The 300 load was a plain vanilla @ 2980 each animal was 1 shot and passed though and appeared to have expanded nicely. The RUM bear was 2 shots 1 passed through doing much damage 1 was from the back as he ran away and penetrated most the length of the Bear . The Whitetail was a broadside shoulder shot DRT but did not pass thru it was balled up under the hide on the off side. I have returned to the 210 partion in the RUM but would not hesitate to use the AB in it on longer shots. Good hunting KH









exit on bear

Different people have different definitions of "good" bullet performance.

Some folks don't mind meat loss, so to them a bullet shattering a bone and sending bone fragments and that gritty bone marrow all over is "perfect" performance. To others that same performance is "unacceptable".

I like the accubonds myself, though I have accidentally hit shoulder myself and caused quite the mess.

Same load and rifle.

Hell....same box of bulles for that matter.

Tanner,

You mentioned the possibility of your bullet hitting foliage before it hit the deer. Might that have happened? There certainly doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the recovered bullet that would make it only penetrate 3".

My wife once shot a big bushbuck in South Africa with a .308 Winchester and a 150-grain Nosler E-Tip at 2800 fps, range around yards. Since even a "big" Cape bushbuck will only weigh about as much as an average Montana whitetail doe, I was very surprised to hear the E-Tip had been recovered, since they penetrate deeply, just like other monolithics. Turned out she'd shot the bullet right through a big Spanish prickly pear cactus leaf. The E-Tip was fully expanded when it entered the bushbuck in the front of the chest, and was found around the diaphragm.

I like them. I've put em through elk from 42 yards out to 584. Through deer from about 80 yards to over 600, and through antelope from about 100 yards to 703. All 200 grain Accubonds out of a .300 RUM at 3200 fps. All in all about 30 critters or better since the 200 grainer became available. I'm loading them in .243 and .270 for this fall in my daughter's rifles. mtmuley

John,

The bullet pictured was not the one I shot a deer with. That was from one my younger sister killed.

I like them, never having shot anything larger than mature white tail with them. They do tend to mess up a good deal of meat in my experiences, a shot through the shoulder is not going to be pretty most of the time. The first antelope I shot with an Accubond was at 272yds (.300 wm, 180 gr, 3150 fps) bedded and quartering slightly away. The shot was just behind the shoulder and the entry looked a lot more like a large exit.

I think they are super accurate and perhaps medium tough-I would not hesitate to shoot much of anything with one.