Fellow Campfire Members,
I am thinking about working up a load using 225 accubonds in my 338 win mag. The round will be used for a plains game hunt in RSA in June of this year. Our plan is to hunt nothing larger than a Kudu. I have read both negative and positive on this bullet and wanted to solicit the advise of some folks with practical experience using this bullet.
I currently have a load worked up using 225ttsx's. I can get them to shoot a consistant 4 inch group at 200 yards. Is this accuracy acceptable or should I look at the accubond?

I successfully used that bullet on a BC grizzly and black bear hunt a few years ago. This from my 338-06. The blackie was a bang flop and the grizz did about ten 360's biting at the exit wound then expired. The combo you suggest is more than plenty for what you plan to hunt. Last June kudu, wildebeast and gembuck dropped to a 7x57 and a 358 Win without much fanfare.

In 2007 a hunting companion on a safari in South Africa took a .338 Winchester Magnum and Federal factory loads with 225 AccuBonds. He killed his first 12 animals with one shot, including a couple of bull kudu, a very nice waterbuck, a zebra stallion and a gemsbok, before trying to get fancy on a blue wildebeest he tried to shoot in the head, because he wanted the hide for a rug. Had to use another round on the wildebeest. He finished up the safari with another 1-shot kill on another blue wildebeest, ending up with 14 animals with 15 shots.

Oh, and it was his first safari.

Mak we have not spoken before but I envy your outfitter. 4" at 200 yds is way more than acceptable and as Mule Deer mentioned, do not go for head shots. The body is big enough and a bang flop can be expected.

Hope you have a great hunt and enjoy every minute. There can only be one first time!

PS I have an 06 loaner with 165 Highland factory loads that constantly yields positive results. Shoot your rifle ammo combination with confidence.

Mak,
I've used the 225gr Accubond in my .338 Win. Mag for quite a number of elk and a caribou and never had any issues with the bullet performing as it should. I wouldn't hesitate to take that cartridge with that bullet to Africa for plains game. When I went to Africa, I took the .338, but had it loaded with 250gr A-frames instead since I anticipated using it for Eland. Didn't get a chance to use it on eland but it worked just fine on all the other plains game and I'm sure the 225 AB will work well also.

Can only speak to accuracy... it's a very accurate and consistent bullet in my rifle. While not a knock on the TTSX, a 4" group at 200 yards would not be acceptable to me-- assuming you mean from a bench-- because it only gets worse from there.

Try a box of factory loaded Federal 225 TSX's. They have been very accurate in both my .338's and worked extremely well on any African animals I have shot with them. They are too "hard" a bullet for cats. If cat hunting is on the menu, I recommend that you use a use a Partition.

No reservations on the 225 NAB from the .338 WM--I've used that bullet to kill two brown bears and a 68+ inch bull moose. Excellent performance in every way.

I've got one Brown Bear and a 64" moose with that bullet out of the 338 Ultra. No flies on that bullet.

At least two elk in my camp with them. Flawless.

I know accuracy is often rifle-dependent, but consistency is not. For a while there I was shooting boatloads of them out to 600 yards. Very dependably consistent bullet.

Mak, your combo wil work just fine over here. A sugestion: check the piont of impact on 250 yards to confirm the bullet drop. On plains game you might need to take a few shots beyond 200 yards and the old shot placemant factor is stiil the main thing .