I took 130g Ballistic Tips and 130g Accubonds.

Loaded both with 4831

The Accubonds shot poorly. Four shots into a 3 inch stringing group.

The Ballistic Tips shot superbly. Four shots into a nice 1/2 inch clover leaf. Two of them into one hole.

Why such a dramatic difference?

Load for each was:

56g IMR 4831
3.330 COAL

From a 270win

Some AB's like some jump, some like it close to lands. Not unusual IMO/IME.

Just a thought here:

I just checked at the Nosler site and they list the length of the 130 Ballistic Tip at 1.220 and the AB at 1.245.

I wonder if the AB is just enough longer to need a faster than 1 in 10 twist that is standard for a .270 to properly stabilize?

Mine (150g 30's) all shoot the same in Rem and Win 30-06 rifles

I know some barrel twist numbers are not always exact. For example, one listed as 1 in 10 might actually be a 9.978 or it might be a 10.978.



With this in mind I just ran some numbers through the JBM website stability calculator and if the .270 barrel is closer to an 11 twist you get a marginal stability reading with the Accubond.

First guess is the length difference between the two and the difference to the lands.

I just found a great load for my 7-08 with 140 BT's, and exchanged the BT's for Accubonds, adjusted the seater to be in the lands the same amount, and was rewarded with identical POI at 500 and a 2 1/2" group.

You wanna share the 7-08 load???

Nope...it upsets the 270 shooters.....

Yeah, if you have a good 7-08 you don't need a good 270 Win.

So the slightly longer Accubond made for the drastically different results? Bummer. Most of the guys I know who shoot Nosler bullets like the BTip/Accubond combo for practice and big game because of the similar points of impact and accuracy.

FWIW, I load 130 ABs with the same powder, charge weight, primer and cases as I use with 130 Partitions and 130 BTs. The only adjustment I made was to seat the ABs as long as they would feed reliably through the magazines, resulting in a bit longer COAL. In my two pre-64 Model 70s and my Mauser custom, they shoot five shot groups about the same as the BTs and a little better than the Partitions. All run in the .75-.85 inch range at 100 yards.

In three rifles: Two .308W's with 150s and one 7mm-08 with 140's I've seen no appreciable difference, using identical powders and charge weights. Sometimes the NBTs win and others the Accubonds. All rifles hang around an inch +/- a little on average. Have shot them out to 300 with the same results.

One will shoot to a little different POI, but group size remains constant.

Doubt it's the length. 160 Partitions are over 1.287 and shoot fine.

I have found the tougher constructed bullets are harder to get shooting. No doubt the thicker jacket. The AB has never been a problem tho.. I have seen groups in 300 wby with 200 AB at a consistent 1/4 give it some ore work. Remember the thicker jacket and different balance bullet may require a whole different resipe

They may look a lot alike but they're just different bullets. If you treat them as such you might be able to tweak the A/bonds with either a different charge weight or o/all length to shoot as well and possibly the same POI.

I had the same sort of problem with my lightweight 30/06 but it was the B/tips that were poorer shooters and the POI was about 2" laterally and 1" vertically different.

Tried some RL 22 with the ABonds, no luck. Same result. Don't have much more room before I'm at mag box length.

Picked up some 150 Btips to shoot. Will see how those go.

AG, what loads did you try with the RL/160AB ?

130 ABonds:

RL 22 and 4831 both loaded at 3.330 and then at 3.340 (about mag box length). Both shot poorly.

I've been loading 25-06 115gr Partitions w/ 52.5gr H4831 with great accuracy. So I figured the 110gr ABs would need more powder. I loaded em 50gr, 51, 52 and 53. To my surprise, my starting load did very good, followed closely by 52gr. All my Noslers are 10 thousands off the lands.

Nice groups. Maybe I need to back off the powder charge.

Just goes to show you: the only AB that I have not been able to get to shoot satisfactory groups is the 110-grain AB in my .257 AI. They shoot quite well in my grandson's .257 Bob. Guess I'll try a little 4831...

AB'S have always been a little more bitchy to get to shoot vs. BT'S. Although, I have never failed to get exceptable results from AB's.

From my understanding of your test, is you seated both bullets to the same oal and one shot better than the other.
To make it far, both bullets should be seated the same distance away from the rifling to the ogive.
Find the sweet spot for either to tweak for best accuracy.

Word....

Does it involve Big Game? grin....

The 160 AB is the most accurate bullet in my 7 RM and BT's are only average in the same rifle.