Mule Deer et al, if one was to load 250gr. Accubonds, what loads and powder you come to favour? I saw some references regarding the perceived recoil related to using different powders.
From my somewhat limited experience on black bears, the 250 AB works as well as the 286 Partition. For both I use RL-17. Depending on what I want to kill, and how far, I vary that load. 70 grs of RL-17 behind the 250 AB shoots 3 into 0.44" @ 100 yds at +2700 fps. I shot a bear with that load at 85 yards. From an angling shot at 85 yards from a tree stand to high in mid-rib cage (bear was quartering away) the bullet made exit low in frontal chest between chest and offside front leg. It took out lungs and heart in the process leaving a trail of blood a blind man could follow for 20 yards to a very dead bear. The boar died in stride.
The 286 Partition over the same load at 2600+ fps took out another bear in the adjoining field at 68 yards from a frontal hit. The bear fell down an embankment. It was hung in the same tree, on the opposite side, where my stand was located. That bullet fell out from the right flank in front of the right hip in skinning. It lost the front core and weighed 74 % of unfired weight (211 grains). Performance was about identical to the 250gr AB. The 286 was shooting three into sub-MOA.
But the first bear shot with my 9.3 x 62 (TIKKA T3 Lite) was a follow up on a wounded bear by a young friend/client. The bullet was a 286 Hornady RN-RP leaving the muzzle at +2400 fps. That load was 58 grains RL-15 (book load) at close range. The bullet performed flawlessly.
My current loads for those two Nosler bullets have been reduced (because of woods hunting) to 67 grs for the 250 AB @ +/- 2600 fps and 66 grs for the 286 Partition @ +/- 2500 fps.
I've tried several other bullets and powders ( RL-15 was the first) but none have given the performance of those two Noslers.
Bob
www.bigbores.ca
