Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 168 grain accubond

I have a featherweight 308 that I might take for elk and use it on shots up to 400-500 yards. Normally I run the 168 grain ballistic tip in my 308 however I was thinking that a tougher bullet and some more ballistic coefficient might be nice. Has anyone used the 168 grain accubond on elk? Common sense says that it should work quite nicely on elk however I'm not sure how much it would penetrate if a shoulder was accidentally struck. Any ideas?

I’d be just fine using either on an Elk at 308 speeds. I really like the plain old 165 Accubonds as well. Those really changed my opinion of just how well the old 06 works.

Maybe you guys have had better luck than me, but in my reloads, the Accubond has been anything but accurate. Never tried it on game as it didn't group nearly as good as the Barnes TSX, Combined Technology, or Berger.

I cannot for the life of me get one to shoot in any of the rifles I own. I have tried everything and anything suggested to me. I wish I could get them to shoot. Hopefully your rifle will like them

The AccuBond like a good amount of jump. Kinda like a Barnes bullet.
Well, that's how they work for me.
The new Nosler AccuBond LR I have not shot. I have some to try.

I haven't much luck with the 168 AccuBond LR in either a .308 or .300 Win. Magnum.

The 168 BT is hell for stout.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11433983/1






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Four to five hundred yard shots don't require a new bullet from your 168 BT, they require a different set of aiming techniques other than std mpbr. If you've got that covered, that bullet will do just fine, even into the shoulder of an elk, at 308 speed.

If I wanted to stretch a 308 to 400/500yds on game that size and did not want to spin turrets, a reasonable route would be a fairly slick 150/155gr bullet at 2,850 or so and a Leupold with the B&C or LRD reticle. A 150gr E-tip at that speed should track pretty close to the intended 300/400/500yds aiming points, according to JBM. "Close" being dead on at 300/400 and 0.3MOA off at 500 (215yd zero). Of course this is a computer prediction and should always be verified in the field, but I've found JBM to work pretty well.

The difference in BC for under 500 is not much to speak of and from the reports I hear on the LR ABs you might be already shooting a tougher bullet in the BT. Dance w/ who brung ya.

thanks for the input. My best 308 load with the 168 ballistic tip only goes 2600 fps out of my 22 inch 700. I was thinking that I would try the accubond long range in an attempt to preserve as much energy at 500 as possible. I don't have any problems running a cds dial either.

Then you need to add more powder, or try a different powder. You should be able to get at least 2700fps with MOA accuracy. At 500 yards you'll be around 1800 fps, probably less with a MV of 2600 fps. A softer bullet, like the Ballistic Tip might be a better option at those impact speeds.

I'm getting 2620 fps with 178 gr ELDX Hornady's in my 308. At longer ranges it'll hit with more speed than the 168 gr bullet, and with 10 gr more bullet weight.

Maybe it is just my rifle, or a single box of bullets. But the 165 Accubonds are scary accurate in my 30-06. I fired three, 3 shot groups into the same target a few weeks ago that measured under 1". I put 3 shots into 2 3/4" at 425 yards with that load.

The 168BT is probaly the toughest cup snd core bullet made.

I use the 165 AB and have been very happy with it.

I highly recommend the Barnes 150gr TSX. Will shoot thru two elk side by side. Has a high BC because because of it's length. Almost as much as a 165gr C&C bullet.Keep in mind time of flight . The 150gr will have a faster time of flight. Consider an elk at 200yds at a slow trot. By the time a 165gr bullet at 2700FPS makes it from the muzzle to the elk at 200yds the elk will move forward a good 3'. If you were to hold right on the shoulder by the time the bullet gets to the elk it will strike the guts or behind the elk.. Elk have a tremendous stride.Considerably more than a deer. The faster the bullet the better. Elk are much more wary than deer.. The slightest sound or smell make s them move.

Would you say they’re equal toughness as the 7mm 150 BT? Or even stouter?

Much stouter.

I would use the 150 TTSX

Idk about the 168s but the last 5 elk I’ve killed have been shot with 165 AB from an 06 and I’ve got no complaints.

Learned something new today.

Thanks! Stout enough for a 300 SAUM? Thinking that combo might be a winner....

Not in my experience. Sneaking up on elk is waaaay easier than sneaking up on deer.





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Ya, I should have put a after that statement.

I shoot them in mine. 3000 FPS with IMR 4831 is all I can get out of my Model 7, but it does the trick.

I would not have a problem running them in even a 300 win mag or 300 ultra.

Sorry, pal. Your.308 doesn’t have enough gas to be a 500 yard elk rifle. The 168 AB from a .308 does not usually have enough velocity to reliably expand at that range. You don’t need a better bullet, just a bit more rifle...

VELOCITY ENERGY PATH DROP DRIFT TIME ZERO ADJ
(Yards) (FPS) (FT-LBS) (Inches) (Inches) (Inches) (SEC) (CLICKS)
0 2700 2671 -1.50 0.00 0 0.000 0
50 2647 2567 0.79 -0.60 0.00 0.058 -6
100 2594 2464 1.84 -2.45 0.00 0.115 -7
150 2540 2364 1.59 -5.58 0.00 0.174 -4
200 2488 2267 0.00 -10.07 0.00 0.234 0
250 2436 2174 -3.00 -15.95 0.00 0.295 5
300 2384 2083 -7.46 -23.31 0.00 0.357 9
350 2334 1995 -13.46 -32.19 0.00 0.420 15
400 2284 1910 -21.06 -42.67 0.00 0.486 20
450 2234 1828 -30.32 -54.81 0.00 0.552 26
500 2185 1749 -41.33 -68.70 0.00 0.620 32

308- 168 grain Accubond at 2700 ft-sec. Altitude at 7000 temp at 59 degrees. Looks like it should kill an elk to me

RANGE VELOCITY ENERGY PATH DROP DRIFT TIME ZERO ADJ
(Yards) (FPS) (FT-LBS) (Inches) (Inches) (Inches) (SEC) (CLICKS)
0 2600 2476 -1.50 0.00 0 0.000 0
100 2496 2282 2.05 -2.64 0.00 0.120 -8
200 2392 2097 0.01 -10.87 0.00 0.243 0
300 2291 1923 -8.12 -25.17 0.00 0.371 10
400 2193 1761 -22.89 -46.10 0.00 0.505 22
500 2096 1610 -44.90 -74.27 0.00 0.645 34

looked closer and saw 2600 for speed so here are those results

Purt near 2100 fps, 168 gr through the lungs is a dead elk.





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Well, if those numbers above are close, then I stand corrected! When I run those numbers on several calculators, I don’t seem to get anything quite that high. That said, I killed a pile of deer and elk with my .308 before my current lunacy set in and I started shooting Weatherby magnums. Happy Trails, y’all

Nosler thinks is might be. The Trophy Grade 165 AB shows a MV of 2800. Nikon Spot On, with a projected temp of 45, humidity of 35, and altitude of 6000', which sounds like reasonable elk conditions, it shows the following:

308 Winchester - 165gn Accubond Bullet Weight (grains): 165 Muzzle Velocity (FPS): 2800 Ballistic Coefficient: 0.475
Sight Height (Inches): 1.5
Altitude (Feet): 6000
Temperature (Degrees F): 45 Barometric Pressure (In Hg): 23.97 Humidity: 35 Wind Speed/Direction: 0 mph from E

RNG VEL EN PATH DROP DRIFT TIME ZERO ADJ
(Yds) (FPS) (FT-LBS) (In) (In) (In) (SEC) (CLICKS)
0 2800 2872 -1.50 0.00 0 0.000 0
100 2669 2609 1.70 -2.29 0.00 0.112 -6
200 2539 2362 0.02 -9.46 0.00 0.227 0
300 2413 2133 -7.08 -22.03 0.00 0.348 9
400 2291 1922 -20.16 -40.58 0.00 0.476 19
500 2172 1728 -39.88 -65.77 0.00 0.611 30

Retained velocity and energy would be higher at higher altitudes, with flatter trajectory. Nosler lists this load for deer and elk sized game. The 168 ABLR, bc of .525, will hold velocity a bit better, but start a bit slower; factory lists 2750, holding 2226/1915 at 500 yards, almost the same path. Either should be satisfactory for elk with good shot placement. Please note that these are factory loads.

I also have the 7mm mashburn with the 150 grain scirroco bullets however its a good deal heavier than the 308 so I thought about using the 308 instead.

Run a 150 TTSX and eliminate worries.

Out of a 7mm Weatherby Magnum at 3,200 fps just to be sure! Happy Trails

For coyotes I carry my Remington Tactical, for elk I carry my Winchester Mashburn or 300 wm. If weight is a problem, work with them prior to the season, i am 72.

I tried the 150 and 165 grain accubond bullets the other day. I had sub inch groups with the 165 grainers with 44 grains of varget and sub inch groups with reloader 15 and the 150 grainers. I did think that the 150 grainers seemed to shoot a bit better than the 165 grainers. Has anyone ever used these bullets on elk out of the 308?

Personally I would stick with the 165 gr Accubond, and limit myself to 400 yards or less. I took an elk with a 165 gr Accubond, and have watched two of my friends take elk with the same grain bullet. Put one in the vitals with a 308 at a reasonable range and you're eating elk tenderloin.

Not sure if I dealt with this or not... I have shot lots of elk with BT, and Accubonds.. Usually the Accubonds are found on the off side intact, but about the size of a dime.. All of mine have been 150’s or 165’s.. I used this in a couple .300 Wins. So I am sure it would be fine in a .308..