Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles AccuBond vs AccuBond LR

Anybody have any input regarding the differences in the two bullets? I've used AccuBonds but not the LR version. I understand the jacket on the LR is formed so that expansion is reliable down to 1300 fps but what concerns me is performance at shorter ranges where velocity is considerably higher.

You answer your own question. And it’s herby Hancock

Duuuuuuuurrrrr

210 lrab on a black at 150.


Bear dead = perfect

Eat right up to the hole Freddy!!! Like a monolithic.... grin

Elk Dead at 137 yards. 142 ABLR from a 264 WM. 3250 MV. Inside of entrance shoulder.



Axis doe at 109 yards. 142 ABLR from 6.5x55 2800 MV. Exit of off-side shoulder.

I think I'd rather shoot the regular Accubonds myself.

Me too. I want nothing to do with these bullets. I'm a Nosler guy, I come from the wide open plains but I'm not interested in LRAB at all.

Z: killed 6 deer with them. They die and the holes are easy to find...:)

Decided they are best used like a 15x56 bino--when support is needed.

No surprise though--they are called long range after all, but I had to find out.

I like the 129gr 6.5mm version at 2,900fps. It shoots flat and has worked for me at distances from 80 to 320yds. I've been able to stop two of them on frontal chest shots, but got exits on everything else (deer/hogs). Here is one. It retained 70% of its weight.





Of course the 130gr standard Accubond has treated me much the same, and would like be my pick for an all-rounder in a hunting 6.5mm, as it seems to be a bit tougher. Both are good bullets in my opinion.

I get much better accuracy with the regular Accubonds, so I've stuck with them.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm gonna have to try some of the 129 gr 6.5mm's. I think they'll be great in my Grendel due to it's lower velocity.

I have been using that 129gr ABLR in my 12.5" 6.5 Grendel SBR. It expands well even at relatively low SBR velocities. One disappointment I found with that bullet was that it can't be pushed as fast (at least in my barrel); 2200 fps is pretty much top end maximum, but that rifle will shoot a 140gr to about the same velocity.

That was my notion, so I bought 300 blems. Best accuracy with CFE223 was at 29gr, a couple down from max. Should be fine for the shots I get hereabouts.

JPro, can you tell me about the animal, shot, and range of this recovered bullet?

Yeah, I think the 129's will work well in the Grendel and I'll stick with 130 or heavier AB's in my other 6.5's Though, the 142 ABLR would seem like a good one to try in my 6.5x55.

Sure. It was a 150lb whitetail buck that was a few degrees away from facing me head-on, at roughly 230yds. After I watched him for about 30 seconds, he still remained frozen with his head upright, so I took the shot before he decided to bolt. I shot him 2/3 of the way up the chest and he dropped out of sight. He had fallen neatly in place and one of my daughters asked about the small lump that was 5-6" from his hip, so I showed them how to slice the hide and recover a bullet, which they thought was pretty cool.

I also shot a 270lb feral sow with the same load and shot angle at a little over 300yds, although she wheeled and ran into the brush, leaking pretty heavily from the center-chest entrance within a few feet of the impact. She made it 25yds or so, but I gave that pig to a friend and did not search for the expanded bullet.

Chest to hip is pretty good and the 'shroom is perfection.

Hit any bone on the 80 yard shots yet?

For me, 9 out of 10 shots are probably going to be at less than 100 yards, with the 1 in 10 usually being 300+.

One buck I shot was more broadside and I caught a shoulder with an exit, but he was around 200yds. I did shoot a 120lb doe at 80-90yds through the shoulders and she dropped with an exit. The majority of the other animals were hit through the lungs on purpose, to save the shoulders for the freezer. Lungs were generally wrecked, but I didn't see undue bloodshot, or at least not any more than standard Accubonds and Ballistic Tips at similar speeds.

JPro, what load did you settle on with those 129's?

It's a 6.5x47L, shooting RL17 and CCI 450's. I want to say I wound up at 41.7gr, but don't have my notes in front of me. I shoot that bullet about .015 off the lands and the 2,900fps velocity is from a 22.5" Rock barrel.

Some new Forester FL 6.5CM dies should be on my doorstep today, so I may be looking at the same LRAB/RL17 combo in that chambering too, or it may be the 143ELDX and RL26.

JPro,

Suttle differences but similar. My light, hunting, 6.5x47 likes 41.9 gr RL17, Fed 205 match primer, .020" off, 2977 fps from a 24.5" barrel and puts 5 of the 129 gr ABLR's into .55 moa. After several years of cabinet time, i'm dusting it off for a general season Utah elk hunt this October.

Same.

I like the regular Accubonds

Used a 129 ABLR this past Saturday and performance was excellent. ~125 yards in woods, 1 rib hit going in, 1 rib hit going out, lungs trashed, ~30 yard death run, massive blood trail. Load was a generic mid-range 6.5CM load taken from Nosler's online data, 41 gr H4350, should be ~2700fps out of a 22" barrel but I haven't run it through the screens yet. Didn't measure OAL as I left dies set at the same length I'd used with 143eldx, only enough rounds to set 100 yard zero with a new scope....final 3 shots (only group shot) during zeroing were so good I doubt I'll play with OAL. Limited experience with it but I'm liking what's happening with it.

Thanks for the recommendation JPro!

You bet! I had them loaded again yesterday in my 6.5 and drew down on a rack buck, but let him walk. Had confidence in the load though. Looks like your load is shooting rather well.

I also like the 6.5, 129g LRAB. Only one kill with it so far. My son shot a mule deer buck in the neck through the spine. The spine was shattered and the exit was about nickel sized. The bullet stayed together really well after hitting the spine. Shot was 280 yards from a 6.5 Creedmoor. I think the 129g LRAB is a great deer bullet and can't see a need for a stouter bullet for deer-sized game.

I have found the 129g LRAB and the 130g AB to load interchangeably in two different 6.5 Creedmoors I loaded for. They shot to same POI at 100 yds and both grouped 1/2"-3/4". Obviously, slightly different trajectories beyond 100 yards.

Both guns preferred these bullets over 120 BTs, 120 ETips, 142 LRAB, 140 AB, and 143 ELDXs.

I was playing with the 150 gr. 7MM ABLR in three 7x57 rifles and a .280 Remington. So far, it seems none of these rifles like that bullet. I thought it might be a winner in the 7x57 due to the fact it's not all that much of a speed demon and should give decent results out to about 300 yards.

I was discussing bullets with a guide on an elk hunt about three years ago. I'd hunted with him for about three years and he's a reloader and a bit of a rifle loony as well. He said something to the effect that some of his hunters used ABLR bullets in their magnums and results under 150 yards were such that bullet wounds were very nasty with a lot of shredded meat. He said once shots got out past about 200-250 yards the bullets worked quite well. That was one of the reasons I figured they might work well at the 7x57's lower velocity.

The only AB I've tried is the 165 gr. in my 30-06. I shot one elk with the load doing close to 2900 FPS at the muzzle. The elk was maybe 100 to 110 yards out at the most. Bullet hit at the short ribs and angled out into the left lung. The elk ran about thirty yards and collapsed. Needed a finisher. Bullet not recovered and may have been in the mess that was the left lung.
Paul B.

The 7mm LR don't give me the accuracy that the regular 7mm does.

Have found that ABLR's usually, not just occasionally, shoot more accurately when seated deeper than many handloaders tend to try--which isn't unusual in secant-ogive bullets.

I'd guess this is the case on my example above. Leaving the dies set where they were probably saved me some trial/error as I usually start with the slightest kiss to lands (if possible).

Used the 129 ABLR on another Saturday morning on a buck and a coyote. On the deer I had to thread the needle between branches, only shot was on a front shoulder at a slight angle. ~125 yards. Entered just in front of the left shoulder and WRECKED the off side shoulder joint. Small exit but part of it made it all the way through. Fair bit of small pieces of lead were found in the joint but it was tough to pick them out with all of the bone pieces. Deer didn't take a step.

Coyote was ~50 yards. Massive exit.

Very happy with this bullet for deer at CM speeds, both on bone and lungs.

Hi MD, so this leads me to my question. I load a 142 ABLR in my CM. My A7 allows me to load them very long and still not touch the lands while being close to the full magazine length and I get 3/4" or better groups. If I am loading too long how do I know? I could blindly follow the Nosler OAL published or what you suggest but does it really matter in this instance. Obviously, I'm too wrapped around the axle on this. Mac

I’m a regular Accubond user. So far every animal I’ve shot with my 264 Win Mag using the 140 Accubond dropped dead in their tracks. I would like to try the LR after the season is over. I like working up new loads.

I load the Nosler 142 ABLR for my buddy's 6.5 Creed with 41.0 H4350 in a Hornady case. A week ago that load was used to dispatch a nice 8 pt buck at 150 yds. The impact was at the front of the throat and left a very small entry hole. The bullet exited the side of the neck with a massive hole that was about the size of a soft ball. The buck was DRT.

A mature doe was also shot with that load (aprox 2,700 ft/sec). The impact was broadside in the chest. I didn't see that deer but my buddy said the exit wound was very similar to the exit wound on the buck. Doe ran about 35 yds.

If you can get the ABLRs to shoot accurately, and you don't mind the potential for dramatic exit wounds on close/moderate range shots, they are very effective at killing whitetails.

Same experience with 6.5x55 with the 129 ABLR over 51.5 gr. R26 at 2950 fps. On three deer worked fine but I have avoided a shoulder shot so far. In and out the slats they work well but I am going to switch to either the 142s or the regular Accubond once I run out of these to avoid a possible mess if I have to shoot through any bone bigger than a rib at shorter ranges.

Picture of the exit on the coyote.

I’ve had much better accuracy with regular Accubonds. And weighing the billets, the regular Accubonds are more consistent than the lr.

We shot a couple does recently on our place with the 129gr/2,900fps load. One was hit at the very back of lungs and looked to almost be a gut shot (deer was walking at 190yds). She folded up at the shot. Second deer was also hit far back, but caught a bit more lung on the impact side (gut exit). She was shot at 80yds and made it across 25yds of open ground before piling up. No big bones hit on either deer, exits on both. I'd have expected both to run a good bit further, but interior damage was pretty extensive. Load continues to be a good killer.

The 129 ABLR worked well for me on a smaller whitetail buck this year, fired from a SBR 6.5 Grendel. Impact velocity was probably around 2,100-2,150 fps, and it caused extensive damage in the chest cavity and a sizeable exit. It was more than enough gun for that whitetail, even though the Grendel is a smaller/slower cartridge. It's a good match for that bullet.

I’ve had really good luck with the 168 ABLR in several 7 mags with Retumbo.

Report on another 129 ABLR victim. Fairly large, big bodied, older buck. First shot was ~70 yards, angled through left front shoulder exited mid-rib cage on opposite side. 3-legged run for ~ 40 yards, stopped and I quickly put another through the heart (it exited) while it was broadside. This is only at 6.5 CM speeds and all have been at 125 or less yards but this bullet has been perfect in performance so far (in what I value about performance). Everything has exited, even after hitting shoulders at short range. All exit wounds have been much larger than caliber with great blood trails. I haven't noticed much lead/jacket left behind.

Really liking this bullet at the speed I'm pushing it, on the game I'm using it on, and I gotta say thanks again to JPro.

I'm using the 142 6.5 ABLR in two rifles - 6.5x55 SE and a 264 WM. Accuracy has been very good in both of those rifles. Closest shot with either of them has been around 100 yards though. Exit wounds are large enough to give a blood trail, but everything I've shot with them has been DRT. They do prefer some jump. The 6.5x55 is .1 off the lands, the 264 is .05 off.

I use the regular AB's in three rifles as well - 2 - 25-06's and a 243. Accuracy is great. They too leave nice exits, with no blow-ups on shoulder shots. Don't be scared to run the further out. Try them out to .12 or so and see how they work in your rifles.

No game taken with the LRAB yet but have worked up a150g LRAB load for Daughter #1's 1975 Rem M700 in .270 Win.

52.0g H100v gives 2910fps at the chrono (22" barrel) and when MPBR zeroed for a 6" target and 7000' altitude it retains 2234fps and 1662fpe at 600 yards with drop/drift at 52.6" and 15.5". Daughter #1 passed on her first elk opportunity ever last October because she wasn't comfortable with her .308/130g TTSX load at 476 yards, even though she shoots well at longer ranges. But hitting and killing are not the same and, in terms of energy, the 150g LRAB does at 600 yards what her .308/130g TTSX load does at 330 yards. I often use 1500fpe as a rule of thumb minimum for elk when comparing cartridge capability. Doing that, the .308/130g TTSX runs out of gas at 395 yards while the 150g LRAB is good to 710 yards. Calculated recoil in her rifles is 15.9 ft-lbs for the .308/130g load and under 17.7 for the 150g LRAB.

Accuracy with the 150g LRAB was outstanding during development with both IMR7977 and H100V. COL used was 3.467", 0.127" longer than SAAMI, but the cartridge fit the mag easily and the bullets were well of the lands. COL was determined by seating the bottom of the full diameter a caliber depth into the neck.a full diameter.