Title says it all. Anyone have any super strong opinions on either? Ive had bad experiences with ballistic/polymer tipped rounds in the past so Im leaning toward partitions.
I know the BC is higher in the accubonds. It also seems like accubonds are a bit more readily available.
For reference these will be used in a 338RUM for hunting medium/large game, whitetail and moose, most likely under 400 yards. Im looking at either 225 or 250gr and plan to have muzzle velocity north of 3000fps.
I like both Partitions and the Accubonds but I’ll opt for the Accubonds everyday of the week if I can over a similar Partition. They expand wider, penetrate nearly as far, I don’t have banged up tips from magazines and I gain a touch of BC.
Both have done real well for me and my group but I’ll take Accubonds if I have a choice myself.
Big fan of accubonds. Partitions haven’t shown me much.
What were you expecting? Accuracy, penetration, dead animals, or something else? Where have they failed? The Partition seems pretty fail safe at reasonable ranges.
I"ve probably killed/culled over 150 big game animals with accubonds and partitions. I haven't noticed a nickle's worth of difference in killing prowess between them. They have worked very reliably for me.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
I"ve probably killed/culled over 150 big game animals with accubonds and partitions. I haven't noticed a nickle's worth of difference in killing prowess between them. They have worked very reliably for me.
Really we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to today’s bullets. They do about everything except pack out the meat. The bigger issue seems to be laying hands on them. Even that seems to be improving.
Accubonds IME have been very Partition like. Wound channels, weight retention, entrance and exit hole. But there is not a bullet on the market day in and day out as reliable as a Nosler Partition. Greatest hunting bullet ever produced.
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Warm or cold weather? Love accubonds and they are the most accurate bullet in my favorite 270wsm rifle, but in below zero degrees temps I’ve had the plastic tips of the accubonds all snap off the rounds in the magazine with the recoil of a shot. Since my personal experience I’ve witnessed it happen twice to other people. Accubonds without tips do not hit the same poi as those with tips I’ve tested it. Still use them but not up north. I don’t have a 338RUM but I hunt a lot with a 340 Weatherby and 250gr partitions a little south of 3000fps. Was about perfect for elk and big black bears. Probably a bit more than was needed for the Alaskan sitka deer I took with it but it dropped them where they stood same for two big bodied Alberta mule deer. Never hunted moose with it but I shot a half dozen different big African antelope, cape eland are probably a little bigger than a moose, with it and they all but one were shoulder shot and dropped accordingly. Only have had to shoot two animals, a blue wildebeest and an elk, more than once with it and they were both were first shots through the high rear lungs bullet didn’t touch ribs or shoulders. Second shot ended it thought, hit shoulders on wildebeest and neck/shoulder on the elk. That combo has worked well enough and I didn’t need to try anything different in that rifle until California forced lead free bullets on us.
My personal experience is with Partitions and Hornady Interlocks except for my .375 where I use Accubonds/Interlocks (due to the Partitions abyssmal BC). I started using Partitions in the late 70's so I have used them enough to be confident in them.
However, two of my hunting buddies use Accubonds and have for over ten years. They work well for them.
It"s already been said, I have killed slightly less than a 100 deer and elk with the PT, but now I use the AB for a little better BC, and the results seem the same.
Warm or cold weather? Love accubonds and they are the most accurate bullet in my favorite 270wsm rifle, but in below zero degrees temps I’ve had the plastic tips of the accubonds all snap off the rounds in the magazine with the recoil of a shot. Since my personal experience I’ve witnessed it happen twice to other people. Accubonds without tips do not hit the same poi as those with tips I’ve tested it. Still use them but not up north. I don’t have a 338RUM but I hunt a lot with a 340 Weatherby and 250gr partitions a little south of 3000fps. Was about perfect for elk and big black bears. Probably a bit more than was needed for the Alaskan sitka deer I took with it but it dropped them where they stood same for two big bodied Alberta mule deer. Never hunted moose with it but I shot a half dozen different big African antelope, cape eland are probably a little bigger than a moose, with it and they all but one were shoulder shot and dropped accordingly. Only have had to shoot two animals, a blue wildebeest and an elk, more than once with it and they were both were first shots through the high rear lungs bullet didn’t touch ribs or shoulders. Second shot ended it thought, hit shoulders on wildebeest and neck/shoulder on the elk. That combo has worked well enough and I didn’t need to try anything different in that rifle until California forced lead free bullets on us.
I had the tips break off on a batch of .35 Whelen ammo a few years ago. It was cold for the midsouth, maybe around 0*F, but nothing like you may get up north. It was frustrating. It didn't cost me any game, but something so expensive should be more resilient. I recovered a few of the tips and they were really chalky and had changed from a bright white to a gray. I had 8 rounds on the stock pack, and a magazine full. Probably happened to half of the rounds over a week of hunting.
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I’ve used both, primarily for whitetail, and haven’t had any complaints. In general, the Accubonds tend to group a bit better but not enough to matter for hunting. I’d say that the OP, should use whichever he’s most comfortable with as the animals are unlikely to care.
Accubonds IME have been very Partition like. Wound channels, weight retention, entrance and exit hole. But there is not a bullet on the market day in and day out as reliable as a Nosler Partition. Greatest hunting bullet ever produced.
Amen brother, which is why every bullet manufacturer since 1965 was playing catch up, trying to invent bullets that mimic the partition's performance on game. Most of them haven't figured it out yet.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
I’ve used both and in a .308 or 7mm on deer, the Accubond deer left bigger easier to follow blood trails. No small thing at last light in dense brush country.
My other auto is a .45
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Accubonds IME have been very Partition like. Wound channels, weight retention, entrance and exit hole. But there is not a bullet on the market day in and day out as reliable as a Nosler Partition. Greatest hunting bullet ever produced.
Amen brother, which is why every bullet manufacturer since 1965 was playing catch up, trying to invent bullets that mimic the partition's performance on game. Most of them haven't figured it out yet.
You mean like Barnes?
Laughing!
I have shot a lot of different critters with NPT. I have a collection of recovered bullets suggesting they do not leave the scene nearly as reliably for me as others claim.
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I'll always be the guy in the background saying shoot an interlock. Lost count of the animals I've killed with that bullet. 6mm through 30 cal. That bullet flat ass eats.
Accubonds IME have been very Partition like. Wound channels, weight retention, entrance and exit hole. But there is not a bullet on the market day in and day out as reliable as a Nosler Partition. Greatest hunting bullet ever produced.
Amen brother, which is why every bullet manufacturer since 1965 was playing catch up, trying to invent bullets that mimic the partition's performance on game. Most of them haven't figured it out yet.
You mean like Barnes?
Laughing!
I have shot a lot of different critters with NPT. I have a collection of recovered bullets suggesting they do not leave the scene nearly as reliably for me as others claim.
Definitely take a back seat to monos such as TSX/TTSX in leaving the scene
I got banned on another web site for a debate that happened on this site. That's a first
In my experience with AccuBonds from 130-grain 6.5s to 260-grain .375s, they penetrate as well as Partitions of the same weight and diameter, but end up under the hide on the far side somewhat more often. This is because the mushroom of the AccuBond is wider and rounder than the flatter, smaller mushroom typical of Partitions. In fact I've found this is typical of many other bonded bullets, because they tend to expand in the same general way.
Am also convinced that a higher percentage of monolithic bullets exit not just because so many retain a higher percentage of weight, but because the typical "petal" expansion tends to cut through hide, not just punch through. Have even found a few hanging in the "cut" they made in the hide--and quite a few recovered monolithics also lost all their petals.
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Neither if the availability does not come back....
Anyhow, I have used both, started finding more bullets in game when the accubonds were employed. Mostly the 7mm 160 gr. Bullet. Accubond most definitely expanded wider but always held together no matter what was in the way. There seemed to be little less lead shrapnel in the receiving host accubonds were found in. I have by far fired more partitions than accubonds, cause' it just flat worked good and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.....
Really cannot go wrong with both. I do like how the ab tips hold there shape after a ride or two in a rifle, but that's cosmetic... I rarely take long range shots, 300 and under purdy much covers it, so I am good with either bullet.
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My first hunting rifle was a .30-06. Back then we didn't have the huge variety of bullets that we have now. I loaded it with 150 gr Hornady bullets for deer and 180 gr Sierras for elk. Also back then Colorado's deer and elk seasons were concurrent and most tags OTC. The area that I hunted had both deer and elk, so a few of my deer were killed with my 180 gr elk loads, and a few of my elk were killed with my 150 gr deer loads. They all were just as dead.
In 1977 I had my .30-06 re-chambered to .30 Gibbs shooting 180 gr Partitions for my elk rifle, and I built a .257 Ackley shooting 117 gr Sierra GameKing bullets for deer and antelope. Those 180 gr Partitions put 2 Shiras moose and 20 some elk in my freezer. Then one year in one of Montana's Unlimited tag bighorn sheep units, I hadn't seen any rams and when an ivory tipped, dark antlered 6x6 bull elk stood broadside about 75 yards in front of me, I couldn't resist and one of those little 117 gr Sierras dropped him where he stood.
My go to hunting bullet for my 7mm Rem mag is the 160 gr Accubond. I have used it on deer, antelope, and elk here in Montana, Caribou and Musk ox in Canada, and a variety of Plains game animals in Africa.
My favorite rifle now is my .300 Weatherby. The first hunting bullets that I loaded for it were the 168 gr Barnes TSX. Those bullets worked equally as well on a 20 pound Klipspringer as one did on a 500 lb Sable antelope, and on bull elk here at home.
My point is, the OP is shooting a .338 RUM. Either Accubond or Partition bullets out of that rifle will easily kill any game animal in North America. Shoot both and use the one that is most accurate in your rifle. Bullet placement with either of those bullets is way more important than any differences in the construction of those bullets.
Accubonds IME have been very Partition like. Wound channels, weight retention, entrance and exit hole. But there is not a bullet on the market day in and day out as reliable as a Nosler Partition. Greatest hunting bullet ever produced.
Amen brother, which is why every bullet manufacturer since 1965 was playing catch up, trying to invent bullets that mimic the partition's performance on game. Most of them haven't figured it out yet.
You mean like Barnes?
Laughing!
I have shot a lot of different critters with NPT. I have a collection of recovered bullets suggesting they do not leave the scene nearly as reliably for me as others claim.
Yet you're the same mullet who proclaimed to the 24HCF how much accubond's sucked. Stick to something you actually know, like stealing riflestocks from customers.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
Warm or cold weather? Love accubonds and they are the most accurate bullet in my favorite 270wsm rifle, but in below zero degrees temps I’ve had the plastic tips of the accubonds all snap off the rounds in the magazine with the recoil of a shot. Since my personal experience I’ve witnessed it happen twice to other people. Accubonds without tips do not hit the same poi as those with tips I’ve tested it. Still use them but not up north.
That is wisdom that only comes from experience. I live ~30 minutes shy of the Canadian boarder so Im north enough to consider that a concern. I was bit once by tipped bullets, Hornady Leverevolutions out of a 45-70. Could barely keep them on the same piece of paper at 50, went back to a JFN and now im shooting 2" groups standing at 100. Wonder if that tip deformation/breakage could have been the problem.
Lot of great feedback here guys, I agree we are a bit oversaturated with good bullets in this modern era, but the concept of a great bullet is what excites me. Also considering the 'moderate' ranges I'm interested in (though 400 still seems insane to a lever guy), I think I may be opting to go the more traditional route with the partitions.
I have 4 boxes of 200 grain Accubonds that have most of the tips missing. Been waiting 11 months for Nosler to replace them. They haven't made any in a long time. Told me it would be this summer before they did. I have a 250 Savage that i built for my kids to start big game hunting with. With few exceptions the dozen or so elk and twice that many deer have all been killed with 100 grain Partitions. Never had a single bullet stay in the animal, not one. I used Partitions in Africa and the skinners recovered one from a wildebeest, the rest made it into the Namibian countryside. Our group of 4 all used 300 H&Hs. There were a pile of recovered bullets on the window sill, many of them were 168 grain Barnes LRX. These were all plains game. Nothing i shot with my 458 resulted in a bullet recovery. I don't trust any tipped Nosler bullets but to have issues with the plastic tips. Just heard and experienced too many cases.
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Title says it all. Anyone have any super strong opinions on either? Ive had bad experiences with ballistic/polymer tipped rounds in the past so Im leaning toward partitions.
I know the BC is higher in the accubonds. It also seems like accubonds are a bit more readily available.
For reference these will be used in a 338RUM for hunting medium/large game, whitetail and moose, most likely under 400 yards. Im looking at either 225 or 250gr and plan to have muzzle velocity north of 3000fps.
Thanks!
For the distance you say you will be shooting ("under 400 yards"), my preference is the partition. The guys that say the partition has "not shown them much". What that shows me is they don't know wth they are doing. The partition has been the gold standard for many years. The bullet in which all others have been compared. They have always worked extremely well and have always shot equally as well. When the accubonds came out, they were very finicky and had a bad reputation for losing their tips. The partition on the other hand, always seemed to produce very good accuracy, and reliability. I know which one I'd choose if I were the op.
Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.
I have a lot of experience with both, and like both. My scheme is letting the individual rifle tell me what it likes. In performance terms, I’ve had great luck with both, have found the Accubond holds together very well and reliably expands. I’ve killed game from antelope to elk with both.
I also throw the TTSX into the mix, and if it is more accurate than the Noslers I use it. I’ve been very impressed with it on game.
I use and am a fan of both the NP and Accubond. I let the rifle tell me which it prefers. Then I stick with it. I’ve been using both for about the last 15 years and performance on game seems very similar to me.
I handloaded 160 gr Partitions for a long time in my 7mm Mag. Now I load 160 gr Accubonds. I find I get a little better accuracy from the Accubonds. They don't kill anything any deader than the Partitions did but they shoot a little better. But in all honesty I'd willingly hunt with either.
You get out of life what you are willing to accept. If you ain't happy, do something about it!
But between the NAB and NPt, whichever one shoots the best in your rifle.
Have used both out of 338-06's. 180, 200gr NAB and 210gr NPt. They kill stuff. Do not remember any critter where I wished I had used one over the other.
Big fan of accubonds. Partitions haven’t shown me much.
Huh. Partitions have given me quite good results on lots of animals up to Alaska Brown Bear. One of my very favorite bullets, even though we have more great bullets today than ever before. One of the very best elk bullets ever made.
Warm or cold weather? Love accubonds and they are the most accurate bullet in my favorite 270wsm rifle, but in below zero degrees temps I’ve had the plastic tips of the accubonds all snap off the rounds in the magazine with the recoil of a shot. Since my personal experience I’ve witnessed it happen twice to other people. Accubonds without tips do not hit the same poi as those with tips I’ve tested it. Still use them but not up north. I don’t have a 338RUM but I hunt a lot with a 340 Weatherby and 250gr partitions a little south of 3000fps. Was about perfect for elk and big black bears. Probably a bit more than was needed for the Alaskan sitka deer I took with it but it dropped them where they stood same for two big bodied Alberta mule deer. Never hunted moose with it but I shot a half dozen different big African antelope, cape eland are probably a little bigger than a moose, with it and they all but one were shoulder shot and dropped accordingly. Only have had to shoot two animals, a blue wildebeest and an elk, more than once with it and they were both were first shots through the high rear lungs bullet didn’t touch ribs or shoulders. Second shot ended it thought, hit shoulders on wildebeest and neck/shoulder on the elk. That combo has worked well enough and I didn’t need to try anything different in that rifle until California forced lead free bullets on us.
I had the tips break off on a batch of .35 Whelen ammo a few years ago. It was cold for the midsouth, maybe around 0*F, but nothing like you may get up north. It was frustrating. It didn't cost me any game, but something so expensive should be more resilient. I recovered a few of the tips and they were really chalky and had changed from a bright white to a gray. I had 8 rounds on the stock pack, and a magazine full. Probably happened to half of the rounds over a week of hunting.
Nosler had a little trouble with tips coming off years ago when it was found someone took a shortcut in the mfg process. I believe it was Mule Deer that clued me in on this a couple of years ago, but could be wrong. If you call Nosler, they will be glad to replace them. It happened to me on two different bullets.
You only live once, but...if you do it right, once is enough.
I have found another Mono metal bullet that works great. The new Lehigh Defense Company has started making several new redesigned bullets that give great accuracy and KILL like lightning. I have not had a chance to try the larger bullet but the 308 size works wonders IMO.
Seems like lately any .35 cal bullets are hard to find. I usually shoot 225 gr Partitions in my .35 Whelen but a have some .225 Accubonds that I haven’t tried. From what I read, expansion and weight retention should be similar at .35 Whelen velocities. BC of .421 and .430 should not make much difference at ranges under 300 yards?
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Been shooting Partitions for 30 years or more. It's been my go to bullet in 7mm. Finding them right now, is like looking for hens teeth. In my area Nosler bullets in most calibers are rare.
Partitions are arguably still the "standard" when it comes to a great hunting bullet. Nowadays I prefer Accubonds over them because in my experience, they've been the most constantly inaccurate bullet I've used.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
Been shooting Partitions for 30 years or more. It's been my go to bullet in 7mm. Finding them right now, is like looking for hens teeth. In my area Nosler bullets in most calibers are rare.
I started using partitions when I could afford them and they always performed excellently. I felt that they were necessary in my early 264 because there were few decent bullets for that cartridge back then. I never have had luck with Accubonds for accuracy.
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
I’ve killed about 20 whitetails with 180 grain Accubonds out of a 300 WSM. Ranges have been from a handful of steps to a couple of hundred yards. Double lung broadside, both shoulders broadside, quartering to, and quartering away shots have always resulted in good expansion with complete penetration.
NP for anything 350yards and in, NAB for anything 600yards. What I'm trying to say is as long as the impact velocity is over that 1900 fps you will have great results with either.
On my way back from Africa where I killed 4 animals with a 200gr Accubond from my 300wsm. I used the Accubonds because I couldn’t get Terminal Ascents. While 4 animals died with 4 shots, only two were pass through, and this one recovered from my kudu. I’m not really sure what to make of it, and I’m not home yet to weight it. Sure didn’t mushroom like I thought it would.
At the distances and velocities you describe I would go with accubond. At more sedate 2700 fps and 30-200 yards I would go with partitions. Just one old hunters opinion. I use and like them both.
I run the 250 gr AB at 3100 fps from my custom 338 RUM. It's my go to bullet for crop damage deer hunting, which is north of 100 deer and shooting steel gongs. Accuracy is excellent, shooting 2" groups at 800 yards. I have also used the 250 gr PT on deer and a big bull moose, knocked him right off his feet. At your max range of 400 yards, pick the bullet that shoots best in your rifle. The AB and PT are both proven bullets. The 338 RUM is an awesome round!
Killed moose and black bear with Perdition bullets in '06 & 300 Wind Bag back in da day, worked very well from what I remember, one shot pop n drop kills, killed a couple more of each with the Perdition Gold, worked same (same bullet but with mascara) , then they were gone off the shelves, I still have some
The 180 gr & 200 gr 30 cal Accubombs were simply awesome in the 30-378 Wby, 7.82 Warbird & 300 RUM... still are
Here's the first Alaskan moose ever taken with the then new 300 gr 338 cal Accubombs, with my 338 Edge ... Guillotine execution ......
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Big fan of accubonds. Partitions haven’t shown me much.
What were you expecting? Accuracy, penetration, dead animals, or something else? Where have they failed? The Partition seems pretty fail safe at reasonable ranges.
Poor bc and similar performance to a cheaper interlock in my experience. 225 accubond out of a 338 rum killed great for me with a decent bc.
Partitions have been around for many decades and have taken a lot of game very consistently, at my age I don't follow new trends just stick to experience.
I’ve killed 30+ elk and mule deer with Partitions in 300 Weatherby and 7mm RM, never caught a bullet and most dropped on the spot except a guy shot mule deer that was my fault. Last year I shot a Woodland Caribou and moose with 200 grain Accubonds out of a 300 Weatherby, never found a bullet!
The only advantage I see is the higher BC in the Accubonds!
Accubonds have worked very well for me on deer, elk, black bear, hogs and antelope. I haven't used partitions as much, but they have worked very well every time I've used them. I do think partitions penetrate a bit more.
For a little more penetration I would choose partitions. For open country hunting where BC is more important I would choose Accubonds. They both perform very well on game.
For a little more penetration I would choose partitions. For open country hunting where BC is more important I would choose Accubonds. They both perform very well on game.
In my experience Partitions exit a little more often, which I would guess is due to their "mushroom" being smaller in diameter than the same weight/caliber of AccuBond. But both have penetrated plenty on a variety of big game up to 800+ pounds.
It also depends on the specific AccuBond. Have killed a bunch of big game in North America and Africa with the 250-grain 9.3mm AccuBond--and only recovered one--which hit a 7-1/2" Alaskan grizzly in the right ribs as it anged away at around 50 yards. It was found under the hide of the left side of the neck, maybe three inches behind the ear--retaining 81% of it weight.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I never tried accubonds and have always been a big fan of partitions. No particular reason other than they worked so well I just never changed. However, they have become harder to get and more expensive. I ended up getting some 200 grain terminal ascent for my 300 WM and I’m pretty happy with those. 2978 fps over the chrony, .608/.304 G1/G7 BC great accuracy and I was able to get a bunch of them reasonably priced. I ran one through the jugs and it punched through seven one gallon jugs and ended up in the eighth at about fifty yards. Perfect mushroom and retained 175 grains. I think I’m set for a while. Now to run some through some critters.
I have used both successfully and do not have strong opinions either way. With that being said, have used AB's more than Partitions. Simply because I have found it easier to work up a load with the AB's.
If I needed to choose one bullet style out of C&C, bonded, partition, or mono. I would hands down pick mono construction.
I never tried accubonds and have always been a big fan of partitions. No particular reason other than they worked so well I just never changed. However, they have become harder to get and more expensive. I ended up getting some 200 grain terminal ascent for my 300 WM and I’m pretty happy with those. 2978 fps over the chrony, .608/.304 G1/G7 BC great accuracy and I was able to get a bunch of them reasonably priced. I ran one through the jugs and it punched through seven one gallon jugs and ended up in the eighth at about fifty yards. Perfect mushroom and retained 175 grains. I think I’m set for a while. Now to run some through some critters.
I agree. 2.00 $ a bullet in my parts of the woods. Glad i stocked up before covid. I have supply for years to come but after i run out i don't think ill buy at current-future prices.
I have 4 boxes of 200 grain Accubonds that have most of the tips missing. Been waiting 11 months for Nosler to replace them. They haven't made any in a long time. Told me it would be this summer before they did. I have a 250 Savage that i built for my kids to start big game hunting with. With few exceptions the dozen or so elk and twice that many deer have all been killed with 100 grain Partitions. Never had a single bullet stay in the animal, not one. I used Partitions in Africa and the skinners recovered one from a wildebeest, the rest made it into the Namibian countryside. Our group of 4 all used 300 H&Hs. There were a pile of recovered bullets on the window sill, many of them were 168 grain Barnes LRX. These were all plains game. Nothing i shot with my 458 resulted in a bullet recovery. I don't trust any tipped Nosler bullets but to have issues with the plastic tips. Just heard and experienced too many cases.
15 months and still waiting...
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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
I never tried accubonds and have always been a big fan of partitions. No particular reason other than they worked so well I just never changed. However, they have become harder to get and more expensive. I ended up getting some 200 grain terminal ascent for my 300 WM and I’m pretty happy with those. 2978 fps over the chrony, .608/.304 G1/G7 BC great accuracy and I was able to get a bunch of them reasonably priced. I ran one through the jugs and it punched through seven one gallon jugs and ended up in the eighth at about fifty yards. Perfect mushroom and retained 175 grains. I think I’m set for a while. Now to run some through some critters.
I never tried accubonds and have always been a big fan of partitions. No particular reason other than they worked so well I just never changed. However, they have become harder to get and more expensive. I ended up getting some 200 grain terminal ascent for my 300 WM and I’m pretty happy with those. 2978 fps over the chrony, .608/.304 G1/G7 BC great accuracy and I was able to get a bunch of them reasonably priced. I ran one through the jugs and it punched through seven one gallon jugs and ended up in the eighth at about fifty yards. Perfect mushroom and retained 175 grains. I think I’m set for a while. Now to run some through some critters.
I wished I could snag more of the TA's!
I got them off gunbroker. Somebody had them as pulled bullets on there and my buddy snagged them up fairly cheap. We split them and thankfully I got lucky and hit the accuracy node almost instantly with RL26. Seems to be a theme with that rifle though
When the prices were reasonable for the AB's years ago.....when the black man was in the White House.......I bought $350 worth of 7mm & 308 every payday. Now, I don't have to try to find any ever again. Sure glad I did that. Learned that from BoBinNH.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day that a U.S. president would raise an army to invade his own country." Robert E. Lee
Never tried Accubonds but have had great success with Partitions and BT's. I haven't seen any Accubonds for sale around my neck of the woods in years - Sure glad I stocked up on Partitions & BT's.
Right now Shooters Pro Shop has AB blems, 30 cal., 180 Gr for $30 per 50. I've been using their blems for years and never had a problem. I very seldom see PT's on there but right now they have them in 30 cal, 180 gr for $30 per 50.
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It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
Only game animal I ever took with a .338 250 partition was a very large cow elk at probably 150 yards or so up a steep hill quartering to me trying to figure out what I was. Hit her in the low brisket. The bullet put a hole through her heart a beer can would fit through, destroyed one lung and blew her liver to pieces. It eventually exited the top of her off side ham. I would gladly hunt anything short of elephant or rhinos with that bullet. It’s been a while but if I recall muzzle velocity was around 2700fps. I’ve never had any problems with partitions shooting more than accurately enough to hunt with in 243, 277,284, 308, 338 or 375”. Accubonds have also shot very well but if push came to shove…. I’ll take a partition.
I’ve shot around 20 elk and mule deer with Partitions out of a 300 Weatherby (180) and 7mm Remington Magnum (160), all the animals died quickly and I never caught a bullet.
Last year in New Foundland I shot a moose and Woodland caribou with a 300 Weatherby shooting 200 grain Accubonds @ 3090 fps and both animals were DRT and complete pass throughs!
i shoot a 257 Weatherby mag. with a 100 gr. Partition at a speed of 3800 FPS. Partitions group fine for me the caribou ,elk ,deer and antelope all died quickly , very few bullets were ever recovered and there was not much of a mess either from the wounds with this bullet the partition. but i have used some other brand bullets and those bullets did make a mess ,the other 2 brands that worked well out of this rifle were Swift and new to me Hammer bullets. it is really tuff for me to say anything bad about a great bullet the Nosler Partitions , you can never go wrong with a Partition. Pete53
I just took a 46” Buffalo in Zambia a week ago. A huge bull.
I took my 404 Jeffery with 430 gr. NF, and my 9.3x66 (370 Sako Mag.) with 286 gr. NP.
Crawling on hands & knees as close as we could before cover ran out, we got to 130-140 yds. away.
I used the 9.3 with a Leupold 2.5-8X scope, and made a heart shot. He ran about 100 yds. and gave the death bellow, followed by a few more.
One shot, 286 gr. Nosler Partition. It was the first DG animal I have ever taken with a NP in (12) safaris. In the past, I have only used SAF or TBBC on DG. I always use NP on PG.
To be honest, I was surprised how effective that NP was on a huge Cape Buffalo. Much more respect for this bullet now.
I have never used Accubonds, so I cannot comment on the comparison of the two.
Going back to the late 1980's, as a handloader I'd only used Hornady Interlocs, Sierra GKs and Nosler SBTs... Partitions were either considered unnecessary or too expensive - or both. But when a 165gr Nosler SBT blew up on the shoulder of a 400 lb whitetail buck (at 150 yds from my .30-06 at ~2800 fps), I decided a change was called for and I started to load some Partitions. From that point on, Partitions became my premium bullet for anything big and tough, except for my .45-70s.
Since the purchase of a Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62, I've killed three bears with it. The first was loaded with the Hornady 286 SP RP at ~2400 fps MV. It was a young bear wounded by a young friend. I caught up with it and with a shot to the short ribs going away the game was over. The 286 Hornady gave complete penetration from just in front of the right hip to take out 8 inches of spine before going off into the unknown. No fragements left behind. For my own hunt using the same rifle, I chose the 286 Partition at 200 fps more MV. From my tree stand to bait was 68 yds. The bear appeared off to the side of the bait barrel looking in my direction in tall grass that allowed me to see his head and neck. I aimed under his chin and fired... he disappeared in the tall grass. I expected to find him where he was when shot. No bear there. In looking around for blood, there was none. A little wider search and he was at the bottom of an escarpment 20 yds from the bait barrel. The 286 Part. was found in skinning the next day - in the right side flank just poking through the hide. It had "wings" pointing in the wrong direction and the shank was slightly bent. It hit bone somewhere and tumbled but retained 73% of unfired weight. It was a 6' bear.
Two years later, on the same private property (an old farm no longer in use as such), I shot another bear about 150 yds away from the one just described. For that hunt I chose the 250 AccuBond at 2700 fps. That bear played games with me until I left my stand (83 yds away) and came back 1/2 hr later and caught him up on the bait barrel and shot him in the mid-high ribs going away. The 250 AB made exit in the bottom of the left front chest opposite the left front leg - that bear too went 20 yds and died in stride without bawling. The trail of blood was massive from barrel to where he was found. He too was a 6' bear from tail to nose. Just from those examples under identical conditions, but using those two Noslers from the same rifle -2600 fps from the 286 NP and 2700 fps from the 250 AB, I don't think the Partition has any advantage over the AB. But the AB has a slight advantage in BC and MV. Just my view from those near identical experiences.
