Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Have Your Tried the Nosler AccuBond?

I love Nosler's AccuBond, which I believe is a one of the best all-around bullets there are to choose from.



For starters, the AccuBond is a Ballistic Efficient round with an aerodynamic BC of .509 - enabling more downrange energy on target.



Example:

When comparing a bullet's energy in a 30-06 versus a 300 Win Mag, if you put a premium 180-gr. Nosler AccuBond bullet in a 30-06 at 2,750 fps MV and compare it to a plain jane Winchester 180-gr. Power Point in a 300 Win Mag at 2,960 fps MV, the 30-06 AccuBond will have an amazing 104 ft. lbs more energy at 300 yards: that's right - 2,005 versus 2,001 (Source: Winchester's 2005 Ammo Catalog, p. 10 - 13).

So you see the 180-gr. AccuBond with a BC of .509 easily makes up for and passes the 210 fps velocity advantage the 180-gr. Power Point had because of its much lower BC of only .349.

In this case, the 30-06 180-gr. AccuBond outperforms a 300 Win Mag 180-gr. Power Point at 300 yards.

Moreover, a Nosler Technician recently reported that in comparison to the Hornady InterBond, the AccuBond not only expands more than the InterBond (providing more shock), it also penetrates more by shedding shrapnel along the way to the point where the slightly smaller bullet actually penetrates more than the larger mushroom on the InterBond.

The AccuBond's design took 4 1/2 years in the making.

I like this bullet because it provides excellent expansion and its unique ability to slowly shed weight enables it to penetrate more than the competition, so you get the best of both worlds.

I used them in my 7mm last year on Antelope. These replaced the Nosler/CT ballistic tip. Last year I shot two Antelope with them and they worked great, much much better than the BT. I was a little surprised that they did not penetrate better than they did, reguardless they sure put the Goats on the ground in a hurry. Shot one at 380 yds and one at 298 yds both hit the ground on the spot.

I've been shooting the accubonds in a couple of rifles, thier as accurate as th balistic tips but seem to hold up alittle better at 3000+ fps. So far I've only shot one black bear, one bull elk, and two deer with accubond, 200gr. 30cal. out of a 300RUM. All the bullets exited and killed the critters just fine so I guess they work.


Frome left to right 300RUM/200gr.accubond, 7mm Rem. Mag/160gr. accubond, and 270wsm/140gr. accubond. I think this is going to be this years deer, bear, and elk line up.

Jamie

I shot a deer at 25 yds with a 180 gr, -06. Shattered the spine. Bang flop. Pin hole in pin hole out. Shot a bear at 200 yds with same bullet. In the ear out the farside eye. Instantly dead. That Accubond completly destroyed the skull. There isn't a one inch peice of the skull that's remains. I figured that there would be a completely blown up bullet in the mush. Could not find any of the Accubond anywhere. Still can't figure out how it caused so much damage without leaving a trace of that bullet behind. The accubonds shoot 3/4 inch groups out of both my #1 and my SUCK'S. Like em' so far!! CD

Enough with the commercials already!

Nope. Trophy Bonded Bear Claws are what my old Sako prefers when pointed at something big and tough. Shoot nicely under an inch with a full poop charge of H4350.

For Deer the 165 gr. Nosler Partitions are sub moa (as are Hornady Interlocks).

I'm going to try the 168 TSX and 165 Interbonds just for fun. Can't see the need to try every bullet out there when I have 3 proven winners shooting so well.

No. Woodleigh Weldcores are the premium projectile I favour. Tried Partitions, Grand Slams and Barnes-X.

Woodleigh bonded core (Weldcore) technology was established in 1988. The original bonded core bullet.

I am very impressed with the accuracy, penetration, expansion and weight retention (90%) of the Woodleigh Weldcore Protected Point bullet on game from wild goats and pigs up to sambar stags. I�ve used 165gn, 180gn and 200gn weight projectiles in my 30-06. The 200gn WCPP are excellent big game stoppers.

Woodleigh 165gn WCPP (.308")
1.0MOA, wt=150.2gns (91.0%), expand=0.74"


Woodleigh 180gn WCPP (.308")
0.6MOA, wt=175.0gns (97.2%), expand=0.75"


Woodleigh 200gn WCPP (.308")
1.0MOA, wt=182.7gns (91.4%), expand=0.76"




Woodleigh projectiles are available in the United States at the following distributors;

Huntington Die Specialties
601 Oro Dam Boulevard,
OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA, USA, 95965
Ph. 530 534 1210
Fax. 530 534 1212
huntington@syix.com
www.huntingtons.com

MidwayUSA
5875 W Van Horn Tavern Road,
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, USA, 65203
Ph. 573 445 6363
Fax. 573 445 0863
customerservice@midwayusa.com
www.midwayusa.com

two deer with the 140gr in the 7mm rem mag, excellent performance

I tried them in my .300WSM and was quite dissapointed. I don't think I shot a group less than about 4". Since I don't handload they're out as far as my .300WSM goes.

Since my last post on this thread, I have tested both the 150gn and 180gn AccuBond in the 30-06. I'm astonished at the accuracy and supreme penetration with these projectiles. I do like the 180gn AccuBond. The 180gn AccuBond penetrated to the same depth as the 180gn Partition in wet newsprint. I'll load this projectile in the 30-06 to take on my Sambar hunt in the Victorian Alps at the end of the month. That is where I will be able to compare the killing power of the 180gn AccuBond to the 200gn Woodleigh.

My stainless steel Ruger M77 (laminated stock) shot this 0.39" group at 100m;

Nosler 180gn AccuBonds
55gns AR2209 (H4350) => 2670ft/s



Penetration in wet newsprint = 23"
Expanded diameter = 0.63"
Retained weight = 130.7gns (72.6%)


For comparison, 180gn AccuBond on the left and 180gn Partition on the right;


Nosler 180gn Partition
60gns AR2213SC (H4831SC) = 2680ft/s
Group = 2.54" at 100m
Penetration in wet newsprint = 22.5"
Expanded diameter = 0.58"
Retained weight = 131.6gns (73.1%)


Which is the better performer? IMO, Nosler is on a winner with the AccuBond.

Thanks for posting the data Mr. Jaeger. That's interesting and impressive to say the least.

And if anyone is wondering how the Nosler 150gn AccuBond performs; 0.65" at 100m.

Nosler 150gn AccuBonds
59gns AR2209 (H4350) => 2950ft/s


From the left, a recovered 150gn AccuBond, a recovered 180gn AccuBond and an unfired 180gn AccuBond for comparison.



Penetration in wet newsprint = 19"
Expanded diameter = 0.59"
Retained weight = 103.7gns (69.1%)

I've used the 180 gr 30 cal Accubond in a .30-06. The long and very pointy bullets fly very flat and are extremely accurate. I haven't used them on game so I can't comment there. Based on what I've heard though, if I did use them for hunting I would reserve them for game larger/tougher than deer.

Drew,
The Woodleigh Weldcore actually goes back about 10 years before you thought, to the 1970's by early 1980's they were being exported to Norma. Geoff Mcdonald starting making bullets for himself for a .523 caliber wildcat based on the .460 case back then as there were no commercially made bullets available.

I spoke the Geoff at the SHOT show this year and he thinks maybe Bitteroot Bonded core bullets may have been out before him but in very limited supply and defintiely not in viable world wide distribution.

I have tested many Woodleigh bullets on game as small as pigs up to American Buffalo that weigh over the ton and the Woodleigh slams them to the ground.

AGW

Refer to the "jynx has finally been broken" post on this forum. I just took a large cow elk with a 160 grain Nosler Accubond and a hefty charge of H1000 in my 7mm Rem Mag. I was very impressed with the bullets performance and will definitely use it again.

Bullet broke shoulder blade going in and took out both lungs and then broke the upper leg on its way out. This at 378 yards. I am very happy with the results.

I will definitely use these bullets more in the future.

FH

Just shot a cow elk with a 260 Accubond Sat Dec. 3. The shot was 40 yds through the neck. Can't tell much about the bullet's performance with this type of shot. Am sure just about any bullet put through that spot would have given the same bang/flop result.

For interested readers: the firearm is a Mark X with a 21" Douglas barrel chambered for 375 Chatfield-Taylor. Stock is a McMillan with a 13 1/8" LOP with decelerator pad. Scope is a VX II 2-7 with superlow Leupold rings and individual bases. Weight 8 lbs 2 oz. A short handy woods gun which can do double duty for longer shots. The bullet is leaving the muzzle at 2775 and sighted in 2" high at 100 yds. Load is 66 grs of RL-15 in necked up win cases with Fed 215 primers.

I shot an antelope at about 125 yds. with my sako .270/140 gr.accubond. 2" exit hole , heart was mush, the old boy went 10 yds, then down. Great bullet in my book.

A question for you Accubond sluts, please. Theoretical, not to be taken personally.

If an average size (say 160# dressed) deer was shot through the ribs do you think the 140g AB out of a 7x57 at 2900fps would make a larger exit than the same 140g AB out of a 280 at 3100fps?

Wonder cause the AB seems to shed a bit more weight than the IB or Woodleigh--all bonded.

It should, as should a partition sent at the higher speed. But at the 3100 fps plus from a 270 WSM, it's not overly damaging.

I shot a young bull moose this year with the 140 accubonds in a 270 Winchester. Range was 238 yards. Three shots were fired. One hit heart, another hit liver and the third took out lungs. This all happened in about 10 seconds. After third shot, bull realized he was dead and fell down. All bullets exited with about 1.5" exit holes.