Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Bullet not penetrating...AccuBond CT

Thats impressive on a decent axis. They can take some killing to die from what I've witnessed while guiding. And they are tough enough to stop some bullets. Never stopped any of the Barnes when we had guys shooting those though. but others they did stop. And a couple I had to shoot again before they got away.

Thats good performance on the axis for sure. I prefer a bit of insurance of course, and would have liked an exit too in your instance, but its done the deed for sure!

Couple of things here.

First and most importantly, poly tipped bullets in a tubular magazine can result in cartridge detonation in the magazine. The same is true with FMJ or other hard-nosed bullets. Hornady developed soft tips for their LeverEvolution ammo and FTX bullets specifically to eliminate the danger of mag tube detonations. Shooting Marlin .30-30 with a tube full of a cartridges using TTSX, Accubonds, Ballistic Tips, SSTs, A-MAX or other common tipped bullets would be a very bad idea.

Second, poly tips provide multiple benefits but not without some drawbacks. On the plus side, and most important to me, they help guarantee rapid and reliable expansion over a wider range of velocities. I had issues with reliable expansion of the old X bullets even at high velocity. When the TSX bullets came along I developed loads for several rifles and found them to be very accurate in all. Still, I couldn't bring myself to use them on game due to my experience with the older X bullets and repeated reports of TSX bullets failing to expand. When the MRX and later the TTSX bullets were introduced they had larger hollows filled with tips. Since then the MRX/TTSX design has become one of my favorites with no indications of failure to expand in any of the game we've taken, near or far. The tips also help increase Ballistic Coefficients over what the bullets would have with the larger hollows and no tip. All good stuff in my book.

On the down side, the tips increase bullet length which may mean having to seat the bullet case below the case neck (something I don't like to do). They may also come loose and jam the action when if they come out, never mind the change a missing tip causes in external ballistics. While antelope hunting this year my cohort had two cases of TTSX tips coming out. The second one jammed the bolt stop on his Rem M700 in such a way as to disable it. Every time he tried to cycle the action the bolt came completely out of the action. The errant tip was removed by some work with a knife and the root cause of the problem was identified as operator error rather than problems with the ammunition itself - it seems my friend wasn't seating the cartridges back in the magazine properly after emptying the chamber. When he tried to close the bolt it would pass by the case head, then hit the case wall, forcing the cartridge down. This downward action forced the tip down hard against the feed ramp, thus loosening it and allowing it to separate from the bullet.

The best feature of the tips from a visual standpoint is they help me quickly identify my ammo. Red for A-MAX/V-MAX/FTX/GMX/SST, white for AccuBond, blue for TTSX and my remaining MRX, and a variety of other colors for the Ballistic Tips.

Adam - I'd give 'em a try on game.

Have never recovered a Nosler from game, not even the little 95 gr Ballistic Tip from the 6mm Rem on mule deer. Have always had good penetration (completely through) and quick kills from the Noslers, be they Partitions, the old Solid Base bullets, Ballistic Tips and even an Accubond.

Don't have a lot of experience with the Accubonds though - only one bear at 300 yards. And yes, I cheated, using a 260 gr Accubond from the .375 H&H. That did the trick.

Regards, Guy

I think the poly tips are meant to serve two purposes. One is to increase ballistic coefficient. The other is to help initiate expansion. The old style Barnes X and even the TSX have a reputation for sometimes not expanding. I think Barnes added the poly tip to keep the BC high and have a larger hole in the copper on the nose of the bullet.

Oops. I didn't see coyote hunter's post. He pretty much explained it.

Don't get me wrong. Big Barnes fan and my 7-08 loves the 120 gr but I've never been able to get them to shoot near as well as the AB in the .257 so that's what I'm sticking with. I AM holding on the 3 boxes of .257 TSX I have though. Maybe next barrel!

Pugs, that Axis is a real good looking animal. I'd like to hunt them someday. The hide would have to be tanned of course!

Congratulations on two fine bucks!

in 257 wtby the TTSX 100s shoot REALLY well out of my buddies rifle. My rifle is still in the safe unfired like a handful of others that I"ve never had time play with.

After this hunting season I'm wavering on continued use of Accu-bombs. First game killed was a heavy mule deer in '08 with a .30cal 165grain @ 75 yards. Complete pass through the ribs w/soup within.

I had lost a lot of tips from those bullets within the box before loading. Shot the big hollow points for practice, shot just as well as the pointy ones. I seem to recall that the early ones had an issue with broken tips.

Fast forward to this season. I'd booked a trip to New Mexico with some family and friends and instead of working up new loads I figured I should spend my time practicing and messing with a new Leupold CDS scope.

Practiced a bunch with some Nosler seconds that were dirt cheap and loaded some first run stuff from Cabelas to hunt with.

Commenced to hunting in NM and found a hapless 5x5 bull @ 130yds. Once I gathered enough oxygen to put the crosshairs on him I put one in through the ribs into the lungs and liver. He hunched back and I put another into the shoulder. Not having hunted elk before I was suprised with the resilence of taking two rounds in one side turning around without looking ill at all and taking another round in the opposite shoulder and one just back in the ribs before getting sleepy and taking a nap.

Four rounds of 30-06 165 Accubombs @2900fps shot at 130 yards at a mid sized elk broadside [both sides] and no pass throughs. No rounds recovered but produced a very dead elk that only moved about 10 yards.

Fast forward to that evening I shot a smallish muley buck [too big for the dinkathon] nearly straight on nicking the shoulder creating a nasty mess. Blew out about 4 ribs making jello inside. I found that bullet in the opposite ham fully mushroomed weighing 119 grains.

Again a dead critter but no pass throughs. Allthough a small sample it seems I've had better luck with Balltips at deer at similar distances with my .243 and 30-06.

I don't see why you're getting so hung up on pass thoughs, but if you have to have them, try heavier bullets.

Sounds like you got some great bullet performance. I've found the 160gr 7mm and 180gr .308 Accubonds will pass through elk on broadside shots.

Most guys that want pass thoughs 100% of the time on elk shoot 200gr bullets, btw. And even then, they don't get pass thoughs all of the time.

I have one tanned hide already so this one didn't get done. I donated to the taxidermist. You'll hunt them the first time for the horns and hide and as soon as you get the meat you'll realize Axis may be the best tasting animal in NA. In addition, the Texas Hill Country is neat and they are a cool animal to hunt with their herd behavior more like elk. I encourage everyone to go try it.

If I could find what to me would be a reasonable cost, I'd shoot a couple axis does every year. Hides are cool. A mount is cool. The heck with that, the meat is super.

Re comments on another post about shooting accubonds without a tip. They may be ok on paper at 100 yards, but I can guarantee if you shoot longer, that won't be ok at all. I know for a fact that a bullet without a tip from a 223, 75 amax, hits 22-24 inches low at 600 vs one with a tip... FWIW.

We shot again tonight, he had 3 left in his mag from that box. Of course we forgot the chrony, but I'm almost positive that they were NOT shooting at max velocity. He has a Leupold VX-2 with the the crosshair then two dots under it (not sure what reticle that is) and he had the hold the bottom dot! I checked it and it was nearly 20" holdover! That's waaaay too much for a .270 WSM sighted in at 200!

The first shot was low and by the third shot he was on and using the bottom dot on the scope. Switched ammo to the different lot number box, and using the same POA he was a foot plus high. Got dialed in and of course blew the jug up like its suppose to.

I believe he has 2 more from that first box, if he finds them then we will chrony those.

It also makes sense if they weren't quite full power because he's always had trouble with his gun (Benelli R1) ejecting them...

I would have thought the AB would pass through the jug as well even at 300, that is until I saw it was factory Winchester ammo. For chits and giggles I would chrono your next couple of rounds from that same box. I have found a couple of rounds and even full boxes that were from 25 to yes 100 fps off due to inaccurate powder charges, primers etc.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE me some accubonds. The 250 grain out of my .338RUM is an elk hammer, and the 140 out of my .280 AI just kills them right in their tracks too. Have killed antelope, deer, and pigs with them too out of the .270 WSM.

This bull went boom/flop at 594 yards out of the .338 RUM this year. Recovered the bullet under the far hide. Didn't need no stinkin' blood trail.





All this being said, I'll happily use a Barnes tsx, ttsx, Nosler partition or E-tip, or even a Sierra Game King, Hornady interbond or Interlock if the gun shoots them well.

Shot in the throat patch with 7MM WSM 140 AB @ 40 yds. Bullet still going.

Quartering away Shot. 7MM WSM 160 AB. Broke off side shoulder and exited.


Shot thru shoulders with 7/08 using 140 AB. Bullet exited.


Quartering away shot. 7MM WSM 160 AB. Broke opposite shoulder and exited.


My son killed this buck. 7MM Magnum shooting 140AB. Quartering away shot and exited.


I've never found one in a buck and have only recoveered one in a hog that weighed 400+ lbs . Haven't tried them on milk jugs, but they have been flawless on whitetails and hogs.

Maybe it's the Brownings...all were shot with one.

KillerT....beautiful bull and great pic!

JM, great bucks and pics there too. I've only killed a few pigs so far with the 140AB and 7mag, one of them almost 400lbs. AB's polaxed those vermin, and all exited from 30-150 yards. They're easy to load for in both of my 7mags and very accurate.

This is interesting reading for me considering this is my first year loading 130 gr AB's for my 270. I have shot two animals with it this year...a whitetail doe at 200 yds, and a 300lb+ boar at 100 yds. Both animals were recovered easily, but there was no exit on either. Dead is dead, I suppose.

Last Thursday my 16 year old son shot an ~200 pound buck at 300 yards w a 140 gr AB out of a 7mm Mag.
Deer was quartering to him, bullet traveled the chest cavity, exited, entered the back leg, broke it, and exited.
As impressed w the bullets performance as I am, I was notably more impressed w the will to live of the animal, which, spouting blood copiously, traveled a LONG way on 3 legs.

Did you find the bullet in the animals?