Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Bullets - accuracy or performance

Well, I have a new Rem 700 338 Win Mag that I'll be taking to South Africa in August. I bought Federal Premium 225gr TSX and Accubond to try. The rifle was sent to Eddie Fosnaugh where he bedded it in a B&C stock, worked the trigger and cerakoted the action. The Accubond went in about a 3/4" group, all touching. The TSX wasn't as good, two or three into about an inch maybe 1.25" and then would throw one about 2" out. Everyone raves about the TSX, so take the Accubonds that shoot or the TSX that will penetrate better? I also have some 250gr Partitions to try. I'm going after everything from impala to elan. Thanks!

Unless the partitions turn out to be better, take the accubonds and go forth and slay critters!

Confidence in your accuracy and not second guessing yourself on the shot will go a long way.


maddog

I've seen the 225 AccuBonds used on just about all the bigger common plains game except eland, including waterbuck, kudu, zebra, gemsbok and blue wildebeest, and they worked great. But I also know the 250 Partition REALLY works on eland, and in my own .338 shoots very well with H4831.

I'm a big fan of Accubonds, they work. I'll try the Partitions and go with the better if the two. Wanted the Barnes to work, oh well. Thanks guys.

Unclear on your post. If the TSX is putting 3 shots into 1-1.25", isn't that good enough?

"The TSX wasn't as good, two or three into about an inch maybe 1.25" and then would throw one about 2" out."

I would totally deal with with 1.25", it's the every third or fourth round flier of 2" or so that is the issue.

That'll kill any game out to 300 yds

Really? A shot 2" out of a 1" group at 100 yards will be around 7" from point of aim out at 300. In many animals that would result in a hit about the diaphragm with a shoulder-crease hold.

A friend of mine who's an excellent, experienced game shot hunted in Tanzania with me a couple of years ago. He wounded one blue wildebeest at about 250 yards as it quartered toward him, and it was lost. It was sighted-in the day the safari started, but this was two weeks later, after bumping around a couple of hundred miles in a Toyota Land Cruiser. It turned his rifle was shooting two inches to the right, so instead of shooting the wildebeest in the shoulder joint the bullet had gone half a foot to the right, probably only going through one lung--which ain't enough on a wildebeest.

One drop of blood and you buy it? I would go with confidence. My .02

In my travels to Zim, I had a couple of 200gr Barnes stay inside of 2 Eland and 2 Zebra so went to the 225gr TTSX. I am absolutely thrilled with that bullet to date.

If you can get the 225gr TTSX to shoot consistently into 1.25 or so without the fliers, I would run that bullet and never look back. Actually, I did and DO run that bullet and see absolutely no need to consider anything else. If my rifles barrel would not shoot that bullet, I would change the barrel or the rifle before I would go with a different bullet. It is THAT good IMO.

Be sure to try deep seating depths with that or other Barnes bullets. If you are short on time and or bullet money, try seating them to have the case neck nearly cover the uppermost relief groove and crimping the case over into that groove a bit, using it like a cannelure. Manny, many times that has cured the evil flyers from a rifle using a Barnes X bullet of some version.

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD HUNTING

Oh yeah, bullet terminal performance WAAAAYYY over gilt edged accuracy. Not even close. If it will shoot into under 1.5 inches and blow through both sides of whatever, while expanding a little, you are GTG.

I think some of you guys are missing the point. He's leaving in Aug., he bought factory ammo. He stated nothing about reloading. I agree that if he was reloading, he might be able to fix the "flyer" on the TSXs, but if he's buying factory ammo, go with the most accurate of the three. They will all get the job done with proper shot placement. If the OP comes back and states he's reloading, then maybe my thoughts aren't quite as valid.


maddog

Yes factory ammo. A little more info on the trip. I normally shoot a 30-06 for nearly everything I hunt. My company informed me in February that I would be going on a Safari to SA in August. I work for a great company. So, initial thought was take one of my '06's. They run 165gr AB's and have worked on everything I've shot with them in North America. I reload for my other rifles, just didn't have enough time to get everything for the 338 pulled together in time.

Rifle looney part of me said buy a 338WM or 375H&H for the trip. I love the 338WM and wanted another one so I bought a used BDL and sent it off. If it didn't shoot what I wanted how I wanted it would stay home. That leads us to now, it shoots AB's too good to change out the barrel just to shoot the Barnes. I'll run the Partitions and AB's again and make the call. I'm not a guy that will "settle" for 2" accuracy. When I get the reloading side going, I'll try the Barnes again.

I'd get off the bags at 100 yards,take both loads to 300 yards, flop prone and fire a few 3 shot groups with each to see if there was much difference, since 100 yard groups fired over sandbags don't tell the whole story.

More importantly I would watch for any difference in first shot, cold barrel POI; since BG animals are generally not shot with "groups".

I would go with what MD said and I'll add on the eland, you are going to have to "fight the bullet" instead of being able to take the first presentable shot available. Specifically, avoid the shoulder or off axis shots (quartering away)at short ranges (I'd hazard a guess and say 95% of all shots over there are taken at ranges less than 100 yards)with the AB. If the Partition works for you, I'd pick that all day long over the AB.

BG--I want to work for your company!

I agree totally with jorge...if the partitions prove to be equal to or better than the accubonds,take them. Otherwise us the ABs, and concentrate on shot placement.

maddog

I've sent partitions and Barnes to AFrica wiht folks.

I MUCH prefer the results of the BArnes, especially on things like Eland etc... that can get fairly large.

That being said I would not deal with something that shot 3.5 moa groups at 100 yards. Just not my cup of tea. And limits your distance for sure. In theory depending on which way it tosses the bullets 2 inches out , you could be saying its a 5 moa group with the "fliers"

Bullet performance is ultimate to me, but I won't deal with anything less than 2moa and prefer much less.

PS.. 225 tsx, ttsx with RL 19 IIRC, in a Rem 700 has shot VERY VERY well over many years for us....could be RL22, I'd have to go back and dig up the data but it was a load that produced many 100 yard groups under an inch with a SS SPS 700

I agree and disagree. If a hunter knows their rifle is a 2 MOA gun then they need to take that into account. Aim to the middle of the forward half of a medium or large animal and it will die. Realize that with a 2 MOA killing isn't a Dead Right There thing. If your in an area at sundown tracking is going to be a bitch. As Dirty Harry well stated, " a man's got to know his limitations". Use some common sense and don't shoot when tracking and recovery is ridiculous. Finally it's better to stalk closer than 300 yards if your and your rifle are a 2 MOA combo.