Does anybody here have any experience with both the Nosler Accubond and the Partition in 250gr .338 caliber ? I get unreal accuracy from the Accubonds, along with a 440yd one shot kill on a decent sized bull moose. Bullet shed a bit of weight, but held together. High tundra hunt.
In 2015, going for a new hunting area, North of the Yukon River. The grizzly bears are thick in this area. May take a moose or caribou long range, but a good chance Mr. or Mrs. Grizz may come into our butchering. As an AK Resident, I can take two, but, wonder if the 250gr Partition might be a better choice for a hungry Grizz at close range ? Keeping in mind a large Grizz is 650lbs in the interior of AK.

Are you going to take two different loads with you, one for long range moose or caribou and one for Grizz ????

Dont know what 338 you are shooting but if it were me, my first choice is the 300grSMK (will take down anything close or far) my second choice would be the Accubond. the partition is still a great bullet but would never consider it a long range option.

The Partition will kill fine at 400-500 yards,and likely penetrate the grizzly stem to stern.

I would feel a hell of a lot better w/a 250 Partition up the spout than a 300 gr match King up close and personal with any bear. I want broken bones and a big hole out the other side.- Muddy

225 grain TTSX perfect for both scenarios.

IIRC Mule Deer has used the 260gr Accubond on a Grizzly out of a 9.3 with no problems...FWIW.

I'd take the 250 AB and shoot everything with confidence.

Accubonds will work just fine

I'm shooting a 338 EDGE, Lawton action,(Pre Bobby days), 22" 9:3.5 twist bbl, Sendero contour. Get right at 3000fps w/ 250gr Accubond. Used the 300gr SMK in EA WA for LR Mulies, but really only trust a bonded/Partition/Barnes hunting bullet for Moose and the bigger bears. The 250 AB is deadly accurate, but was wondering how well it holds up compared to the PT, and Barnes, of course, the Barnes is a given, but don't know the accuracy in my rifle.

Go with the 300 grn accubonds I was getting 2850 out of my edge with them they are big medicine.

Sandrat. 3k is a very good muzzle velocity for BT's and AB's. It tends to provide good expansion characteristics over a significant variation in range.

In addition you are asking this in the LR forum, and the AB's have a higher BC, and as you suggested on, average, it easier to get them to shoot.

I don't use any of heavy calibers mentioned, but I've been considering switching to The Old Standbys. I reckon in part due to reading JOC's and Noslers biographies. Had 3 Barnes TTSX (6.5, 120's) tips snap off this year. Never happened before and got me a little jumpy. First one jammed the follower pretty good. Second one was barely hanging by a thread. Must have happened when I loaded in the dark. Kinda glad I didn't see anything worth shooting that day, gut feeling tells me if I'd fired the tip would have come the rest of the way off in the tube. Coulda been pretty ugly.

I reckon they get a little fragile when its cold. Could have been the batch. Dunno, but it certainly got my noggin turning.

Sandrat, have a difference of opinion or different viewpoint on several points of your post, you trust only a bonded/partition/Barnes hunting bullet for moose and the bigger bears...love the bonded and partition but both can lose significant weight and the Barnes at times will pencil through.

Been using the 300grSMK for over a decade and never once have seen a sign of bullet failure or a loss of 10% weight.

If you dont believe me do as another poster said and try the 300grAB but your statement "Barnes, of course, the Barnes is a given" is ridiculous, they have more chance of failure than any other bullet in this discussion.

For Grizz....I'd feel a LOT BETTER with a .470 Evans!

I don't think I would trust a SMK to anything that would gladly eat me if given the chance.

I do enjoy the whole high-BC game, but some lines will never be crossed. That is one of them.

Why not load a partition first out for bear, followed by ab. If moose or boo present at long, chuck out the first round and have at it.

Mmmm. That'll make you think in a "that never happened to me" kinda way

Leaving reliable function on the table in exchange for a few points in BC that don't matter anyway makes no sense to me. The moose and grizz are easily killed with the 250 Partition at any distance either should be shot.

It's a slam dunk decision for me....unless I could scrounge up a few 225 Bitterroots

I got a lifetime supply of 250 gr Nos Part 338 when Midway made a mistake on the on line price at 10 cents a shot.
So all my target practice is with 250 gr partition.
With 68 gr H4350 I seem to get 2" groups at 2600 fps with my two BARs.

I have a 338WM reamer, a few barrels, and lots of donor actions lying around. I may build a more accurate 338WM bolt action.

I did get just a couple hundred of the Federal Fusion 200 gr 338 bullets off the 24HCF classified. So I will be stingy with them.

I stand a 50% chance of drawing an elk tag in 2015, and the guy I hunt with is deathly afraid of griz bears. But bears are few around there. Besides, there are two of us always arguing about how to gut animals. "Less twist on the Butt-out!"

Clarkm,

2" groups? Have you tried to improve that? I'll bet you can!

The first thing I would try is holding back on the resizer 0.100", creating a shoulder on the neck, to improve centering the cartridge with the bore. Try it.

SCOOTERBUM,
I just took them to the range and shot a couple groups with the crummy 2x7 scopes that came on the rifles.
I can buy a gun a week and go to the range once every 3 months:(

If I draw and elk tag, I will give those BARs another trip to the range.

This sounds like the way I think as well. Depending on you of course, I would probably feel comfortable carrying my high B.C. ammo in a stock carrier or in a chest pocket and change what's in the tube when setting up for a longer shot. You'd do well to go ahead and shoot the Partition at the game of choice to some pretty long distances. How much change in drop are you really talking about?

Incidentally, my favorite tough sp out of the .338WM has been the Woodliegh WeldCore PP. It is moving at lower velocity than the Edge but they are pretty impressive.

My buddy is an AB fan.....I shoot both but load Partitions to hunt. Most recently we both have 7mm Mashburn Supers, he shooting the 160 AB and I shoot the 160 Partition,both started about the same velocity.

Comparing dope and holes in the targets we can't see the difference between the two out to 600 yards.

For that matter, I've worked up loads in several 7 Rem Mags with 140 AB's that grouped the 140 BBC the 140 Partition, in the same group,same POI. The BBC and partitions lands with the AB at 400 yards.

This is a result of actual shooting to confirm; in short I can't see a difference.

The reason I'd regard carrying an AB for a 500 yard shot on a moose,and a Partition for a closer shot on the same animal,pretty much a waste of excess brain protein. We can really over think this stuff which will make our heads ache.

Not that much. Now check the drift column of your favorite ballistic calculator and you will find that high BC bullets have a larger effect on wind drift than on drop and it gets bigger the further out you go. This is good because it is ten times harder to judge the wind than determine distance.

Yup..... I just ran the numbers through the good old Hornady Ballistics calculator for the 250 AB vs the 250 Nolser Partition from the 338 Win Mag, both at 2800 fps(Nosler Manual calls for 2790 fps but close enough).

The 250 AB shows a drop of 42" at 500 yards from a 200 yard zero; the 250 Partition shows 45.1". Difference is 3.1".

In a full value cross wind, 10 mph, the 250 AB shows 15.7" at 500 yards; the 250 NPT shows 19.8" Difference is 4.1".


This all makes a difference on a bull moose assuming your rifle can put them all into the same hole at 500 yards, and your hold in the field is "perfect".

If the best your rifle and you can do is keep them all in a 6"" circle at that distance under field conditions,then the advantages are sort of lost in the group size.

But these differences are monumental and well worth the effort and bother of carrying two bullets around on a hunting trip....

I can see someone lazing the animal,getting a reading of 397 and wool gathering which bullet to shoot him with....while the guide or your hunting partner stands there wondering what else they could be doing for fun....while the bull sort of meanders around chasing that hot cow (changing distances)or disappears into the willows.

Add on top of this the time spent groping for the ideal power setting on the variable...and you have a perfect storm brewing. Good thing moose aren't to bright.

My thought with this is if you can shoot to 400 or 500 yards with the Partition you've covered the vast majority of typical range for hunting.
I could eject a round and drop in a high BC wind bucking perfect long range round from the stock ammo band in a few seconds. Shooting far enough away that you NEED that super douper high BC wind bucking ammo will take much longer setting up that shot than the time to swap even the whole magazine out.

Nate if carrying two bullets makes you more confident go for it.

I think people way over think a lot of the hunting stuff these days, and make simple chores of killing more complex than they need to be, is my point.

Not me.
I said I could. I'd be using the Nosler Partition and limiting my range. There's a time and place for most everything.

Bob,

I sometimes carry more than two bullets. Heck, sometimes I carry two guns! I hope that is okay with you.

Carry on.

In anticipation of a long-awaited moose hunt I loaded up several 250gr bullets for my 338 RUM.
While the 250 NPT and the 250 Berger EH shot well at 300yds, the 250 Accubond reliably but 3 bullets into an inch at that distance. I was sold on the NAB and got them loaded up.

A 15 point bull was spotted at just under 1,000yds and, amazingly, responded to the call. I always anticipated that a long shot opportunity may present itself and had practiced accordingly. However, the big bull did things his way and popped out of a wood line exactly 54 yds away. I got on him quickly as he walked broadside. The 250 Accubond hit him on the point of his shoulder and flipped him over backwards. The bull was DRT.
Ultimately the bullet was recovered in the off-side hide where it had passed through both shoulders. The remaining bullet was fully intact but only weighed 102grs. While the terminal performance was spectacular, a tougher bullet may have been a better choice if it were large toothy bears that I was hunting.

scooterbum: I know..it's complex and dangerous out there!

A guys just never knows what might pop up does he?

Proceed as you wish. It's a free country......for now anyway.

I will.

I once had a VERY large black bear cross the 2 track about 75 yards in front of me. I was not all that enamored to the bird shot loads I had in the 12.

But I can assure you, the bear definitely had my attention.

Nate or scooterbum, what's the poi difference between the 2 bullets at say 300 yards? I'm talking in your rifle, not what the loading manuals say. I've seen big differences at even 100 yards with varying bullets at different velocities. Of course you are practicing for over 600 yard shots too, with each bullet. What's you zero? It will probably be different for each bullet. What scope are you using and how are you keeping track of this information out in the field when the moment of truth comes along??

+1

So many people think a partition will not work past 250 yards....
Most them goons need to shoot more, and quit worrying about numbers.

I have not fired a .338 accubond bullet to date, but have actually fired and used 338 partitions, 225 and 250 grains. They are the deepest penetrating bullets I have fired into game.

I don't have any experience with the AB, just the BT and a very limited use of the Partition. If I use the 200gr Part in 30 cal, instead of my 180gr BT, I expect it (and have verified it) to be very close to my trajectory for the BT. The BT is my normal load, for 200 and beyond, the Part is for close in, to prevent bullet flow up.

Accubond all day long! Have a friend who shot his kodiak brown bear using 200gr accubond 325 wsm one dead bear. Another fella shot a nice interior bear with his 06 using 180gr accubonds. All bullets held together just fine.

BSA- I have only messed with the two different ammo thing with two of my rifles. More out of curiosity than anything else.

In my 7mm Rem mag with a 200 yard zero there was less than an inch difference in POI at 200, between NP and Hornady SST's, Sierra had two different weights that were also right in the same range depending on weight. I wasn't impressed with my 7mm and pulled the tube. It was hard to find loads that shot well in it. It's now a .300 Win Mag and may be something else before to long. The greatest change in POI was between Barnes XLC's and Sierra both in 160gr. I never shot it at any living target beyond 400 yards. At 300 yards or less it would have made no difference.

MY .25-06 is more sensitve to bullet weight changes because the velocity changes are greater. I never used it in the field with different ammo than it was zerod for. I also zero this one for 200.

I keep a notebook with my load notes, how things group, and poi changes. Nothing as detailed as a benchrester.

I see no point in using high BC bullets unless you are stretching the legs on something. If you felt the need to have "tougher" bullets in the tube for a close encounter and you know how they shoot in regards to your favorite long range setup I could easily feel comfortable shooting two different flavors of ammo in the field. Truth is most game is killed at distances where B.C. makes little to no difference. If you are shooting game at distances where it has come into play, you've hopefully spent enough time, ammo, and homework to understand exactly how your gun shoots.

I think everyone should be doing what works for them, and the one thing that practice builds is confidence.