I am really having trouble reloading and getting accuracy with accubond bullets. Everyone says how great they shoot. I have tried in several calibers and can't seem to get them to shoot in any rifle. They seem to throw a good group but I always get a flyer or two. Trying to work up a load for a 7mm Remington mag right now. I need some advice. Currently on hand I have IMR 4350, 4831, 7828 and reloader 22 for powders. Have found some posts that suggest seating deep, does anybody do this with success, may be missing something here
reloading accubonds
- Thread starter tom338
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6mm Remington
Well-known member
I've heard and heard from folks that you need to seat them deep. I was lucky in my 30-06 that the same loading depth as the Partitions (same weight) shot equally as well. Yes I would try seating them fairly deep. Not sure what weight you are loading but the 160 gr. Accubonds and the 7mm mag seem to be a match made in heaven. IMR4350 and H4831 are two excellent powders I've worked with and had good results. All my father ever loaded was H4831. Sure there are some excellent new powders out there but those two seem to be good ones in my experience. I built a .280 AI a couple years ago and IMR7828 was simple to get an excellent load with. I think it too would be super. I have not had much success with the Reloder powders.
I've gotten good accuracy with Accubonds in several cartridges(25-06, 270Win, 308, 30-06, and 7 SAUM). I find that seating them at Nosler's tested COAL to be the ticket.
I've had luck with all the powders that you've listed, as well as, RL26.
Good luck.
I've had luck with all the powders that you've listed, as well as, RL26.
Good luck.
HighDesertSage
Well-known member
I really wanted to shoot the Accubonds in my Tikka 270, but after messing around with them, I just could not get my gun to like them. Switched over to partitions and immediately got sub moa groups.
Point is each rifle is different. Try a different weight, if that doesn't work you want to go to a different bullet.
Point is each rifle is different. Try a different weight, if that doesn't work you want to go to a different bullet.
belly-deep
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I haven't noticed them preferring to be seated deep. I'm usually .015-.025 off the lands. Barnes, on the other hand, recommends something like .050 off, which I consider pretty deep.
If you haven't already, try the RL-22 with some 160 Accubonds in your 7mm. Seated .015 off the rifling. I'd be surprised if that doesn't shoot, and then I'd start looking at rifle or scope problems.
If you haven't already, try the RL-22 with some 160 Accubonds in your 7mm. Seated .015 off the rifling. I'd be surprised if that doesn't shoot, and then I'd start looking at rifle or scope problems.
Millsworks
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I second the R-22 and 160gr. Accubond. Seating around 18 thousands off the lands was the ticket in my 700 model.
Have loved that bullet in several rifles and weights.
Have loved that bullet in several rifles and weights.
MThuntr
Well-known member
could the flyer be from a hot barrel throwing off the POI? Maybe consider slowing way down with your load development especially if the ambient temps are high.
Temps have been in the mid 70's here in MN. I need to get ready in case (most likely) I don't score with the bow on elk. I have been shooting a new X bolt. Not happy with it and got rid of I, got talked into buying it. So broke the bank and am in the process of breaking in a new Christensen Arms Ridgeline. Will be done today. The x bolt I was try along with a savage I have I was waiting till the barrels cooled down and were just barley warm to the touch. You can run a piece of thick paper under both barrels and no impact spots. Even put a proven scope on the x bolt, nope, junk. I will test some loads in the next few days with some loads seated at varying depths, deeper that I have before. Thanks all for the advice.
OhBoneCollector
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I second the RL26 or try the H1000.
HighDesertSage
Well-known member
You're going to really like that Ridgeline. I bought the Mesa a few months ago and I am very happy with it. It shoots everything I put through it.
BuzzH
Well-known member
This has been my experience as well...my 7 RM shoots AB's really good at .015 off. I use IMR4831.
MThuntr
Well-known member
Dang I'd gladly take mid 70s! It's been 90 for 2 months over here in SW MT. Sounds like you're doing things right with load development...now you get to tinker. My grandpa used to say "there's no fun to be had in a rifle that shoots perfectly from the start"
Mthuntr, I just got back from a scouting trip to sw Montana, I sure would like to send the whole state the rain we have been getting here in MN. 8+ inches in the last 3 weeks and some places lots more than that. I noticed that while trimming shells that they were wobbling while being trimmed, so I bought a different trimmer. Had a RCBS went to a Hornady. Same thing. Now this am noticed that some cases in a bunch were not doing that. Do you suppose that I have a bolt face that needs to be squared up on a rifle? Not all the cases wobble while being trimmed. And the last bunch out of the Ridgeline don't seem to wobble at all. Hmmmmm
Millsworks
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I'm very happy with Hornady brass . I have to say that in my experience, I've had to work harder to get the load just right for the 7mm mag. than the average caliber. Could have been a picky couple of rifles but ,I don't know . Maybe just my luck.
Might take some small batch testing for a while.
Might take some small batch testing for a while.
MThuntr
Well-known member
For the price they charge I would hope that Christensen Arms would have trued the bolt and action before putting their barrel on it. Is the brass from a previous rifle? Run the brass in a full size die then rotate the brass 1/2 turn and run it through a second time. That could help square stuff up a bit. I've also never developed a load for a carbon wrapped barrel...the actual steel portion of those things is quite thin so maybe waiting even longer between shots could help.
I've also started fireforming all brass to the rifle and then either neck size only for target rifles or just shoulder bump the round for hunting in an attempt to be as close to chamber dimensions as possible but that's probably a little deeper in the weeds than necessary.
I've also started fireforming all brass to the rifle and then either neck size only for target rifles or just shoulder bump the round for hunting in an attempt to be as close to chamber dimensions as possible but that's probably a little deeper in the weeds than necessary.
The Christensen arms brass was not wobbly, the savage and browning brass was. I now haver 50 pieces of brass that I'm going to dedicate just to the Christensen arms rifle--just to make sure. The claim of the company is that the carbon is stronger than steel and therefor does not have barrel whip and can be fired with a warm barrel and not change POI. So we will find out, Iv'e heard lots of claims before....
I always seem to get a rifle that on a 3 shot group 2 are really close and the other seems to be a flyer. Or in a 5 shot group 1 or 2 flyers and the others very good. I know it can be human error, but I can pick up a couple other rifles I have and shoot just fine, no flyers and 1/2 inch @ 100 or so. And thats with a 338win mag. So I'm excluding recoil in my equation.
I will run some brass thu and then 1/2 turn it and see what happens, very good idea thanks
I always seem to get a rifle that on a 3 shot group 2 are really close and the other seems to be a flyer. Or in a 5 shot group 1 or 2 flyers and the others very good. I know it can be human error, but I can pick up a couple other rifles I have and shoot just fine, no flyers and 1/2 inch @ 100 or so. And thats with a 338win mag. So I'm excluding recoil in my equation.
I will run some brass thu and then 1/2 turn it and see what happens, very good idea thanks
std7mag
Well-known member
Tom,
Like you i just couldn't get any of my rifles to shoot Accubonds worth a tinkers darn.
After loading, shooting some Berger VLD's i thought i would try something different.
I loaded mine to 0.005" off of the lands. Groups went from almost 2" down to 0.72" at 100 yards.
Try loading them out long.
I know, my Ballistic Tips all like 0.015" off of the lands.
Go figure. I use what works for me.
Like you i just couldn't get any of my rifles to shoot Accubonds worth a tinkers darn.
After loading, shooting some Berger VLD's i thought i would try something different.
I loaded mine to 0.005" off of the lands. Groups went from almost 2" down to 0.72" at 100 yards.
Try loading them out long.
I know, my Ballistic Tips all like 0.015" off of the lands.
Go figure. I use what works for me.
elkaholicman
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I have developed two loads for my new Kimber in 280 AI that shoot sub 1/2 MOA. 140 Gr and 150 grain accubonds with IMR 4350 and rem 9 1/2 primers on both. Mine was finicky on propellant. Tries H4831, RL 19, and RL 22. Never played with seating depth, started with longest that would fit in magazine and was off lands and it worked.
