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Partition or Accubond

I'll admit I've always been a little put off by Nosler's adherents, but the last few months the Accubonds I've been playing in my .308 and 7mm-08 are winning me over.
 
I prefer the Accubonds to Partitions, because they shoot better for me in all my rifles. No idea how many animals I've shot with them, but here are some I've caught over the years. 6.5, .277, .284, .308, .325, .338 and a couple .375 partitions. Big and small critters including a couple grizzly bears. They're dependable.
 

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I prefer the Accubonds to Partitions, because they shoot better for me in all my rifles. No idea how many animals I've shot with them, but here are some I've caught over the years. 6.5, .277, .284, .308, .325, .338 and a couple .375 partitions. Big and small critters including a couple grizzly bears. They're dependable.

Are the two on the bottom Partitions?
 
I’m building a .280 AI and looking at using 160 grain Accubonds or 150 grain Long Range Accubonds. Does anyone have any experience with this combo or something similar?
 
I’m building a .280 AI and looking at using 160 grain Accubonds or 150 grain Long Range Accubonds. Does anyone have any experience with this combo or something similar?

I shot an elk with the 150 ABLR a few years ago, from my 7mm-08. It performed well on a 200 yard shot, but it's definitely not as tough a bullet as the regular AB. I'd be a bit nervous about using it at close range and at 3000fps, at least on tough critters like elk.
 
I shot an elk with the 150 ABLR a few years ago, from my 7mm-08. It performed well on a 200 yard shot, but it's definitely not as tough a bullet as the regular AB. I'd be a bit nervous about using it at close range and at 3000fps, at least on tough critters like elk.

That’s what I was worried about, the LRAB has a fantastic BC, but I think I’ll skip that one and try the 160 Accubond first.
 
Bigjav, you didn't disclose what cartridge you are using, nor the game you intend to hunt. A PT, or an AB, may not be your optimal Nosler options. More info please. A Ballistic Tip, or E-Tip, may serve your particular requirements better, but we will will never know with more info.

A 165ish 30 caliber bullet from a 308 for deer and a 180ish from a 300 win mag for elk. I've been curious about the performance of copper bullets for elk since my experience with them deer has left me skeptical at best. See I'm from California where we've been using leadfree for around 10yrs and I feel they don't expand enough on deer, probably because they're not very big
 
I can attest to the 165 Ballistic Tip for deer, out of a 308. You'll need nothing more. Can't help with the 300WM. I gave up on a Mag anything 20 yr's ago.

As far as lead free go, remember they thrive on velocity to work properly, so go down in bullet weight. A 125-130 for the 308 and a 165 for the 300WM would be my starting points.
 
I do not load,but 165 AB's shoot great out of my -06. As well as the Barnes Fed's I had used for10 yrs. Could never get 180's to group tight in anything.
The Trophy AB's group better than the PT's by a little. Perform better,IMHO.
Dropped a cow @ 405 yrds 3 yrs ago & recovered bullet from 2nd final neck shot. 1st one was full thru & thru.
The AB's I have recovered look similar to the Barnes copper with a bit more mushrooming like PT's & a few petals broken off.I even found a piece that had broken off by chance.
 
I have used Partitions and Accubonds in my 300 RUM. I used the 200 grain Accubond going a little over 3100 fps on two moose - one in Idaho and one in Maine.

I was disappointed with the performance on the Idaho moose. The bull was about 30 to 35 yards away in thick brush looking at me. My only shot was right in his nose. Had I been using Partitions, I am sure the bullet would have lost pretty much all of the front core and the back half would have bulged out but it would have continued right on out the back of the skull with the bull dropping in his tracks. With the Accubond, the bull turned and ran with no signs of being hit. I figured I had missed but when I checked, I found a little blood. The bull was still on its feet when I found him about 75 yards out the hill. After getting the skull back from the bug guy, I could tell that the bullet had blown up in the sinuses.

I thought that performance was a fluke so I used the same load the following year when I drew a Maine tag. At about 50 yards, I took a quartering to me shot at the neck/shoulder junction, I again wound up with poor penetration. I am sure my problem was the high terminal velocity. I might of had better luck had I shot him when he first came out to my calling at 350 yds.

I drew a Wyoming moose tag this year. Although I hope to get my bull with my recurve or my revolver, I will have my 300, with something other than Accubonds, as backup.
 
Interesting. I've killed 15 or 16 bull elk with 200 grain Accubonds in a .300 RUM. Yardages from 42 to almost 600. Never had that happen. mtmuley
 

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