Correct. Sarcasm out the wazoo.

I agree. All depends on what caliber you have, what animal you are shooting, where you are shooting them, and what you are looking for as far as results (pass-throughs for blood trails, energy dump, something in between, etc.)

I will say I am a little surprised at that ABs performance - would expect more of something like what jgraider posted up pretty consistently from an AB.

I am too. As others have said they were designed to mimic the Partition with only the back half of the bullet bonded. Typically lose 30-40% weight which keeps the front from opening really wide and limiting penetration. I've heard so many good reports on them.

I have never had an issue with Accubonds with any critter coyote to elk. High shoulder shot on a large Axis buck got an exit but was a 165gr from a 308. Sofat I have used them in 308, 7-08, 6.5-284, 7mmSTW and 257Wby.

I often use the high shoulder shot when wanting to anchor a deer on the spot, breaking scapula and vertebrata will take it down in a hurry. That is not a shot that causes massive lung damage though like a boiler room shot does.

The Accubond core is bonded to the jacket through out the contact not just in the base. The jacket is much thicker along the shank of the bullet than at the ogive area. I would not doubt that sometimes when hitting a vertebra through the most solid portion it might expand completely but at that point the spine is broken stopping the animal.

This is the aforementioned hog; the rifle has a 26" barrel, so that will give you some idea of size.



My takeaway was that the AB, while undoubtedly a good bullet, wasn't quite hard enough to take on solid bone at an impact velocity of 2900 fps. I think a more reasonable impact velocity would have had a profound effect on performance. Also, when you shoot something at either extreme of the velocity spectrum it's clear that you need to be very selective with your bullet choice; otherwise stay safely in the middle.

Everything I have read/heard about them is that 2900 should not be an issue at all with them (or most any quality bullet) within normal hunting ranges. I wouldn't consider that screaming fast by any stretch.

My buddy jumped a big 185" mule deer buck at very close range, and shot him with his 7mm STW and 140AB's at 30 yds. Impact velocity had to be north of 3100fps easy, maybe more since muzzle velocity was 3300. Anyway, the bullet entered his rear flank, and was found underneath skin in oft front shoulder...approx 33" of penetration. No the bullet did not exit, but performance was what I'd call "unbelievable" in this instance.

[img:left][/img]


Here's where it lay....


[img:left][/img]

Often times I have to wonder, after reading bullet performance and "fail" threads, if people actually know how their particular bullet is designed to work. Accubonds are designed to shed weight, fragment 40% of the bullet, as is a partition. Often times in these threads it does exactly that and people call it a failure. I don't get it.

I think that's right. Every design will have ar least some kind of limitation. It's up to hunters to know the limitations and use the bullets correctly.

Reports like in this thread are far better field testing than any manufacturer can perform over just a year or so, on a handful of hunts.

I shot this buck with 250 accubond from my weatherby 338 lapua. I hit him right behind the shoulder and the dropped.

I hesitate to post cause I know I'm gonna hear I use to much gun. How about we keep those comments to ourselves this time.

First pic is entrance and second is exit. Haven't shot a hog yet with it but will soon.

Heckuva buck thorn. Congrats.

Nosler partitions all day, every day.

Heck I shot a doe with a 243 and 100 grain prohunter this weekend that made a bigger hole than that.