Accubond Accuracy Issue

[Clark]

I have put 40 animals in the freezer in the last 11 years.
Most of the kills were with nos bal tips, but 5 were with accubonds.

This buck was hit square in the shoulder at close range with a hot loaded 280AI 140 gr accubond. That would have made a huge exit hole with a nos bal tip, but instead made a tiny exit hole with the accubond and I had to kill him with my knife.

 

[Spike A]

I have put 40 animals in the freezer in the last 11 years.
Most of the kills were with nos bal tips, but 5 were with accubonds.

This buck was hit square in the shoulder at close range with a hot loaded 280AI 140 gr accubond. That would have made a huge exit hole with a nos bal tip, but instead made a tiny exit hole with the accubond and I had to kill him with my knife.

I have witnessed something similar to this once with an 30-06 and an accubond at 50 yds ... same gun a day later same bullet at 500 made a half dollar exit ... a week later I shot one with a 6.5 creed at 450 .. and had an exit half dollar size also.... I don’t think they perform well when fast and close? Just my experience

 

[Phil_700]

Most peoples problem with trying to get Accubonds to shoot is that they are loading them too hot using cup and core bullet data and not allowing enough jump to the lands. You can not use cup and core data with bonded bullets. In my experience with all bonded bullets they take less powder to reach the same pressure as more powder with cup and core bullets. You usually get the same velocity but with less powder. The Accubond also likes to jump a good ways to the lands. Nosler data says the max for your bullet is 52 grs IMR 4350.

I think I'm going to try moving the bullet on out to .100" from lands and try 50.0, 50.5, 51.0, 51.5 and 52.0 charges and see what that does. All the powder I have left is IMR 4350 so that is what I've got to use. I was wanting to try some RL 19, per lots of recommendations but, I've been on internet for 3 days trying to find a pound of it, no luck. If this 700 will shoot a quarter size group with factory Remington 140 gr AccuTip bullets at 100 yards, certainly it can do better than that with the right recipe.

 

[clunker]

My limited experience.

I started loading for my 6.5CM with 140gr BT's because they were cheaper than the AB's, but with identical BC's. My intent was to switch to AB's once I had a pretty good idea of the load I wanted. The first difference I noticed was the range of bullet weights. The Ballistic tips were fairly consistent, and I managed to dial in a load that stayed around 0.5" MOA (not bad for a rookie with a sporter rifle). The Accubonds were all over the map. My first trip to the range was not pretty. I can't offer a conclusion because I blew out my knee before I could sort a few hundred bullets for weight and get to the range again. My guess is that the AB's are simply less accurate than the BT's. Even Nosler's marketing suggests this might be true.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Most peoples problem with trying to get Accubonds to shoot is that they are loading them too hot using cup and core bullet data and not allowing enough jump to the lands. You can not use cup and core data with bonded bullets. In my experience with all bonded bullets they take less powder to reach the same pressure as more powder with cup and core bullets. You usually get the same velocity but with less powder. The Accubond also likes to jump a good ways to the lands. Nosler data says the max for your bullet is 52 grs IMR 4350.

How do you think an accubond is constructed?

 

[Phil_700]

My Remington 700 Mountain Rifle in .280 shoots groups just like that with 140 grain AB's over RL19 with a muzzle velocity around 2890. I seat them .001 off of the lands and they fit in the mag. I have shot this load out to 300 yards and it maintains .25 moa. I would suggest slowing it down also. From what I have found, if a rifle likes ballistic tips, it will shoot AB's also with some minor changes.

Just curious, how many grains of RL19 is in your recipe with the 140 gr AB?

 

[PopCharlie]

I had a similiar occurance with Lapua 108 gr Scenars. I have a superbly accurate 6.5x47L, smithed by Jeff Walker. It has a Criterion barrel on it. It will Not shoot these bullets. I get 1 to 2 inch groups at 100 yards. I tried a few different seating depths and powders, but no joy. I finally got a .3 group by jambing the bullet .010. So I moved on to other bullets.

PopCharlie

 

[3Sigma]

Same as many above. My sporter M70 in 30-06 wouldn't shoot the 165gr well. Like 2-3 moa groups. Moved on to Sierra 165 Game Kings. 1 moa consistently, which is all I can ask for out of the stock barrel.

 

[rogina]

I think I'm going to try moving the bullet on out to .100" from lands and try 50.0, 50.5, 51.0, 51.5 and 52.0 charges and see what that does. All the powder I have left is IMR 4350 so that is what I've got to use. I was wanting to try some RL 19, per lots of recommendations but, I've been on internet for 3 days trying to find a pound of it, no luck. If this 700 will shoot a quarter size group with factory Remington 140 gr AccuTip bullets at 100 yards, certainly it can do better than that with the right recipe.

I shoot 180 grain ABs in my Remington SS 700 lam at 3065 fps. 5 shot groups at 100 yards are .600. I will take that any day for a hunting rifle. 300 win.

 

[Sekora]

Just curious, how many grains of RL19 is in your recipe with the 140 gr AB?

I am loading 58.0 but that is in my rifle with my scale. I take powder weight with a grain of salt. I feel that velocity is a better number to try to match.

 

[Mike Lum]

...The first difference I noticed was the range of bullet weights. The Ballistic tips were fairly consistent, and I managed to dial in a load that stayed around 0.5" MOA (not bad for a rookie with a sporter rifle). The Accubonds were all over the map....

I noticed this as well with the Accubond Long Range.
From the box of 100 I weighed I saw variation off the marketed value of 142 grain from 140.5 to 142.7. Was not impressed with this for a higher dollar bullet.

I contacted Nosler customer service asking if this was within acceptable quality control several months ago but did not even receive one word of a reply; seems they don't want to verify it on paper and have it get out to the purchasing public.
Even their original design partition bullet (140) had under half that range of weight variance.

I sort mine by weight and then load and shoot them in order accordingly.... pretty lame I know. Not much available out there atm for 6.5 hunting bullets.. old school partitions may be on the shelf still if you are lucky, but they cost even more than the Accubonds. The Nosler RDF is about all thats left gracing the shelves beside Hornady ELD-M bullets.. Have yet to see one positive result by any testers or reviewers with the RDF and the ELD-M are too frangible for game.

Those Nosler partition have good controlled expansion both close and far distance, but aren't marketed as a long range match accuracy bullet, from what i see out of box they may need pointing for that application. That would, Ironically, lead to a greater weight deviation across the batch.

How's a good ol' boy to win these days...

 

[WVRJ]

I recently did a tune job for a customer who had a nice custom 300 Weatherby Magnum.His rifle had a Shilen barrel with a Weatherby spec chamber.Ridiculous free bore.I knew there was no way to get close to the lands,and I figured it would do good if it shot an honest 1 MOA for 3 shots.The best bullet it shot was the Accubond.It was usually in the .5 range,sometimes not that good,but I'll take the blame for that because it was mean to hang onto a light rifle with no brake shooting at max loads and around 3150 fps.I've had good results with them in my 280 Rem with the 140's.That action now has a 280 AI barrel on it and I've been having good results with everything,but haven't got around to the 140 AB.I think it would shoot patched round balls good though.

 

[Gary in MD]

I took my 257 Weatherby loaded with the 110 Accubonds down to Oklahoma on a deer hunt. I checked the zero when I arrived and it printed two shots right next to each other 2” above the bullseye from a folding table and a couple of bags. Should be dead on at 250 and shouldn’t have to hold high until 350 and out. Long story short - my shot wasn’t too much of a test for me and the rifle as it was only about 75 yards! LOL
It was a good test for that little bullet. The buck was quartering away and the bullet entered through the lungs and out the offside shoulder. Lungs and heart were a mess. Anyway, the bullet held together at what was surely over a 3000 fps impact velocity.
Gary

 

[Gary in MD]

I know, I know !! Pics or it didn’t happen.