Experiences with Nosler Accubonds in .30-06

[elkaholic06]

Hey everyone. I just started loading 180 grain Nosler Accubonds for my Rem 700 .30-06. I hunt pronghorn, deer, and elk here in Colorado, and I've never used accubonds before. I was curious about what kind of on-game performance you guys have seen. I would like specific answers about 180 grain in .30-06 if possible, but other weights at similar velocities will work too. This is not a question for you magnum velocity junkies . Thanks!

 

[sbhooper]

I do not shoot the 06, but you can count on the results with the accubond. That bullet will perform at all velocities. Good choice. You will not be disappointed.

 

[mtmuley]

Magnum velocities put a bullet to the test. You don't have anything to worry about wit a 180 in an 06. mtmuley

 

[hank4elk]

My 700 has always liked the 165's better.
I'm shooting Nosler Trophy w/Accubonds now.For last 5 yrs.
Elk & deer.

 

[6mm Remington]

Aaccubonds are great bulets. I use 165 gr Accubonds in my 30-06 for everything.

200 yards quarting away.. Entered at rear of ribs on left side... Broke right shoulder and lodged against hide.. Brutal test and it performed perfectly!!

 

[6mm Remington]

400 yards out of a 6mm Remington!! All did well. Love Noslers! Shot into water jugs.

 

[noharleyyet]

As to the OP's query;

Should be just under 2800 out of the crown....good bc, plenty of energy at reasonable yardage...a ballistic tipped hammer. Personally like the 180's a lot. Search Accubonds on this forum & you'll find beaucoup positive testimony from some pretty fair riflemen that hang out here.

 

[ccc23454]

180ab and partitions are the only 2 bullets I will carry in my 06 during elk season. Both work amazing with 06 speeds, and are easy to find accuracy with. I use h4350 and h4831ssc with my loads.

C

 

[elkaholic06]

Thanks for the replies guys! I'm new to the forums, so please bear with me as I learn the ropes.

I'm excited to try out the handloads this year. I was just curious if that tough bullet would reliably expand around 2100 fps (400 yards is my perfect scenario maximum). BTW, that is a beautiful buck 6mm!

Do ya'll have any more pictures of accubonds in action at these speeds?

 

[Sainte_Terrer]

I've had OK results with the 165 gr. Accubonds in the .30-06 Springfield. I actually won 10 boxes of them in an internet contest a few years back, so I'll be shooting them for a while. I think they are a fine whitetail bullet, but would probably be a little skittish if I was forced to use them on heavier game where I had to impact bone. This comes from shooting a 140 lb (dressed) whitetail doe a few years back.

Shot was strongly quartering to me as the deer was trotting across a clearing. My POA was on the shoulder and that was where the impact was. The doe sunfished and ran over 200 yards and I had a somewhat difficult retrieval because of the tall prairie grasses.Muzzle velocity was 2800 FPS; impact velocity was ~2611 FPS. Despite being a bonded bullet, the Accubond is pretty soft---as evidenced by the tremendous damage to the onside shoulder. I probably won't take any more shoulder shots with this load---it is a lung-buster from now on. This photo was taken after cutting off the shoulder, which was just held on with a piece of skin.



I've since taken several more deer with this load and had no issues, but they have all been double-lung shots with minimal bone impact.

 

[elkaholic06]

Interesting results Sainte. I usually shoot just behind the shoulder as to save as much meat as possible, so it's good to hear they work well for the lung shots. I've seen bone do some nasty things to several different bullets!

I hope to shoot a whitetail some day..and I hope to win 10 boxes of premium bullets! lol

 

[Sainte_Terrer]

Interesting results Sainte. I usually shoot just behind the shoulder as to save as much meat as possible, so it's good to hear they work well for the lung shots. I've seen bone do some nasty things to several different bullets!

I hope to shoot a whitetail some day..and I hope to win 10 boxes of premium bullets! lol

Ha! I hope to shoot an elk some day! If someone tells you that Facebook isn't good for anything, they are pulling your leg. Nosler had a contest on Facebook a few years back and I managed to win it. They gave me my choice of 20 boxes of ammo and a new Leupold VXR scope. It was like 10 Christmases put together!

 

[BuzzH]

I can't speak to the 30 calibers...but the 140 ab's in a 7-08 and 160 ab's in 7 RM have worked over a wide range of yardages, shot angles, etc. for me.

I haven't seen any different damage between them and a partition, perhaps slightly LESS damage with the ab's.

Here's a recovered AB from a 6 point bull my brother killed with my 7-08. Range was 478 yards shot about mid way in the ribs on the on-side bullet broke the opposite shoulder and was just under the hide:



Shot this raghorn bull at 25 yards with a 160 AB, just caught a piece of the near side shoulder and exited tight behind the opposite shoulder. I was worried as I'm sure the impact velocity was 2900+.

Entrance side:



Exit:



Exit side shot with a 160 AB at just shy of 400 yards:



Cow elk 230 yards 7-08 140 AB...exit side:



Cow elk 202 yards, exit 160 from 7RM

 

[BuzzH]

Bull I shot at 70 yards, hard quartering toward, broke the on shoulder exited back of rib cage (you can see the blood on the hide)...140 AB from 7-08.



Exit side on a bull my wife shot at 200 yards with 140 ab and 7-08:



Another bull my wife shot at 100 yards, bedded, with a 140 ab from her 7-08, broke the near shoulder, through the heart and bullet was just behind the shoulder on the off side:



Recovered bullet:



Exit 160 AB from 7 RM 260 yards:



160 ab just under the hide of a very big bodied 6 point bull, right in the center of the off shoulder. Shot was 200ish and bull was bedded, no excessive damage, perfectly expanded:



Don't have pics of the bullet, but recovered a nicely expanded bullet on the off-side of this AZ bull shot at 615 yards 7 RM and 160 AB:



Shot this cow at 620 yards with 7-08 and 140 AB...didn't recover the bullet, exited behind the shoulder with a 50 cent pieced size exit:



I don't know, I think they work pretty well. Any bullet is going to do some damage if you hit large bones, but the few I've recovered, near and far, have treated me right fair...and very consistent performance.

I like them.

 

[elkaholic06]

Wow BuzzH, thanks for sharing. My dad loves the 7mm RM. I loaded some 160 gr Accubonds for him for this year.

And Sainte, I am thoroughly jealous!

 

[elkaholic06]

Bull I shot at 70 yards, hard quartering toward, broke the on shoulder exited back of rib cage (you can see the blood on the hide)...140 AB from 7-08.

View attachment 59604

Exit side on a bull my wife shot at 200 yards with 140 ab and 7-08:

View attachment 59605

Another bull my wife shot at 100 yards, bedded, with a 140 ab from her 7-08, broke the near shoulder, through the heart and bullet was just behind the shoulder on the off side:

View attachment 59606

Recovered bullet:

View attachment 59607

Exit 160 AB from 7 RM 260 yards:

View attachment 59608

160 ab just under the hide of a very big bodied 6 point bull, right in the center of the off shoulder. Shot was 200ish and bull was bedded, no excessive damage, perfectly expanded:

View attachment 59609

Don't have pics of the bullet, but recovered a nicely expanded bullet on the off-side of this AZ bull shot at 615 yards 7 RM and 160 AB:

View attachment 59610

Shot this cow at 620 yards with 7-08 and 140 AB...didn't recover the bullet, exited behind the shoulder with a 50 cent pieced size exit:

View attachment 59611

I don't know, I think they work pretty well. Any bullet is going to do some damage if you hit large bones, but the few I've recovered, near and far, have treated me right fair...and very consistent performance.

I like them.

Just out of curiosity, what is your MV for the 7mm-08?

 

[BuzzH]

Just out of curiosity, what is your MV for the 7mm-08?

My wife's rifle shoots the 140's at 2930 43.0 grains varget 23 inch barrel. Mine shoots the same exact load, from a 24 inch barrel at 2850.

Both are pacnor #2 contour, super match barrels.

My 7 RM, shoot the 160's at 2970.

 

[6mm Remington]

Sons 2nd elk. 300WSM 180 gr Accubond. TIGHT BEHIND R-shoulder broke spine broke L shoulder and found under hide L shoulder..



Rrecovered bullet!!

 

[sbhooper]

Great pics, Buzz and others. After seeing those, I don't think that anyone can argue with the results. The only animal that I ever shot with an Ab, was an antelope buck at exactly 300 yards. It performed perfectly, dropping him in his tracks. The bullet entered just behind the front leg and came to rest under the hide on the off side after passing through the off side leg bone. The bullet was perfectly mushroomed.

It was launched at a mild 3167fps, from a 7 mag. They shoot 1/2 moa in that rifle.

I have used Partitions on most of the elk that I have shot and they are great, also.