Nosler Accubonds in Africa?

[GaryO]

Thought I would work uo some 180 grain Accubond handloads in my 30-06 to use for kudu and zebra. Anyone have any experience with them? Thanks...

 

[458Lott]

Hi Gary0

I used 250 grains Accubond in my 9,3 x 62 last time i Africa, loaded to muzzle speed 710 m/s.

The first shoot at my Kudu was at 180 meter's and the bullet dident go through. Rest weight was about 190 grains.

Follow up shoot was at 20 meter's, the bullet this time separated in too, the core went through but the outer casing was retrived just below the skin on the other side, rest weight 120 grains. On my oryx I had a similar experience, the bullet didnet pass through, shooting distance approximately 200 meters. Sorry I can't remember the rest weight on that one.

On the rest of my animals it performed perfect, they all drop in there tracks. Zebra, Bushbuck, Warthog, Impala, Blesbuck

In my view it's perhaps a bit to soft for the larger species af plains game, and I would go back to shooting Nosler Partion again.

Good luck on your trip.

 

[Buff-Buster]

Loaded them for my wife's .7 Rem. Mag on our 2007' trip. 160gr performed exceptionally well. PH (ballistic nut like me) was impressed also.

Warthog - 30yds (pass-thru)
Impala - 1 @ 275yds (recovered under skin on far side), 1 @ 100yds (pass-thru)
Waterbuck - 100yds (recovered under skin on far side)
Kudu - 190yds (recovered under skin on far side)
Blue Wildebeeste - 1 @ 65yds (straight on shot,recovered in rear ham) 1 @ 120yds (recovered under skin on far side)
Bush buck - 35yds (pass-thru)

I didn't weigh any of the recovered bullets, but they looked to average 65% - 85% of their original weight. All mushroomed well and did not seperate.

 

[saeng101]

Use 140gr in my 270, never lost an animal, most fall on the spot. 5 zebras and 5 wildebeest last year.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Garyo,
You should have no problems with the Accubonds. They always perform as they should.

Take Care,

Best Regards.
Marius Goosen

 

[BryceM]

I have used them only on very small game so I can't comment on how they would work on the toughies - eland, zebra, blue wildebeest. I suspect that they'll be just fine if you shoot well. I prefer something a little more solid, but I also shoot at higher velocities than you'll get from a 30-06 (.300 wby). Failure to pass through an impala at 275 yds would have me a bit nervous. They're not that big.

My own preference would be to first, take a bullet a bullet that shoots accurately in your rifle. Assuming they're all about equal, I'd rank the Barnes TTSX or TSX first, Nosler Partition or Swift A-frame second, and Nosler Accubonds (and similar bullets) a close third. Soft whitetail deer-type bullets would be last.

The animals that I've shot with accubonds have all had really enormous exit wounds and lots of meat damage, but I've shot them in .257 Wby at pretty hot velocities. For NA hunting, that's OK I guess. When I'm in Africa I'm looking for animals that die when they're supposed to and minimal damage to the cape. For me, the answer is Barnes TTSX. I've only ever recovered one bullet from an eland and I haven't lost any animals during that time I've been using them. Most have dropped in a few yards.

 

[buffybr]

I used 160 gr Accubonds in my 7mm Rem mag on my 2005 hunt in Kwa Zulu Natal and the Free State of South Africa. I shot 6 animals with them varying in size from Common Springbok to Black Wildebeest. All animals were shot broadside, through their chests, and all shots resulted in complete pass throughs. My longest shot was 250 yds on the Balck Wildebeest.

Back then I didn't spend a lot of time investigating bullet performance. If the bullet hit where I aimed and it put the animal down quickly, I figured it did its job and I didn't think any more about it. However, I do remember that when I hunted in the Free State, a friend of the landowner (who also had his PH license, and was a bit of a gun nut) kept remarking about the large internal wound channel that the Accubonds made in the animals that I shot.

I also used that 7mm RM rifle and 160 gr Acubonds on a northern Canadian Caribou and Muskox hunt. The Accubonds completely passed through both of the Caribou that I shot, but stayed inside the Muskox, which didn't matter because he fell within a few steps of where I shot him. These were all approximately 100 yd shots.

Back home in Montana I've also shot a cow elk and a Pronghorn antelope with 160 gr Accubonds from my 7mm RM. These were both broadside behind the shoulder hits that resulted in complete bullet pass throughs and DRT kills.

 

[BigBullet]

Thought I would work uo some 180 grain Accubond handloads in my 30-06 to use for kudu and zebra. Anyone have any experience with them? Thanks...

For the kudu and zebra you will be fine with this choice. I used 160gr Accubonds in my 7x57 and took all game up to kudu without issue. You will have about 60-65% weight retention.

 

[Pancho]

You will like them just fine. Can't tell the number of animals I've taken with them, both here in US and overseas. They WORK.

 

[gillettehunter]

My taxidermist used them in Africa last yr. I think it was over 20 animals that he killed. Including 4 Kudu, 4 Gemsbuck and 4 Wilderbeast. All 1shot kills with an a cuboid in a 6.5. I also like the TTSX's better, but the AB will do fine if you put it where it counts. Bruce

 

[Poucher]

They do it just right, on tough game I choose A-frame that gives more penetration and higher weight retention

 

[Savage Hunter]

My son and I shot 180 accubonds in a 300wsm.
my zebra was a bangflop.
my kudu ran about 50 yards.
my waterbuck walked 10 steps and laid down in sight after first shot, but shot it again anyway.

My son's kudu was shot too far forward and required followup. It was hurt really bad though.
His wilderbeest was a 1 shot kill.
His impala was a 1 shot kill.
His warthog was 1 shot also.

I suspect the '06 will do the same.

 

[Poucher]

some good articles about it

March, 96 Premium

 

[Bushman10]

I used the 160 grain Nosler Accubonds in my .308 and had great success with it. Only problem was that they are very expensive in South Africa and a day on the range required a fair investment. I used them on the range as I wanted to practice with the same bullet that I hunt with.

I then switched over to the 130 grain Impala Bullets solid and have been using that now for 3 years without a problem.

 

[sestoppelman]

I used them in Namibia in '07 in the 9.3x62. They worked well for me, when the bullet hit where intended. Took kudu, 2 oryx, hartebeest. Only recovered one bullet, from the kudu. Looked good, retained about 70 percent of weight.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My son used 150 grain accubonds an his plains game in Namibia. Rife 308 Howa muzzle velocity 2,950 fps.
I used the 225 grain accubonds in my 35 Whelen at a MV of 2,850 fps.
Only recovered 1 bullet. Kudu shot at 120 yards front on. Bullet retrieved from the ham.

225grain accubond recovered from the Kudu.
Bob