Nosler partition vs. accubond for moose & elk?

DonVathome

DonVathome

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Which is better? I like the higher BC of the accubond. I am looking for performance on big game. Elk and shiras moose to be exact.

Also what about sheep? Would I be better of with different ammo for sheep.
 
Thanks! I have not shot accubond yet. Yikes $90 total for 1 box. Hopefully for that price the bullets will butcher and pack my moose.
 
I should add, a few gunsmith suggest that a gun either likes a flat base bullet (partition) or a boat tail (accubond) One will shoot way better than the other, and the other will suck.
I had a 7mag that would shoot a 3" group at 500 yards with 140 grain partions. Tried the accubonds and they never did compete with those partitions.
 
Coin flip, I've shot truckloads of big-game with both in .243-.338 performance is nearly identical.

Killed a fair few animals with the ballistic tips as well as the old style nosler solid base.
 
My dad and brother both shot there moose with 180 gr Accubonds. One shot kills, both went less than 40 yards after the shot. Both bullets were found on the off side under the hide. Perfect broadside hits, one was 200 yards and the other one was 100 yards. Bullets performed perfectly. Both average sized moose.
 
My sons Newfoundland moose taken with 7MM ,160gr Nosler Partition. Didn’t go 20!

FAEB67F3-CDDF-4C43-BCA9-98F0A6DC3F30.jpeg
 
In my 7mm REM the Partitions have worked better on elk and mules. For some reason my experience with Accubonds is not very good. I know that contradicts many other guys on here but I have not been that impressed with Accubonds.
 
Lots of variables here. I say choose which one is more accurate. BC difference for same caliber same bullet weight is minimal at most hunting ranges. As long as you using enough gun either will work fine, both will hold together on high velocity impacts although the partitions will blow the front half off very quickly above 28/2900 fps and can make a mess on a shoulder shot if that matters, Accubonds seem to punch through without the initial blow up. Most of the heavy for caliber bullets do have a larger gap, 200 grain 30 caliber Accubond has BC of .588 vs only .481 for the Partition.
 
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You really narrowed it down with those ballistics, too fast or too slow! Could you apply that to ALL of them ever made? ? ? I don’t want you to shut up, I want you to keep talking. ?
 
Both should do well, however, if I took a shot at a Moose at 50 yards with a magnum, I would want the partition.

That is actually why the partition was invented. Mr. Nosler shot a bull moose at close range and the bullets of the day, all soft lead type, blew up on impact. The Accubond is constructed WAY better than the bullet that failed for him, but partition would probably still be my choice in close quarters shots
 
Homeslice, I worked with a lady who called people that, it has been a few years hilarious!

Got it with close range. Good point. I often shoot game with rifle at 50 yards or less. 30 yards is not uncommon. I would say there is a significantly better chance I would shoot something under 50 yards then over 350.
 
I've killed a bunch of game under 100 yards with a 200 grain Accubond at 3200 fps muzzle velocity. So take that they don't work well at close range with a grain of salt. One impact was at 42 yards. mtmuley
 
Crazy things do happen with velocity change and some bullets. Especially dropping below 2000 fps and over 3500.

That's what's great with the accubond and partition. They perform in a very wide range of velocities.
 
I use 150 grain partitions for every critter I hunt in 300 WSM. The nice thing about using the same rifle and load is I don't have to think twice about which bullet or load I'm shooting. I've shot elk, deer, antelope, bighorn, mtn goat, and bear with this same round. I can't think of any that I've shot that have blown giant holes through animals. I don't shoot over 400 yards and almost every critter I've shot is between 100 and 250 yards. When I pull the trigger there is no doubt in my mind that the animal is going to drop with a clean, ethical shot.

The trick is not to take shots that aren't the correct distance, angle or outside the range you've practiced and are 100% confident in. If you do there is a lot higher chance you are going to muff a shot and shoot bone that will blow a larger hole. Another important thing is not to take a shot unless you have a rock-steady rest.
 
Yo homeslices!!! My 450 grain slick trick tipped arrow did a number on my moose at 20 yds last year. As good as any rifle shot moose I’ve seen. I do agree though Accubonds and partitions will do great on elk and moose. Good luck drawing your tag!!!
 
mtmuley said:
I've killed a bunch of game under 100 yards with a 200 grain Accubond at 3200 fps muzzle velocity. So take that they don't work well at close range with a grain of salt. One impact was at 42 yards. mtmuley
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We all have our own anecdotal evidence don't we?

3,200 fps isn't the "too high"...
 
There has never been a bullet that performs on game at any practical range than the Nosler partition. it simply works and it works every time.

There are higher BC bullets and there are bullets that shoot a little better. but from 25-600 yards on elk size the partition is what I keep coming back to.
 
Maybe look I to the barns ttsx's. Heard great things about those.

Aside I have shot accubonds for many years and loved the way they knocked elk down. Just stear away from the long range accubonds.

I do know the partitions are just a tried and true bullet that just works.
 
mtmuley said:
How much faster are you pushing an Accubond than 3200. I have also smacked a few animals with the 180 at just under 3400 fps. That's fast. mtmuley
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An acquaintance of mine was trying to maximize velocity out of a 7mm STW with poor results, it was over 3,400 fps.

Again, anecdotal evidence...
 
Just as important as speed is the inches of drop at particular distance and the wt of the bullet.

I actually prefer 150 over 180 grain bullets for a little less drop. I’ve had no problem with 150 grain partitions putting mtn goat billies down which I believe are just as tough or tougher to put on the ground than any moose or elk. If you’ve hunted mtn goats much you know exactly what I’m talking about!

If you want a bullet to be flying faster at 50 to 300 yards a 150 grain bullet will travel faster than the same 180 bullet and will drop less.

Plain and simple I’m not exactly sure why anyone really cares how fast bullets travel as long as you are placing tight groups at the standard shot ranges of 50 to 300 yards with ethical shots! Try out a few on paper and see which bullets produce the tightest groups! That’s what’s important…not which bullet travels the fastest!

You may also want to compare bullet performance on a windy day? Where I hunt in the wind often howls. My guess is that all bullets aren’t created equally in the wind. Also try a 150 vs 180 bullet in the wind!

Squabbling over a few fps seems a little pointless to me. What is important is knowing your rifle and having confidence after lots of practice that your game is hitting the ground with 1 ethical shot! Partitions and accubonds are both great. Go try them both out.
 
roadrunner said:
The point to LR is downrange performance, I use them too. I'd still like to read what MountainSqwabler's reason is.
Click to expand...

If you read his comments another way, I think he was saying Accubond IS a long range bullet, so steer away from it if your shots will likely be short range
 
MountainSqwabler said:
They are a jacketed bullet and don't hold up as well as they should. Had my father shoot a cow elk at 300 yards roughly 10x in the boiler room and only 2 made it past the ribcage. They all blew apart. They aren't a tough bullet.
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With what? I call bs that 8 blew up on the hide unless it was a 22.

Bullet construction is no substitute for shot placement.
 
MountainSqwabler said:
They are a jacketed bullet and don't hold up as well as they should. Had my father shoot a cow elk at 300 yards roughly 10x in the boiler room and only 2 made it past the ribcage. They all blew apart. They aren't a tough bullet.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback. I've had a different experience with the LR version. One cow at 500 yds and another (last year) at 200. Both were shot with the 150 gr offering out of a .270. Both only needed one shot, double lung.

***For the record, 500 yds is the max I'd shoot the 150 gr out of a .270 due to it's downrange velocity at that distance.***
 
Bluehair said:
With what? I call bs that 8 blew up on the hide unless it was a 22.

Bullet construction is no substitute for shot placement.
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.260 and you can call whatever you want. We saw each round hit her and we cut her open and saw 3 rounds make it past the ribcage. All were perfect shots.
 
txhunter58 said:
X3. You hit an elk in the CHEST with an accubond and it will penetrate well at 300 yards.
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The evidence was witnessed. Each bullet basically blew up on impact of the hide. Its no different than the Hornady eld-x. I've heard a ton of dudes have those just blow up on impact because they are a soft jacketed bullet.
 
roadrunner said:
Thanks for the feedback. I've had a different experience with the LR version. One cow at 500 yds and another (last year) at 200. Both were shot with the 150 gr offering out of a .270. Both only needed one shot, double lung.

***For the record, 500 yds is the max I'd shoot the 150 gr out of a .270 due to it's downrange velocity at that distance.***
Click to expand...
Glad you had a different experience. My dad shot that cow so many times and when we cut her open, right inside the hide there was just fragments of the bullets everywhere.
 
Hmmm I must confess I missed the LR in your story. I have no experience with those. And sounds like they are made for extreme long range. Seems like they still should have penetrated at 300 yards but I have to assume your story is true. Thx for the info.
 
txhunter58 said:
Hmmm I must confess I missed the LR in your story. I have no experience with those. And sounds like they are made for extreme long range. Seems like they still should have penetrated at 300 yards but I have to assume your story is true. Thx for the info.
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We were as baffled as you so no worries man. We thought the same but upon opening her they acted almost like a varget bullet
 
Both my record book shiras moose were shot with a 175 grain 7mm partition and performed perfectly. They shot great too right at quarter inch and 2.5 inch groups at 550 yards.
 
MountainSqwabler said:
.260 and you can call whatever you want. We saw each round hit her and we cut her open and saw 3 rounds make it past the ribcage. All were perfect shots.
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I would have liked to have seen that, but I’ll take your word for it.

I suppose bullet construction is an important consideration when shooting elk at 300 yards with a 260. Glad you recovered her (y)
 
I like the Rambo shooting stories. ? Everybody’s got a 500 yarder, not 511, 517, 563 always 500 yards. Those animals don’t feel safe unless they are 500 yards away from humans. ?
 
Togwotee said:
There has never been a bullet that performs on game at any practical range than the Nosler partition. it simply works and it works every time.

There are higher BC bullets and there are bullets that shoot a little better. but from 25-600 yards on elk size the partition is what I keep coming back to.
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Nosler Partitions are the ticket for my uses & experience- never ever a failure from 25 yards to 400 yards plus- they get it done ✅ without fail.
I’d bet my life on them. With a 160-175 - 7 MM REM Mag
they are the tops- used them last 40-50 years.
Fabulous bullets. Always look life the photos - the mushrooms are incredibly consistent.
Happy Hunting!
Jerry Gold
Windsor, Colorado ??
 
Jerry said:
Nosler Partitions are the ticket for my uses & experience- never ever a failure from 25 yards to 400 yards plus- they get it done ✅ without fail.
I’d bet my life on them. With a 160-175 - 7 MM REM Mag
they are the tops- used them last 40-50 years.
Fabulous bullets. Always look life the photos - the mushrooms are incredibly consistent.
Happy Hunting!
Jerry Gold
Windsor, Colorado ??
Click to expand...
Agreed, my go to is 165 grain, REM 3006. 46 years and going strong.
 
Let’s face it, Nosler makes great bullets. I’ve reloaded for over 50 years, and have tried most of the traditional brands. Most got the job done when I did my part. Some better than others. I’ve reload for 243 win, 270 win, 25-06, 300 Savage, 30-06, and 300 win mag. and probably others I’ve forgotten. Nosler Partitions were my go to bullet for most of that time, and I love how they have preformed. My family has killed dozens of game animals, and hundreds of prairie dogs and jack rabbits with them. My experience with the Accubonds is more limited, but still includes kills of several dozen animals by different family members. Game killed includes mule and whitetail deer, antelope, elk, Shiras and Alaska moose, a bison, a bear, an oryx, and a couple of pigs. Ranges were from 25 yards to 600+. Most resulted in one shot kills, and when it didn’t, you could blame pilot error. The Accubonds seem to be more accurate in our guns. I’ve got a load that we shoot in three different 300 win mags that shoots sub minute in all of them. I love Accubonds.
 
This is a very interesting thread. I am testing both the Accubonds and Noslers for my upcoming bear hunt. I am going to choose the bullet that shoots best in my .300 win, 180 grain. They were tough to find and took a few months.
 
Weiserbucks said:
Accubonds and Noslers huh?
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My brother has killed a pile of bull elk with a 300 Win Mag using Winchester Power Point 180 grain bullets. He's a damn good shot and like he always tells me, "You gotta put the grease where the squeak is!" Sound wisdom!!!
He shoots a Browning A-Bolt Hunter w/ a BOSS and Leupold Vari-XXX scope. Nothing fancy, just a good shooting gun and he knows how to use it and how it performs.
Funny thing is, he killed his biggest bull with 180 grain Remington CoreLokt. Go figure...
 
Get Rid of the JUNK Core-Lokts!

The POWER-POINTS Are Awesome Bullets!

songdog said:
My brother has killed a pile of bull elk with a 300 Win Mag using Winchester Power Point 180 grain bullets. He's a damn good shot and like he always tells me, "You gotta put the grease where the squeak is!" Sound wisdom!!!
He shoots a Browning A-Bolt Hunter w/ a BOSS and Leupold Vari-XXX scope. Nothing fancy, just a good shooting gun and he knows how to use it and how it performs.
Funny thing is, he killed his biggest bull with 180 grain Remington CoreLokt. Go figure...
Click to expand...
 
Shot a cow elk last Dec at 867 yds with a 180 grn Accubond. Recovered the bullet stuck in the hide on the opposite shoulder. She walked about 5' and fell over.
 
I think you are on the right track with either. I have a few boxes of 180 gr partitions left for my 300 RUM, once gone I will likely switch to accubonds.
 
Could be a coin flip with either, depending on the situation. Both have performed great for me on various game.
 
I’m going to try accubonds. I’ve never really used anything other than partitions with the exception of Black Talons one year and I didn’t like those. I have no complaints with the partitions.
 
Good luck finding them! We been on backorder list forever. Luckily we have some loaded. We found a box of 50 in the stash and have a recipe. Should hold us for a few years.
 
Question, are there accubond bullets and a different accubond long range bullet? I am talking about the actual bullet not the shell/round. I found ammo called 190 grain accubond long range trophy grade ammunition. I am curious if the bullet differs from the bullet in Federals Nosler Accubond bullet?
 
DonVathome said:
Question, are there accubond bullets and a different accubond long range bullet? I am talking about the actual bullet not the shell/round. I found ammo called 190 grain accubond long range trophy grade ammunition. I am curious if the bullet differs from the bullet in Federals Nosler Accubond bullet?
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Yes, accubond and accubond LR are different. They have different minimum expansion speeds, and the LR core is softer too from what I've seen and researched.
 
Don you will do fine with either one, both those Moose were shot with 140 gr. Accubonds from a 7mm-08 and both traveled less than 10 yards.
 
First I LOVE my Tikka 300 win mag! Literally every bullet I have shot in it has the same POI and shoots accurately. I finally was able to buy and shoot some accubond bullets. They shot great. Both the accubond and the partition are 18 grain. BC on is obviously better on the accubond.

What was about as expected was the flatter trajectory. The partition drops about 6" more at 500 yards and 13.5" at 600 yards. Not a big difference but a clear advantage.

What I noticed next n the tables was the energy. The accubond had 50% more energy at 600 yards then the partition. I did a double take then remembered energy is mass x velocity squared.

At longer range on big game like alaskan moose that is a significant advantage.
 
Just this year alone I’ve personally witnessed 4 mule deer, 3 coues deer, 2 desert sheep, a fox, a bobcat, a bear, and a handful of coyotes killed with the Accubond LR’s. Shots ranged from 30 yards to 415 yards, and the bullet performed flawlessly each time. Last year I put one completely through a 6’ bear that was facing me at 80 yards. The bullet entered the chest and was underneath the hide in the rump. The year before that, I put one completely through a 6’ bear that was quartering away extremely hard at 236 yards. I tucked the shot in front of the rear quarter, and found the bullet lodged up against the skull.
 
Bigfoot 1 said:
Agreed, my go to is 165 grain, REM 3006. 46 years and going strong.
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I'm right there with you, Bigfoot! I shoot a Browning A-Bolt 30-06 w/ a Federal Premium 165 gr. Nosler Partition and have taken everything from javelina to a Shiras moose. Call me "old school" but I just believe in using a bullet that is tried and true. I guess I'm really starting to show my age 'cause I'm too resistant to change with all of the new bullet types and calibers...

Tastes great and less filling!!! Why not both??? ;)
 
CFMuley said:
Just this year alone I’ve personally witnessed 4 mule deer, 3 coues deer, 2 desert sheep, a fox, a bobcat, a bear, and a handful of coyotes killed with the Accubond LR’s. Shots ranged from 30 yards to 415 yards, and the bullet performed flawlessly each time. Last year I put one completely through a 6’ bear that was facing me at 80 yards. The bullet entered the chest and was underneath the hide in the rump. The year before that, I put one completely through a 6’ bear that was quartering away extremely hard at 236 yards. I tucked the shot in front of the rear quarter, and found the bullet lodged up against the skull.
Click to expand...
Curious, what cartridge you shooting the LR Accubonds out of?
 
Guys I do agree about the partition. Long track record but man that accubond..................

50% more energy at 600 yards is to much to ignore. I will say if this was AK moose or bull bison I would go with the partition because of it's track record. They are huge - which makes my energy statement seem dumb. I have shot at 425 yards once and 325 once. I think those are my only shots over 300 yards at game in my life. More then enough energy for a 300 win mag with either.

I am hunting cow bison, elk and sheep this year. I likely will never hunt AK moose or bull bison again in my lifetime. Shiras moose is probably the largest animal I will ever hunt in the future.

I also agree this is a very fine line both are great. I ordered more accubonds and plan to use them going forward.
 
DonVathome said:
Guys I do agree about the partition. Long track record but man that accubond..................
Click to expand...

I have shot quite a few accubonds at critters over the years and find them to expand with authority up front and rapidly flatten to the thick shank but penetrate well even when heavy bone was hit. A 150 7mm AB saved my bacon this year when I hit low smacked the elbow on an antelope. Still penetrated the lower ribcage. The front 2/3rds will disappear and fold the copper jacket flat against the remaining shank under high velocity and heavy bone but there's enough in the rear to still drive forward. From left to right. 2- 30 cal 180 AB, 30 cal 200 AB and a .338 call 200. Taken from elk and moose.

20211208_201422.jpg
 
rocky2track said:
I have shot quite a few accubonds at critters over the years and find them to expand with authority up front and rapidly flatten to the thick shank but penetrate well even when heavy bone was hit. A 150 7mm AB saved my bacon this year when I hit low smacked the elbow on an antelope. Still penetrated the lower ribcage. The front 2/3rds will disappear and fold the copper jacket flat against the remaining shank under high velocity and heavy bone but there's enough in the rear to still drive forward. From left to right. 2- 30 cal 180 AB, 30 cal 200 AB and a .338 call 200. Taken from elk and moose.

View attachment 76707
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Thanks, nice visual comparison.
 
The accubond will do nicely for you, spouse also used 180gr accubonds on his cow bison. One shot kill, 300wsm.
 

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