Toughest Long Range bullet

bragabit

bragabit

Active Member
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In your opinion what bullet, will hold together at high speeds and is still good at long range. I thought the Accubonds were the best of both worlds until I had one blow apart on a deer this year. I am shooting 165gr at 3500 fps out of my 300 RUM.. Are any of the "bonded" bullets better than Accubonds? What experiences do you guys have with the E-tips, GMXs or Barnes bullets? How will Berger do at 3500fps? I wish I could get some XP3's to reload. Thanks for your help.
 
Good Question! I think like Fishing lures, Dogs, and Women...There is no perfect one for every situation. :)

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
I am liking the new 175LRX out of my 30-378..I'd shoot the 200LRX but they offer nothing over the 175, when you factor in the higher MV of the 175.

The 200 grain accubond is a much better bullet for the RUM than the 165.
 
I shoot a 30-378 with 165 gr at 3600 and they seem to do pretty good.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Toughest bullet I've ever seen is the Swift A frame. I don't know if its what you are looking for in a long range bullet.
 
Gator,
Which bullet do you shoot?
I had my reloads up to 3800fps, I figured they wouldn't hold together at that speed. My gun has a 1 in 11 twist so I may be able to shoot 180s, but I doubt it will shoot 200 gr bullets very well. I hate to switch when this load shoots under 1/2 inch. Would the Swift Scirroccos or Hornady Interbond be any better? I have loved the Acccubonds, maybe just a fluke with last deer. I shot it quartering away behind front shoulder, destroyed vitals had small 22cal size hole exiting out of base of neck.
 
I shoot the Nosler.
I had Conley Precision Cartridge make up the load for it.
Outstanding loads MOA is the best I have ever got out any of my 3 30-378, 2 Wbty and 1 Sako, They are shooters.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
I think Sage nailed it.

What are you expecting bragabit? What was the problem with the scenario you described in the "failure" above? Destroyed vitals, dead deer. I think ANY bullet that performs well at long range (500yards+) is going to be a bit fragile around 100 yards. JMHO

Bill

Look out Forkie, FTW is watching us!
 
Some of the other bullet maker's wont open up at long range but the 180 Nosler Partition will and its the way to go! We have harvested deer out to 1,000 yards no problems. Only other bullet I would use is the SST by Hornady. Good luck!

quest
 
I personaly disagree with quest on the sst but that might just be because I had a bad experience with it. the other guys in my group shoot the 180gr swift sirrocoII with great success. I would be doing the same but could not get it to group. I am shooting the 180gr accubond 346yrds have yet to get the weight on the recovered bullet. Hope this helps
 
The Sciroccos I've recovered, 130 gr. .277 and 180 gr .308, have been 85% of original bullet weight, very consistently. The ABs, 200 gr .308, have been 75%, also very consistently.

Of course, my MV is only standard magnum, not magnum magnum.
 
A couple of years ago I found a website that allowed you to order bullets in smaller quantities than full boxes. I would like to experiment with a few different bullets, but hate buying full boxes just to try. I can't find it now. I will try the Sciroccos, they claim 80 plus weight retention where accubonds are 70 plus. Basically the same BC. Hornady Interbond claims 90 percent weight retention, but their BC is not as good. Does anyone shoot them? I don't really want to go to Barnes or other all copper bullets that have 99 plus weight retention. I am afraid they won't open up at 500 plus yards. I am not giving up on Accubonds after one so so experience. It was a one shot kill, dropped in his tracks. Just dissapointed that at 300 yards and not hitting major bone just a rib it blew apart.
 
I agree with quest, it is hard to beat the terminal performance of the Partition at any range but ballistics wise it is a little challenged.

I LOVE the SST but I only hunt deer with it, 180gr. .30 cal. at 3300fps and I have not had problems at any range out to 700 yards on deer. Holds up well in close (your experience may differ) and is fragile enough to make a marginal shot good at longer distances.

Bill

Look out Forkie, FTW is watching us!
 
The SST are a good bullets but cause a lot of tissue damage close range and a gaping hole but they have a decent BC and a lot of shock! They are a good bullet for long range shooting. My brother gets 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards with his 300 Weatherby and the same with my other bro with his 270 WSM. I like the Nosler Partition because my rifle is set up for this combo. I've used the Sciroccos.I could only get 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. Then I read a article on high performance bullets that won't open up at long range distances. If we are talking about only out to 500 yards, most bullets will perform. If your talking close range then go with the high performance bullets like Barns or Sciroccos but if you want a happy medium you cant go wrong with a Nosler or SST! :)

quest
 
interbonds are good all around. i think they hold up a bit better than accubonds. bc numbers can be deceiving because of the way they are measured. i think if you shot accubonds and interbonds back to back you would not be able to tell a difference in bullet flight.

i shot a deer at 285 yards with a 180 grain accubond. recovered it weighed 129 grains. about 70 percent retention

my buddy shot his deer at 85 yards with a 165 grain interbond. recovered bullet weighed 155 grains. over 90 percent retention.

i know there are tons of variablles but both of these bullets would have hit at 3000+- fps. both mushroomed perfectly. it made a believer out of me because the interbond went through 2 shoulders, the accubond went only through ribs.
 
>I just don't see the logic
>of a big-cased magnum and
>little 165 grain bullets. mtmuley
>


+1 use a bigger bullet
 
I just don't see the logic of a big-cased magnums!

My Winchester Mod 70 Classic 30-06 springfield w/ 165 gr pills has never failed to put em down.


It's not the size of your pencil that counts its how well you write your name that matters. :)
 
165 at 3500 fps...That's your problem there pal. Tone your load down or go to a heavier bullet. Theirs no need to send anything faster than 3000 in my personal opinion. I know im old fashioned and everything is about speed now, but of course its going to blow up on a shoulder going that fast. Speed doesnt necesarrily mean better penetration. I'm assuming you want the extreme velocitys for long shots? In reality it won't drop that much more, just know your ballistics and learn how to aim just a tad higher and you'll do fine, just my two cents.
 
I have loaded scirocco bullets for my hunting bud, he shoots a .308 warbird from lazzeroni, 165 gr at 3650 (through my chronograph). he shot a mulie at about 300 yrds. and it was drt.
when we opened him up guts were jelly and the bullet fragmented into bits and pieces.
I loaded up some 165 scirocco's for my .300 wby at a much more resonable 3250 fps, and shot a big forky mulie at 75 yrds this year, and the bullet stopped against the ribs on the far side, bullet peeled open clear to the base and flat-end like it hit a steel plate.
I know this is only two examples, but I now know if you run the 165 gr. sciroccos real fast they come apart but they do kill well.
I'm going back to the nosler partitions, have used them for many years with no problems.
 
I have an update on my Accubond experience. I had a late cow elk tag, so I wanted to test this load out and see if it was just a fluke with the deer earlier this year. I shot a cow at 547yds. I hit her through the back edge of the shoulder blade. It took out a rib entering, both lungs and a rib on the way out. Complete pass through at 547 with an exit hole about the size of a quarter. Great results at that range.
 

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