Berger vld vs accubond

[Fowlweather25]

What's your preference? Does the accubond stand up to the Berger vld for long range performance?

[high country]

Berger is more volitile and smokes it down range ballisticly, nozzy is tough with good bc for a hunting bullet.

[Fowlweather25]

I'm finally gonna start reloading and I wanna try some loads with the accubonds. I know what the factory loaded bergers do to a deer out of my 7 mag but I'm hearing a lot of hype about the nozzies.

[high country]

Not a thing wrong with the nozzy if it will fly for you. I would only choose bergers in heavy for caliber long bullets.

[Biggerhammer]

Not a thing wrong with the nozzy if it will fly for you. I would only choose bergers in heavy for caliber long bullets.

 

[addicted]

both have  a good kill record. I'd take whichever shoots best. Sometimes the VLD's need a tighter ROT because they get long.

VLD's sink in 3 inches then explode.

AB's are pretty much a bonded NBT so they are supposed to mushroom big from the polymer tip and hold together for good weight retension.

[carpsniperg2]

  That is spot on. Pretty much everyone knows I am a huge nosler fan. I have shot a lot of critters with there stuff and it has never let me down. This last year I shot 8 big game animals with nosler bullets and evey time there bullets have made me happy. I have been shooting partitions since I was old enough to hold a gun and never thought I would change. My friend at nosler got me to pick up some of the accubonds and they have amazed me. I run them in all of my guns that I shoot at a extended range. I also shot there etips this year and loved them as well, they are a real killer and will always be my go to on big/dangerous game

[Biggerhammer]

"AB's are pretty much a bonded NBT so they are supposed to mushroom big from the polymer tip and hold together for good weight retension."

...and that is EXACTLY what they do!

[ing]

I loaded up some 110 grain Accubonds for my 25-06 a few years back and they shot great, very accurate.  Only one problem, I shot a deer at about 120 yards and the Accubond punched right thru both shoulders with out hardly expanding at all.  The exit hole was just about the same size as the entrance.  The deer ran 80 to 100 yards and left very little blood to follow. I havnt used them since.

[high country]

I loaded up some 110 grain Accubonds for my 25-06 a few years back and they shot great, very accurate.  Only one problem, I shot a deer at about 120 yards and the Accubond punched right thru both shoulders with out hardly expanding at all.  The exit hole was just about the same size as the entrance.  The deer ran 80 to 100 yards and left very little blood to follow. I havnt used them since.

If you look at any bullet, regardless of mfr, you will see stories like yours.....it is very uncommon, but it happens. I had a pard soak a 210gr berger into a bull and it ran off. The bull was killed a few days later by a relative and it was tore up, but the bullet hit the humerous and either deflected or blew up. I ha e seen pics of a tsx with a bent tip....how do you stop a bullet that does not expand is beyond me.....but it obviously happened. I have killed a few elk with smks which many will tell you wont kill elk, let alone from a little 6.5. I would continue to shoot the accurate bullet in your gun. If the pencil through races through your mind still, choose another brand....you need 100% confidence in your shot.

[addicted]

i'd rather have a round more likely to punch through then explod on a leading bone.

[BULLBLASTER]

I like both very much. My 7mm really loves 140 accubonds. My 300 rum loves betters and won't shoot 200 accubbonds as well, in loads I have tried. May play more or use them in my 30-06. Both are great bullets as far as I'm concerned. Different designs but both work extremely well in my experience.

[sirmissalot]

i'd rather have a round more likely to punch through then explod on a leading bone.

My theory as well, but people seem to have good luck with the bergers, I am just not a big fan because of what you mentioned. These bullets (berger vs accubond) are built with completely different purposes. Accubond is built with decent BC and high weight retention for deep penetration, bergers are built for high BC and to expel all its energy (blow up) 2-3 inches into an animal.

Its really interesting to compare videos on how the Bergers work, opposed to how a bullet like Barnes or Accubond work.

[MuleySniper]

I started reloading Accubonds for my .300 wby a couple years ago. I'm amazed on how they perform. I'd still like to try the Bergers though for comparison. I am more impressed with accuracy and consistency from a bullet. So far my groups are all around 3/4" which suits me just fine. As long as I know my shooting capabilities and know I am shooting an accurate bullet I know when I shoot an animal I will kill it based on shot placement alone and not feel I need to rely on a combination of placement AND bullet performance once it makes impact. Since I starting reloading I have also learned to understand the importance of ballistics too on another level.
MS

[Biggerhammer]

I loaded up some 110 grain Accubonds for my 25-06 a few years back and they shot great, very accurate.  Only one problem, I shot a deer at about 120 yards and the Accubond punched right thru both shoulders with out hardly expanding at all.  The exit hole was just about the same size as the entrance.  The deer ran 80 to 100 yards and left very little blood to follow. I havnt used them since.

Awfull big assumption that the bullet did not expand, I guarantee it did and you didn't recover it. It passed through. Its a 25 cal bullet, would you expect different results from the same hit with a Barnes ? I've had the same thing happen with a .300 Win Mag. Deer was just as dead 75 to 80 yards away. The bullet did its job just fine. All big game animals are different, they all react to hits differently. Just like a good'ol bar fight . You can smack one guy in the nose and he goes down like a sack of spud and the next takes it like a champ and cleans your clock.