Post by: MDGrand on April 18, 2010, 07:39:00 PM
Got a good debate for all you Bullet nuts out there.. OK.. so I just had some custom ammo made for me: 200 Grain Nosler Accubonds and 180 Grain Barnes TTSX. BOTH give me less than 1" MOA.. BOTH have the same point of impact which is awsome because it means I do not have to adjust for each load.
So.. Going on a Alaskan Trophy Black Bear hunt in May.. Bears are all over the beaches and reguarly get close to 7ft if not bigger.. Which bullet would you choose?
BC on the Nosler is higher at .588 vs. .558 on the Barnes. Both are being shot out of my 300 weatherby. Obviously the Barnes at a distance will not drop as much as the Nosler.. but BC on Nosler is higher and will hit with more energy.
What would you choose?
Post by: WDFW-SUX on April 18, 2010, 07:42:18 PM
Post by: Jamieb on April 18, 2010, 07:49:29 PM
I love the TSX for knowing it will penetrate from stem to stern, break heavy bone.
With that said I use more accubonds, they buck the wind much better and dont have those groves cut into them like the TSX's. I loaded barnes X's in pretty much all my big game rifles until barnes discontinued alot of them to promote the tsx's. Those groves in the TSX's ruined the aerodynamics.
Post by: bobcat on April 18, 2010, 07:54:06 PM
BC on the Nosler is higher at .588 vs. .558 on the Barnes. Both are being shot out of my 300 weatherby. Obviously the Barnes at a distance will not drop as much as the Nosler.. but BC on Nosler is higher and will hit with more energy.
I don't understand why you say the Barnes will not drop as much as the Nosler. If the Barnes has the lower B.C. then it will drop MORE than the Nosler, and hit with more energy (maybe, depends on starting velocity)
Either way, I would go with the Barnes. A little lighter, less recoil, that's a plus in my opinion. A Barnes will punch through no matter the angle or shot placement. The Accubond probably will too, but not quite as reliably and may break up somewhat.
I don't think the B.C. is important, unless your shortest expected shot would be 400 yards. I also don't care about energy. To me it is a meaningless number. #1 priority for me would be accuracy and #2 is I would want an exit hole. The Barnes would give the best chance of always having an exit hole, and therefore a better blood trail.
Post by: MDGrand on April 18, 2010, 07:56:22 PM
Im a fan of both.. Have seen the Accubond mushroom perfectly in Elk.. did not penetrate all the way through though.. All the energy was displaced though. TTSX.. great bullet too.. Looking for that dead right there preformance. Last time I used my Accubond.. I shot the Elk at 350 yards and it went right through the heart.. left a hole about the size of the size of a silver dollar.. but it did not "drop" the animal... well it did fall.. just about 30 yards away. maybe I shouldn't be so picky.
Post by: MDGrand on April 18, 2010, 07:58:31 PM
Well.. if you graph the trajectory the Accubond due to weight will drop about 5 inches more.. this is according to the graphs I have seen.
Post by: h20hunter on April 19, 2010, 08:57:11 AM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on April 19, 2010, 09:04:40 AM
Post by: Intruder on April 22, 2010, 11:19:36 AM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 22, 2010, 11:36:07 AM
Post by: Rufous on April 26, 2010, 05:29:17 PM
Post by: littlemac on April 26, 2010, 06:04:05 PM
I must say that I didn't have an exit hole on any of them, but little to no tracking was needed either. Of my six black bears the only one that went over 10 yards was the one I shot on a side hill bench and he rolled over the bench and down the hill 15 yards or so.
It seems to me a bit like the Ford or Chevy argument, mostly a personal preference.
For me its Nosler as I have always used them in most all my hunting with large caliber rifles and without disappointment.
Post by: Jamieb on April 26, 2010, 08:30:04 PM
You want the bear to die on the beach. From what I've seen on my bear hunts on POW, as soon as you get off the beach the brush is very, very thick and the ground is covered with moss so a bear wont leave tracks. Break the front legs and take out the lungs, a bear wont go far.
Post by: MDGrand on April 26, 2010, 08:56:44 PM
To me the type of bullet selected should be 1. the most accurate out of your rifle and 2. The one that causes the most damage and stops the animal when a less than preferred area is shot.. i.e. the guts, the leg, etc..
Based on that theory, which one would you choose then?
Post by: bobcat on April 26, 2010, 09:00:57 PM
Post by: Bighorse on April 26, 2010, 09:32:47 PM
All things going perfect you don't have anything to worry about. I killed a big coastal brown bear last Oct. with a 120g nosler partition from my 25-06. One shot like a bow hunter through the pump.
Take both rounds.....in close Nosler......past 300.......TSX. Just get close though and make it a good death.
Enjoy Spring in SE AK it's a special time of year here.
Post by: MDGrand on April 28, 2010, 09:55:38 PM
What can you tell me about Kupreanof island? I was told the islands there are crawling with black bears.. easy to see.. have to be selective because of opportunity.. do you agree?
From what I understand the Barnes are always going to be more accurate than the partions.. basically because of the design.. one is boatail the other is basically an A frame.. makes sense over the island.
Post by: bobcat on April 28, 2010, 10:00:49 PM
From what I understand the Barnes are always going to be more accurate than the partions.. basically because of the design.. one is boatail the other is basically an A frame
I don't know about that. I think either one can be accurate, it just depends on which one your rifle "likes." I have never heard that Barnes are "always" more accurate than Nosler Partitions. I'm not saying it can't be true, but just that I would be surprised if it were. It would take a lot of shooting to prove it either way.
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 28, 2010, 10:08:21 PM
Post by: MDGrand on April 28, 2010, 10:10:19 PM
Post by: Intruder on April 30, 2010, 08:07:23 AM
Post by: hornhunter on April 30, 2010, 02:19:52 PM
Bobcat..
Well.. if you graph the trajectory the Accubond due to weight will drop about 5 inches more.. this is according to the graphs I have seen.
5" at what yardage? ALOT of variables. Barrel length. Will mess those graphs all up, just for starters. Like Bobcat said, less than 400 yards 200 grain would be my choice. More than 500yrds, you better know how to shoot that far first, then know exactly what that bullet is going to do at that range.