Nosler Accubond vs Ballistic tips

[Manimal]

Hello all,

Wondering what peoples view is on the Nosler Accubond's versus their Ballistic Tips for hunting game in Australia?

Same BC and everything else bullet wise except for the 'bonding' part.

A box of Accubonds costs about 50% more than the Ballistic Tips.

Reckon it's worth the additional cost?

[chacka]

Bonding isn't everything.

Depends on your calibre, target game and all that...

If for example you're hunting deer. A 180gr softpoint will put it down no problems, with or without bonding.

[Aster]

Bonding definitely does make a difference. I wouldn't say it's "needed" on anything but the biggest game in Australia though.

If you're hunting Sambar I'd say it's justified. If you're hunting Hog deer I'd say they're going to waste.

Accubonds are fine, but so are plenty of other bullets which are cheaper.

[BBJ]

Reckon it's worth the additional cost?

I reckon there are plenty of alternatives outside Nosler.

Any reason you don't try SST's? Gamekings? Corelokts?

Nosler make a good bullet, but they are overpriced IMO.

[howtow]

Hornady SST's

[Manimal]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I've pushed on with them for a few months now comparing the Accubonds to a couple of others.

They're definitely good, but its $1.10 per bullets, and I'm not seeing enough to justify them costing twice the price of some of the alternatives.

[Blackened]

Definitely plenty of cheaper replacements for them.

Not knocking them, but we don't really have the game here in Aus to "need" what the Accubond's deliver IMO.

A monster Sambar might be the exception, but I'd say it's more suited to something like hunting in the US or Canada for Moose where the animals weight can regularly be 600-700kg. Even for Sambar though, they're typically going to be in the 150-300kg range with a rare 500kg one.

Water Buffalo in the north could be another exception, but if you're after anything other than them...

[Bills Shed]

Agree with all of the above.
"Bonded" seems to be the the catch cry by the advertisers, but for the majority of game in Aust they are over rated IMO. Another marketing ploy to buy their "new" projectile.
If you are going for the big critters more power to you, but for the majority of shooters who chase pigs and anything smaller, the cost of bonded can not be justified.
I have dug out enough "average" soft pointed projectiles from pigs to see they work just fine.

Bill

[portph]

For curiosity, if you were hunting buffalo would you be using an Accubond calibre anyway?

I thought the big boys like .416 and .458 where the favs for something that tough? And shooting something like Nosler Solid bullets instead?

[Blackened]

They make the Accubond in .338 and .375 calibres. I can't say that I'm a water buffalo hunting expert but I would think something like .338 Win Mag or .375 H&H would both do the job.

Something chambers in .416 and .458 would also do the job, and be preferred by many I'm sure.

Put it this way though, if someone turned up to hunt water buffalo with their .270 or .308 and thought to themselves "it's fine, I'm using Accubond bullets" they'd be in for a seriously rude shock from one seriously pissed off buffalo

If I was going I wouldn't be skimping on calibre.