Mushroom

[thegamehunter]

I'm gonna be shootin a 300 wsm and wondering if the Accubonds or XP3's (both by winchester) in 180 grains will mushroom more, when hunting whitetails? Also if going down to a 150 gr in both rounds will make it mushroom more or less??

thanks for the help

[MinnFinn]

As I understand it, the biggest selling point (advantage) of bullets designed like the Nosler Accubond is that they retain a high % of their orginal mass even after penetrating thick, tough skinned and heavy bone animals (e.g. Elk) to continue to do the damage to hungs, heart, etc.. necessary to bring the big game animals down.
Accubond .300 WM would in my opinion certainly, with a well placed shot take down a deer. It's probably more of a caliber and bullet needed to get the job done for whitetail. But you won't have a problem of the bullet failing to penetrate clear through the deer for sure.
Maybe ask what others who do you .300WM for whitetail use, possibly dropping to a 165 gr bullet?
Just remember the shot placement is still the key to a consistent kill of any game animal.

[skeeter 7MM]

Accubond is designed to act like a nosler partition. Basically the front 1/3 is shed to create wound channel meanwhile retaining approx 60% of orginal mass for pentration. Though the accubond via the polymer tip will give more reliable expansion at lower velocities or longer range due to the tip being drove back into the the bullet upon impact. IME the Accubond will mushroom more then the NP. Though from whatI have seen the NP will still out pentrate the AB in tough slugging conditions (not a concern with deer). I have used the 160Ab from my 7mm rem mag and no problems to report on deer, elk or moose shot with it.

As far as the XP3 (i admit to having no experience with it)though my take on it's design is to hold onto higher amount of weight retention (90% area)and like other bonded core/polymer tipbulletssuch as:Hornady Interbond, Scirricco I believe it will suffer slightly to the Nosler designinterms of total pentration. Reason being larger frontal area expansion causes the bullet to encounter resistance which will slow the pentration. That said on a whitetail it won't matter, my partner and his boy shot 4 deer with the IB this year and all were pass thrus (3 rib shots and a double shoulder), great wound channels and no concerning damage to report. I have seen this design work on elk as well, it just meant a little less total pentration where it meant a shoulder bone in its travels. Still amounted to damaged lungs and tagged animals.

As far as grain the lighter in theory should expand more due to the higher MV and impact velocity. This can result in higher frags, damage and impeded pentration. Though once again on a deer I really don't see lighter to be a problem if your aiming behind the front shoulder. If the shoulderis your aim point anty up in grain size or go with a better constructed bullet like the Barnes TSX. While the lighter will most certainly do the job it shouldbe realized that more damage will likely ensue even with a bonded bullet.

Also consider range if your shots are going to be longer then then advatanges of a lighter grain bullet may be appealingdue to the ballistical gain. Though their really is no reason to have the fastest/flatest bullet in the tube if you expect 200 or under to be the norm.