i shot my elk last week with Federal Premium 225 Trophy Copper. Very accurate-complete pass thru the chest cavity on 2 rounds but neither one appeared to expand much if any. Did not recover the bullets due to the pass thru. anyone have any experience with this ammo. seemed to do the job but i am a little concerned about the lack of expansion. my outfitter is totally against the copper ammo.

switch to 225 gr accubonds, problem solved
RR

I use Federal's 250 grain Nosler Partition bullets and they've worked extremely well on both elk and moose. I tried Winchester's 225 grain Failsafe on elk only and wasn't as impressed. I've never used the Accubonds but have never heard anything bad about them and would pretty much take anything RR says to the bank.

i have tried the 210 nosler partition and they seemed to be fairly accurate but come time to go hunting i wasn't able to find any available. i liked the down range ballasitics re bullet drop. it was comparable to the federals. the 250 bullets looked to me to have too much drop at long range (4-500 yds)

drop is the easiest part to fix, its simple math
RR

I have no complaints with the partitions or the 250 grain Speer. They plain work.

I'll first say that I don't use any of these newer bullets from any of the manufacturers. But, having seen their performance for the first time last year, I won't be rushing off to start using myself them any time soon.

The DO penetrate very well. None of the animals we shot with them didn't pass-through. However, they seemed to do about as much damage as I'd expect a FMJ to have done on that trip through the ribcage. We weren't able to recover any of them, but I suspect that very little expansion took place. I've experienced the same thing using 300-grain, heavy jacket Barnes (old stock) bullets in a .375 H&H on elk. One of those elk was the longest trailing jobs I've ever had. We trailed every animal hit with those bullets last season, too, and were able to recover all but one. Conversely, every animal we hit with Partitions and other "traditional" bullets went down a rock's-throw from the point on the ground they were hit. In the end, dead is dead, but that one animal that did elude us probably wouldn't have had the hunter been using cup-and-core bullets (shot was less than 100 yards, .300 WSM).

It's just my feeling now that those bullets are "too tough" for the situations I expect to encounter when I'm hunting. I'm sure lots of guys are using them effectively, but I wasn't as impressed with them as I am concerned they don't work as well. I also prescribe to the school of thought that pass-throughs are for bowhunters (we've had debates in camp during bow season over traditional broadheads versus expandables, too - I tried expandables and am now back to my Muzzys).

Maybe I'm just old and stubborn, but I tend to find that what always worked - still always works. And that the new stuff that comes out is worth checking into, but it's not a safe bet to say that it's going to be better just because it's the next newest thing.

i have tried the 225 accubond in winchester bullets and did not have good groups. probably something like 3" @ 100yds. i have not been able to find them in anyother manufactures ammo but i am looking.

There is a reason nearly all bullets are compared to Noslers. And it ain't because Noslers are know for failure. I've had good luck with both Partitions and Accubonds. I handload so I can use any bullet I want. Noslers are what I want. Period.

7mm 160 gr accubond exit at 582 yards

same bullet exit at 702 yards

even this one exited and looked Identicle to the others

as have the other 36 deer taken with that bullet
here is an expanded accubond, the only one I have ever recovered fired into a sugar maple tree with an impact velocity of 3520 fps, expanded to .585 diameter and retained 63% of its original weight

I like accubonds
RR