firsttimeelkhunter

I did a search of accubond in this board and got some information, one post said that the nosler accubond and partition used the same reloading data. What are the differences, if any? Which is the better Elk round in .338? Why?

Thanks!

handloader1

The difference is in bullet construction. I would use the Nosler Partition it has proven its self on many elk. Go to www.nosler.com for more information. Good luck.

Vapodog

this will be a good thread because there' s so much history to the Particians and so little for the Bonded bullets.

First of all, all reloads must start low and be worked up watching for excess pressure signs. As long as this rule is followed You can use any xxx grain bullet in a given cartridge using tha loading data for that bullet of xxx grains. You never substitute yyy grain bullets for that loading data.....NEVER.

Example: you load a Hornady 130 interlock in your .270 Win. with IMR 4831 and now wish to switch to a 130 grain speer hot core. You may use the same data for the Speer Hot Core as long as you back off and start load developement all over again.

I say 5% and others say more than that to be backed off. To be safe back off 10%

I' d personally use the same data for a .300 Win Mag using 180 grain particians as I would use for a .300 Win mag using the same weight of an accubond. Remember, back off and re check for pressure signs.

This will now be the first time ever I' ve disagreed with Handloader 1. The nosler Partician is famous for shedding the lead from the foreward section of the jacket. Plus the fact that in my experience accuracy is spotty.....some excellent.....some not so.

I have no experience with the Accubonds but they resembly Trophy Bonded bullets to me so strongly that I' d gamble on them over the Particians.

eldeguello

The Nosler Partition jacket is DESIGNED to expand to the extent that the front core is lost! This is how they do such massive damage, expand at exteme ranges/low velocity levels, yet STILL RETAIN ENOUGH WEIGHT in the rear section to continue to penetrate, usually leaving the target entirely. FEW Nosler Partition bullets are ever recovered inside an animal. The Partition Jacket bullet invariably does what it is designed to do! Some who use them a lot describe their performance as " monotonously reliable" !!

The Accubond has not been around long enough to say whether it is reliable on heavy game, but Nosler says it will be. We' ll see. I' m trying to find some .375-260 grain Accubonds to use on elk this fall to see how they compare to the Partition, which I KNOW will work well!

Vapodog

I' ve never before heard that the Nosler Partician was designed to lose the foreward cavity lead.

I' ll pay the extra for the Swift A-Frame where the foreward cavity is bonded. Thirty years ago a man that said he was hunting with Nosler Particians was equivalent to say " He cared enough to send the very best!"

Overall bullet selection today is far far improved. Hornady' s interlock is still one of the finest hunting bullets one can buy, but Hornady too has been forced to producing a bonded bullet (premium bullet) because of competition and demand for better bullets. For me to say that I no longer consider the Nosler Partician a premium bullet is not a condemnation of the product, rather a statement of it' s relative posture compared to today' s competition.

You must admit that there' s some extremely good choices out there today for us handloaders. I think most would disagree with me that the Nosler Partician isn' t among them.

noway

The front portion of the partition is designed to give you the rapid expansion you need for quick kills and to provide a large wound channel (often all that is left of the front is the jagged cutting edges of the jacket), with the added benefit of the base holding together and providing additional penetration (usually about 60% of the starting bullet weight).
Best of both worlds expansion and penetration.

The new bullets like the Barnes X for example will provide better penetration but not the large wound channel of the partition which causes more internal damage to the animal for quicker kills.

Each type of bullet has pros and cons, each hunter needs to decide which type of bullet they need for their application.

bigcountry

You know rifle magizine had a good article on comparing A-frames and Partitions. I forget the author, but made great sense that the A-Frames 90% wieght retention will give you a false sense of penetration, and his tests showed that with the partitions contruction, will pentrate better. I use both. I like both. But I won' t pay that much for the A-Frame any more. Why? Load development is expensive with A-Frames. But less than half or almost a third with the Partition.

I took a moose with a 200gr A-Frame and never did get a pass thru. Not sure anything would have passed thru however.

Vapodog

I' ll never understand a hunter that will spend several thousand dollars on a hunt and not spend $50 on bullets....maybe I' m out of touch!!

bigcountry

Well, you kinda are. There are more factors than just a one time 50 dollars. There is load development, which may be much more than just 50 dollars. There is time. There is availability. There is accuracy. And lastly, the 50 dollar bunch of bullets might give you a false sense of surcurity just because they are bonded and retain wieght. The 18 dollar a box bullet might even perform better as the writer in my last post said.

I have shot animals with both partitions and A-Frames. i can' t honestly say that one did better than the other.

Once I find a load, I like to practice with it. So that could mean much more than 50 dollars one time fee.

oldelkhunter

THis is just a rehash of what Handloader1, Eldequello and others have said about the Partition...It is designed to lose its front end but where is that 40% of bullet going ...right thru vital tissue if the bullet was aimed correctly. As a result they have super penetration and a tremendous wound channel... An Accubond will have probably a good sized mushroom and retain its weight and look pretty in a picture but it will kill no better and I am betting not penetrate as well or any better . Another benefit of both bullets is outstanding accuracy for a hunting bullet. Retained bullet weight is another great marketing ploy and evidently a lot of people are buying into that theory. .