Range Report 210 Accubond LR

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Anyone have experience hunting with the 210 Ablr?
I've seen a couple recent failures with the 215, and 300 grain Berger's on Elk when hitting bone.
My buddy also just splattered an elk shoulder with a 225 ELDM at 700 yards, total mess...
I'm done with non bonded hunting bullets and looking for a good LR option that'll make it through an elk shoulder

 

[Pwdrburner]

I’ve ran the regular and LR accubonds in my 300 RUM. Haven’t shot anything besides a coyote, few antelope and a few deer with them and they all expanded nicely and none penciled right through. If you want to break down an elk I’d go with one of the accubonds, or the Barnes just incase you hit bone or make a not so great shot.

 

[Alabusa]

I would go with the Barnes tipped triple shock instead. It will take a beating, stay together and keep on trucking. Sadly, 180gr is the largest they offer in 30 cal.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Thanks guys
I've heard a few reports recently about the 210 ABLR bullets doing exactly what the other LR bullets do when hitting bone..
Doesn't seem to make sense on a bonded bullet..


I too wish The Ttsx was available in a heavier higher bc offering.
I'm also looking at the Federal Edge TLR 200 grain, and the 214 grain hammer hunter.

Here's a pic of the 700 yard shoulder shot my buddy made on his bull with the 225 eldm.
It didn't make it through the shoulder, turned into a tracking nightmare.

 

[Mooseknuckles]

Barnes does make a 200 grain in there LRX bullet. Might be a good one to try.

 

[rockin randy]

I am also curious. I wish Berger would come out with a 230 hunter

 

[lead ƒarmer]

I don't have any experience with the 210, but I do have some limited experience with the 7mm 175gr and 6.5mm 142gr Accubond LRs. Over the last two years my brother and I have taken 3 elk with these bullets. Last year I had one shot from my 6.5 PRC at 700yds and the 142 ABLR went in behind the shoulder and through lungs and messed up the offside shoulder. Ran 30-50 yards and collapsed DEAD. This year we both used a 7SAUM with the 175gr ABLR. My shot was just like last year, 625 yds quartering away and the bullet went in just behind the shoulder, through lungs and at some point separated into two pieces (bigger chunk messed up the offside shoulder, and the smaller piece exited through ribs) He ran about 20 yards and collapsed DEAD. My bro's shot was at 825yds broadside. Bullet went dead center through the shoulder, through vitals, and broke the offside shoulder stopping just under the hide on the far side. He looped around 30 yards closer and was wobbling on his feet when my brother put one more in him to make sure he stayed down. So thats only a few shots, and several of them were on the same angle even, but the ABLR bullets have performed great for me. I also have had great accuracy at the range with them. Only downside I can see is their price and availability.

 

[FredIII]

250 yards on a bear 210 they work just like they should.
Killings a messy business and if shooting LR the bullet needs to be able to disrupt at the LR velocity.
Soft bullets will sometimes fail all part of the risk. It’s why for years companies developed premium bullets that were tough as nails.

The nosler is finicky but if you get it to shoot it’s golden. Barnes TSX, TTSX and the rest of the Barnes line are not worth a whores tear for LR killing.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I don't have any experience with the 210, but I do have some limited experience with the 7mm 175gr and 6.5mm 142gr Accubond LRs. Over the last two years my brother and I have taken 3 elk with these bullets. Last year I had one shot from my 6.5 PRC at 700yds and the 142 ABLR went in behind the shoulder and through lungs and messed up the offside shoulder. Ran 30-50 yards and collapsed DEAD. This year we both used a 7SAUM with the 175gr ABLR. My shot was just like last year, 625 yds quartering away and the bullet went in just behind the shoulder, through lungs and at some point separated into two pieces (bigger chunk messed up the offside shoulder, and the smaller piece exited through ribs) He ran about 20 yards and collapsed DEAD. My bro's shot was at 825yds broadside. Bullet went dead center through the shoulder, through vitals, and broke the offside shoulder stopping just under the hide on the far side. He looped around 30 yards closer and was wobbling on his feet when my brother put one more in him to make sure he stayed down. So thats only a few shots, and several of them were on the same angle even, but the ABLR bullets have performed great for me. I also have had great accuracy at the range with them. Only downside I can see is their price and availability.

Awesome to hear about your success with the ABLRs, and good shooting!
The shoulder shot at 800, did the bullet break through the heavy leg bone or the scapula?
I may grab a box of 210s and do some LR expansion tests

 

[lead ƒarmer]

Awesome to hear about your success with the ABLRs, and good shooting!
The shoulder shot at 800, did the bullet break through the heavy leg bone or the scapula?
I may grab a box of 210s and do some LR expansion tests

I should have gotten more pictures but the weather was turning and we wanted to get the elk cleaned before it got nasty.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

That sure looks like it hit the big leg bone, awesome penetration if it did.
Thanks for sharing the pic

 

[lead ƒarmer]

That sure looks like it hit the big leg bone, awesome penetration if it did.
Thanks for sharing the pic

It went right through the bone and all the way to the other side. This thread just reminded me that I should still have that bullet floating around in an empty water bottle in my pack. I'll have to see if its still there and weigh it. If I find it I'll update here for those interested in weight retention.

 

[verdugo60]

I'm looking at the same thing for my 280 AI build. From the research I have done the ABLR might be the most versatile bullet to be used a lot so far. I want something that won't explode on a 50 yard shot at an elk in the brush but will expand and penetrate at 700 yards ridge to ridge. That's a tall order.

The Hornady ELD-X seems to do ok at distance but not up close on bone with high velocity. My thought is the Barnes is at least bonded so should hold up better.

The Federal TLR Edge may be even better, one member here said he had switched to it after failures with several other bullets and it has been stellar on elk. It's not advertised as a match/long range bullet but if it shoots in your gun it might be perfect. There's an article about a guy testing it in Africa on plains game to 900 yards on 20+ animals and it performed great. (trip was sponsored by Federal but guy seemed legit).

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I'm looking at the same thing for my 280 AI build. From the research I have done the ABLR might be the most versatile bullet to be used a lot so far. I want something that won't explode on a 50 yard shot at an elk in the brush but will expand and penetrate at 700 yards ridge to ridge. That's a tall order.

The Hornady ELD-X seems to do ok at distance but not up close on bone with high velocity. My thought is the Barnes is at least bonded so should hold up better.

The Federal TLR Edge may be even better, one member here said he had switched to it after failures with several other bullets and it has been stellar on elk. It's not advertised as a match/long range bullet but if it shoots in your gun it might be perfect. There's an article about a guy testing it in Africa on plains game to 900 yards on 20+ animals and it performed great. (trip was sponsored by Federal but guy seemed legit).

I just got a box of 200 grain TLRs last weekend.

I loaded up a few for some testing and found a good load with H1000 that clocked 3075 in my 300 PRC, two shots were touching at 200 yards and the third was a windage flyer that opened the group up to 2".

I shot a 2 round 4" group at 670 yards, so far it's looking good.
I just wish they were a little heavier.

I'll shoot into a box of wet newspaper with wood behind it at 670 and see how the bullet looks.
I'd like to do the same with a few 210 ablrs

 

[verdugo60]

Awesome, glad to hear they are shooting well for you. Let us know how the newspaper test goes, I'm going to try to get some of both brands in 7mm to work up for next hunting season. Gun won't be ready for 3-4 months.

 

[Bigwheels]

I'd like to know more about the 225 ELDM on that elk shoulder. Cartridge? Velocity?

 

[verdugo60]

I'm not sure why people are surprised when match bullets explode when they hit dense bone or don't penetrate reliably. Amax and eld-m's seen to expand more than bullets like the Sierra Match King but that doesn't make them appropriate for big game.

The amax and eld-m aren't bonded and perform more like varmint bullets. Plenty of people kill big game with them under ideal conditions, even a FMJ through heart and lungs will kill game reliably. Under less ideal conditions stuff like the exploded shoulder happens and you get wounded animals that suffer unnecessarily. I'm not trying to preach and don't want to come off as morally superior but I think we owe it to the animals we love to hunt to give them as clean and quick a kill as possible.

To me that means bonded/tough bullets that penetrate reliably even when hitting a big shoulder or other bone.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I'd like to know more about the 225 ELDM on that elk shoulder. Cartridge? Velocity?

My buddy shot that bull with a 300 prc, impact velocity was around 2000 fps.

I'm not sure why people are surprised when match bullets explode when they hit dense bone or don't penetrate reliably. Amax and eld-m's seen to expand more than bullets like the Sierra Match King but that doesn't make them appropriate for big game.

The amax and eld-m aren't bonded and perform more like varmint bullets. Plenty of people kill big game with them under ideal conditions, even a FMJ through heart and lungs will kill game reliably. Under less ideal conditions stuff like the exploded shoulder happens and you get wounded animals that suffer unnecessarily. I'm not trying to preach and don't want to come off as morally superior but I think we owe it to the animals we love to hunt to give them as clean and quick a kill as possible.

To me that means bonded/tough bullets that penetrate reliably even when hitting a big shoulder or other bone.

I totally agree with you,
untill this season though I believed that a heavier non bonded bullet would still hold together enough to make it through an elk shoulder...
Now I know that even a 300 grain Berger elite hunter will blow apart on heavy bone.
Now it's bonded or bust for me

 

[Bigwheels]

I wouldn't have ever guessed that a 225gr of any design wouldn't blow through a bone with 2000+ fps & 2000 ft/lbs behind it. Are you sure it didn't clip a branch or something before impact?
I also agree that as a hunter it's my ethical responsibility to kill as quickly & humanely as possible.

 

[verdugo60]

My buddy shot that bull with a 300 prc, impact velocity was around 2000 fps.

I totally agree with you,
untill this season though I believed that a heavier non bonded bullet would still hold together enough to make it through an elk shoulder...
Now I know that even a 300 grain Berger elite hunter will blow apart on heavy bone.
Now it's bonded or bust for me

Live and learn brother, thanks for sharing your info. Elk are tough stinking animals.

Even the ELD-X, which is advertised for hunting and has a heavier jacket, isn't always punching through bone on elk and deer from field reports I've seen. My buddy shot a cow elk at 50 yards with a Nosler Partition 30/06 this year and it punched through the scapula but that shoulder meat was bloodshot. No bone fragments though and the bullet held together and penetrated to vitals.