Nosler Accubond or Barnes TSX?

[Hunter]

Just bought myself an early Father's Day present. A .338 Win Mag Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker. This rifle will be used for elk, moose and bear. Which do you think will be more effective in both the knock-down and accuracy department? Thanks.

[Scott N]

Personally I'm sold on the TSX bullets, but I would use the AccuBonds with out hesitation. I shoot a 270 WSM and a buddy shoots a 270 Win., both with 130 gr TSXs and these bullets seem to do exactly what they claim in the field. I chose the TSX over the AccuBond just because the Barnes bullet was slightly more accurate out of my particular rifle.

You probably can't go wrong with either bullet, so you might as well choose the one that shoots best out of your 338.

[Dick284]

Which ever bullet shoots most accuratly in your rifle.
Try em both and find out.

[Kutenay]

Was just shooting 140ABs out of my cherry Brno 21H-7mm Mauser yesterday, worst accuracy I have ever seen! Loaded some for my partner's rifles last year and they were mediocre.

Don't shoot monolithic bullets in my rifles, due to barrel wear issues in collectible, valuable guns, i.e., minty P-64 Mod. 70s in .338, etc.

After 39.5 years of loading and shooting the .338 Win., owning 12 rifles so chambered and having five now, my hand's down choice is the 250 NP over 76 RE-22 and 77 grs. in my Dakota 76. A warmish load, but, yesterday, NINE of these went into a 1.5 "cluster at 100M, using a 4x Zeiss Conquest on my favourite P-64-.338, they chrono 2725 fps-mv.

I much prefer the heavier bullet in the .338 and it's trajectory of 2" high at 100, zero at 200, 8"low at 300 and 24" low at 400 is perfectly adequate for any range I would ever shoot at. HTH.

[BrownBear416]

Both are great bullet's but the TSX hit harder.

[M70]

I vote tsx! In terms of accuracy the Sierra Game Kings have worked the best in my rifle but the terminal ballistics of the tsx I had to try. I shot this smallish blackie this year while it was looking over it's shoulder at me. The 180 gr. 30-06 went through the the heart and blasted through the opposite shoulder. I haven't shot the accubonds to give a real comparison but for now I don't feel the need to.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by BrownBear416

Both are great bullet's but the TSX hit harder.

Hits harder than what?
Both bullets of the same weight driven at the same velocity will account for little diffrence in hitting power.(kinetic energy)
Terminal performance of the two bullets is what will differ.(penetration)
Will one bullet kill better than the next? Probably not, but will one bullet shoot better in his rifle you better believe it.
Go for accuracy first, all the guchi this or that in bullet construction is meaningless if your bullet wont go where you want it to.
I've had just as many one shot bang flops from run of the mill cup/core bullets, as I have from premium constructed projectiles. It goes to show that if the pill is placed where it belongs good things happen, if you mis place a wonderfully highly priced controlled expansion bullet, you still have a wounded animal.
Learn to shoot first, then worry about bullet construction.
Why not try some run of the mill 225gr. Hornady Interlocks and then venture on to the fancy stuff. You'll shoot more for less and become more familiar with your rifle, and probably become a better shot too boot.

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Accubonds gets my first vote. 180, 200, 225 gr selection for reloads. I would probably go with the 225grainers.

TSX bullets I have not tried on big game yet b/c the Accubonds were performing for me in my 300WM and 270WSM.

[BrownBear416]

[QUOTE]

Hits harder than what?
Both bullets of the same weight driven at the same velocity will account for little diffrence in hitting power.(kinetic energy)
Terminal performance of the two bullets is what will differ.(penetration)

This is what i meant,thanks for edumacating me Dick.

The TSX will Mushroom faster and penetrate deeper then the Accubonds and in doing so will put animals down faster.

The TSX will Mushroom faster and penetrate deeper then the Accubonds and in doing so will put animals down faster.

I have no doubt that the tsx will penetrate more,but my experience with both bullets has shown the accubond to expand more rapidly,especially at lower velocities.The accubond is after all a bonded ballistic tip.However either will certainly expand well enough to do a fine job.As to barrel wear, throat erosion due to pressure and heat will ruin a barrel long before a barrel will ever wear out due to friction while using a monolithic bullet.

[Papershredder]

Unless I can get the TSX's to shoot as good as the Accubonds do out of my .300 RUM I'll be sticking with the AB's. I'm not giving up on the TSX's yet but my rifle seems to dislike the 168's so far. As far as terminal performance goes; my bull elk never took one step last fall after taking a 200 grain Accubond behind the shoulder.....bang/flop. Complete pass through at about 85-90 yards. The Nosler Accubond is a true "premium" bullet.

[Kutenay]

[QUOTEAs to barrel wear, throat erosion due to pressure and heat will ruin a barrel long before a barrel will ever wear out due to friction while using a monolithic bullet.[/QUOTE]

I did not specify WHAT would cause the barrel wear I mentioned, however, monlithic bullets WILL wear older, soft barrel steels quite rapidly. The thin tubes on Euro combo guns and double rifles also are VERY vulnerable to this and monlithic bullets are not recommended by the makers. I have seen both drillings and double rifles with bulged barrels due to careless loading, not something I intend to emulate.

Monolithic bullets, ALL other factors being equal, consistently alter the pressure-heat-velocity ratio at the leade AND this WILL cause exacerbated wear in older, softer barrels OR even new ones. I would use them in my Shilen-tubed and fairly pricey Dakota 76, but, NOT in a very sanitary original Oberndorf Mauser sporter in 9.3x62 I am fortunate to own as the Dakota tube can be replaced, the Mauser is EXTREMELY rare and dammed near impossible to replace, that is my criterion for bullet choice.

Why I like Nosler Pts., so much, in these rifles is that the open base immediately obturates and closes the bore to gas escape along the moving bullet; this REDUCES heat, pressure spiking and gas cutting, so, again with all factors being equal, the barrel lasts longer.

I might try some TSXs in the Heym sts. barreled FN Deluxe in 9.3x62 that Barry Jensen is building me; these tubes only cost just over $200, so, wear is not quite the issue that it is on my custom Merkel drilling.

As it is now, I expect ALL lead-containing projectiles will be banned, anyway, so, I will shoot monolithics or retire most of my collection built up over 43 years of buying guns......ghastly thought!

[Dick284]

Kuetney:
Guess you could always hord up some good ol cup core bullets for those soft barreled guns.

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Yes that bull elk of yours is quite the sight to see- the damage the Accubonds did. I use it for reference on other forums when people ask abbout the AB's.

A further point to consider is that the tsx is very much unlike most other monolithic bullets in that the grooves greatly reduce the surface area.This greatly reduces the force necessary for the rifling to engrave the bullet as well as the friction of the bullet in the bore.I find that I am able to drive the tsx at slightly greater velocities than most other bullets before seeing any signs of pressure as a result.

[Papershredder]

Originally Posted by Ice Fishing Maniac

Yes that bull elk of yours is quite the sight to see- the damage the Accubonds did. I use it for reference on other forums when people ask abbout the AB's.

After he dropped; as I was chambering another round I asked TMaC (who was still on him with the binos), if he was trying to get up or anything. His answer, "I think he's f@#*in' dead." One thing alot of people mistake with that pic; is that the big hole was the exit. In fact the big hole was the entrance, hitting a rib dead on, while the quarter sized hole between two ribs was actually the exit.

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Yeah, I get big to large exits too with my 300WM using the 180gr AB's . WIth the 270WSM using 140grainers, not too bad,. Best bullet out there in my booked.

[Dunezilla]

Whats a box of 180 gain Nosler Accubond or Barns TSX worth anyhow? Me I just use Rem. core loc shells...so to me thats all the price that I know.

[Papershredder]

Originally Posted by Dunezilla

Whats a box of 180 gain Nosler Accubond or Barns TSX worth anyhow? Me I just use Rem. core loc shells...so to me thats all the price that I know.

Around $30.00 for AB's, around $45.00 for TSX's. Both in boxes of 50.

Around $30.00 for AB's, around $45.00 for TSX's. Both in boxes of 50.

Just to clarify,that is for a box of bullets,not loaded ammunition.

[Papershredder]

Sorry 'bout that guys. Thanx for clarifying that for me SJ.