220gr Sierra & 200gr Accubond - 8mm RM bullet & load test

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Handloader
Dec 26, 2007
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220gr Sierra & 200gr AccuBond - 8mm RM bullet & load test

Well, it was a long wet, rainy morning and my 220gr SBT still showing great accuracy and velocity wise but the bullet does not hold up at 25yds with 4287.3 ft pounds of energy. The 200gr AccuBond is shooting ok at 1 1/4" using RL-25, MRP was great velocity but poor accuracy, RL-22 poor velocity and poor accuracy and I did not have enough IMR7828ssc to finish three rounds so will do that later. RL-25 was not a max load for my rifle or nor was it a book max load, but was giving me 3117fps on average and it did as all Accubonds are intended to do, it held up at 25yds hitting the water jugs with 4183.7 ft pounds of energy.

Frist - here is the test with the 220gr Sierra at 25yds hitting the jugs with 4187.3ft pounds of energy.


Note: 8 jugs of water and I had to use a bungee cord to hold them on the short table.

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There is no bullet to show you - because it went through five jugs and barely marked the 6th jug with a small fragment and bounced off. I could not find any pieces of the bullet, that is right, it totally after five jugs disintegrated. I did this test a second time and the same results, five jugs a small mark on the 6th jug from a fragment and I could not find any pieces of the 220gr Sierra. I looked all in the grass to try and find just a piece but couldn't. Needless to say, the 220gr Sierra is not for up close in the 8mm Rem Mag. It is obvious a 100yd to 600yds on deer and elk size game, but not for dangerous game. I would only use a 220gr A-Frame on dangerous game out of the Big 8 or if it existed a 220gr AccuBond.
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Second - here is the test with the 200gr AccuBond moving 3117fps hitting with 4183.7 ft pounds of energy at 25yrd, going through 7 jugs ending up in the 8th jug knocking the 9th jug off the table.
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Needless to say I will be working on tweaking the RL-25 load for the 200gr AccuBond because I was not at max yet for my rifle nor at book max. The 220gr gr load will still be a long range load, but at the moment I will be working on the 200gr AccuBond as an all around load and will later work on the 220gr A-Frame as my dangerous game load until Nosler sees fit to produce a 220gr .323 bullet.
 
Bullet,
My friend, the water jug test doesn't lie, you just have to love with the AccuBond Bullets. What horse power the 8 mag has buddy. I know as you continue to work on the 200 AB load you will get her refined. :wink: Good report today.

Don
 
Let's see, I said it would take six jugs to stop the 220 grain Sierra. Mike said that the bullet "marked the 6th jug with a small fragment and bounced off." Scotty, give 'er up. :mrgreen: Great test, Mike.
 
Great test. I will be switching to the AB immediately for game! Leave the Sierra for punching paper.
 
Mike,

The 200 gr AB looks great. Just think what a 220 gr AB would do!
Are you going to give the 200 gr PT a run through the jugs?

JD338
 
boomer68":2uq8cgrm said:
Great test. I will be switching to the AB immediately for game! Leave the Sierra for punching paper.

Now the Sierra would be a great bullet for long range hunting, so don't sell it short. It will fly further and open up down range past 400yds better than the AccuBond but the AccuBond would be a better all around bullet indeed for the Big 8.
 
JD338":30ldewez said:
Mike,

The 200 gr AB looks great. Just think what a 220 gr AB would do!
Are you going to give the 200 gr PT a run through the jugs?

JD338

No, because at these velocities and energies I would not want to use the Partition because the front part is not bonded and inside a 100yds with over 4,000ft pounds of energy I would could really blood shot a lot of meat. I will stick with the AccuBond for hunting and the A-Frame if I will end up doing dangerous game up close. I sure wish Nosler had a 220gr bullet in .323, what an all around bullet that would be for my Big 8
 
DrMike":2er7fjla said:
Let's see, I said it would take six jugs to stop the 220 grain Sierra. Mike said that the bullet "marked the 6th jug with a small fragment and bounced off." Scotty, give 'er up. :mrgreen: Great test, Mike.

For sure Mike! That is worth a 24 pack of Cokes.

Mike, my hats off to you buddy. Great test and you confirmed why I believe so much in the Nosler's.. Again, 5 jugs is pretty decent, but that 200 AB looks just about as awesome as it can. It looks perfect! Great shooting. Hope you are able to tune up your RL25 load. 3100 with that 200 is smoking Mike.

Man, this really makes me wanna see a 220 PT or AB for the 8mm's.. I wouldn't be able to help myself. Although, that 200 AB is just about all anybody would ever need for the heaviest of game. That is serious penetration at 25 yards..
 
SJB358":1m4lt9tp said:
DrMike":1m4lt9tp said:
Let's see, I said it would take six jugs to stop the 220 grain Sierra. Mike said that the bullet "marked the 6th jug with a small fragment and bounced off." Scotty, give 'er up. :mrgreen: Great test, Mike.

For sure Mike! That is worth a 24 pack of Cokes.

Mike, my hats off to you buddy. Great test and you confirmed why I believe so much in the Nosler's.. Again, 5 jugs is pretty decent, but that 200 AB looks just about as awesome as it can. It looks perfect! Great shooting. Hope you are able to tune up your RL25 load. 3100 with that 200 is smoking Mike.

Man, this really makes me wanna see a 220 PT or AB for the 8mm's.. I wouldn't be able to help myself. Although, that 200 AB is just about all anybody would ever need for the heaviest of game. That is serious penetration at 25 yards..

Yes, for 25yds and hitting the water jugs with that much energy and penetrating that far, holding together with 131.7grs left is significant indeed. I would not be afraid to use this bullet on anything in North America.
 
Hey Russ, man good to see you posting on this thread. Yes, that was cool indeed, and to think I have not rung out the 200gr AccuBond on velocity yet not being up to max load yet and I am getting 3117fps out of a 24 inch barrel. But was is amazing, is how well that AccuBond penetrated and still held together. This load produces at muzzle 4314.4 ft pounds of energy and 4163.7 ft pounds at 25yds and has over 2000 ft pounds out to 500yds.
 
FOTIS":19p6hmar said:
Great test Mike. Again it is a hammer.



FOTIS, you can tell the difference in recoil between the 200 and 220gr bullets, the 200gr bullets are more pleasant to shoot than the 220gr bullets. :mrgreen:
 
Mike that is a great test and thanks so much for doing it. That AccuBond sure did do some serious penetrating. Just think what a 220 AccuBond would do?


Bill
 
Now guys, lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. Going through 5 jugs of water was just at 3feet. Water's density is greater than any white tail or hog or black bear I would hit with the 220gr Sierra. It would exit any of these animals at 25yds, and they would for sure be dead as a hammer. This will still be a great long range bullet and load for gas lines and big bean fields hunting deer and for use across a canyon on elk. If when using this bullet and it exits an eland at 400 yds out of an 8mm Rem mag, is nothing to sneeze at or throw out with the bath water.

Now if the AccuBond does not shoot as accurate as this Sierra 220gr bullet, I will use the Sierra on deer, hogs, elk and black bear. Now if the AccuBond gets to shoot consistently great groups that out perform the Sierra in accuracy I will use the AccuBond. But if hunting something dangerous I would opt for the AccuBond.
 
Mike what Fotis is referring to is it's been known that for what ever reason I have a dislike for the AccuBond in any caliber. I know it's a great bullet and performs well but like some calibers I just done care for it.

I can be very stubborn but dam that AccuBond is one heck of a bullet.


Bill
 
OU812":3irwtkrp said:
Mike what Fotis is referring to is it's been known that for what ever reason I have a dislike for the AccuBond in any caliber. I know it's a great bullet and performs well but like some calibers I just done care for it.

I can be very stubborn but dam that AccuBond is one heck of a bullet.


Bill

I was not a bit influenced at all by what FOTIS said to you, but was in general slowing down our excitement about the AccuBond which is and outstanding design and tough constructed bullet. I have never been one to throw the baby out with the bath water. Yes, the AccuBond is a good bullet, I love the 225gr I used in my 358win and the 180 and 200 grain in my my 300wby, and the 165gr I used at times in my 30-06, but the 220gr Sierra SBT at 108fps slower than the 200gr AccuBond has 2000 ft pounds of energy out to 593yrds almost a 100yds greater distance than the 200gr AccuBond, and when it gets there at that distance it will open better than the AccuBond will. Now if Nosler had a 220gr AccuBond, I would not even be talking about his but they don't. In fact if Nosler had a 220gr Partition I would not be have this discussion, but they don't, so because of that, the 220gr Sierra does have a place in my hunting future for some specific work.
 
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