Powder Guidance: 129gr Nosler Accubond LR-Make Due, Or Wait For When I Can Buy?

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  • Dogtired
    Unwashed
    • Aug 2015
    • 24

    Powder Guidance: 129gr Nosler Accubond LR-Make Due, Or Wait For When I Can Buy?

    I bought my Grendel, all giddy with the prospect of having a viable 300-400 yard deer gun out of an AR platform. Heck, that stretches my 25-06 by a solid 100 yards! The true "magic bullet" now in my arsenal of freedom! I'd looked at factory offerings and available bullets and settled on the Hornady 123 gr SST as being the likely best bet. But then I caught scent of the 129 gr Nosler Accubond LR pills forged by Hephaestus himself and wound up with 200. I would desperately love to add another 500 if they work out well.

    My problem, I bought 3 lbs of 8208 XBR, which is great for 123s, but maybe not so much for a bullet packing on 6 more grains (little fatty!). Everyone everywhere (OK, I exaggerate), said 8208 XBR and the 123 gr pills were a match made in heaven! But Nosler believes that IMR 4166 is all that and a bag of chitterlings.

    See, the reason I WISH I had another 500 bullets is the same reason I can't go buy 4166--even online stores want real money. And so I am stuck with what's in my tool box.

    To witt:
    I have a Radical Firearms 20" upper (the purists may feel free to chortle with disdain ). I've shamefully left this unfired much....not for lack of wanting, more for lack of time and mobility. That said, it shot the factory Hornady reasonably well. I believe it was in the MOA vicinity once I got it dialed in. But I think it might do even better with the juicy BC of the NABLRs (sounds like an elven cookie baked in a tree. NABLRS! Now in the cookie aisle next to the Oreos!). The rifle may be perfect on every way or riddled with crazy problems, but I will address those if and when they pop up.

    The powders I have at my disposal include:
    -- 8068XBR (3#)
    --Leverevolution (#3--I have to share this with my Marlin XLR 30-30!)
    --Varget (#2)
    --Reloader 15 (#6.5)
    --CFE223 (#2--read on here about some temp sensitivities that have me worried; that, and it was R15 or CFE223 I was hoping to load my 223 with.)
    --R19 (#1). Not sure it's any use, but it's on the powder box.

    Or should I bide my time looking for something a little more properly adapted to the mission at hand...maybe ask for handouts at Christmas...? Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?

    Don't get your hopes up for a quick load ladder and testing with pics. It may take a while. If something in this pile looks promising, it may make for faster shooting than if I need to wait to buy a magic powder to match the magic bullet.....someday....

    Ideas for loads are greatly appreciated. I've got a steep learning curve ahead...

    I am also sharing these with a 25-06, 30-06, 30-30, 303, 243, 223, and 300H&H....

    I know I need more powder eventually....just not now
    Last edited by Dogtired; 09-02-2016, 05:19 AM.
  • kmon
    Chieftain
    • Feb 2015
    • 2095

    #2
    I see 2 good powders for that bullet in the Grendel in your list and perhaps another or two. I use CFE223 with that bullet 30.3 grains is what some of us are loading with that powder. I haven't tried Leverevolution with it yet and want to try 2000MR with it as well, have them here just gotta find time to work with them.

    Of course standard reloading precautions apply
    Last edited by kmon; 09-02-2016, 06:05 AM.

    Comment

    • Nimrod
      Bloodstained
      • Aug 2016
      • 59

      #3
      You've got Lererevolurion, problem solved. In my opinion the only powder for the Grendel. It way outperforms all the others in your list in my opinion, except maybe the CFE, CFE matches it in terms of muzzle velocity but not accuracy in my gun. I'm shooting a 20" also. Start at 29 gr and work up watching for pressure. I was able to run as much as 31gr under a 129SST with no trouble and no pressure signs and got right at 2400fps out of the muzzle with that. Awesome powder.

      Comment

      • Dogtired
        Unwashed
        • Aug 2015
        • 24

        #4
        Gracias for the assist. I figured Leverevolution might be my best bet. A few other questions come to mind:

        -- Is this the BEST ("loaded term" if you will) powder for this bullet? Or do I really want to save my pennies for the one that REALLY rocks?

        -- Between this and the 123 Hornady SST, which seems to perform better as a deer round? Or should I really be considering heavier or lighter bullets? Lighter, like a 120 or even 100(?) Partition should drive the speed up for a pile driver -like effect, similar to a 243. Could a 100 or 110 bullet be pushed close to or at the 3000fps mark? Bigger 140gr Partitions or Accubonds have better BCs and SDs in their favor, meaning better (theoretical ) penetration into vitals at a greater distance, and while they may be slower, the SD SHOULD still produce fast effective kills. I am just wildly speculating here. At some point the realities of mag length comes into play.... Or is the 123 or 129 really optimized, striking the balance between weight and BC/SD, allowing for the best terminal performance at the outer ranges of the limit for deer?

        -- Does the NABLR have THAT much a practical advantage over the 123 (or even 129) SST that it makes sense focusing on gathering reserves of one over the other? Or if my practical limit is going to be 300 yards (maybe someday push to 400), then go with a 120 Partition if I can find them on sale?

        Most of the deer I shoot are in the 150 lbs and under range...often well under. This past season, though, I shot two massive bodied bucks who were easily 250 on the hoof. Shot both at about 20-30 yards with a bonded 150gr 30-06 load. One was broadside, the other quartering toward. Neither passed through. I wasn't sure I'd even hit them--heck, I don't think THEY realized it--until they dropped dead 30-50 yards away. Both through the heart. Never an issue with a 25-06 with a nice looooong bulllet traveling nice and fast. I'd prefer to replicate the results of the 25-06 vice the 30-06 if possible

        Point is, most deer are smaller and lean here, but you need a round ready to handle the monsters that (apparently more regularly) can emerge. I can see a case for a longer high SD bullet OR a lighter, zippier round. The Grendel seems like it occupies a unique spot where it can have one or the other (but not both), almost like two different chamberings in one upper While it might be nice if it did BOTH higher BCs AT higher speeds if I wanted to drive a 140gr 6.5@3000fps, I'd have bought a Creedmoor

        Comment

        • Dogtired
          Unwashed
          • Aug 2015
          • 24

          #5
          My guess is this has been debated ad nauseum elsewhere...maybe I will start another thread to add to the chaos

          Comment

          • Nimrod
            Bloodstained
            • Aug 2016
            • 59

            #6
            I prefer the heavier end of the spectrum. 120 gr is as low as I have any desire to shoot. I have three one shot kills on Black Tail deer at 500 yards with the 120gr ballistic tips. LVR is the powder as far as I'm concerned, I'm not sure which one your talking about "that really looks good"?

            Comment

            • JASmith
              Chieftain
              • Sep 2014
              • 1620

              #7
              Originally posted by Dogtired View Post
              ...Most of the deer I shoot are in the 150 lbs and under range...often well under. This past season, though, I shot two massive bodied bucks who were easily 250 on the hoof. Shot both at about 20-30 yards with a bonded 150gr 30-06 load. One was broadside, the other quartering toward. Neither passed through. I wasn't sure I'd even hit them--heck, I don't think THEY realized it--until they dropped dead 30-50 yards away. Both through the heart. Never an issue with a 25-06 with a nice looooong bulllet traveling nice and fast. I'd prefer to replicate the results of the 25-06 vice the 30-06 if possible

              Point is, most deer are smaller and lean here, but you need a round ready to handle the monsters that (apparently more regularly) can emerge. I can see a case for a longer high SD bullet OR a lighter, zippier round. The Grendel seems like it occupies a unique spot where it can have one or the other (but not both), almost like two different chamberings in one upper While it might be nice if it did BOTH higher BCs AT higher speeds if I wanted to drive a 140gr 6.5@3000fps, I'd have bought a Creedmoor
              The 129 grain Nosler ABLR is an awesome bullet.

              That said, check the Knockdown Survey for weights of bullets, animals harvested, and how far they go.

              You will find that the 123 gr SST will work very well for about all of the hunting you describe.

              If lead-free is an issue, consider a good one in the 95 -110 grain range. They will be good for animals weighing as much as 700 lbs.

              This link will show how the recommendation is developed: Recommended Bullet Weight
              shootersnotes.com

              "To those who have fought and almost died for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know."
              -- Author Unknown

              "If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished!" -- Milton Berle

              Comment

              • Dogtired
                Unwashed
                • Aug 2015
                • 24

                #8
                Fantastic! Thanks!

                Comment

                • Tp56
                  Unwashed
                  • Sep 2015
                  • 13

                  #9
                  I am a big ABLR/LVR proponent. 28.8gr LVR with the 129gr gives me fantastic accuracy and the terminal ballistics are devastating. No need to look anywhere else for me.

                  Comment

                  • Dogtired
                    Unwashed
                    • Aug 2015
                    • 24

                    #10
                    Now I just need to come up with $100 or so to get some more ABLR 129S...

                    Comment

                    • LRRPF52
                      Super Moderator
                      • Sep 2014
                      • 8569

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Tp56 View Post
                      I am a big ABLR/LVR proponent. 28.8gr LVR with the 129gr gives me fantastic accuracy and the terminal ballistics are devastating. No need to look anywhere else for me.
                      What barrel length and velocity are you getting BTW?

                      Could you list the load specifics? Brass, primer, COL, etc.?
                      NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                      CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                      6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                      www.AR15buildbox.com

                      Comment

                      • Jakal
                        Warrior
                        • May 2014
                        • 376

                        #12
                        I'm running the Nosler ABLR with 27 grains of XBR out of my 12.5 Lilja barreled pistol. This combo is running right at 2160 fps. Accuracy is .5 moa at 100 yards.

                        The jacket on these bullets are pretty thin as noted when loading compressed loads. You will see a deformation about 1/4 inch below the start of the bullet.

                        I tried AR-COMP, TAC, CFE223 and XBR. All are compressed except the TAC load.
                        ""Come taste my Shillelagh you goat-eatin bastard!""

                        Comment

                        • holmess89
                          Unwashed
                          • May 2015
                          • 7

                          #13
                          Just thought I would add my 2 cents. I just (hopefully) finished load development on my new 18" AR Performance barrel with the 129 ABLR's. I tried Lever, AR Comp and XBR. Lever definitely outperformed XBR, and slightly edged out ARC in both velocity and Precision. The load I wound up with was 31.3 gr of Lever in Hornady brass using CCI BR4 primers with a COAL of 2.320" (longest my mags will take, and noticeably tightened up my groups). I'm averaging about 2510 fps and .75" groups at 100 yds.

                          Comment

                          • Tp56
                            Unwashed
                            • Sep 2015
                            • 13

                            #14
                            Originally posted by LRRPF52 View Post
                            What barrel length and velocity are you getting BTW?

                            Could you list the load specifics? Brass, primer, COL, etc.?
                            I am running a 22" Bartlien from PF. I haven't been able to chrono the load yet, but ballistic calculators based on bullet drop put me at 2300 ft/s. I am using Lapua brass, CCI 450 primers loaded to 2.265 COAL. My best group is right at 3/4" @ 200yds. The gun shoots much better than I can, that's for sure.

                            Comment

                            • 65Whelen
                              Warrior
                              • Sep 2014
                              • 671

                              #15
                              My pet load, that I developed for deer hunting is 26g of 8208 and the 129SST. Getting 2128fps at the muzzle. Shoots MOA at 200yrs with a 14.5" barrel.

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