Nosler ABLR for Oryx

[alconl]

All,

Thanks for the reply's.
I learned some valuable lessons on this Oryx hunt and once again "I do understand how critical shot placement is", but at 280 yards broadside shoulder shots lower center shoulder I fully expected a .300 WM bullet to penetrate more than only about 6 inches. Those 2 shots were only 2 inches apart and neither penetrated enough to put him down immediately; recovered but it was painful to almost lose him.
I had a similar experience with a nice timber Muley at about 140 yards with a Hornaday SST bullet, double lung shot, bullet exploded and he still ran another 150 yards with a Sako Deluxe in .25-06caliber. I will never use anything less than a sold bullet, standard accubond, partition or copper from now on.
Had a steak and a burger from my Oryx last evening, DELICIOUS!

 

[ODB]

Use Enough Gun…and bullet

 

[Leaf Litter]

At nearly 300 yards OP should have been running below 2500 fps impact velocity. Plenty of gun, just bad bullet performance. I assumed initially that he was closer and velocity was higher and that caused it to come apart. Hard to defend the ABLR at a reasonable velocity like that.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I haven’t shot a large animal with an ABLR but out of my wife’s 6.5x47 Lapua, they are devastating on game up to large Axis deer. Have yet to recover a bullet even with shots out to 350’ish yards. MV is 2922fps.


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[elkliver]

Wrong bullet for trying to smash through shoulders. They are designed to expand at slow (1300fps) velocity and as such have a thinner jacket.

At nearly 300 yards OP should have been running below 2500 fps impact velocity. Plenty of gun, just bad bullet performance. I assumed initially that he was closer and velocity was higher and that caused it to come apart. Hard to defend the ABLR at a reasonable velocity like that.

This is what i was getting at with suggesting the call to Nosler. If you give them the particulars, they can tell you whether that bullet is meant for that application or if there really was a problem. If you only got 6 inches of penetration from a 300 win mag. something is way off and if I was in Noslers shoes, i would want to know

 

[Brooks]

I’ve killed more elk and oryx with a 165 gn Accubond than I can remember. Never thought I needed the LongRange AC. IMO Nosler Accu Bond and Partitions are as good as it gets.

 

[Marble]

I could never get the ABLR to shoot really well. I've killed a pile of animals with the standard AB. They have perform really well. I don't really see the need for the ABLR since the standard ABs perform so well.

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[lak2004]

Shoot them in the vitals instead of the shoulder.....

 

[Sunset606]

My 30-06 shoots factory 165 grain Norma oryx at MOA to 300 yards.

 

[cbat]

Shoot them in the vitals instead of the shoulder.....

Their vitals are between their shoulders. Thats why the tell you to shoot them in the cross.

 

[Happy Antelope]

If you shoot straight up from the leg and very close towards the bottom you'll miss the shoulder. That's the idea, it will go right through the heart he'll run 50 yards and die. It's not easy.

 

[butcherboy]

This picture above of an Oryx is one of the best I’ve seen. I’ve said for years that when someone says that their vitals are farther forward it’s a myth. An Oryx shoulder is smaller and thinner than an elks. I’ve processed hundreds of Oryx and thousands of elk. Shoot them exactly the way you would with a bow.

 

[NorCal 707]

We've killed 13 bull elk with the 168 ABLR and 190 ABLR out of the 280 AI and 300 win mag. Shot at all angles and ranges from 126 yds to 760ish. Through shoulders, ribs, chest, and neck. Way tougher bullet than a Berger or Eld-x. They're bonded. You say 180 grain, so makes me wonder if it's a Ballistic Tip? It's should have blown right through that Oryx. I'd definitely contact Nosler. Sounds like you got a bad batch. Which sucks for you because they are a really good bullet. Difficult to get accurate reloads in some rifles but if you get them to shoot they're really solid performers. Sorry for your poor experience. I still shoot them in a few of my rifles. 180 grain Barnes ttsx in the 300 Weatherby and 170 grain Bergers in my 270 WSM. It really depends on the hunting terrain. Wide open sage and juniper I take the ABLR or Bergers but if it's 500 yds and under the standard Accubond, Hammer Hunters or Barnes LRX work just fine.

 

[parshal]

My buddy and I brought 6.5's to Africa this year. He shot 147 ELD-M and I shot 142 Norma Bondstrikes. He shot an oryx, two wildebeest, sable and blesbok and the performance was incredible. Dead, dead, dead. The Bondstrike never exited on sable, waterbuck, kudu, impala or warthog. My impression is the Bondstrike behaves similarly to the ABLR in that it's a bit 'softer' than a Scirocco.

I tell the above because I figured the bonded bullet would have performed 'better' than the ELD-M and that was not the case. The frangible target bullet performed better. My experience with the Bondstrike is similar to your experience with the ABLR on the same game.

 

[roadrunner]

The first mistake anyone can make is to try and "break" the shoulder. This breaking means aiming for and shooting through the large leg bone below the shoulder blade (scapula) aka the humorous.

As mentioned before, mid-body and tight behind the shoulder crease. A cow elk shot in the large leg bone without hitting lungs will go and go and go and go...

Best death shot on an oryx is center double lung. Period.

The ABLR is designed to have a higher BC to give better downrange energy. It's the required energy that matters, bullet weight and velocity are the independent variables. It's what I use in my .270 Win.

Congrats anyway!

 

[Leaf Litter]

You say 180 grain, so makes me wonder if it's a Ballistic Tip?

I am wondering the same thing. It could be a simple typo, or a different bullet altogether. Hard to know for sure until OP weighs in

 

[theotherlandon]

We've killed 13 bull elk with the 168 ABLR and 190 ABLR out of the 280 AI and 300 win mag. Shot at all angles and ranges from 126 yds to 760ish. Through shoulders, ribs, chest, and neck. Way tougher bullet than a Berger or Eld-x. They're bonded. You say 180 grain, so makes me wonder if it's a Ballistic Tip? It's should have blown right through that Oryx. I'd definitely contact Nosler. Sounds like you got a bad batch. Which sucks for you because they are a really good bullet. Difficult to get accurate reloads in some rifles but if you get them to shoot they're really solid performers. Sorry for your poor experience. I still shoot them in a few of my rifles. 180 grain Barnes ttsx in the 300 Weatherby and 170 grain Bergers in my 270 WSM. It really depends on the hunting terrain. Wide open sage and juniper I take the ABLR or Bergers but if it's 500 yds and under the standard Accubond, Hammer Hunters or Barnes LRX work just fine.

Could you list out all your load information and rifle for your 280 Ackley and anything else you could tell me about it. I’m currently in the process of building a 280 AI and hoping to shoot 168ABLR. This will be my first rifle build and I’m new to reloading. Any information helps!

 

[wyosteve]

Just a quick update. Used a .338 W.M. 225 gr. Partition on my oryx. As Happy Antelope said above- hit took out top of both lungs and still ran 100 yds. before piling up. Bullet had perfect expansion and was found against hide on the offside.

 

[NorCal 707]

Could you list out all your load information and rifle for your 280 Ackley and anything else you could tell me about it. I’m currently in the process of building a 280 AI and hoping to shoot 168ABLR. This will be my first rifle build and I’m new to reloading. Any information helps!

Because every rifle is different and I don't want to be responsible for blowing up your new rifle I can't list every load I've tried and had success with in my 280s. I will tell you I use Nosler brass, standard match grade primers like CCI BR2 or Fed 210 golds, and my favorite powder is Reloader 23. Reloader 26 is faster sometimes but not as accurate in my rifle. For anything 168 for the Rldr 26 start in the 56 grains area and work up carefully. You'll max out at 62ish. For Rldr 23 start 54 and work up. Max will be 59ish. H4831 will shoot accurate but velocity is slowwww. Pay attention to primer flattening, case swipes or ejector marks and bolt lift. If you want brass to last longer than 5 shots back off a half grain and enjoy. If your building from scratch keep a 25 to 26 inch barrel and the slower powders will work really well. My 280 AI is literally 40 fps slower than my 7 mag with 8 grains less powder. They're very efficient cartridges.

 

[turbobrick]

I’ve had really great performance out of the ABLR in 6.5 on pronghorn and mile deer, but I’ve seen enough negative stuff that even if I weren’t switching to monos I probably wouldn’t be using the ABLR anymore anyway.