The Basic Considertions
In this discussion, we’ll take a look at two popular bullets. That being the Nosler Accubond and the Hornady Interbond. We’ll review some of their characteristics and specifications and finally provide our recommendation on which we think is the best choice. It goes without saying that bullet choice and design should be weighed against its intended use. In this case, we’ll suppose the use is for hunting mid-sized game as both manufacturers market the bullet for this specific purpose. Further to the point, we will utilize a 30 Cal. .308 165gr. as our choice for review in this write-up.
Amazon Disclaimer: We provide affiliate links to amazon products when appropriate to the content discussed. These links help to fund our effort to bring quality information to the Modern Warrior Project community.
Bonded
The Hornady Interbond and Nosler Accubond are both bonded bullets. Bonded means the manufacturer through their proprietary process bonds the bullet jacketing to the lead core. This is done to overcome jacket separation at impact. Both companies claim the jackets will not separate (Hornady n.d.) (Nosler n.d.).
General Design
At first glance, the two bullets appear very similar. They are both constructed with a Spitzer design and boat tail base. Both bullets have a polymer tip that is seated in a cavity provided by the bullet jacket. The main visual difference is the color choice of manufacturers. The Hornady utilizes a red tip while the Nosler opts to go with a white one.
Specifications
As far as specifications go, they are very similar as well. They both share a sectional density (SD) of .248 which is in line with the high side of optimal choice for medium game (Hawks 2017). It can be noted here that Hornady also markets the bullet appropriate for large game on their site (Hornady n.d.). This could likely be attributed to the thought that the bonded core provides a better penetration at a lower SD.
The one area there is a specification difference is in that ballistic coefficient. Nosler edges out Hornady with a .475 compared to their .447. This would appear to be supported through a review of numerous forum post on the topic. Many posters claim that the Nosler flies truer than the Hornady especially at longer shot ranges Which would be expected from the cone concept of bullet trajectory. (i.e., a little error is amplified the further out it travels). It’s also worthy to note that many posters also claim that Hornady provides deeper penetration and retains better bullet mass than the Nosler. Most importantly and appropriate from the consumer opinion perspective is that both are considered great hunting bullets.
It’s a bit challenging to select one over the other in a case where both bullets have an excellent reputation and very similar specifications. For that reason, we’ll provide a scenario-based recommendation. If you intend to utilize the bullet at a distance of over 300 yards, it would likely make sense to go with the Nosler Accubond due to the fact it has a better ballistic coefficient and consumers seem to indicate that it flies truer. In the case of use out to 300 yards, we recommend making your selection on the most affordable and available. While comments can be found on variations in penetration and flight the overarching theme of every board we read through is that both work exceptionally well at dropping the prey (Google 2019). For this reason, it boils down to personal preference in our opinion.
Works Cited
Google. 2019. Search Results. 03 16. Accessed 03 16, 2019. https://www.google.com/search?q=difference+between+nosler+accubond+and+hornady+interbond&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmjeqt6onhAhUFH6wKHT4VA8A4ChDVAigBegQIAxAC&biw=1920&bih=888.
Hawks, Chuck. 2017. The Sectional Density of Rifle Bullets. Accessed 03 16, 2019. https://www.chuckhawks.com/sd.htm.
Hornady. n.d. Interbond. Accessed 03 16, 2019. https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/30-cal-308-165-gr-interbond#!/.
Nosler. n.d. 30 Caliber 165gr AccuBond® Bullet (50ct). Accessed 03 16, 2019. http://shop.nosler.com/nosler-bullets/accubond-nosler-bullet/accubond-30-caliber-165-grain-bullet-50ct.html.
