Specialist for Long Range

Are you looking to start hunting at long distances and need the right bullet to make it possible? In this installment of our hunting bullet and ammunition series, we focused on something designed specifically for that purpose – the Nosler ABLR bullet.

Successful long-range hunting essentially depends (among other factors) on selecting the right bullet, which must meet several key requirements. Unsurprisingly, it should be accurate, stable, and feature a high ballistic coefficient to ensure the flattest possible trajectory and resistance to wind drift. However, what’s often overlooked is the bullet’s willingness to expand, which is essential for fast and humane game dispatch. Every bullet will only expand properly within a specific range of impact velocities, which in turn is determined by the cartridge’s performance, the bullet’s ballistics, and the distance to the target. On top of that, it also depends on the size and toughness of the game. Most hunting bullets on the market are optimized to perform well within moderate energy levels, for game ranging from roe deer to red deer, and at distances from 50 to roughly 350 meters. These are versatile bullets suitable for most typical hunting situations, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But what if we want to hunt at ranges well beyond the “typical hunting” 200-300 meters? There are several bullet lines on the market that fit the bill. These bullets combine excellent accuracy, ballistics, and the previously mentioned ability to expand at lower-than-usual impact velocities. One of the best options is the ABLR line from the renowned ammunition manufacturer Nosler, which we thoroughly tested for you in this article.

Title photo: ABLR bullet (.264/142 gr) combined with 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge

“The recommended minimum impact velocity is only 396 m/s, which is significantly lower than the usual 550 m/s required by most ‘standard’ bullets!”

Softer but tough

The abbreviation ABLR stands for “AccuBond Long Range,” which experienced handloaders will immediately recognize. At Nosler, they simply took the proven AccuBond bullet and modified it specifically for long-range shooting. This included increasing the bullet weight, which, together with the added length, “inflated” both the ballistic coefficient and sectional density, and most importantly, the internal construction was reworked to promote more reliable expansion at lower impact velocities. The bullet has a lead core and a tapered jacket, narrowing toward the tip. The tip itself is made of a special polymer and is seated into a deep cavity. A boattail design further enhances the bullet’s external ballistics. You can recognize ABLR bullets at first glance by the tip color. ABLR features a gray tip, while the original AccuBond has the distinctive white tip. Both tips are made of the same type of polymer, which is highly resistant to deformation. You therefore don’t have to worry about the tip getting damaged from recoil inside the magazine, even in the case of high-performance cartridges — something I can personally confirm from my own experience.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, according to the manufacturer, the bullet, when paired with a high-performance cartridge, can still deliver effective terminal performance on large-bodied deer species at ranges approaching 1,000 meters. The recommended minimum impact velocity is only 396 m/s, which is significantly lower than the usual 550 m/s for most “conventional” hunting bullets.

The core is bonded to the jacket, creating an exceptionally strong bond that prevents fragmentation or jacket separation. Despite the manufacturer’s bold claims, this is by no means a bullet suitable for short-range hunting, but it will definitely have a lower tendency to fragment or over-expand and excessively damage game meat compared to bullets with unbonded or only mechanically joined cores.

ABLR bullets in the .284/175 gr version captured by the manufacturer; on the left, with an impact velocity of 396 m/s, on the right, 910 m/s

Cutaway view of an ABLR bullet reveals the tapered jacket, inserted ballistic tip, and deep cavity, all of which contribute to proper expansion even at low impact velocities.

Even under close inspection, the bullets are exceptionally well-made and, to achieve the highest possible ballistic coefficient, they are noticeably longer than average.

By the Numbers

Shooters can choose from the following combinations (caliber/weight); .264/129,142,150 gr, .277/150,165 gr, .284/150,168,175 gr, .308/168,190,210 gr, and .338/210,265,300 gr. So while the selection is a bit narrower, it is fully adequate for the intended purpose. I tested the .263/142 gr version paired with a 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. I reloaded using Swiss R60 powder and, as usual, tested a full range of seating depths and powder charges to find the combination my rifle liked best. The winning combination was a cartridge overall length of 70.6 mm (with a 1.6 mm jump) and a powder charge of 43 grains. This delivered a nicely consistent (measured and averaged) muzzle velocity of 850 m/s. During the reloading process, I didn’t encounter any issues, and random bullet weight checks showed only completely negligible deviations. Even under closer inspection, ABLR bullets are precision-manufactured.

As we’ve already said, one of the key advantages of these bullets is their high BC. Thanks to this, the bullet retains velocity and energy better and experiences less drop. The variant I tested achieves a BC of .625, which is an exceptional value. For comparison, the standard AccuBond bullet, only 2 grains lighter, achieves “only” .509 BC. What does that mean in practice? A factory-loaded Nosler 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge with an AccuBond bullet achieves 808 m/s at the muzzle, while the ABLR starts slightly slower at 793 m/s. If your rifle is zeroed at 182 meters, the AccuBond will drop 488 cm at 732 meters, with the velocity falling to 445 m/s. Meanwhile, the ABLR, despite its slightly lower muzzle velocity, will only drop 462 cm at the same distance and will retain 483 m/s of velocity. In simple terms, the ABLR offers a flatter trajectory, and its effective expansion window is shifted out to longer distances. This effectively increases your chances of a successful hit and a clean, ethical kill.

Of course, with handloads, the numbers get even better. In my case, velocity doesn’t drop below the 396 m/s threshold until around 1,100 meters, and for example, a .300 Win Mag firing a 190 gr ABLR bullet would extend that effective range by roughly another 100 meters. I’m absolutely not saying it’s a good idea to shoot game at such extreme distances. Personally, my self-imposed limit is 800 meters, and even that only in special cases. However, this data gives a useful picture of what these bullets are capable of.

At the range

Ballistically, the performance is excellent, but how does the bullet fare in terms of accuracy? In repeated shooting tests at 100 meters, in 6-shot groups (excluding the worst shot), I achieved an average group size just over 28 mm, which is just under 1 MOA. It could have been a bit better—my rifle has the potential to shoot under 0.6 MOA, which, based on third-party reports, can also be said for ABLR bullets. However, I suspect the bullets didn’t pair perfectly with my 1:8” twist rate. It’s reasonable to assume that with more extensive load development, I could achieve slightly better results than these groups. In any case, anything under 1 MOA is still a very good result, which remains suitable for shooting at extended ranges.

The last remaining step was to test the terminal ballistics, which was not entirely practical. The testing itself wouldn’t have been a problem, but given the intended purpose of these bullets, such a test would only make sense at long distances, which I currently don’t have access to. Additionally, setting up a test just for this would introduce unnecessary risk of a poorly placed shot. There is, however, a viable alternative—firing into blocks of sculpting clay, which provides sufficiently representative data on bullet integrity and expansion, while also allowing me to reduce the powder charge to simulate lower impact velocities found at longer ranges. I handloaded cartridges to simulate an impact velocity of around 490 m/s, which, in my “maximum” load configuration, corresponds to a distance of about 850 meters—farther than most hunters would shoot. I would have liked to simulate even lower velocities, but that would already have pushed the safe limits of case fill. In any case, the test shots into the clay block showed that proper expansion does indeed occur even at these reduced velocities. At the same time, penetration remains good—I consistently shot through 50 cm clay blocks. The shape of the wound channel and the degree of expansion were similar to Sierra’s popular GameChanger bullets, except at around 200 m/s lower impact velocities. So yes, based on both these practical observations and feedback from hunters who regularly hunt at extended ranges, it seems ABLR bullets are indeed capable of delivering on the manufacturer’s promises, while the exceptional core-to-jacket bond actively prevents fragmentation when used at shorter ranges.

During range testing, I achieved an average group size of just over 28 mm at 100 meters, which is just under 1 MOA.

The Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range factory ammunition line is loaded with ABLR bullets. However, they are expensive and rarely seen on shelves in our region.

In terms of price, given their intended purpose, it’s no surprise that these bullets are relatively expensive, ranging from 26.1 to 33.4 CZK per bullet. The specific variant I tested, .264/142 gr, costs 27.5 CZK per bullet, with packaging in boxes of 100. It’s reasonable to expect that the bullet will be slightly more finicky about load development and matching to a specific rifle, and it will likely perform best with faster twist rates. Some shooters may also be discouraged by the higher price, especially if they’re thinking of using it for long-range varminting, but beyond that, there’s really not much to complain about.

Nosler ABLR bullets are available for purchase at STROBL.CZ s.r.o. More information can be found at strobl.cz or on the manufacturer’s website nosler.com

Factory Ammunition

For those who don’t handload, Nosler also offers factory ammunition loaded with ABLR bullets as part of their Trophy Grade Long Range line. The manufacturer insists — and given their reputation, I’m inclined to believe it — that these are premium-quality cartridges with a strong emphasis on accuracy and manufacturing consistency. In total, there are 29 load options available across 26 different calibers, though the selection leans more toward modern and/or Western calibers. You won’t find classic European cartridges like 7x57 mm, 8x57IS, or 9.3x62 mm here. Another, and perhaps even more significant issue for Czech shooters, is the poor availability of these cartridges. They are imported by proarms.cz, but they rarely seem to keep them in stock. And finally, there’s the high price. For example, a .30-378 WbyMag cartridge loaded with a 210 gr bullet costs 167 CZK per round.

Advantages/Disadvantages

+ optimized for extremely low velocities

+ bonded core

+ bullet quality and consistency

- higher price

- accurate, but somewhat picky about load development and rifle compatibility

Photo sources: Author’s archive, manufacturer materials – nosler.com

Author: Tomáš Prachař

This article was originally published in Lovec magazine by Extra Publishing