Are Nosler Partitions still relevant ?

[Jesse Jaymes]

Long time reloader. Long time fan of 338. As my 25 yo son giggles "You have shit in the back of your gun safe you haven't seen in years"

Kinda true. Every few years I pull something out and tinker. Mostly end up realizing why it went back there.

I am a Lefty. And back a few years ago Ruger make a super cool left handed Compact Magnum. I have one in 338 RCM. Super handy little rifle.

My notes have been half ass my whole life. A shame. I do or did...a ton of tinkering. I took a nice bear with it paired with 185 TSX. I recall the tipped 210 TTSX was the most accurate (nothing stellar....1.5MOA maybe? and doesnt really 'hold it' out there very far)

I have shot plenty of bears and swore I didn't need to shoot another. But I am old, yet good shape and want to stay this way. See some new country, explore...and MAYBE take a bear if I stumble onto a Toad.

But I am also super cheap.

A 210 Partition in .338. Old News? Long outdated? Does nothing a TSX or TTSX wouldn't do?

For black bears, I have shot enough to know they are not bullet proof. I shot a HUGE one several years ago, but most are sub 300lbs.

I am looking for accuracy foremost, then performance (meaning a Sierra or Speer, or Core Lokt is probably just fine once you get to 200 grains and .338 diameter).

A non sexy, flat base Partition have any chance of decent accuracy today? I am thinking the flat base, not sharp poly tip nose and ogive shape may allow me to seat them to full magazine length a bit better.

The case design and concept of these RCMs are neat, but you are quickly disappointed once the chrono comes out. They are NOT 338 Mags.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Partitions are fine when used as intended, meaning medium range big game.

 

[Leaf Litter]

Nobody ever complains about them, and that's saying something in our modern grievance-bsded society.

They're great at what they're designed to do; penetrate deeply with a great wound channel at short and medium range.

 

[6mm Remington]

NOTHING wrong with a 210 gr. Partition. A Partition is never a mistake.

A 200 gr. Nosler Accubond would also be a great choice.

 

[180ls1]

It really sounds like you should give the Hammers a try. They are known for easy speed + accuracy.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

NOTHING wrong with a 210 gr. Partition. A Partition is never a mistake.

A 200 gr. Nosler Accubond would also be a great choice.

The 200 AB has been my Go To in this gun. But the Good Idea Fairy popping up in the winter boredom. Accuracy is OK with the AB.

But Christ....the AB is now EXPENSIVE. They used to be priced almost like a Ballistic Tip. Now in the medium bores...they're not far off the Partition. A major reason for the post. If I am burning $65 on replacing ABs...pony up another $5 and try some Partitions?

 

[Formidilosus]

Partitions are still the overall best conventional “hunting” bullet on the market.

 

[streamerfish]

Partitions will pretty much always be relevant. At least until/if someone comes out with a similar design in a higher B.C. shape.

Accuracy is generally fine but not amazing.

 

[Tradchef]

I shoot them out of my 340 weatherby and have flattened plenty of elk with them. I also load ttsx, lrx and accubonds in 338 and they all are fantastic. They always perform flawlessly with intended use. They might not have a high bc like everyone seems to need to have these days or look as pretty but I’ve never had a bull or bear within 500 yards that could ever tell a difference

 

[MacJenkins]

I prefer the A-frames over them. But still shoot the partitions in my 7x57 as we have a good stash already loaded.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Partitions are still the overall best conventional “hunting” bullet on the market.

Yep, what Form said.

 

[DangerRanger]

For me, I don’t see the point

1. Expensive

2. Randomly Hard to find (loaded ammo runs)

3. Crap BC

If it’s close range hunting, it’s not needed. Blue box federal with a lead game king is just as good

If it’s long range, it’s like shooting a brick and a tmk/eld for half the cost performs better in the wind

I guess it’s that elusive mid range hunter that doesn’t want to just use a eldx or something idk

My dad used to use 300 win federal premium with a 180 partition and I hated it because it was stupid expensive so he’d buy like one box, then need more and they are out of stock and finally find it and have to re zero for a new lot

 

[alexnelon]

For me, I don’t see the point

1. Expensive

2. Randomly Hard to find (loaded ammo runs)

3. Crap BC

Conversely:

1. $50/year for rounds actually shot at animals is literally nothing

2. The internet

3. BC doesn't really matter inside 500 anyway and very few of us shoot animals further than that.

I don't shoot Partitions but they definitely still have a place.

 

[DangerRanger]

Conversely:

1. $50/year for rounds actually shot at animals is literally nothing

2. The internet

3. BC doesn't really matter inside 500 anyway and very few of us shoot animals further than that.

I don't shoot Partitions but they definitely still have a place.

What do they do better than a fusion or Norma or really anything else inside the 500?

I scoured for over a year online for federal premium 180 partition with no luck and gave up and switched him

His Animals have been just as dead with Norma so far

I just think for me if you’re gonna be a sub 500 bullet you need to be more accessible and better priced because much inside of that everything else on the shelf works fine too, and for cheaper and easier to get

 

[alexnelon]

What do they do better than a fusion or Norma or really anything else inside the 500?

Consistent immediate fragmentation combined with deep penetration in the same bullet.

 

[DangerRanger]

Consistent immediate fragmentation combined with deep penetration in the same bullet.

Yeah that’s cool, I just haven’t personally seen it matter in the real world on deer or elk

then again I shoot match and soft bullets at all ranges now so maybe I’m just a hater

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I really hope this thread results in people dumping their Partitions so I can buy some more at reasonable prices.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I reload for my Ruger #1 in .300 Wby. I use nothing but Nosler Partition 180 gr bullets for my elk and larger animals. The Ruger is not my gun in .300 Wby , I have been shooting Noslers for over 40 years and am not changing now.
I don't know what everyone says is "midrange". Not everyone's definition is the same!! I have killed elk at 500 yards with this bullet and it did great.

 

[streamerfish]

What do they do better than a fusion or Norma or really anything else inside the 500?

I scoured for over a year online for federal premium 180 partition with no luck and gave up and switched him

His Animals have been just as dead with Norma so far

I just think for me if you’re gonna be a sub 500 bullet you need to be more accessible and better priced because much inside of that everything else on the shelf works fine too, and for cheaper and easier to get

Better is all relative to what you want your bullet to actually do. Is a mono bullet better because it penetrates more, or is a thin jacketed cup and core bullet better because it creates a much bigger wound channel?

What separates the partition is that it basically sits in the goldilocks position. It creates bigger wound channels then a mono, or a bonded bullet (of same size, speed), and it penetrates deeper then a cup and core(more consistently) (of same size, speed).

And because of the design, it does its expansion/fragmentation, and penetration at an incredibly reliable rate. Its base core never expands, it drives like a mono base, and its front expands and fragments more reliably than any tipped cup and core because of its open lead tip design.

No penciling....no blowing up on bone(if that's even real).

Outside of the shape/flight characteristics, it's basically the perfect bullet design.

It is going to do "something" better then virtually every other bullet on the market.

NOW, that doesn't mean its needed, or that everyone should use one or whatever. Clearly most bullets will do the job if you do your part. But some bullets do certain things better then others.

If i want biggest would channel I can possibly get, not worried about meat loss at all, not worried about blood trails or pass throughs, just maximum internal cavity damage. Then I'm going to choose some type of thin jacketed cup and core type of bullet.

If I want maximum penetration, I want to give myself the best chance possible to pass through an animal no matter what I hit and no matter the angle, best chance at a blood trail. Minimal meat loss then I'm going Mono, with a bonded not far behind.

But, if I want something like 75% of each attribute. The blend so to speak. And I want it to work every single time. I'm choosing a partition. At moderate range.

 

[Choupique]

They're always going to be excellent bullets unless their construction changes or mammals evolve wildly in a very short time.

The BC sucks but if you aren't shoot far it doesn't matter. I love em.