I started using Partitions in the late 1970s, just before they converted to impact-extrusion manufacturing and eliminated the "relief groove" in the yellow-box bullet. The first two boxes I bought were yellow-box .270 130s and .30 200s.
Had always heard they weren't as accurate as most other bullets, but I loaded them with the same charge of H4831 I'd used with cup-and-core bullets of the same weight. Somewhat to my amazement, both grouped into an inch at 100 yards, using the 4x Bushnell on my Remington 700 .270 Winchester and the K3 Weaver on my "sporterized" 1903 Springfield .30-06.
Oh, and they killed stuff too, but as far as I could tell not "too dead." In fact I learned to really like the 200 Partition for woods hunting for anything from deer up, because it killed 'em but didn't ruin as much meat as more conventional bullets.
That was one among many reasons I started becoming skeptical of "common knowledge" about all sorts of shooting stuff....
Mid 1970's I was concerned that my then-new 6mm Remington ought to have Partitions, because it could drive an 85 grain Nosler Partition fast... I still have a partial box from back then.
Somehow it survived many USMC transfers/moves and a lot of hunting seasons. Still have the rifle, though mostly my son uses it now.
I ought to load a few of those old bullets and see how they do. Ha! My dies are from 1974 too, just like the rifle. The bullets are likely from about 1976 or so. Those old bullets were pretty good. Or at least that's how I remember them.
Guy
