Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Partitions...misunderstood?

Are Partitions misunderstood? I know for a long time they were by me. I had always used the softest cup&core bullets and wanted rapid expansion on our small deer. On behind the lung shots I wanted 'mushy lungs'. I had always considered Partitions a big game bullet, only suitable for large game, something that needed deep penetration. they deserved the deep penetration reputation. What I didn't understand was that the front lead used was especially soft to encourage fast expansion. I use them almost exclusively in my 7x57, except when I am hunting pigs at 100yds or so, when I use 175 round noses. I think many, as I did, only think of them as deep penetrators. What are your thoughts? captdavid

For me they are still the gold standard... they open close and far, light animals and large, explosive initial penetration, with deep secondary penetration.

They are not tacticool, but I'll take them over tinfoil bullets any day... and mono's too.

I think of them as sort of the best of both worlds. They expand sufficiently, yet the rear core penetrates on through.

For what they are though, Nosler has priced them beyond what I'm willing to pay. I pick some up here and there, but have been just as pleased with other designs.

I view "premium" bullets like premium gas. You may get slightly better performance, but you'll still get there, and maybe have a dollar left in your pocket.

My thoughts are, after using them for almost 40 years, that they are the best of both worlds. They shed weight, sending shrapnel throughout the target that helps kill animals quicker, all the while staying together to make a very good, penetrating bullet. Other's have been trying to play catchup for 60 years now. The accubond, at least IMHO, performs much the same.

Most naysayers will state that you don't "need" them for smaller, medium sized game. Fact is they kill the crap out of those too.

Not the most accurate bullet in my shop but, They will kill!

If I had only one bullet to choose from, it would be the Partition. The only reason I've gone to the TTSXs is they are significantly and consistently more accurate penetrate deeper and open very reliably at the speeds I use.

captdavid,

Yeah, you're right. Many hunters misunderstand Partitions. Many make the comment that they're too "tough" for deer-sized game, or assume because the exit hole can be pretty small, a Partition didn't expand--which as I've noted before, makes me wonder how many hunters axctually field-dress their own game.

The front core of Partitions consists of 2.5% antimony lead alloy, softer than any of the cup-and-core big game bullets I know of. The rear core alloy contains considerably more antimony. If I recall correctly, in most models it's 5%, but can vary slightly depending on the specific bullet, not only due to the game it might be used on, but accuracy. Some bullets shoot better with a slightly harder or softer rear core.

The jacket conformation can also vary, both over the rear core and front core, depending on the usual use of the bullet.

Years ago I was also of the understanding that they were only needed for "BIG" game like moose and elk. Then I found out they work just fine on deer sized game and much smaller animals as well. It has been my go to big game bullet in several calibers for 20 years. I shoot others also, and I know there's a lot of other options that work as well. Some of my rifles prefer other bullets accuracy wise, but for just killing stuff, the Partitions just seem to work.

Agree.

As far as accuracy is concerned, when they hot, they hot...

Some rifles shoot the NPT more accurately than any other bullet. I have one, a 240 HS Precision that goes half MOA with the 100 gr.

Across the board, I find other bullets out shooting the NPT, some maybe not by much.

Terminal performance on game, the NPT is the gold standard as you say, the one others are compared to.

I like'em for what I do. I'm not into long range shooting where high B.C. long, sleek bullets rule. In my neck of the woods, Partitions rule.

DF

Last fall I shot a coyote with my .280AI and a 160NP at nearly 200 yards, the bullet hit a front shoulder and blew a softball size hole through him. That indicates to me that expansion was immediate and violent. A few days later I shot a six point bull elk with the same bullet/rifle combo and the NP completely penetrated the elk's chest leaving a quarter sized exit hole. I did a gutless method on him, so I don't know what his lungs looked like but I'll bet they were a mess as he was pretty much dead on this feet after the shot. I only use Nosler Partition because I know what to expect from them. They may not be perfect, but they satisfy me.

I did see a 130gr 270cal fail to expand on a deer shot with a 270 Weatherby Magnum mv around 3300fps back in 1983.My Dad shot three,times all hit the deer tight behind the shoulder and the deer just stood there as the bullet just penciled through.It did kill the deer,but the wound channel looked like it was made by a full metal jacket.Must have been a bad batch of bullets.t

I shot an antelope with a 150 grain core-lokt and it almost blew the offside shoulder off. Some animals are not bound together as tight as others.

Partitions have an established record, but there are others that will hang with them for expansion, penetration and weight retention.

130gr .308 TTSX that made its way down a couple feet of spine.







62grain .223 that did about the same.

To me that they are just about perfect. I like a bullet that loses some weight so I've never been a big fan of the monometals, but partitions just seem to hit that sweet spot of losing enough to kill fast but keeping enough to penetrate through just about anything

Another way I look at it is below 2700 FPS the NP (if it shoots in your rifle) is the standard. Above that, they TTSX and for calibers above say 375 H7H, TTSX all the way.

At 2700 standard CnCs work great, too. No need for a PT at in that velocity range

Google SPS and buy them for half. MB

+1

Speed is an important factor with bullet choice. You gotta match speed with bullet type and construction for optimal performance, IMO.

DF

I had a lot of trouble in the 243 with bullets blowing up inside and not coming out. I tried 100 gr Sierra BTSP, Hornady 100 gr round nose, 90gr Ballistic tips and I do not remember what all else. The problem came when the shots were inside 100 yards. Changed over to a 100gr partition and it ended all my problems. Never had a bullet not come out on a deer no matter what distance or angle I shot them at.

How far were the deer going w/o exit holes?

I've also never caught a 6mm Partition in a deer. They are always great for making the 243/257 stuff more reliable on exit holes, and they seem to kill about as quickly as the cup/cores of similar weight and speed. I loaded some 100gr Partitions for a friend's 243 recently, as she was not getting exits on deer and hogs with any angle involved or bone hit (Gameking factory loads). I told her that a 100gr Partition at 3,000fps is near-about a sure thing.