Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Nosler blems on a hunt of a lifetime ?

Blems and or seconds are mostly if not totally cosmetic from what I’ve heard and seen.

However would or do you bet a hunt of a lifetime on them ?

I shoot them all the time and would not have a problem if they shot well in the rifle.

Even partitions.

I did.

Have been shooting Partition 2nds exclusively since whenever SPS first appeared--10 plus years or more.

I have so many Partition, BT, and AB 2nds it's becoming embarrassing. I've made a vow to stay away from SPS............

Without reservation.

Everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.

If you are talking Noslers, then not just yes, but hell yes!
Been using them since Nosler was selling them via Bivwak, now SPS.
Most recently used a blem 200 gr Partition out of a 8mm RM on a Maine moose. Took me 20+ years to draw that tag.
Two years ago took a Newfie moose with a blem 150 gr Partition out of a 300 Savage.
Hundreds of Solid Bases, Ballistic Tips, ETips and Partitions down the pipe in 270, 30, and 35 cal, plus a few 7mm and 8mm.
Zero surprises other than the consistent accuracy and value. My grandsons have been brought up on them.

Wouldn't give it even a blink of a thought, they will work.

Don't understand why folks can't get it through their heads that blemished means cosmetically blemished not defective in manufacture or performance. I've shot thousands and would challenge anyone to prove they're not equal to non-blemished Noslers.

I wouldn’t give it a second thought. I’ve used them on elk.

I don't know how Nosler sells 1st's....I wait till SPS has the bullets I want to buy and then purchase an obscene amount. I am still shooting 180 BT's in .338 caliber if that tells you anything.

Just recently a friend texted me wanted to try his hand at hand loading. Said he bought 2 boxes of .338, 250gr partitions. $55 bucks each. I told him you could of bought 2nds for $25 bucks and sent him the link. Point being not a whole lot of people know about nosler 2nds..

At 1 point, Nosler began to sell 250gr Partitions for my Whelen only in boxes of 25. Retail was well over a buck a bullet. Thank God for blems.
Hope the marketing genius that came up with that idea has been sent down the road. Or worse.

That's not necessarily true. I've got about 5000 55 gr ballistic tip blems and I've found several that had little chunks missing out of the jacket. I loaded them anyway and the ones with the pieces missing went poof about 5' in front of the muzzle of my 22-250.

Obviously I've bought a bunch of them and will continue, but if it's really a "hunt of a lifetime" I'll pony up the extra $10 and buy a box of non-blems.

They shoot just as well, kill just as good!

Yes.

Have been shooting a lot of Nosler seconds since long before they could be ordered on the Internet. They sold 'em at the Nosler plant back in the 1980s, when I was living in Missoula, and every time somebody in our circle of rifle loonies took a road trip that ended up anywhere close to Bend, we all gave him some bucks and a list of what we wanted, if they were there.

Have never, ever had any problem with blems, even if the blemishes were visible even to us! Usually they aren't, but not always.

Have also watched the blems being sorted out at the Nosler plant, under a double-lens magnification glass and bright light. Never could see what the sorters saw....

All but one elk I've killed has been with Nosler seconds. From 70 yards out to 400.

Same. Killed my out-of-state muley this past October with a 180 NAB in my '06 M70.

Don't even give it a second thought....took seconds on my one in a lifetime goat in here in Idaho....two complete pass throughs with expected wound channels.

Nope. lol. I don't use the words Nosler and hunt in the same sentence. Doesn't matter if it is hunt of a lifetime or to shoot a doe for the freezer. Very happy with other options and results.

Curious why you’re sour on Nosler.

DF

I have killed a number of elk with factory seconds 160-grain Partitions, from my 7 mag. As long as they shoot well in your rifle, then there is no difference. I have never had an issue with any Nosler seconds, or Hornady, as far as that goes.

I concur with the majority here. I use the Nosler seconds (blems) exclusively in all my hunting rifles, including 8x57js Mauser, 7x57 Mauser,and the 308 Win. I also reload for my buddies 30-06 with the Nosler Blems. We have never had a single issue with them. SPS is my primary source for my reloading efforts as far as hunting bullets are concerned.

CJ

Oh yes, thousands down the barrel. Well over a couple thousand anyway.

130 BT in the 270.
165 BT in the 30-06
95 BT in the 243
100 and 120 gr BT in the 260 and 264, and most recently 130 AB for the 264.
And there are a couple hundred 160 AB waiting to find some H1000 so I can load them in the 7 STW.

Sometimes the tips are the wrong color, and sometimes you might even find a cannelure on the bullet. I suspect many are over runs on commercial production for ammunition manufacturers.

You bet your azz, I would...

Yeah, the last 338's I bought were 250 gr. partitions for $15.00/bag. I couldn't turn them down, so I bought a few hundred of them. I'm sure they will work just fine in my 338wm..

I got the latest SPS ad (I usually get about 3-4/week), and the prices--prior to their 20% "special"--looked higher than Midway for new. turn off

It’s all I’ve been using for over 10 years. Bought them off of Bivwak before SPS sold em.

I too have never had an issue with Nosler seconds...but if it bothers you....buy firsts. Bullets are the cheapest part of a hunt of a lifetime...

Had I got my Leopard license last year I'd have gladly gambled the whole cost of the hunt on 200gr Partitions in a 300 H&H for the cat, and 500gr Partitions in a 458 WM for buffalo, no sweat, both bullet types bought in bulk from SPS.

I sorted chrome plated snowmobile parts once
And after awhile they all look the same.

I doubt there would be a problem with them. I personally would spend the $50 or less and not take the chance.

They work on thick pigs. I reckon the bullet is still going

Nice, 270 with 150gr Partitions?

Win 70 Featherweight .270win with a 130gr bullet. Foggy memory but pretty sure it was a Ballistic Tip or Accubond.

I appreciate guys like you. Someone needs to keep Nosler happy and buy their firsts. I see no reason to though..Absolutely no reason..

Yes. Definitely.

"Yes" from me too. Drove from Tucson to Montana in October for mulies and antelope with SPS .270 140BTs in the magazine. Drove back a week later with both critters in the coolers!
I don't even think about them being seconds.
Cheers,
Rex

I have been using both the blems and new "store bought" bullets interchangeably for quite a few years. Haven't been able to tell any difference, either at the range or on game.

I am pretty sure that I used 200-grain AccuBond blems exclusively in my .375 H&H on my first trip to Namibia. All of them that I was able to recover from game expanded and worked perfectly, Weight retention was a little over 60 percent and the mushrooms were just like you would see in magazine ads.

When I worked in the Browning Arms Company gunsmithing shop Browning had an arrangement with Federal where they bought their seconds (blemished) ammunition. Much of this ammo was used for accuracy testing, I never saw any difference in accuracy using this ammo from results using Federal or any other manufacturer's first quality ammunition. As I stated previously the reason for seconds classification was cosmetic appearance.

I used to drive up to Bend to buy their bullets. One time while standing around the store I asked where the bullets were 'blemished". The guys in the store all said they didn't know but they truly believed that John Nosler would just come in while the bullets were running and he'd arbitrarily would say "stop here", for no reason they knew or could see. All the bullets before that were boxed and those running down the line after that weren't, and they were sold as blems. This happened in the very early 90's. Since that time Nosler bullets of various flavors have all been blems for me. Still have bags of them though I don't shoot that much any more, and I used them for every hunt I ever went on. Never a problem effectiveness or accuracy.

10-4, Thanks gunnut.

Have used them for last 10 years or so in 22, 6mm, 25, 27,
and 7mm calibers. Deer, hogs, coyotes, and black bear have
all been taken with no problems. Never saw a difference on paper
either.
GreggH

Awhile back, it took me 17 years to draw a moose tag in Colorado. Bullet was a 180gr Nosler Partition Blem I bought for $13 /50 from SPS in my .06/ It was a 15 minute hunt

Did it have rope marks on its neck? 🤣

X2

I use them.

No problems.

The 6 ft. 11 " black bear I killed in ALASKA at 284 yards with my 280 AI 160 gr Accubond didn't seem to mind it was a seconds bullet. I kind of doubt he noticed at all, ha ! Was shooting 3/8 in. groups at 200 and I found the bullet under the hide after going thru both shoulders. Nothing 2nd about that...……. Ray

I saw a guy shoot a 2” group at 300 yards with his 7mm Rem mag with partition seconds. That is better than I can shoot with any bullet.

The 225 gr Partition seconds out of my 35 Whelen have worked very well on large game. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them on any hunt.

Just fund out I drew an AZ antelope tag for fall 2020. I needed 19 bonus points to draw that tag. I have not yet decided which rifle I'll use, but there's a real good chance I'll be using a Nosler blem from SPS for my bullet.
Rex

Youll do just fine rex, or maybe i should say your nosler blem will do just fine