Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles The Nosler Partition Rehab Program

Hoo boy, now there's another issue...

Way back when I considered using their "Safari" grade (or however they called it then) ammo on a buff hunt. I bought a box to test and grab MVs. On pressing the trigger the very first round went "click". Looking it over at the shooting bench I couldn't really see if the issue was ammo or firing pin. I then chambered a second round and pressed the trigger and it went "click" too. Damn.

My hunting partner had his H&H at the next bench as well. I took 1 round from the factory ammo he was using and chambered it. It went "bang". Double damn.

Back home with bright lights and with Nosler on the phone it was clear that it was light primer strikes. Eventually it turned out it was a batch of brass with out of spec primer pockets and the primers set too deep. So much for "Safari" grade quality control.

They didn't offer to return my money, but they did offer to send me a hat for my troubles. Haven't used their ammo on anything since.

I have used the 130 ETip a bit on elk and caribou. It was easy to get to shoot in my rifle and has killed very well. I recovered one on a hard angled shot on a bull elk and it looked like a magazine advertisement.

I’ve only shot game with them out of the 270Wby but have shot some in my wife’s 270Win. They shot fine there too but we don’t need mono metal bullets for what she uses it for.

Is Sierra still making hunting bullets. I’ve had to switch everything over to Hornady because of availability. I’m not much of a premium bullet guy because most cup and core will kill just about anything. A heavy for caliber is pretty dependable. Edk

They do, but they've mostly been making runs of the match bullets. I snagged some 110 Varminters and 125 Pro Hunters a while back, but those have been few and far between.

Nosler must have heard the whining - SPS has the 140 gr. Partition blems for $21/50.

I LOVE Noslers! That said lack of availability and cost have made me move over to Hammers.

75-100 bux for 50 partitions-----when you can find them---- is just too much.

Yep, no thanks. Too many other great bullets out there to pay that.

Supply chains don't all run at the same speed. Manufacturers don't all buy from the same suppliers at the same time for the same price. When Hornady bullets and others also significantly go up in price as the price of their materials, labor, and transportation increases?
When demand goes down, manufacturers will begin to discount their products to the distributors and big retailers, who will in turn run sales on the items. But unless the bottom falls out of the world economy in a big way, it is highly unlikely we will ever see 2020 discounted prices for handloading components again.

I have enough variety and quantity of powder, primers, Partitions, Ballistic Tips, TTSXs, E-Tips, Sierras, etc, for all my fav hunting, varmint, self defense, and paper punching rifles and handguns to probably last me the rest of my life, so I'm not really risking much skin in the game--at least for the time being....

Yeah, some of us point them to threads like these.

with my military discount I got them for $18.90 so I got 5 bags should last me a long time.

They were hummers in my 264 with Retumbo.. Wanna say I was easily up over 3200, very accurate as well.

I found them cheaper - already loaded by Norma in 6.5x55
A number of online sources have them for about $25 a box. Brass, primers and powder thrown in for free...

Never have problems finding Lapua Scenars at decent prices....I hear they can kill a critter or two...

I am set. Shooters Pro shop had some 180 g ,30 cal partitions 2nds for $13 a box a few years back. I bought 6 boxes.Between them and my 220 gr Sierra RN, I won't need to buy another 30 cal bullet in my life.

I have enough .277 130 gr. partitions to last me and my son several lifetimes.

I've been a Interlock fan ever since Remington stopped selling Core Lokts to handloaders, maybe before that too. I try to keep interlocks on hand, but I shoot them into paper quite a bit.
I have quite a few partitions in 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, & 37. I don't need partitions in 35 and the interlocks work fine. I probably could let the 37's go to someone who needs them.
In the 60's I owned a 264 and the only decent big game bullet in my opinion was the partition, but the cost was too much for me. Now, I own no 6.5's or 338's and I can live with that
I probably wouldn't need to buy more, though every now and then I NEED a certain bullet weight in a caliber.

This is something that everyone should keep in mind. Change isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Rejecting any component or reloading accessory/equipment based on problems experienced 10 or more years ago isn't wise. Poor designs or defects get rectified quickly...or else. No company wants a bad reputation or go out of business. Ask Barnes, RCBS, Lee and others.

Do you remember when Barnes had expansion problems with their copper bullets? They probably would appreciate everyone forgetting that. They rectified the problem though. Does anyone remember when RCBS/Speer/Blount/CCI companies were being bought and sold and RCBS dies weren't well made? That was in the late 1970s, I believe. How are RCBS dies now? Lee has had their fair share of problems too. I've always believed that they release some products before they are ready, and let the reloading public finish the development.

Partitions are great bullets, but for my needs, they are unnecessary and overpriced. Even their cup and core BTs are high priced.

Every reloader should choose what works best in their unique situation. What you need is based on where you hunt. And we pursue different species, at different ranges, in different weather.

A lot of it comes down to how it affects the pocket book. Nosler has been raping its customers over the past 2 years. A lot of us won't forget that.

I think you'll find that Nosler has been doing it for longer than that. Up here at least. In Canada, they are one of the most expensive bullets. Frankly, if I needed something more than a cup and core bullet, I would give Barnes a hard look before I'd consider a Partition.

I just took a quick look at Cabelas up here. These prices are CDN, but it doesn't matter.

Nosler 130 gr .277 Partitions are $100 for 50.
Barnes tipped TSX 130 gr. bullets are $70 for 50.

Hornady Interlock .277 130 gr. bullets are $70 for 100 or $35 for 50.

For my needs, I would never consider Nosler or Barnes.

Had to beat the terminal ballistics of the Partition. Don't always shoot so good but really accurate sometime.