Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 308 winchester 220 grain partition

I have no doubt that a 220 grain RN in a 308 will work. Did one get 500 free from the late Uncle’s stash? What about 180 grain bullets in the 308? I’m kinda thinking they work too.

You've never had a manual say one thing and observed an opposite result? I darn sure have.. Manuals are a reference, not a bible.

I've seen and observed starting loads, pop a primer consistently in a rifle, then take another load off the same page and at max velocity the same rifle digests it just fine... I let a manual suggest me to what results will work... I let my rifle tell me what it will digest and work with... and that has NEVER steered me wrong. Blindly following a manual's One Size Fits ALL has...

We each walk our own path.. you follow yours, I'll follow mine...

Handloading involves using your head.. not someone else's.. because each rifle barrel is an entity unto itself.

well we have one member who has never pushed a load beyond what a manual has told him to...

and then someone else who has, by noting the pressure listed in manual, and it being much lower than SAAMI specs, so worked up from there to find that limit... in 5 different rifles... and EACH one gave the conclusion that a much higher charge was safe and was not only giving tight primer pockets after 10 reloads....

then it was verified by a Nosler guy from the factory, that noted the thread and posted that having tested the load on their pressure testing equipment, found that the max load found, still did not exceed SAAMI specs.. stating, you can't get enough 4831SC in an 06 case with ANY bullet weight, to exceed SAAMI specs....

but since its not in a lawyer approved load manual, it is rejected by some who think a reload manual is a Bible, and sing that tune from the highest mountain tops....not even entertaining the fact they might be wrong...

just another day at the campfire.... someone who has tested it and shared results... and argued with by someone who hasn't tested it, but just uses a manual at gospel...

to each their own....

Another great thread. Curious if you’d be open to sharing your best loads in LVR in a 308 for various bullets?

Yes, the useful content and context of this thread is super-interesting and I would also be interested in LVR 308 loads for different bullet weights as I am going to load some for this weekend to try out.

Holy sht! I'm gonna try to revive this drifted madness back to 220 grainers:

Milled up some buttery soft green spruce for testing media. Will build a 4ft stack making sure no knots.

I'll test the 308 win 220 partition against other .33 cal 225 grain bullets and against the 308 win 180 grainer.

From left to right:

308 win 180 gr partition (federal high energy factory load)

308 win 220 gr partition handload

338 rcm 225 gr partition handload

338 rcm 225 gr fusion handload

338 rcm 225 gr interbond (hornady factory load)

Will get numbers on expanded diameter and weight retention tomorrow. Will post up pictures tomorrow.

30 caliber 180 partition and 220 partition penetrated exactly the same distance: 11 inches of spruce board. Both bullets expanded nicely, in great shape.

.338 225 gr partition failed to expand and drilled right through. Very little damage to the boards. Good ole discount blem bullets!

.338 225 gr fusion penetrated about 10.5" of spruce board. Much larger diameter hole in the boards and more damage, over the .308 bullets.

And surprisingly, the .338 interbond penetrated the furthest! This bullet made it to a little over 12" of board and showed the earliest expansion in the boards. Diameter of the hole and damage to the boards was even better than the .338 fusion bullets.

I love these kind of home grown tests! The 180 penetrating the same as the 220 is interesting.

Yep, definitely thicker copper jacket and higher muzzle velocity on that 180 grain partition load. That old "high energy" federal was some hot stuff.

Those 220 grain partitions have thinner copper jackets,the partition is further down and because of this, they loose more lead.

But the expanded 220 grain bullet probably still weighs more than the expanded 180 grain partition. It's slightly longer.

Agreed.. almost makes me want another.

.308 220 partition:

154.3 grains expanded to .49 caliber, 70% weight retention

.308 180 grain partition:

138.8 grains expanded to .55 caliber, 77% weight retention

I’d have never guessed that Mainer!

Will have to dig those .338 bullets out tomorrow, they're still in the boards.

The .338 fusion bullets were $18 a box of 50, vs $100 a box of 50 220 grain .308 partitions.

That's how it's done.

They need to move the partition forward on that 220.

Thanks, Mainer. Good test. Not what I would have expected in several ways. Any idea why the .338 Partition penciled?

I agree. I've never gotten any for that reason. And the 200's have nearly always been plenty of bullet. I'd buy and hunt a 220 that lost little of its weight in front core.

PA, Hunt n Shoot,

I agree. I would design the 220 grain partitions differently:

Like the swift a-frame pistol bullets, where the A-frame is higher up, the petals are thicker, but the tip has short skives.

Those A-frame pistol bullets penetrate amazingly well, and retain all their weight.

Sure is a lotta embellished bllsht out there about these 220 partitions.

So after seeing this, does the 220 offer any real advantage over the 180 in a hunting application? Given they are both the same design? Thanks for the test.

Thanks for sharing, Mainer! Interesting stuff.