I the experience of those here, by how much do Partitions fall short in accuracy in comparison to other cup and core hunting bullets like the Sierra PH?

I ask as although I would really like to use Nosler Partitions for game larger than deer- I have never been able to work up a load that was consistently accurate.

I am not expecting benchrest accuracy, but I find that if I can achieve moa groups with Sierras, I usually struggle to keep 1.5 moa groups with the Partitions. And, I find, the percentage of "where did that come from?" fliers greater with Partitions.

I do not want to be interpreted as knocking Nosler - I have used Accubonds and do use Ballistic Tips with good results - esp. the 95 gr .243 BT

I have tried to find a load I am pleased with in 3 different .30 caliber rifles using the 180 Partition and used the better part of three boxes of bullets doing it.

Any tips or suggestions are welcome- I know 1.5 moa groups are adequate for 99% of the shots I will take when hunting, but I would like better, particularly to eliminate the fliers, and I would like to use Partitions if I could get them to shoot better.

Thank you.

Adding a 1/2 MOA with Partitions over BT/AB's in not uncommon, but some barrels just love partitions.

I have both in my safe, but more of the former then the latter.

I have 2 25-06 rifles that don't care a lick for any of the partitions. Then I picked up a Weatherby Vanguard S2 in 243 and shoot .6 5-shot groups and ring the gong at 500 yards. As A-sniper said, some love 'em, some don't.

My advice is give them a try, you just may well be surprised.

I have had very good accuracy with 180s in my '06.

I've had excellent accuracy results with the 7mm 140 grain Partitions in my 7x57. Their effectiveness leaves nothing to be desired either.

The 125 grain Partitions are extremely accurate in my .264 Win. Mag. 1/2" @ 100 yards for a 5 shot group. But they average about 1.5" in the rest of my hunting rifles.

Ive had good luck getting partitions to shoot in anything Ive tried them in.Not too tough to get MOA at 100 yds....but can be tough to get better. Good enough for a hunting bullet for most applications.

Make sure they are seated straight. Run them at max.

I have had quite a few rifles that would group them as well as Sierra's of equal weight with the same charges.

At present, my 7mm Mashburn Super shoots 160 NPT's as well as 162 Amax...and the Amax is an accurate bullet.

Generally I have had quite good accuracy with them.And have killed with them as far as 500 yards so the whole Partition accuracy conundrum is something I'm really not familiar with. On those rare occasions that I had a problem it was the load or the rifle that was sick and not the bullets.

I totally agree with Bob and Ingwe on this...

Todd, I'm assuming you are wanting to use these in your 30-06 fwt. Did you switch to a Mcmillan stock like you were wanting to do and was it glass bedded properly?? I easily get sub moa groups with my fwt 06 and it is damn near identical to your rifle. However, mine has been glass bedded, trigger adjusted to 2.5 pounds, and proper loads have been worked up. Can you give us a little more info on the rifles you are having problems with? Thanks..

I find my workup for Nosler takes more "effort" than Hornady's? Odd but seems to be my luck? They also seem to be more sensitive to seating depth than others. That being said they can be very accurate.

Yes, working up loads for a pre '64 30 '06 featherweight- Brown Precision stock bedded appropriately, 2.5 lb trigger, rifle shoots 180 gr Sierra PH into inchish 5 shot groups at 100 yards, (56.5 grains H4350, Win LR primer, Norma brass bullets seated 0.020 from jam)

I have tried varying seating depth from .012 to .030 without success and varying powder charge up and down half a grain - just not getting anything to brag about for groups and "fliers" often. I was just hoping for better.

Aahh....the culprit emerges!

Some of the tightest groups I've fire with M70's have been with pre 64 FW's chambered 30/06. But.....they can be very persnickety and unless well bedded and tuned can be difficult.

I think the reason is simple. A 180 gr load is a lot of mass to push down the barrel of such a light rifle, and the barrel contour (IMO) is on the ragged edge of being heavy enough for a 30/06.

Put it in a light,stiff synthetic (which does not absorb vibration but rather transmits it) and the rifle will quickly show what it likes and dislikes. Small details become important with a light rifle and powerful load. It's harmonics.

Surprisingly (maybe) 150-165 gr bullets will sometimes shoot better.Matter of fact most of my pre 64 30/06's have been FW's and in general 165's will show better grouping ability than 180's but not always.

What I would try: Check your ammo for run out and segregate ammo using the stuff that measures .005 and under for grouping. Use the other stuff for off hand practice etc. See if that works. With proper bedding I have seen pre 64 06 FW's go from indifferent grouping to small groups by watching run out.I would bet $5 bucks that those "flyers" have excessive run out.

Get a Redding Competition or other straight line seating die and seat bullets straight as possible.Straight seating can be a bigger issue than seating depth.

Also, IMR4350 may not be "the" powder. I would try H4350 and RL 19.

Third, if the 180's still won't do it, switch to the 165 gr Partition. For most uses the animals will never know the difference.

BTW, stick those 180 gr loads in a standard grade and they will probably shoot knot holes. Just more rifle mass to soak up the vibes.

Thanks for the suggestions. Powder is H already, I am using a Redding competion seater- I have been toying with the idea of getting a run out checking tool.

I have had a very accurate 300 WSM with a Krieger barrel that shot everything but Partitions well.

I will keep trying until the box is gone...

I shoot a rem 700 in 300saum, and my old boss shoots a model 7 in 300saum. His rifle loved the 150 Sierra's and mine loves the 165 Partitions. I can easily cover 3 shots with a quarter at 100yds. His sierras shot just as well as my Partitions. I didn't try the Sierra's but he had tried the partitions and he preferred the 150 Sierra's because they were shorter.

my Ruger .308 Win loves 150 gr partitions and max load of Varget. My favorite hunting load.

That 56.5gn load with H4350 is quite mild. I would work up further. Most rifles will take several more grains.

That charge will only be generating around 2600fps, maybe a little more which is under the 2800-2850fps potential for a 180gn bullet in the .30/06.

I use R-22 in 30-06 for 180's. 59 and 60 grains both group about 2" at 300. That is all I can expect from that rifle. I use 60 gr. Could go up further, but the speed matches the trajectory I want, and the sight setting aligns with others I shoot.

I haven't seen problems getting Partitions to shoot well for decades now, and those could have been operator error, for all I know: I was still a kid. My brother and his wife have a pair of 280s that shoot Partitions VERY well, as in 1/3-1/2" at 100. Another guy I load for has a model 70 in 270 that shoots the 150's just slightly worse that the best bullets out of his rifle, about 2/3". I don't think the problem is with the bullets, if anyone has a problem getting them to shoot.

The only ones I've ever had problems with were the 22 cal version, but I've decided that the twist rates in a few guns were too slow to get them to shoot straight. They do as well as anything in a 1:8 twist. Not good for me in 1:10, 1:12, or 1:14.

I have never had a problem getting Partitions to shoot in any of my guns. My 7 mags will both shoot the 160s into 1/2-3/4-minute if I do my part. Same results in my 6mm. I have yet to try them in my .308, but expect the same results with the 165 Partition.

180 gr NP in the 06 usually just works without much drama. I normally run use H4350 or imr 4831 close to book max. I'd try some 180 gr factory ammo and compare.

In my .240 HS, the 100 NPT over MRP is the most accurate load of all and I've tried many combo's. This load will shoot 1/2 MOA or better at 400 yds.

Just another gun where the Partition is the most accurate bullet.

DF

~ 20 years ago all I shot was 180 Partitions in my 30-06 Win. M670. I had heard of how inaccurate Partitions were so worked at getting them as consistent and straight as I could. The first 5 shot group was covered by a dime. Basically one ragged hole. Similar groups followed. Well I felt I didn't need that much accuracy since just slapping them together produced 1" 3 shot groups and took a lot less time.

The load was 56g of IMR 4350 in Winchester cases and a CCI 200 primer. 2650 FPS

Interesting, I get 2720 fps out of the 22" barreled featherweight and similar in the other 30 '06 I tried that load in. 57.5 grains of H4350 made the bolt pretty stiff to open in both guns. I was surprised that that was where the max was for my rifles but I have repeated the load enough times to be sure.

^^^^^^ This

I've had numerous 30-06 rifles shoot Partitions very well. I'd load 3 ea of 57, 58, 59 grains of H 4350 under a 180 Part, seated 0.010-0.020 off L&G. I'd bet a nickel one of them will turn in MOA - if your rifle is bedded properly. I'd also consider Re 17 under the 180. My current 06 shoots a smidge better with Re 17 than H 4350 with the 180.

Careful there, agreeing with both of them...

I've read that sometimes a faster powder will help the Partition obturate into the rifling better with enhanced accuracy. Looks to me like most any powder that blows the thing out the spout will obturate a soft base bullet as well as the next powder...

Maybe I got that tid bit of wisdom here on the Fire...

So, it may or may not be true...

DF

DF: I have noticed that going to a quicker powder may sometimes help a rifle shoot better with ANY bullet.

Partitions frequently shoot better as we approach maximum loads even with slow powders. I have seen it happen so often with things like the 270,and many magnum chamberings ,that I just wait for it to happen,and watch as the groups tighten up as max loads are approached.

Partitions aren't target bullets.But they aren't inherently inaccurate either. The fact that some rifles shoot them well,and some don't,makes me conclude that issues getting them to shoot are usually rifle or load related.

Dirtfarmer,

The information about trying a slightly faster powder with Partitions didn't come from the Internet ether but Gail Root, who was the head bullet designer for Nosler for many years.

But I have also found that adding a grain or two more of the same powder can help. This is partly because most modern powders are designed to burn most consistently at 60,000 PSI or even more, but it probably does help Partition obturate as well. (Too many handloaders still give up if a "starting" load doesn't shoot all that well, having been told by too many people, including some gun writers, that milder loads usually shoot better. Which is BS.)

I also suspect the reason so many handloaders give up early when loading a more costly bullet like a Partition early is price. Which is why I normally start with a lower-priced bullet of the same weight and style when working up a load for a pricey bullet, finding out which powders and loads work best before switching to a Partition, TSX, Berger, Lapua or whatever for fine-tuning the load.

I have also owned and used a bullet runout gauge for at least 25 years now. One of the many things it taught me is that all the tools that supposedly result in straight-seated bullets don't help nearly as much as KNOWING which loading tools and techniques work by measuring your loaded rounds.

Nosler lists 56.5gr of H4350 as max for 30-06 180gr partition, I would start low and work up . My 22" howa runs 2650 fps with 56.5 and 2700fps with 57gr.

Good info, John, as always.

I feel better already, knowing it wasn't a senior moment or Fire rumor. I've enjoyed more than my share of both lately...

DF

That's been my exact experience as well. I may have even dropped back to 56 grains and 2700 fps for top notch accuracy. Remember, every rifle is different. I'll find a picture and post my load data, it may help.

Their design does have an extra potential source of imbalance.

Same here. Run them a little harder. Seen the same thing over and over. Push them a little harder and watch them come together.

Also, don't be scared to seat them a little deeper as well. I've found a few rifles that do very well around .040-.060" deep as well.

i would believe all this except my Tikka .300 win mag puts them under an inch easy and at 7 lbs. it is a little light oon barrel contour ...... it also has shot every other bullet I shot out of it under an inch so maybe I just got a consistent 1"inch gun........

I don't think Bob is saying all lightweight rifles are persnickety. Instead his post is specifically about pre-'64 Model 70 Feathwerweights, especially in their original stocks with no bedding work. This isn't just because of the bedding but because pre-'64 actions weren't as precisely made (as in "blueprinted") as many newer rifles. Plus they had iron sights attached to their barrels, which can also affect accuracy.

That's nothing against the pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester. It was what it was, and the Featherweights I've owned have shot plenty well enough for general big game hunting. But they did NOT shoot like my NULA rifles.

Exactly. John understands what I was saying.

It's a trait of pre 64 FW 30/06's in particular and based on having had and shot quite a few. In general I have found the 270's a bit less fussy.

Duely noted , I have never warmed to Model 70s so I was not sure if it was a Winchester thing or not. For a 6' tall 210 lbs. man I have little womanly hands and my thumb does not reach a 3 position safety well with out some effort , hence I never use them......

I never experienced inaccuracy problems with them , but I am sure it happens as with any bullet. Trying to get two cores center and balanced is not as easy as one.
Nosler seems to be the only company that sells lots of Blemish bullets cheap..... I always wonder about that ... do they just admit more problems then other companies???????????

Bob,

Yeah, I have noticed the same thing about the .270 in a number of lightweight rifles. Have long suspected it's because there's more steel around a .27-caliber hole than a .30-caliber hole, in the same contour barrel, in light barrels enough to make a difference.

Have kinda wondered how a .243 Featherweight would shoot, but haven't been intrigued enough to pay for one and find out!

John me neither.....

I think it is the contour myself.

We tend to poopoo it in this day of large capacity magnums but the 30/06 is a potent cartridge that gins up a lot of "everything" that makes a rifle vibrate. The standard grades are easier to get to shoot.I have long felt the FW contour is on the light side for the 30/06 but it is what it is....I like mine cause it's easy to carry.

Not much experience with 243's but I notice pre 64 Swifts can be very accurate.....264 Win Mags, too. Plenty of steel in those I think.

That leads up to my point about those "flyers" and straight seating....following your advice I have found it to help a lot.

Partitions are almost always a good bullet for accuracy. It is about the best IHMO for game. I have had good luck with Sierra on paper and bad luck with Sierra on game. Sierras are also great for Prairie Dogs.

I have a .280AI that shoots 160gr Sierra's into very small groups, but it shoots the 160gr NPT just as well. I too have found that NPT seems to shoot better at max. pressure. Also, I have seen that a small run out factor affects the Nosler bullet more than the Sierra. I do not have a clue why that might be. I like accurate rifle/load combo more than I should because in the field(speaking for me only)what the heck does it really matter if the best my rifle will do is 1.5" or so. I'm not shooting at an unwounded deer or elk past 450yds or so anyway.

WY, if you watch Midway, Midsouth and the other big internet sellers you will see quite a few Hornadys and other blems for sale, they just won't tell you the brand. Sometimes it's easy to tell what they are, sometimes not.

Yep.

The blemishes on Nosler bullets are purely cosmetic, though often I have never been able to see them, even with a magnifying glass--which is what the "bullet examiners" at the plant use to pick blems from the production line.

I'll agree with both of you guys. My fwt 30-06 does very well, but the 270 is less finicky. Really pisses me off, as I am a huge fan of the 30-06:



TCP, another bullet you might want to consider is the el-cheapo Winchester powerpoint. I use the same seater die setting to load both the 180gr. partition and powerpoint. Both bullets are off the lands by about .020":




I worked up this load for 2 30-06's and went with the average of the best load between the 2. Here's how the other rifle likes it:


Never owned a nula, but I imagine they shoot damn well. Also since we are talking about accuracy with partitions, I have to throw this target out for you:

Not the one you were expecting huh???

This is why I shoot so many Nosler blems. Can't tell them from firsts. I'm not sure if I've ever shot any Hornady seconds, but I have bought some Sierra Blitzking seconds that were true blems, with mainly missing or deformed plastic tips.

The several bullets I've gotten from SPS just look less shiny than what others pay double for retail. They shoot exactly the same, from my experience.

The Hornady blems I've gotten from Midway in the past were far more 'Blem'. There were small, but obvious bullet flaws. They don't shoot bad, on average. I do notice a difference with them though. Nothing that would ruin a long shot on a deer.

Some times the Nosler blems are an employee goof. I bought some 160gn Accubonds in 7mm that had the red 150gn BT's instead of the usual white tips.

Good thing animals are supposed to be colorblind!

SPS currently has 308 cal 180gr Partitions right now for $15.95.

Agreed on all the normal caveats. But look at the pressures those loads run at. Most are less than 50k CUP or 55k PSI. There is no reason to run the 06 there with a modern rifle. There is a bunch of load data showing 2800 in the 06 with a 180 in 24" barrels. I'd add powder till I hit 59 grains or 2800. I'd pick the most accurate load from there. I'd do the same with re 17 but stop at 56 or 2800. I get almost 2700 in my 20" barrel 06 with 180s.