I came across these two older Nosler Partition boxes, both 7mm.
What I learned from Nosler website, is that Nosler moved from Ashland to Bend Oregon in 1958.
Nosler Partition Bullet Co. became Nosler Bullets in 1969.
So I guess these would age to somewhere between 1958-1969.
My question is the "band" around bullets, it's about .002" smaller dia. than surrounding diameter.
Would this be where case neck would be seated and/or crimped? Thats about all I can figure.
You can see where these were lathe turned. Kinda cool.

very neat old bullets and boxes !

If I remember right, the original jackets were machined before final forming. I believe the relief cut was to lower pressure.

Hard to know without sectioning, but, I suspect the relief cut is right where the "partition" in the jacket is, the horizontal part of the "H" if you will. That's the part that would be essentially solid copper and would be harder and create more pressure.

Yes

remember when.........

used to call 'Connie' at Nosler & order 2nds........

those were the days admit it.......!

As Ulvejaeger stated (who is about my age, so remembers stuff like this) the groove around the middle or the original, lathe-turned Nosler Partitions was right around the Partition, and was designed to reduce pressure.

The relief-groove bullets were sold until around 1977. I know this because I started buying and handloading Partitions around then, and within 1-2 years they transitioned to the impact-extrusion (not relief groove) models.

Incidentally, I initially started using 130-grain .270 and 200-grain .30 Partitions in the .270 Winchester and .30-06. Both shot into an inch or a little less for 3-shot groups at 100 yards in the rifles I had then, a Remington 700 and 1903 Springfield, both of which I'd restocked and "bedded" myself. (Oh, and had 4x and 3x scopes.) Which is one reason I've always been a little puzzled by handloaders who claim they can't get Partitions to shoot even reasonably well.

I guess picture on box the left box/bullet, you can see pic on box has the "relief groove" right at partition as stated.

I have some of the older machined Partitions in .308 diameter 150 and 200 grain. I shot a couple of hogs last year with the 150's out of a 308. Seems to me the relief cut made it easier for the bullet to shed the front end. No matter what they kill well. Penetration is excellent.

"Shedding" the front core is exactly what John Nosler designed the Partition to do. He'd hunted plenty of big game by the time he designed it, and firmly believed bullets that shed some weight killed deer quicker. He wanted an all-around big game bullet, so designed it that way.

In my relatively brief experience with the original Partitions in the early 1970's I never recovered either a 130 .270 from deer or a 200-grain .30 from deer or elk. But they all died quickly.

The last hog I shot with a 150 grain old style partition was hit going away. The bullet smashed the pelvic bone and exited out the brisket after breaking 4 ribs. Small exit hole/dead hog.

Here is a box of partitions from about 58. My father used them in his 7x61 S&H. Rifle and bullets still in the family. 😁

I've got some of those old Nosler Partitions. One is a partial box of 85 grain Partitions I bought for my 6mm Remington back in the mid 1970's. Never got around to loading and shooting the rest of those bullets - though they've traveled with me from coast to coast as I moved over the decades. Laughing at myself on that.

The others are some 30 cal, 200 gr Partitions, and some 375 Partitions in 270 & 300 grain. They all look like good bullets. Doubt I'll ever need them. Just kinda cool to have around I suppose.

Older 300 grain .375" Nosler Partition below, newer above:

SS336 I see your box shows Ashland Oregon so before they moved to Bend. So yeah, 1958 or before. Cool