I just bought a CZ 550 American in .30-06. This gun seems to prefer 180 grain bullets and it seems to give me the best groupings with Federal Premium 180 grain Nosler Partitions. I have always used 150 grain bullets in for deer when I used a .30-06 but since my new rifle is preferring 180 grain bullets I am going to give these Nosler Partitions a try. Are the 180 grain Nosler Partitions too heavily constructed to use for deer?

Not a gun writer here, but I first used the 180 gr .30 cal Nosler Partition about 30 years ago. The front end is pretty "soft" and opens up well, for me, even on game in the 140 pound range.

It will penetrate right on through, and the exit wound may not seem real large, but I've always found ample destruction in the chest cavity.

The .30-06 & 180's go together real well. I do like the 165's just as much, or maybe even a little better though.

Guy

Simple answer is no. The 180gr NP may be one of the best all around BG bullets currently available. But, as much as I respect them, it would not be my first choice for a deer only bullet.

No. They kill 'em very very dead.

Of course they'll work.

But, I like to use 150's in the '06, 180's in the .300 WM.

That's just me.

DF

Go with the loads that shoot most accurately. To me that is most important and even though they are a bit much for deer they will still cleanly kill. A few years back I was handloading and using 200 gr partitions exclusively in the '06 as I was hunting black bear a lot and semi-guiding hunts over hounds. Those worked well enough on deer so I don't doubt the 180's a bit. The only issue you may have is if you slip one through and through between the ribs on a smallish one. That scenario might not give you the best blood trail but I don't see it as an issue being the deer should be dead within a short distance of the hit.

My favorite weight bullet in the 30-06 and 308 is the 165 gr , just pick what ever brand your rifle prefers

When I started hand loading back in the late Pleistocene, I was given several boxes of 180 Partitions by a friend who had decided to just shoot his .270. Since I was a poor college student, I simply used them on everything until they were gone. I shot quite a few Texas whitetails (none of which dressed over about 90 lbs), coyotes, bobcats and a couple of feral hogs. All were one-shot kills with most of the edible meat left intact.

Years later, I found myself at the start of the Nebraska deer season with my old '06 at still the gunsmith being bedded. So, I hunted deer with my 7mm Rem Mag with 175-grain Partitions. Same story.

If your rifle likes them, use them.

I'm definitely not a gunwriter, but my Savage 99EG loves the heavier 180gr bullets and so I use 180gr Partitions. Bullets definitely aren't moving that fast from a 300 Savage, but it went 19 deer down with 19 shots fired.





In short, the 180gr Partitions work just peachy for me. The only issue with a 180gr Partition is the distance to where they'll slow down and not dependably expand is less than a lighter Partition.

I have used the 175 grain Partition in my .280 for the last 30 years and it has done the job on deer, antelope and elk with no problems. I believe you would get the same result with the 180 grain .30 caliber. I predict a 1" exit wound and a short blood trail to a dead deer.

Over the last four decades I've shot a pile of game with 180-grain bullets from the .30-06, including a bunch of deer and bunch of "deer-sized" game, in North America, Europe and Africa at ranges out to 400+ yards. If there is a better all-around 180-grain bullet than the Nosler Partition I haven't found it, since it not only takes game over 400 pounds quite handily, but kills deer-sized game quickly with not much meat damage. As I've gotten older and became less concerned about using the "correct" bullet weight for different sizes of game, I often choose the 180 Partition even for game like pronghorn and deer, because it works just as well as lighter bullets in every way, and much better in some ways.

Great bullet for deer. The one I shot out of my .308 essentially removed the entire heart and left a quarter sized exit.

But, but, but... It's got lead in it, and no plastic nose, and doesn't even have a boat tail!

It simply can't be a good hunting bullet!

Guy

Here, have another glass of koolaid.

Jim

absolutely not! you'll also be loaded for bear and anything else in north america. They might be a bit heavy for grounghogs and prarie dogs but great practice tgts! it might kill them too dead

its the icing on top of the cake! I think its the BEST bullet for the 30-06 and if your gun likes them? well...?

Sounds like a long term commitment!

Why doesn't Nosler put a plastic tip in Partition bullets? Or for that matter, why doesn't Swift put one in their A-Frame? I've wondered about that since the introduction of the Ballistic Tip.

Maybe it would then be so cool, they'd be unable to make'm fast enough...

DF

That would be a good problem to have.

Could end up like Hornady, take certain bullets off line to catch up with backorders on high volume sellers.

DF

You got what they call a good problem to have. If at all possible, lay in a stock of them and never worry about the game you are after when you break a shot and send a 180 grain Nosler Partition on it's way.

Agree with Mudhen, SuperT, Mule Deer and the others...the 180 Partition is one of the great all round game killers of all time.

Because I couldn't sign my tag with a loaded round and a Partition when my pen stopped working!

Very simple really, the 30 cal. 180gr NPT is the standard everything else is judged by for hunting use. Magnum man

Yep.

Since the late '40's.

DF

For damn sure. I keep a stockpile of them ....

Outstading bullet, use it on deer without reservation!

A 30-06 with 180 gr. Partitions work pretty well on elk also.

Though my tastes have changed over the years, I've killed more stuff with an 06 and 180gr Partitions than anything else.

Because the plastic tip is designed to market to the uninitiated as a ballistic enticement. Experienced hunters don't need such encouragement to try so the plain old boring lead tip is fine for us.

By the way, the Partition may be a restricted expansion bullet but John Nosler still knew that 95% of his bullets would be shot at deer. All bases covered and the legend justifiably secured. Me, I like the 200's.

great stuff!

Even as Pro-Shop seconds, even at 300 yards, and even at how many degrees below zero....



...they still let all the 'love' out of the hearts of moose, as this one did last winter.

I'll take "good" at just about anything over great at only some things. (Perhaps I work the fringes a bit too much. )

The 30/180/partition is as good as hunting bullets get. I shoot partitions for almost everything, except that I'm playing with the E-Tip this year. I have to believe that Nosler can build a solid bullet that works.

I have to say, I think they were smart to start with the poly tip too. I do not think that the polymer tip is a gimmick when it comes to copper and copper alloy bullets. (To the contrary, I think the polymer tip helps it behave somewhat more like the Partition. )