Anybody shoot Nosler Partitions for long range hunting?

[Seeking_Coyotes]

Playing with loading up some 95 grain Nosler Partition Spitzer in my .243 for deer out to 500 yards. Depends if I can get em to shoot. Tried IMR 4350 from 40-41 grains seated at 2.65 to 2.70" in my gun. Probably shoot them this week to see how they group. I'd like a better ballistic coefficent but feel confident in the construction of the bullet. Anybody hunt with it out past 300+?

 

[bozo699]

Not really, there not a real good deer bullet because there too hard for the thin skinned deer, work great on elk, and I wouldn't shoot them much past 500 I wouldn't think or probably not even that far, there not really an accurate bullet in anything I have ever tried.
Wayne.

 

[Trapper243]

I have killed a small pile of deer with 165grn partitions out of a 30-06 and never had an expansion problem. Shots point blank to around 400 without issue. I would think the ones in 6mm might even be softer on the front end.

 

[Dans40X]

Punching two vent holes into a whitetail shouldn't be an issue.
There are better choices in bullet selection available.

Start looking into brand names that start with the letter "B" for higher BC & better construction.

 

[L.Sherm]

I have shot I don't know how many deer with partitions over the past 25+ years and 6 or 8 elk and they worked great. Where my bullet of choice until 4or 5 years ago until I built a 6.5 x 300 wsm and wanted to start shooting longer distances and started shooting 140 vld's in it. As far as accuracy i've got a sako 338 win. mag. that drives tacks with the 210 part. and a 7mm-08 that my wife use to hunt with shoots 140 part great to. My longest shot on game with part. if I remember right was somewhere around 400+ plus yards. If you look at the BC tables I think the part. verses other higher BC bullets out to 500 yds. the drop is in inches but after that is where the higher BC bullets really start to shine. After 300yds. you have to start holding over so if it's 30 inches or 40 as long as you know that and shot your rifle and are comfortable with it I think you will be fine with the part. to 500yds. after that you might want to start looking at a higher BC bullet Good Luck.

 

[Rustystud]

I have shot hundreds of Nosler Partitions in .243. Nosler makes the partition in 85, 95, 100, and 105 grain bullets. Make sure you use the right rate of twist for the weight bullet. I have found Nosler Partitions to be very accurate hunting bullets. For long range you will find the Accubond to have a better BC than the Partition. The Accubond has a tapered thickness jacket and a bonded core. The Accubond is a better hunting bullet for long range than the Partition. The Balistic tip has a thin J4 jacket and the core is not bonded, in my opinion and others it is not suitable hunting deer sized game.

In my opinion the 90 grain Swift Scirocco is the best hunting bullet for deer sized game in the .243. The Barnes 85 grain tripple shock is a very good second choice.

There will be a number of folks who think the Nosler Balistic tip and the Berger Hunting bullets are great hunting bullets. They are "fast expanding and drop" deer sized game in their tracks. There are just as many who will tell you that they lost deer to their being no blood trail to follow and the bullets penciled through.

Any bullet making a shoulder/backbone connection usually brings a deer down quickly. But you are shooting a a targer the size of a baseball. You hit high, low,forward, or behind and it may be off to the races for your quarry.
A double lung shot gives the hunter the largest target to shoot at. If a deer can not breath it can not run. Lung shot deer usually hemorage from the entrance wound, exit wound, mouth and nostrils. Rarely dose a well hit deer travel more than a 100 yards. Where I live an hunt if a wounded deer runs more than 20 yards without a blood trail it is a crap shoot if it will ever be found.

As Dan above said the two hole option is the best. This is where a controlled expanision bullet excells in a .243.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Glenn Powell]

I am no long range hunter, but have taken a few up to 400. Something to think about when taking a long poke is the "velocity window" the bullet is designed to operate in. Partitions are really best at high velocity and short range, 300y or so, I would think. Getting them to print under MOA is doable, in certain rifles, and when going past 300, MOA should be the maximum. Have some fun, pack a box with wet news paper, set it up at 500 and punch a hole. Wet newspaper will be a stress test, meaning it will be harder on the bullet than the soft tissue if a deer.

 

[wboggs]

Have used them out to 350-375yds in a 7 Mag. There are more accurate bullets but the Part is a good all around bullet for average hunting ranges and 2200fps and up MV. My biggest complaint is the they shed the front 1/3 in weight, jacket folds back, and they usually don't make a large exit hole.
I have found, contrary to one other member, that the Ballistic Tip is a superb deer bullet when kept under about 3100fps. My friends and I have probably taken 300 deer with them and they give outstanding accuracy and terminal performance.

 

[280shooter]

Never had a partition fail me yet.

100 gr 25 cal
140 gr 284 cal
165 gr 30 cal

If you get it to shoot you will be happy.

good shootin & huntin Johnnie

 

[Seeking_Coyotes]

Its funny to hear how one guy likes a bullet and another doesn't. Guess it all comes down to actual on game performance. I will chime in and say that I have killed deer with the Berger 95 vld twice and would not use another. Accurate, yes. Quick kill, no. I can also say from experience that the Ballistic Tip bullets have wiped out all the deer I shot with the .243. However, in my 30.06 they stunk...gutted the deer and didn't penetrate.

 

[bozo699]

Its funny to hear how one guy likes a bullet and another doesn't. Guess it all comes down to actual on game performance. I will chime in and say that I have killed deer with the Berger 95 vld twice and would not use another. Accurate, yes. Quick kill, no. I can also say from experience that the Ballistic Tip bullets have wiped out all the deer I shot with the .243. However, in my 30.06 they stunk...gutted the deer and didn't penetrate.

I guess that's because everyone's idea of accuracy is different, the best I have ever seen partitions shoot is about 1" at 100 yards, to me that is very inaccurate and could never be used for long range work, also the bullet is very hard and a deer is very thin skinned, I have found with partitions you will have say a .257 hole for the entrance wound and a .257 for the exit wound,...ZERO expansion!!! but if 1" -1.5" is acceptable accuracy for you and a head or heart shot is used then I guess it's the bullet for you, I will stick to a accubond, or Berger,...accurate and deadly on long range animals
Wayne..

 

[wboggs]

The reason for the small exit hole is that the bullets expands internally to the belt, the jacket folds rearward and the rear portion ( approx. 2/3's weight ) continues and the bullet now has a small frontal area when it exits. Internal damage is pretty extensive from the internal expansion.
If you want a large exit hole, try the Barnes TSX and TTSX.
Bill

 

[bozo699]

The reason for the small exit hole is that the bullets expands internally to the belt, the jacket folds rearward and the rear portion ( approx. 2/3's weight ) continues and the bullet now has a small frontal area when it exits. Internal damage is pretty extensive from the internal expansion.
If you want a large exit hole, try the Barnes TSX and TTSX.
Bill

Bill,
You and I usually agree, but I hate partitions for thin skinned game, I wouldn't know how they expand as the always go right through, no matter if you put it center on the shoulder! Good large game bullets but piss poor thin skinned bullets, and there DEFINITELY not long range bullets, I have never ever seen anyone shoot them on the 1000 yard line however I have seen people shoot Berger's from the 1000 yard line and they usually are the same bullet they hunt with as well
Wayne.

 

[Tommie]

I've never found a load that would shoot Partitions into a 1.5" group. Maybe fine accuracy for hunting but I'm too much of a purist.

YMMV

Tom

 

[bozo699]

I've never found a load that would shoot Partitions into a 1.5" group. Maybe fine accuracy for hunting but I'm too much of a purist.

YMMV

Tom

Spot on
Wayne.

 

[painter]

sir I have shot deer with the 95 gr nosler partitions in numbers. always a large amount of damage, one shot from front on, bullet found in rear qt. 42 gr 4350 20 inch barrel, 2900 fps, just have to know rifles limit, not at any great distance always under 200 yd

 

[Seeking_Coyotes]

I won't shoot em if they don't print 5 consistently under an inch at 100. May have to try the Swift Scirocco.

 

[waverly]

ditto on the 90 grain Scirocco. I shoot them in a 9 twist 6 Rem., and also a 9 twist 6x47L. I have shot them out to 600 yds. in both guns. I haven't tried the Accubonds( I have some on b/o). The Sirocco does a great job on deer.

While the partition is an excellent game bullet I feel the Sirrocco, and the Accubonds would be a better long range choice.

Regards, Waverly

 

[wboggs]

I will concede that there are more accurate bullets and those with better B.C.s for long range. Better ones for thin skinned game too. Partitions were never designed for this and they are dated when compared with some of the newer designs. But, don't sell them short for big game at closer ranges. Personally, I use Nosler BTs for deer and Barnes TTSX for larger species or when velocity exceeds about 3100 at muzzle.
Both are very accurate and do a lot of damage. Actually, Barnes will do it all to 400yds or less when its lower B.C. doesn't hurt it much.
Bill

 

[bozo699]

sir I have shot deer with the 95 gr nosler partitions in numbers. always a large amount of damage, one shot from front on, bullet found in rear qt. 42 gr 4350 20 inch barrel, 2900 fps, just have to know rifles limit, not at any great distance always under 200 yd

Sir,
I have no doubt they will kill, I fed my family for years with a 22 magnum, but is it the ideal long range elephant gun? I think not! would it kill an elephant? Absolutely given the proper shot placement! is there better choices than a partition for deer?....ABSOLUTELY! and especially for long range! I hear about these vicious 900 lb. deer with canine teeth and large claws but we don't have them here, are deer are 300lb. animals on the top end and I can probably yell loud enough to kill one of them! When I have used centerfire rifles on them I prefer smaller caliber like a .243 Winchester with CHEAP bullets like Hornaday or Remington corelocks, but for long deer shots I would definitely go in order with Berger, Accubond's, Interbonds, but that is just me because the op asked about long range bullets which partitions are not!!! which just to prove that I am going to put some 100 grain partitions in my Dasher or 6brx today and put ten on my 1000 yard gong, or attempt to, and see just what type of group I can get? 5" range with 105 hunting VLD's we will see what the Partitions do! Then if I am wrong and I get a nice little group I will drop a deer and recover the bullet and see what kind of expansion and what kind of damage it does, of course I will have to wait a few months for that part of the experiment. Seems like every 6 months or so there is a thread on here about the amazing partition deer bullet
Wayne.