Berger HUNTING Bullets

[Pdvdh]

I'm switching to Partitions! lightbulb

Nosler Partitions are as reliable as any bullet ever commercially manufactured. Many other controlled expansion bullets have been manufactured since the Nosler Partition in the effort to match/exceed Partition performance. It may not look as snazzy/flashy as some of the newer controlled expansion bullets, but its performance is very reliable and consistent. I've never heard or read of anyone saying they had a Nosler Partition fail to expand. Most of my experience with them has been in .338s - 210gr spitzer and 250gr round nose on Alaskan moose.

The farthest I ever shot a large game animal with a Nosler Partition was at a distance of 760yds, shooting a 250gr round nose fired from a .338 Win Mag. This was close to 30 years ago. As you can imagine, there was some Kentucky windage involved in that first round hit. Hit the moose in the ribs standing broadside, and the Partition expanded even at that reduced impact velocity. Recovered the bullet against the hide on the off side of the bull. Bull bolted about 35yds, stood still for 60 seconds, and then fell over. The Partition expands and penetrates very reliably, almost to the point of being monotonous / boring. It's a nice blend of controlled energy release and penetration.

If you want less energy released so quickly upon impact, and higher weight retention & deeper penetration than the Nosler Partition - then use a Swift A-Frame which is similar to the Partition. The lead core in the nose of the Swift A-frame is bonded to the jacket yielding ~90% weight retention, compared to ~55% weight retention for the Partitions.

The Partition and A-Frames are both excellent controlled expansion bullets for use at close to medium ranges. They lack the BC value for retaining velocity and cutting through the wind at the longer ranges.

 

[bigngreen]

You couldn't pay me to shoot partitions again, got tired fast of having to dump the whole mag into an elk just to weigh them down. I've dug more unopened partitions out of elk than anything else.

 

[Pdvdh]

Which caliber / impact velocity?

Inviting others to sound in with similar experiences from their use of Partitions. This is really the first I've heard of this from anyone, anywhere.

Partitions have been a staple of bear guides in Alaska for many years. I just talked to another ex-bear guide last week who only used 338 Partitions when he was actively guiding brown bear hunters. He used a .338 Win Mag. I asked him if he ever had any surprises from those days. He said no. Had never heard of any either. Of course Alaskan guides would be using the larger calibers, .338 on up. I'd bet my life on the .338s I've fired and recovered in any bear attack/encounter. They've always looked textbook.

 

[Pdvdh]

You couldn't pay me to shoot partitions again, got tired fast of having to dump the whole mag into an elk just to weigh them down. I've dug more unopened partitions out of elk than anything else.

How do you find unopened Partitions? They don't pass thru when they don't expand? Are these lengthwise shots on the elk?

 

[mtwarych]

Any pictures of the lungs?

I believe Bergers are "cup and core" bullets. Am I being stupid again?

 

[bigngreen]

Any pictures of the lungs?

I haven't shot them in 20 years, the last guy I know of using them quit last year because he was tired having to shot them over and over, I was not with him his last elk so no pic, though this year's elk tipped in a few steps and he was elated. I'd have some if I knew anyone who still used them. The last one I pulled out of an elk I was cutting was a quartering shot and I found it in the rear hind quarter and it looked like new bullet with grooves. Most will be shot with 30-06, 270 and 7 mag.

 

[Scot E]

You couldn't pay me to shoot partitions again, got tired fast of having to dump the whole mag into an elk just to weigh them down. I've dug more unopened partitions out of elk than anything else.

Me too. They are the most frustrating bullet I've ever shot.

 

[Pdvdh]

Me too. They are the most frustrating bullet I've ever shot.

Scot E,
Frustrated as in failure to expand? If it's failure to expand, then which calibers?

Not contesting your experiences. My comments are based on my own experiences, and long-term feedback from my brother who has owned/operated the primary gun shop here locally for more than 30 years. He hears all sorts of tales, tall, low, and otherwise. Bullet performance is a common topic of discussion in his gun shop. He was listening to the conversation I had with the former bear guide last week, and only nodded his head in agreement on the Nosler Partition performance conversation. The vast majority of his customers will have been shooting .308 and larger calibers.

 

[Scot E]

Yes, Failure to expand. 30 cal, mostly 30'06 and .308 power levels. FWIW, I really wanted to like those bullets. They seemed perfect for my short range needs. But they performed terribly for me and were never very accurate. This would be in comparison to the Hornady interlock boat tail or flat base. Both have similar BC's and form factors but I have never seen an interlock fail to put down and animal and expand.

Not doubting your experiences either, these are just mine. I am sure a higher powered cartridge would help.

 

[Pdvdh]

Thanks. Was trying to determine if you meant accuracy frustration and/or expansion frustration. I don't load Partitions for long range use where accuracy is an important consideration. In fact I haven't used them for 10-15 years now on large game animals. I do have some 300gr Partitions loaded and ready to roll in .375 Weatherby, but I haven't hunted with that rifle for some time now.

And I do currently load them in my AR-15 - .223 Rem - 60gr Partitions. I completed considerable Forum research and the feedback was that they work as consistently well as any .223 Rem bullet out there for deer-sized game. Getting off-topic... sorry.

 

[bigngreen]

Part of it is around here shooting with some range is just part of the deal, a lot of elk get wacked out in sagebrush hills, or shooting cross canyon. I've found quite a few partitions in hind quarter and back staps from quartering or a shot over the brown eye. Hitting them up close a guy will find them under the hide on the of side nose blown away and a shank left. I think that is why it seems you have to hit them and hit them much like the feed back I've seen on the ALR, nose blows in first few inches then its a solid through the core. Kinda goes back to if it works it works, if it don't then change it.

 

[HuntFarther]

This all brings a valid point. Only shoot inside your capabilities and as long you are accurate we are good to go.

This all leads to another valid point. I am tired of paper tuning and shooting all the different broad heads on the market and worrying about what works and don't. So I am done this upcoming year my field points shoot so well that is all I am going to use. With the money I save on broad heads I will buy a couple jack russels and train them to follow blood. I will be ready for rent in the future fyi. lol

 

[Pdvdh]

bng,
Just remembered the first bull moose I shot up here. Fired a 250gr Nosler Partition into the chest - a frontal shot - from a distance of maybe 90yds. The bullet dumped the moose in his tracks. This wasn't a spine shot. Bullet hit center of chest and the moose was never able to get back on his feet. I did shoot him again to finish him. Found the bullet from the first shot. About 55% weight retention. I was impressed. Moose aren't all that tough to kill, but they don't get knocked to the ground commonly with only solid body hits.

The moose at 760yds, that bullet retained more like 90% of its weight, but it hit at a much reduced velocity.

The Partition performance you describe is similar to the .338 Partitions I've recovered. Most of the nose weight is shed, however every .338 bullet I've recovered has retained a large frontal diameter just forward of the partition - normally at least 50% greater than bore diameter. So the .338 bullet would have maybe a 0.6" expanded face left to displace muscle/organs. Were you seeing the .270, .284, and .308 bullets shearing the jacket off forward of the Partition, leaving only a slightly larger than caliber diameter rear core?

 

[bigngreen]

Were you seeing the .270, .284, and .308 bullets shearing the jacket off forward of the Partition, leaving only a slightly larger than caliber diameter rear core?

Ya, they'd even shove the partition back and give the bullet a muffin top, lot of rapid expansion!!