How accurate can you get Nosler Partitions?

[Puddle]

22 years ago I had my .30-06 built around the 180 gr. Partition @ 2700 - 2750 MV. Settled on ~2750. 5 shot 3/4 MOA at the bench is a bad day. More coffee...

 

[six pack]

Bought some 180 gr Partitions to load over H1000 for my 300 Win Mag. Get great accuracy (sub moa) from Bergers at 168 and 215 gr and Barnes at 180 gr. Id like to load these 180 Partitions for an Aoudad hunt in Feb . Whats a reasonable accuracy expectation? Are they sensitive to seating depth?

Assuming your rifle is in good shape, you should have no trouble getting partitions under an inch at 100 yards. I have loads using H1000 and Magnum that easily do MOA or better using 180 partitions or Accubonds when I'm doing my part. I use them in other calibers as well and have many 5 shot groups with all holes touching. No complaints here. Should be good for your aoudad.

 

[QuietTexan]

Didnt' see it mentioned yet - there are multiple styles of Partitions - I put the semi-spitzer, protected point, and round point Partitions into a niche category, the spitzers will stack up against any cup and core with an exposed lead tip just fine.

I'd put a .308 protected point up Partition up against the Hornady FTX Leverevolution loads in 30-30 any day.

 

[Greyfox]

It's been a while since I used the Partitions, but I had no issue achieving .5-.75MOA, 3 shot precision in my Sporter rifles(30-06, 270, 270WSM).

 

[RidgeTop]

Bought some 180 gr Partitions to load over H1000 for my 300 Win Mag. Get great accuracy (sub moa) from Bergers at 168 and 215 gr and Barnes at 180 gr. Id like to load these 180 Partitions for an Aoudad hunt in Feb . Whats a reasonable accuracy expectation? Are they sensitive to seating depth?

Partitions are as accurate as most other bullets. Try the 180's over H4350 or IMR 4350 with Federal 215 primers. Seat to manual specs. This is .300WbyMag. Two different groups with a move to center with final shot.

 

[Rum River]

I had a very hot load of 180 gr partitions over RL22 in my 30-06 at 2950 FPS and always under 3/4 MOA, usually 1/2 MOA groups. It shot that for 20 years and I took it around the world hunting.

Wow, that would qualify as 'hot'.
How many grains of RL22 were you using?

 

[xsn10s]

Are they sensitive to seating depth?

Honestly I never played with seating depth because they are a tangent ogive. So generally speaking that design is very forgiving. I'd say find an accurate load that fits your magbox or load manual specs and be done.

 

[Puddle]

I seat them back 0.20". The 180 gr. SAF with the same load I seat back 0.50".

 

[cabelasken]

Cabelasken: What premium bullet do you use now? Given the calibers and shooting situation you described I would've thought they would have held together better. Goes to show bullet performance is never a guarantee.

I've used partitions in a variety of calibers. The 'heaviest' use was on an elk at 150-170 yards. A 300 Wby with 200 grain factory. Was quartering towards me and to my left. Bullet went in just forward of left shoulder - found the rear bullet core just short (couple of inches) of exiting the right hindquarter. The front core and forward half of the jacket was shrapnel.

I went to speer Grand Slams after the partitions and then when the TSX Barnes bullets came out I started using them. The first big game animal with them was a 6X6 bull at 125 yds. the broadside lung shot from the 284 win at 2985 FPS 140 Gr went thru and broke ribs going in and out. As the bull ran towards me I noticed blood spurting out both sides! during field dressing the wound channel was about 4" diameter all the way across the body cavity - lungs were mush. I shot 20 more animals with that bullets - deer and elk and only recovered one - a head on shot with a blacktail at 40 yds. Bullet was recovered in the hip - perfect 4 petal mushroom. In my 300 WSM, the 168 TTSX groups best and it has taken 4 elk and 5 or 6 deer. only one has been recovered and that was from stopping a wounded bull that someone else in our party shot earlier. that bullet hit the spine and turned 180 and went the rest of the way heal first and lodged in the far shoulder - stopping the bull from escaping. I've been happy with the performance of the Barnes TTSX and TSX bullets now for about the past 15 years, but due to the great press of the Hammer bullets, I'm giving them a try. I do make loads for several friends and out of the 20 or so rifles we used the barnes bullets in, they seem to group as good or better than anything else and I have over 100 different bullets and that includes many calibers from .223 remington to 338 Win Mag.

 

[xsn10s]

Bought some 180 gr Partitions to load over H1000 for my 300 Win Mag. Get great accuracy (sub moa) from Bergers at 168 and 215 gr and Barnes at 180 gr. Id like to load these 180 Partitions for an Aoudad hunt in Feb . Whats a reasonable accuracy expectation? Are they sensitive to seating depth?

Luckily the online Nosler load data lists H1000 as their most accurate load for the 180 PT. I'd just do a load using that and I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

[blvette75]

Bought some 180 gr Partitions to load over H1000 for my 300 Win Mag. Get great accuracy (sub moa) from Bergers at 168 and 215 gr and Barnes at 180 gr. Id like to load these 180 Partitions for an Aoudad hunt in Feb . Whats a reasonable accuracy expectation? Are they sensitive to seating depth?

I have used 180 grain Nosler Partitions since 1995 as my go to hunting round had developed a load for my Savage that would average between 3/8 to 1/2" probably would done better with a thicker barrel, or a better shooter. But as far as a long range round it is not but I have had great hunting results with it inside 500 yards. I modeled my load after the Federal Premium 300 Win Mag 180gr Nosler Partition, which my rifle shot about 1/2" MOA back then still have the original boxes from the 1990 cost is about 4 times higher for a box of 20.

 

[blvette75]

Bought some 180 gr Partitions to load over H1000 for my 300 Win Mag. Get great accuracy (sub moa) from Bergers at 168 and 215 gr and Barnes at 180 gr. Id like to load these 180 Partitions for an Aoudad hunt in Feb . Whats a reasonable accuracy expectation? Are they sensitive to seating depth?

Sorry forgot to answer your question for my load with my rifle the optimal seating depth per rifle my COAL was 3.280-3.290 was what I targeted. For your rifle it may be different. I used 180 grain spitzer Nosler partition targeted 78 grains of H1000, used the federal 215 primer have used other primers in the past don't believe it made a difference, used winchester primers with same results. Due to lack of H1000 was moving to a different powder H4350 but re-barreled the rifle to another caliber. Good luck hope that helps.

 

[skipglo]

The 30-180 PT's shoot around 1/2 moa in my 308 win. But in my 06 they shoot 1.5 moa (@ 100 yards) so I decided that I'd limit that load to 300 yards. Then one day I shot at 300 yards and that same 1.5" group was at 300 yards lol. I then lined up 10 oz water bottles at 450 yards and hit 8 out of 10 of them on the first shot. So all I can say is test them out. The 22-60 PT's can be problematic. But the 30 cal PT's all seem to shoot good. YMMV

So you had them lined up in a straight row facing you one behind the other! Not very good penetration for only 10 oz bottles!
( but good shooting to hit em with the first shot)

 

[xsn10s]

So you had them lined up in a straight row facing you one behind the other! Not very good penetration for only 10 oz bottles!
( but good shooting to hit em with the first shot)

I down load them because I bruise like a peach