I agree with flowers. The nosler partition is the way to go. The barnes bullets may be good but I have heard enough bad things to steer me away from them for now. Partitions are tried and true. I would also check into the http://www.nosler.com/accubond.html. They seem like a very good design also.

Will hunt red stag shortly, using either a 30-06 or 300 WM,distances could vary from 50 (if I am lucky enough !) to 250 yards ....

I am looking for a bullet with enough penetration and expansion with good performance in the ranges of the distances mentioned ...

Couldn�t decide wether to use either a 165 or 180 grainer
Think a 165 or 180 gr in Nosler Partition or Barnes X type ...

Suggestions & reasons ??

Thank you all in advance

Well, I will probably get some flack over this but the choice is simple to me. Grab a box of 180 grain Nosler Partitions and don't look back.

I tried the Barnes X bullets when they first came out. The accuracy was pretty good, but the performance on game was very erratic. And from box to box it was apparent that the size of the hollow point was changing from batch to batch.
Enough of them for me. I also have a good friend in New Mexico who tried shooting several elk with his .340 Weatherby using the X bullets. He was sorely dissapointed and sort of pissed Randy Brooks off when he told him so at the Shot Show!

I pretty much depend on Nosler Partitions these days. I love to experiment and have tried about every bullet out there, but the darned old Partitions just keep on working.
I shot a heck of a nice bull elk last fall with a 180 grain Partition in my 300 Weatherby. One shot and the bull fell on his nose never to even try to get up. The bullet went in the right shoulder, took off the top of the bull's heart and was lodged in the left shoulder. Retained weight was 68%, classic Nosler performance.

I am going hunting wild hogs in the morning and am taking my 7mm Weatherby Mag loaded with 160 grain Nosler Partitions.

R F

I could never get the Barnes X-bullets to shot out of my .300 Win. Mag no matter what load I tried? Played with seating depth, etc... The Nosler partitions in the same rifle always produced tiny groups. However, in my 7mm RUM the Barnes X-bullets perform like champions?

Ditto what the others have said. I have never been able to get the 'x' to shoot well enough for me. The partitions have always shot well & never let me down if I do my part.

Here is a vote for the X. I've been a fan since the first animal I shot with them. Always two holes, always a very large wound channel, always a dead animal not very far away.
I have only recovered I bullet, that was out of a 270 at 250+yds, entered front left shoulder lodged in back right hip after shatering the femur.
It probably dosn't really matter which of these bullets you shoot but if you choose the X, I think using a smaller wt bullet gives better terminal performance. I have never lost an animal with an X and do not know anybody who has.
They were hard to get to shoot but once I found a good load they have ben consistant.

my 2 cents worth