what kind of accuracy are you guys getting with nosler partition rifle bullets? i was speaking to a guy who reloads for a .338 WM and he said his shoots 1.5 moa.

nosler Partitions are the first bullets I usually try for rifles 270Win speed all the way up. I usually don't get the best accuracy with them, but not the worst. Out of my 300RUM and a 338RUM I had once, I get subMOA. I had occasional flyers with the 338RUM. A-Frames always worked great for me, but who can afford them. Sierras was accurate of them all for me it seems for all my rifles, but won't use on anything faster than 270Win especially deer.

They've always shot well in my .30-06, .25-06, and .338.

Perhaps the problem with your friend's rifle lies elswhere (his handloads, the scope, bedding, shooting technique, flinching, etc.)

George

I shoot 160 partitions out of my 7mm Mag. They consistently group 0.80-0.95" for threee shot groups. This is over a period of 5 years that I have had this rifle.

I shoot both the 210's and 250's (partitions) out of my .338 Win Mag. The 210's are in the 1.0" range average. The 250's are never under 1.00", but they have not shot over 1.25" either, again for three shot groups. All of these group averages are with my reloads. My .338 has a 1.5-5 Leupold on it now. The groups may improve some with a higher power scope.

Chip

exsanguinate,

I'm shooting 165gr. Par. out of my 300RUM and with Rem. brass, CCI 250 primers, and RL-22 I'm getting honest to goodness MOA groups at 300yds. I'm also getting MOA groups with my 25-06 using 100gr. Par., Win. brass, and Win. WLR Primers.

Over the years I have found out like most everyone else who handloads has found out that each and every rifle has a mind of it's own. Some rifles shoot partions real good while others don't care for at all.

I find that Partitions are generally not as accurate as some of the other bullets. Usually, I find that Sierra's are the most accurate bullets. I usually work a load up using Sierra's adjusting the charge and seating depth then I load the partitions. Oftentimes I'll play with seating depth on the Partitions but they still aren't as accurate. I do accept this slight loss of accuracy in exchange for what I feel is superior downrange performance. Almost everyone I know agrees that Partitions aren't as accurate either. Bear in Fairbanks

[ 02-11-2003, 01:02: Message edited by: Bear in Fairbanks ]

Gentlemen,

I always try Nosler Partitions in my rifles. In my 7mm Rem Mag, they group under an inch, as well as in my .250 Savage and .416 Rigby. A bit expensive for plinking. For that, I use Hornady.

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com

7mm Rem Mag Page www.slatesafaris.com/7mm.htm

Don't let anybody here kid you -- 1.5 MOA is quite respectable from a .338 in the real world, and is adequate for any hunting you'll do with a .338. With calibers in the .338 to .375 range, I'd say that using 3-to-5-shot groups, honestly measured center-to-center, you'll find about 50% of rifles incapable of anything better than about 2", perhaps another 35% between 1" and 2", and only 15% or so honestly shooting ALL shots in less than an inch. These ain't .222 varminters, you know. (A lot of our friends here on AR will measure a 3-shot group by shooting 5 shots then excluding the widest two. I don't have any guns that won't better an inch when using this standard.)

On the whole, I've found the Nosler Partition to be as or more accurate than most run-of-the-mill bullets, exceeded in accuracy only by bullets like their own Ballistic Tip or some of the Sierra match bullets. In sub-.30 calibers, you can depend on Nosler Partitions to go under an inch if the rifle is capable of it.

exsanguinate,

I must echo the sentiments of the others who have posted. I have had excellent accuracy with 160 & 175 gr. Partitions in my 7mm RM. One particular load in my 7mm RM shoots the 160 gr. Partition into less than 1" at 100 yards ALWAYS!!! This is an amazing load in my rifle. I have shot many, many groups in the 1/2" range with this load. By far the MOST accurate bullet I have found in my 7mm RM.

In my 7mm-08 I have had excellent results with the 140 grain Partitions. Good thing because this rifle hasn't shot a lot of great groups with anything.

I think that the partition is plenty accurate, and from my experience, sometimes the most accurate in my rifles.

Good Luck! FH

I get under MOA with 225 Partitions in a 338 Win Mag. I've managed that with about a dozen or so guns, however, my current favorite only shoots MOA BEYOND 100 yards. For some reason this one doesn't stabilize the Noslers soon enough for accurate groups at 100 yards. About the best it does at 100 yards is 1.8" but it shoots almost the same group size at 300 yards. Velocity is over 2900 fps and it may be the twist (1:10) is too fast at that speed and that bullet.

I've got a Browning A-Bolt in .338 Win mMag. The first load I threw together with 210 gr Partitions and IMR 4350 went into <.75" !!! I never changed the load and it still shoots that way consistently. I've had good luck with Partitions in most calibers, but had a .300 Win Mag that didn't like them. Fact is, it didn't like anything, and I tried almost everything.I sold it !!

bowhuntr

i need a good bullet to hunt elk with my 6.5-284 encore. the problem is, i'm spoiled with my .308 and sierra gameking's. it shoots .65" 5 shot groups at 100yds consistantly. has anyone used sierra gamekings in the 6.5 cal for big game?

I have yet to have a rifle NOT shoot the NP to an acceptable degree (something I can't say for the 'X' bullets). I can get 1" groups from the 210gr in my .338-06 & 160gr in my .280 & 7mm Dakota. When I had my #1 in .375h&h, the 300grNp shot to just under 1 1/2". These are all (3) shot groups measured ctr. to ctr. Plenty good for my big game huning.

I have gotten inch groups with all the partitions I have used, 270,308 and 338

I get MOA from my M77 .270 with 150gr Partitions.

Makes me roll my eyes at the BT hype for hunting. Why anyone would care about saving $4.50 a season (45 cents a shot) to hunt with a bullet that gains an insignificant amount of accuracy but limits your shot opportunties I will never understand.

No one has convinced me the insert-tip bullets expand any quicker than Nosler's partition.
Seems no one wants to sacrifice any gelatin to resolve this issue.

I think it's really the fact that some people will reject a proven product simply for the sake of non-conformity.

In general, I don't lose any sleep about how a bullet groups in anyone else's rifle. It just doen't mean anything about how it will group in yours. There's only one way I know of to find out. I've got a 7mm Mag that shoots the 175 Nosler better than any bullet that's been shot in it, and I've had it 25 years and tried them all.

Each rifle is a law unto itself. Noslers give very satisfactory accuracy in my rifles.

Satisfactory accuracy in a big game rifle is 1.5 MOA. Most will do better.

I have never hunted with anyone who can, under field conditions for big game, shoot 1.5 MOA.

If you do not kill a big game animal at any range that you shoot with a 1.5 MOA rifle it is because you were not a good enough shot at that range.

All of us like as good accuracy as we can get, but the thinking that it has to be MOA or less for big game is foolish and not in the real world of hunting.

I do not doubt anyone here as to their truthfulness, but I doubt that very many big game rifles get sub MOA with full power big game loads as an average. I often get such groups, but I would not bet your life, and certainly not mine, that the next group I shoot with any big game rifle I have would be MOA or less.

Don't get too hung up on such accuracy. You don't need high power scopes and sub MOA accuracy to take every big game animal you will ever get a shot at.

Get a rifle that is light enough with scope and loaded to carry all day, and is capable of 1.5 MOA and you will never fail as a result of your rifle and scope combination.

I would much rather have a rifle and load that was 1.5 MOA and with full power loads with good game bullets than to sacrifice the velocity or proper bullet to get better accuracy. Except for antelope I have never needed more that a quality 4X scope. It is nice to be able to keep up with the buck in a herd of antelope at long range. A 6X will do that pretty well. Personally I would not carry a 50MM scope for it. I have never found a light condition where I could legally shoot that was not well covered with a standard size scope such as a Vari X III 2.5x8 or a straight 4X Weaver, Leupold, or Redfield.

Jerry

Partitions do only slightly worse than the best bullet I've tried so far.

I have a Ruger markII stainless in .30-06.

I have not tried Sierra's or BTs. When I'm not shooting Partitions I go for cheap - Rem PSPCL and Hornady. The Rem's are the most accuracte so far.

In my last thoroughly unscientific side by side comparison between 150gr Partitons and 150gr Ballistic Tips. The Partitions just barely beat out the BT's.

ZM

I wonder how hornaday's new interbond bullet is going to perform. supposed to have the benefits of a poly tip and the toughness of the interlock

I have gotten great accuracy in my M700 260 Remington using the 140 gr. Nosler Partition. My smallest 3 shot group at 100m is .31", and my average would be under MOA.

100gr in 6mm Rem - well under .5".

140gr in 7mm pistol - .5".

400gr in .416 - possibly not quite as good as Hdy RN, but I cant' tell for sure, cause I don't shoot well enough, yet.

Just completed a load test with the 220gr Nosler Partition in my 300WinMag (A-bolt).

66gr of RL-22 and a WLRM primer (book says about 2700fps) grouped 5 shots into exactly ONE INCH.
2 shots in one slightly larger than caliber hole.
3 shots made a 1/2" group.

64 and 65gr loads were all over the place. 67gr was a bit much.

I understand what Jerry says about such accuracy, but it sure is satisfying to hit that ONE MOA, especially with a big load like this.

I also tried the 125 Ballistic Tip. Using 73gr of AA3100 I got three into 5/16"

In the past couple of years I've gotten my hands on a couple of rifles that have proven to me that a lot of "hunting" type bullets are more accurate than some factory rifles would lead us to believe. In particular, Bill Leeper has built two rifles for me, controlled feed actions with Pac-Nor barrels. A #1 contour 284 Winchester will put 140 partitions at 3050 fps into 0.6" 3-shot groups at 100 yards. A #3'ish contour 6.5-06 will put 125 partitions into ridiculously small groups, less than 0.4" for 3 shots at 100 yards. These are average group sizes, not a fluke once-in-a lifetime group. Says a lot for Pac-Nor barrels and partition bullets; maybe a bit about Bill's skill as well!

My very first 3 shot group using 115gr. partition 2506 was 1". This is at Nosler #3 book max. I have not yet played around with seating depth or working the load up but I know I can do better. The powder is RL22. I have a box of 100gr.ers on the way also.

At 2506 velocities it's in my own opinion that you need a tougher bullet incase you blow your shot, close range or maybe the buck of a lifetime only offers you bone.