It would appear from cross sectional pictures of the standard Nosler Partition and new Combined Technologies Partition Gold that the Partition Gold would be a more controlled expansion bullet. Does anyone have any field experience with the Partition Gold? If so please compare and contrast the 2 bullets.

jayloar - I have been using the Partition Golds since they first came out. I use the Golds in my 7mm Dakota and a .338 Dakota. I was concerned about high impact velocities and wanted a little tougher design than the standard Partition.

The jacket thickness is greater and the steel cup ensures 100% weight retention behind the partition. They fly extremely well with no stability problems. As far as performance in the field, they are very impressive. I have yet to recover one, however, based upon the wound channel and bone destruction, they do the job.

I first used the moly coated because that was the only way they came. I switched to the non-moly and have achieved better accuracy. They are longer than the standard Partition, so if case capacity is an issue, you may run into some problems. Of course you can move up to a faster burn rate if necessary.

I am a big fan of the partitions. A while ago I got a great deal on the voated partition golds, can't say I like them much.

I haven,t gotten them to shoot as well.

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www.rifleshooter.com

I was satisfied with the old Noslers!! the new ones work just fine, I don't use the coated one....but I never met a Nosler that I didn't like...Will Rogers.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I live in Bend, where Noslers are made, and have freinds who work there.

I think it is probably accurate to say that the partition Gold and CT bullets were designed to retain 80% weight rather than 60% like traditional partitions.

this appears to be a way for Nosler to play the weight retention game and compete on paper with bonded bullets.

Like Ray, I saw nothing wrong with the original 60/40 design.

The CT are very straight sided, longer, and probably produce more friction (pressure). They did in my 416 anyway. These expand to about 78 caliber in three large propellors.

The medium bore noslers of both persuasions are great bullets. They have thick ogives that support the mushroom, and unlike their 180/308, they hold a nice mushroom and quite alot of expansion rather than blowing off.

I know this is true in 338 on up.

Andy

Andy,
Thats a fair assesment of Noslers IMHO. my experience with them is just like yours...

I will add the 416, which by the way is a 60/40 old time bullet but with a beefed up jacket is a very good Buffalo bullet..I recently read an article on its use in Australia on thier beeves and they had a lot of recovered bullets that looked great, Phil Shoemaker loves them on close mean Brown Bear and the guys in Africa tell me they worked great the last couple of years as lots of clients are using them and I sent them some, when they first came out.

By the way, I got a report on a Buffalo shot with the new 350 gr. Woodleigh RN SP in the 375 H&H. A one shot dunk with penitration to the off side and big mushroom, he just dropped and thats rare with any bullet...A pretty good start for a really neat bullet, time will tell as one kill proves zilch...

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray,

If yo get a picture of that 350 gr Woodleigh Id sure like to see it.

Was it the RN of protected point?

I know some of the team who designed the 416 Nosler and it is not a 60/40 design.

I was wrong to suggest it is a CT bullet with the sealed base and steel insert. Did not mean to suggest it was.

It was designed to be an 80/20 bullet however.

I shot one into my buckets of water and it came out .59 x .77 diam, three big propellors, button of lead still adhered to center of bullet, and it dented front of 4th bucket just like a 400 gr Swift.

this is amazing penetration for a SP.

Retained weight 379.2 gr.

It took 2 gr less RL-15 than a swift. It really is slab sided.

My contacts told me that there was a lively discussion between John Sr. and rest of staff re moving the partition so far forward. I think John Sr. had it right (he wanted a 60/40) which in such a large bullet would have made it somewhat more effective as an all around for smaller game as well.

Still a decent bullet.

If you like I ll send you a photo of the bullet sectioned in two and the recovered one from my ferocious and very dangerous buckets of water!

Bst wishes, Andy

Ray: Who sells Woodleigh bullets in the US? I visited their site in Australia, and noticed they have a couple of 300-grain bullet types for the .338 Magnum. One of these is a 300-grain Soft Point that should be a great bullet for close work in Alaska. I know Swift has a 275 grainer for the .338, but the 300 Woodleigh sounds interesting.

jayloar: I have heard a great number of good comments about the non-coated Partition Gold. In my view, Combined Technology should have used a "dry" coating like Lubalox. This coating was used in the original FS bullets. The new FS bullets are coated much like the coated Partition Gold, so I don't like them as much. I still have a box of the new FS bullets, but I don't like the way Moly builds up in the barrel. I wish they would go back to the old coating, or not coating at all.

Barnes-X with the new coating is doing extremely well in the market. Moly can be difficult for some shooters and reloaders.

[This message has been edited by Ray, Alaska (edited 11-10-2001).]

Huntington's always has a very good selection of Woodleigh bullets.

http://www.huntingtons.com/

Thanks, Zero Drift. I will give them a call.