Why doesn't Nosler just make the Partition with bonded cores and one of those plastic thingies sticking out the nose? Wouldn't we get the best of all worlds?

good idea.....write to them and ask them why.....

You know that's available less the plastic tip...it's called a Swift A-Frame....

I would agree with you too

According to Nosler thats what the accubond is.
A cross between the partition and the BT.
Toughness of the partion and accuracy of the BT

tell them to just make a "partitioned bonded accutip" bullet.

I have never found the partitions to be as accurate as the ballistic tip or accubond.

Nor had I until shooting a recently rebarreled 700 SA in .250 Savage. Shoots the 100 gr partition EXTREMELY well, pecking around the 1/2" realm regularly. Of course the 85 BTs are a little better.

Typically I think that is true, the Partitions are not as accurate as a conventional bullet but some rifles just don't seem to behave. I have a 270 that is not particularly accurate with anything BUT it will shoot the 160 grain partition only if I moly coat them. Go figure.

I went to the Nosler site & preposed a bonded front core "Super Partition". This could replace their CT line which is quite complicated to produce. So you would have the NP, NBT, NAB & Super Partition to rival Swift. This would really be great in the big bore rounds like .338 & up.
http://noslerreloading.com/phpbb2/index.php

I've had pretty good luck with Nosler Partitions being accurate.

I think it's another "common knowledge" issue. People start saying that they aren't accurate and suddenly they aren't...

I have several hunting rifles that shoot Partitions well under an inch.

I hope they continue to release new bullets but that they NEVER change the Partition.

My only issue with the Partition is that the tips get blunted in the magazine due to recoil but it's really no big deal and I put up with it because they have nearly perfect terminal performance if you properly match velocity with bullet and animal.

As a result I hunt exclusively with Partitions for all game excluding varmints.

$bob$

I think the original Partition is good enough just as it is. I am also amazed at just how accurate it can be out of a good rifle, and several of my rifles in various calibers will shoot it well under an inch for five shots, and some will produce half-inch groups with regularity.

We live in a funny age where theoretical paper accuracy seems to count for everything, and a lot of guys (who mostly hunt paper) have varmint hunting accuracy and big game accuracy all confused. The truth is, the original Nosler Partition brings with it all of the built-in accuracy anyone will ever need for hunting big game anywhere in the world, plus it has great structural integrity and delivers superb terminal performance. In all reality, the original Nosler Partition likely kills even better in its current form instead of being bonded front and back as is the Swift A-Frame.....

I'm not enamoured of plastic bullet tips, and in fact I've had these become detached in the magazine before and cause jams.

AD

I totally agree w/ you Allen. I pretty much only hunt w/ the NP in every caliber I have except the .404 (they'll never make a NP there). I think adding a bonded core partition to their lineup would be great for the larger calibers as an alternate. The NAB is almost identical in performance to the NP. I'm thinking something a bit stouter, which is what the CT design does, but cheaper to make than the CT w/ potentially better accuracy then that bullet. Start w/ a .338/225gr & then .375/300, .416/400 & add a 450gr/.458.

fredj338 and LDHunter, I do agree with both of you guys. All of my rifles shoot the Nosler Partition with more than adequate accuracy for hunting. The only reason I ever stray from the Partition for hunting is just to tinker with something different - and then I usually only do this filling doe tags where I can be very picky about shot placement. If there is one fault with the bullet (and I don't even know if it is a fault at all) is that the front core sometimes separates. But, all of the Partition bullets I have recovered with the front core missing were from dead animals so I guess the bullet did its job.

Is the new Winchester Supreme Elite "XP3" bullet suppose to be the combination of the PArtition / Accubond / and Barnes TSX in one bullet?

If so this should be one great bullet.

I can't wait to try it next year. But for now I'm sold on the performance of the Accubonds.

The Winchester XP3 looks like a Nosler Failsafe with a polymer tip and a boat tail - essentially the same bullet as the Barnes MRX.

These designs look like really great bullets combining high BCs with hold-together performance. They're going to be hard to resist, but probably quite expensive. Yes?

Does anyone know how they'll be priced and what their BCs will be?

I've used the Nosler Partition bullet in 7 different calibers over the past 30 years and they have been more than adequate in accuracy and terminal performance. This is my bullet of choice. That said I have used the Accu-Bond in three calibers taking one antelope and four WT deer. With game of this size I always have an exit hole with the NP which is what I prefer. The Accu-bond performed very much like a Ballistic Tip in that it didn't exit. I've also used the Hornady Interbond which I feel holds together better than the A-B. IMO the Nosler Partition is still one of the best all around bullets that a hunter can ask for.

I always thought that the fragmenting of the front core was part of the design of the partition. The "secondary projectiles" causing lots of damage while the rear shank penetrated on through.

Clem.. Nosler Partition bullets typically retain from 60% to 70% of their weight. As ole 270 explained the front half of the bullet expands very quickly and fragments while the back half continues to penetrate and in my experience exits the animal. This is how they are designed to perform which they do with boring consistency.