I have a couple boxes of these partition round noses and thought they would be perfect in my 338 Win. Mag. for the moose hunting I do in Quebec. Has anyone used them on large game? If you have what was your impression of them? Being that I only have 2 boxes of these bullets, how much difference do you think it would make to develope a load using the Hornady 250gr. round nose and then substituting the partition? I know I'll need to check zero with the different bullet, but do you think the accuracy would be similiar?

I have no experience with this particular bullet, but my experience with other Nosler Partitions suggests that they are not --usually anyway -- as accurate as other bullets, such as Sierra, Speer, or Hornady, or the Nosler Ballistic Tip. I do think you could work up a load with the Hornadies, and then substitute the Partition, all else being the same, and then shoot a few rounds of that Partition load to see how it is performing.

I shot a Blesbok, Nyala, and Duiker with the 250 grain Nosler in a 340 Weathebry.

Though this game was much smaller then a moose, the performance seemed to indicate that the bullet is more then capable of taking large animals.

I would guess there could be a difference ion pressure and probably POI, so I would load enought pf the partitions until I was confident in the load.

This is a std three shot group from my gun

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www.rifleshooter.com

[This message has been edited by Bill (edited 12-15-2001).]

CraigP: I have never used that bullet, but I can't think of any reason why it should not work on moose. Some of the RN bullets are as accurate as any within 250 yards, which more that likely will be the maximum range you will encounter when hunting moose.

You should be able to develop a good handload with RL-19 or RL-22.

[This message has been edited by Ray, Alaska (edited 12-15-2001).]

When did Nosler make round nose Partition bullets? I've never heard of them.

BigIron

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CraigP:
Hi CraigP,
I've shot 4 Moose with this combination your looking at. It's devestating as long as you place your shot well. You will loose the front end in most cases and will get very good penetration. The accuracy was good with the 250 round nose Nosler in my 338. This means 1 to 1 1/4 groups for 5 shots. The powder was IMR 4350. 470 Mbogo

I would also develope the load with the partitions as the pressure may not be the same for both and it wont use up many bullets to work up a load. You also may be able to practice with a lot of other types of bullets and not just neccessarily another round nose of the same weight. 100 yard points of impact with other 250's might be close to what you get with the noslers.

Same as Big Iron, I wonder when Nosler made the Partition RN. ?
Their web site showes nothing of that sort today, exept a 170 gr RN in .308 for tube magazines I recon ??

Arild

The partition bullet is known to cause a little more pressure than the Hornady. That partition doesn't swage into the rifling quite as easily. If your loads are moderate, not an issue. But if you are going up to pressure signs then backing off slightly, you probably need to develop with the partition. MM

MontanaMarine,
That may or may not be a fact..It would depend on the individual rifle for a number of reasons..

I have always shot the same loads for Noslers that I shoot for Hornadys and Sierras etc.

The facts are the softer the brass mixture the more pressure the bullet will create as it causes more resistance.

But the bottom line is that theory is clouding your mind, it happens to a lot of experts. Just kidding.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray,
In my .338WinMag (Browning A-Bolt), With Hornady 250 gr spire pt I have used up to 74 gr of RL-19 with no pressure signs. Same gun, same powder, same primer, showed slightly flattened primers at 73 grains with 250 gr Nosler partitions. No signs at 72 grains. My recommendation is based on this experience.

As far as your theory goes, I neither agree or disagree. I have no in-depth knowledge of bullet metallurgy and how it reacts to extreme pressure.

No clouds in my head, never claimed to be an eggspurt. MM

I'm not sure if I'm on target here, (no pun intended), but the first Nosler's were made on a screw making machine, oe some such gadget, and the bullets seemed to have tiny grooves on the sides. There is also a shallow groove that looks as if it was meant to be a cannelure, but is there to relieve pressure. These bullets had a more round nosed configuration than current Noslers. I think they called them a semi-spitzer. Both the 210 and 250 gr. bullets had that nose shape. I have a couple of boxes of those bullets in both weights someplace out in m reloading room, AKA shed. They came with a .338 Mag. I bought, but I've never used them. It's my understanding, that while they do work, they are not quite as good, or as accurate as the current versions.
Paul B.

CraigP: I have shot a bunch of animals, including a moose, using 210 Nosler Partitions in my .338Win.Mag. (in a Remington M700) and it is a good combination that will get the job done. I was able to recover a bullet from the far shoulder bone of a 3 year old Canadian bull. The front end of the bullet was gone but there was good penetration. I will say that the .338 did feel small when I was shooting: moose are big animals and can take a lot. That moose still travelled 100+yards before falling down, and that was with two lung shots and a broken leg/shoulder, and I did not like that. I have heard lots of folks tell me how they have shot moose dead-on-the-spot with their .30-06. SO each animal is different. And, bullet placement is important, as always. These days I hunt with a .378 Wby. I think the .338 is an excellent gun for black bear and caribou sized animals.

Robert Jobson

rwj: Of the last seven moose shot with my .338 magnum, only one walked maybe 25 yards after the shot. Most of these have dropped with one shot. The bullet I have used the most is Winchester's 230-grain FS, and this year 250-grain NOS (Federal HE load).

The only moose I have shot through the shoulders dropped on the spot. The FS broke both shoulder bones, then exited. This moose was 200 yards out, broadside. I have only recovered one bullet from moose so far, and this one was from a quartering away shot on the biggest moose I have killed. This was the moose that walked approximately 25 yards then dropped.

The one I killed this year dropped after being hit through the lungs with one 250-grain NOS bullet. The moose stopped by the edge of a trail, 250 yards away. When the bullet hit, the moose pivoted on its hind legs (trying to turn in the opposite direction), and dropped right there. I don't know if I am just lucky, but just about every moose I shoot drops almost instantly.

A friend of mine uses a .308 to hunt moose, another uses a .30-30, and another a .30-06. One of my hunting partners just bought a .375 H&H, but most guns used around Fairbanks are the .30-06, .300 Magnum, and the .338 Magnum.

Those OLD Nosler 250 gr RN should work just fine. In fact, I prefer them to the new ones.

I've used those old 250 gr, and they work just fine. I found that they shoot about the same POI as 250 gr Hornady RN.

Ray, Alaska: Your experiences sounds like what many people have told me about their experiences with moose...frequently I hear that a .300 Win mag and a 180 gr. bullet drops them dead-on-the-spot....same for the 30-06. However, the moose I cited above was shot at about 120 or so yards out quartering away, I shot him squarely through the near (right) lung, the bullet passed through the chest cavity and broke his far shoulder/humerus...most of the bullet was embedded in the shattered shoulder/humerus bone..he was limping but he did travel another 100 yards. Maybe that moose was the only moose to ever have walked a ways after being shot...I don't know...and some people think that the 30-06 is the only rifle to shoot. I say more power to them and I would never hold it against a person for shooting any rifle that they choose. I've hunted all over North America and I have hunted in Africa and I have concluded that I like shooting a .378 Wby. I think a .338 is dandy rifle and I have had several...and I would never disparage the cartridge.

Robert Jobson

CraigP!
Stick to the 250 Nosler Partition out of your .338WM. Place the bullet in the right spot and you will always get your game. This bullet from a .340WbyMag at 2900fps was my moose medicine for a number of years. Although it will sometime loose the lead at front, it will give you all the expansion and penetration you need. Some other bullets will not do as well. I have seen . 30 caliber Grand Slams (old style ?) fail miserably on big moose - literally come apart. They say the new style is better.

Vasa

Craig P,

If you do not use those 250 ROUND NOSE partitions (the old style, I presume), I will buy them from you as I love them, and I only have about 10 left. They are near impossible to find as they have not been made in 25 years. I just do not like the new partitions as much as those old crusty ones with the rough exterior and the big round blob of lead on the end.

Wood leigh makes semi-SP bullets up to 300 grains in weight. They are not quite Round Nose, but close.

I have not used Woodleigh bullets, but I have noticed that MidWay and others sell them. I bet that a 275-grain Swift A-Frame or a 300-grain Wood leigh bullet would be great for up-close work on any game in the US.

[This message has been edited by Ray, Alaska (edited 12-20-2001).]