MuleyMadness Hunting Forums

Alot of damage is NOT what a hunting bullet is designed to do,they should show CONTROLLED expansion in all scenarios,BTS do NOT.Your coyote experience is exactly what i dont want to see out of a hunting bullet,if a bullet fragments on a yote it wont stand up to a bull elk or a big buck,try some barnes tsx on big game and compare performance.

What is wrong with Nosler Partitions, I believe I read all the above posts, and none have mentioned Nosler Partitions? I have used them sucessfully on deer, caribou, and elk, and acheive sub MOA in my handloads. Please advise.

Duane Creviston wrote:What is wrong with Nosler Partitions, I believe I read all the above posts, and none have mentioned Nosler Partitions? I have used them sucessfully on deer, caribou, and elk, and acheive sub MOA in my handloads. Please advise.

Iv'e been shooting 250 gr Partitions for 25+ yrs. In a .338 .No complaints when I do my part.

Malloy:
I also shoot the 250 gr Nosler Partions in my 338, ahead of 70.0 grs of H4831,sub MOA. I shoot the 165 gr partions in my 3006.Thanks for the reply.

Go look at Federal's video of different bullets in different mediums. They go from whitetail hide over ballistics gel, to a small bone mass, to a large one, and the TSX is the only bullet to carry a large shockwave into the vitals after going through everything else. This includes the new trophy bonded tip from Federal. If you watch Barnes' videos, they carry a shockwave bigger than competitor's bullets all the way through before exiting, where other bullets have one large spot on their wound the cavity before they stop; the rest of it is comparitively small. Once they've gone through that much of an animal, there isn't much energy left to dump. Barnes B.C.s aren't great, I shot the 100 gr Barnes and it was great this year but I'm going to the Berger VLDs now.

Im with Nonya on this one.The acubond is junk,i also had a failure when hitting abuck in the shoulder.It exploded on impact penetrating only a few inches,causing me to put another one in his neck while he was running off.Since then I started loading the TSX a have had tremendous results.

i decided to update my prior post on the subject.
since then i had the oppotunity to test the 150 gr. scirrocco on 2 deer.
i had a failure on the first, the bullet fragmented on impact with the deer's shoulder. 100 yard shot.
the second bullet was recovered in the skin of the deer shot at 385 yard and while it was a perfect mushroom it was flatten back to the base of the bullet, so i guess that a shot closer like say 150 yard would have been to much.

i now started reloading the barnes TTSX , i'm sure they will hold together. and i think the polymer tip and bigger nose cavity will solve the TSX problem of not expanding reliably.

if not i'll revert to the 180 partition, i've never had any problem yet with this bullet.
if only nosler would make them with polymer tip so they look sexy.

I've been outfitting for over 20 years and for the last 15, I have not allowed anyone to use a ballistic tip on deer or elk. I'm not real dictatorial, but I saw WAY TOO MANY of those bullets come apart on impact. I only saw one ballistic tip go through a critter and that was a 338 on a deer. Nosler makes other great bullets, but the ballistic tips should be used primariliy for varmints. Those bullets blow up on contact and I have not seen them penetrate at any distance or velocity. I still shoot good old partitions and they have served me well for many years.

Another report from an experienced hunter,I buy and use lots of Nosler BTs and accubonds but they get shot at paper/rocks and varmints,they are NOT a reliable hunting bullet for big game,and anyone who has shot enough game with them out of a magnum speed round has or soon will learn that they are worthless.

NONYA wrote:Another report from an experienced hunter,I buy and use lots of Nosler BTs and accubonds but they get shot at paper/rocks and varmints,they are NOT a reliable hunting bullet for big game,and anyone who has shot enough game with them out of a magnum speed round has or soon will learn that they are worthless.

Thats your OPINION of it. Not fact. I've got over 45 animals on the ground ranging from Bull Elk to Coyotes with my 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips in my 300 win mag and not a single one blew up nor did the animal run off. Sure they cause damage, but that is what I want. One shot kills, lots of damage internally for me. I've shot coyotes as close as 15 yards and the bullett went in, did its damage and exited. Drops them right there. Now on the long distance side, I put down an Elk at 450 yards and the bullett went in, damage, then out. Dropped em' right there. I will not shoot anything else in my hunting rifle than the Ballistic tips. They pack a mean punch.

Not everyone has had bad experiences with them nor will they. I don't know what happened in your case. Like I said, over 45 animals down in 20 years without any problems. That is my experince with Nosler Ballistic Tips.