Partitions??

Muscrat

Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
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6
Location
WI
I have always shot Nosler Balistic Tips for hunting and know what the acuracy potential is. How much will that suffer by going to a Partition or A Frame type, what group size can you get them down to? Also would I be right to expect the sst's to fall in between them as far as the bullet holding together?
 
I have shot BT and partitions out of a 7mm and can say that for me the partitions shot about .25" worse at 100 yards. Personally I would not use them on game. I know may frustrated people that spent alot of time tracking animals that shouldn't have gone far (sub 300 yard shots with 30 cal in the vitals).

I do have some sst's but have never shot game with them, but from looking at recovered bullets in the dirt they do not hold together as well as a Ballistic Tip, but very close. They are very accurate.

If you are looking for a bit stronger bullet than the BT see if the scirocco's will shoot for you.
 
I had looked at the Scirocco's but they don't make one in my cal (.257). Any other suggestions or should I just stick with the Ballistic Tips?

Paul
 
I shoot the 270 win. In my wet newspaper test I found the 130g sst to hold together a bit better and go a bit farther than the blistic tip. The sst was more accurate in my gun also.
 
The October issue of Shooting Times tested all the 180gr. bullets, I forget what they were using for the test medium, but at any rate they shot them at the test material at two different velocities, 2700fps and 3000fps, one for 30-06 velocities and the other 300Mag velocities, I especially noted the weight retention for the SST, Ballistic Tip and the Scirocco, they were all about the same as far as weight retention, about 84%, the Scirocco was 86%, this was for the 2700fps test, 3000fps test was about 10% less weight retention if I remember correctly, not really a huge difference considering how much they want for that bullet. I've done tests on Partitions using 160gr 7mm driven at over 2700fps, a little hot, yes, and they retained 60% both times, they penetrated 3/16" piece of plexiglas, (To simulate bone) about 3" of dry newspaper, and 3 water-filled milkjugs, shot some 162BTSP Hornadys for comparison, one bullet lost it's core, and the other was just hanging on for dear life, but they penetrated almost as far. Jay
 
I think you have to look at the game you're going after and the intended design of the bullet to make your decision. I know Nosler does NOT recommend the Ballistic Tips for larger game UNTIL you hit .338 caliber or larger. The BT's simply don't have enough jacket to reliably hold together on heavier game in the smaller calibers. Sure we all know people that use BT's on deer with their .300 mag, but I'd never recommend it. They are probably fine for the smaller whitetails, but not on the larger mule deer or elk. Some people are concerned about "expending all the energy" into the game. For me, the energy expended should be what's required to punch a hole all the way through the animal. This means that the bullet needs to stay together, and not explode on impact.

I've had great success with the partitions in my 7 mag on elk. According to Nosler their new AccuBond is also directed towards use on big game. It basically appears to be a beefed-up BT with a bonded core. I'm going to give it a try this fall in 225 grain in my .338 RUM.

I've tried the 162 grain Hornady's with MISERABLE results. They may be fine punching paper, but don't use them on anything heavier.

Mark in Utah
 
Just to add a little input about the ballistic tips. I have shot two elk with the 7mm 140gr BT's. One had an impact velocity of 3100fps and the other was 3300fps.

The 3100fps shot impacted just behind the shoulder and exited through the opposite shoulder hitting two ribs and one leg bone. The recovered bullet was approx 2.5 times the diameter and weighed 72.4gr. The elk went down upon impact

The 3300fps shot impacted high and just behind the shoulder, this was a shot quartering to me about 45 degrees so the bullet traversed a lot of elk and hit one rib on the input side. The bullet left a small exit hole but was not recovered. The elk fell in its tracks.

I was planning on taking elk at a little greater distance with slower impact velocities, but wouldn't ya know all this long range stuff and then I just stummbeled upon the darn things right infront of me. These were both high velocity impacts which are more stressfull to bullets, and the ballistic tips held together enough to still get through the elk, yet caused massive destruction to the vital internal organs. So take it or leave it but the meat it in my belly so that is good enough for me.
 
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