POLL: Favorite Nosler Bullet For Hunting

[robtattoo]

My ought-six lives on a strict & specific diet of 165gn Partitions.

My old .308, however, despised the things with a passion bordering on religious. I could not get them to shoot, no matter what i tried. 150s through 180s, any powder combo & any velocity from 18-2800fps.
150gn Accubonds are the absolute ticket though. I almost can't get them to shoot badly!

I had a .280 Ackley for a while that would only shoot 150gn ABLRs too. Like, that was the ONLY bullet it liked. To be fair, the barrel was a complete lemon though. I could never get close to even book velocities with it. I don't think it ever saw 2800fps. It completely soured me to the chambering to the point that I'll never have another.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

All of my rifles shoot Barnes TSX to sub-MOA with the Swift A-Frame a close second. Other options I'd consider for softs are the Norma Oryx and Federal TBBC.

For solids I use the Woodleigh Hydroshock and it shoots to the same POA/POI as the Barnes TSX out to 100 yards. If I reloaded, I'd take a closer look at the Norma Solids, CEB Safari Solids and Swift Break-Away Solids.

It's your rifle and your hunt. I don't expect to change your mind any more than a bumper sticker would. But I will say that the bullets taken on a trip are about the least expensive part of it. We spend thousands of dollars on a safari, more money to fly thousands of miles...take rifles that would count as a down payment on a house...but want to pinch pennies on the only piece of kit that actually touches the game. Seeing the performance of these bullets in the field has made my decisions easy, cost be dammed.

I will certainly agree that the cost of bullets would not be a deciding factor in the what to take on a hunting trip,performance is. My one attempt at using mono metal bullets convinced me that all bullets need at least some lead in them. While I did recover a couple of .30-06 Partition bullets from my first safari (they worked fine, but lacked the accuracy I like at the bench) I have never recovered a single Accubond. Soper accurate and everything has died with a large exit wound. The list includes blackmail deer, mule deer, moose, black bear, nyala, waterbuck, bushbuck and impala. The rifles have included 7-08, .30-06 and .300 Win Mag. The 200 grain bullets out of the .300 WM are well under 1" off the bench. I would like to try the Swift A-Frame, but have not been able to locate them at any price. Considering the results I've seen with Accubonds I'm really not to concerned about it. They might be as good, but I can't see how they would be better.

 

[Graham Hunter]

338-06 210gr NP. 150yds hard quartering. Entered at back of ribs and found under hide on opposing shoulder. Weight 196grs. Bull Moose.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

My ought-six lives on a strict & specific diet of 165gn Partitions.

My old .308, however, despised the things with a passion bordering on religious. I could not get them to shoot, no matter what i tried. 150s through 180s, any powder combo & any velocity from 18-2800fps.
150gn Accubonds are the absolute ticket though. I almost can't get them to shoot badly!

I had a .280 Ackley for a while that would only shoot 150gn ABLRs too. Like, that was the ONLY bullet it liked. To be fair, the barrel was a complete lemon though. I could never get close to even book velocities with it. I don't think it ever saw 2800fps. It completely soured me to the chambering to the point that I'll never have another.

I feel your pain. I have a M 700 in 7 mag hat shoots tiny little groups with 140 grain Accubonds, just like it did with Ballistic Tips. This works great for deer and pronghorns. I want it to shoot 160 gr Partitions, but it won't. My buddy also has a 700 in 7 mag that just loves the 160 Partitions (sub 1/2" 3 shot groups). I worked up the load for him to go elk hunting, so you would think that I could manage it for my own. To be fair, I haven't tried the 160 Accubonds yet, bit since I now have a .300 Win that thinks 200 gr AB's are all that, I'm really not too oncerned with turning my 7 into an elk rifle.

 

[RLL]

Good performance from partitions and gmx.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Mama's 275 Rigby loves the 175gr NP moving at just over 2500 fps. Her rifle loves heavier bullets. We used the Norma 170gr moving a bit faster when we couldn't find more 175gr NP. Of all the stuff she has shot with those two bullets, we have only recovered one bullet. She shot a monster warthog at under 20 yards in the head with the Norma 170 and it was recovered in the hide of the rear ham with a recovered weight of 156gr.

Like BeeMaa, I prefer Barnes TSX/TTSX bullets. However, I have yet to find a load with Barnes bullets that her rifle likes.

Safe shooting

 

[BeeMaa]

Mama's 275 Rigby loves the 175gr NP moving at just over 2500 fps. Her rifle loves heavier bullets. We used the Norma 170gr moving a bit faster when we couldn't find more 175gr NP. Of all the stuff she has shot with those two bullets, we have only recovered one bullet. She shot a monster warthog at under 20 yards in the head with the Norma 170 and it was recovered in the hide of the rear ham with a recovered weight of 156gr.

Like BeeMaa, I prefer Barnes TSX/TTSX bullets. However, I have yet to find a load with Barnes bullets that her rifle likes.

Safe shooting

Hornady makes a 139 grain and 150 grain CX bullet that may work better for you as 7mm (.284") all copper option to the Barnes TTSX. Tough to get much heavier with an all copper bullet. I will assume you are talking about the Nosler Oryx 170 grain 7mm bullet you were using...it sounds like a winner.

And nice shooting by your bride. The best bullet doesn't make up for poor marksmanship, so she certainly did her part as well. Shot placement trumps everything.

 

[TroyF]

I'll be using 175 partitions in my 7x57 ruger this year for deer, maybe overkill but a lost animal won't be from the bullet.

 

[TroyF]

for me, it has to be the Partition because you get fragmentation of the front core for added internal damage while also getting penetration at or better than the Accubond in the same weight and caliber. all in one bullet.

that's why I'd like to try the hammer bullets there almost like a mono partition in a way, the front of the bullet the petals come off and do damage and the base stays together. I live in New York and think they will force us to use lead free soon.

 

[BeeMaa]

that's why I'd like to try the hammer bullets there almost like a mono partition in a way, the front of the bullet the petals come off and do damage and the base stays together.

The issue with the front of the (NP) bullet coming apart on impact is that, on a thick skinned animal it can fail to penetrate to a depth to cause a fatal wound channel. This is what is meant by a bullet failing.

I live in New York and think they will force us to use lead free soon.

Most likely and unfortunately yes. I imagine that there are several "blue" states that will follow in the footsteps of the almighty California and ban lead for hunting use. BTW - I live in Virginia and it's one of the reasons I switched to Barnes TSX/TTSX. It's a possibility more hunters should be prepared for.

 

[gajie270]

The issue with the front of the (NP) bullet coming apart on impact is that, on a thick skinned animal it can fail to penetrate to a depth to cause a fatal wound channel. This is what is meant by a bullet failing.

the front of the Nosler partition coming apart on impact fragments 40% of the bullet mass and in bigger rounds much less, around 10-15%. the remaining weight gives excellent penetration(better than most bonded cores) regardless of the animal, which is not a bullet failure.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

for me, it has to be the Partition because you get fragmentation of the front core for added internal damage while also getting penetration at or better than the Accubond in the same weight and caliber. all in one bullet.

while I have recovered a couple of Partitions I can't say that they they perform any better than Accubonds. Every animal that I have shot at with them has died with a fairly good sized hole on the exit. Haven't lost any. I never lost any with Partitions either, but I do find that the Accubonds are somewhat more accurate.in my rifles.

Accubond is the only one on the list for African game. It will perform just like a Swift A Frame. Leave all the others for deer and coyotes at home.

The Accubond is my favorite bullet as well, but the Partition is still a great hunting bullet. They don't seem to be quite as accurate as I like in my rifles, but the 160s do perform really well in my buddies 7 Rem Mag. 3 shot groups well under an inch. He's taken several mule deer and elk, including one big bull at a little over 400 yards. I used the 180s In my .30-06 on my first safari in 1983. Those were the best factory loads available at the time and they did work well.

 

[BeeMaa]

the front of the Nosler partition coming apart on impact fragments 40% of the bullet mass and in bigger rounds much less, around 10-15%. the remaining weight gives excellent penetration(better than most bonded cores) regardless of the animal, which is not a bullet failure.

Tell you what...ask your PH what they would recommend for the game you are hunting without telling him what bullet you like or are currently using. I'd lay odds that they would say Swift A-Frame, Barnes TSX or Federal TBBC or anything bonded before the NP crossed their lips.

Those were the exact recommendations by my PH. I mentioned the NP and he cringed a little bit and said he would much prefer that I stayed with a bonded core or all copper bullet.

As long as the animal dies quickly (which I believe is what we both want), it matters to me very little because it's your hunt. And subsequently your dime if the NP blows up on the shoulder of an animal without a lethal wound channel resulting in a long tracking or worse a lost animal.

 

[Philip Glass]

Tell you what...ask your PH what they would recommend for the game you are hunting without telling him what bullet you like or are currently using. I'd lay odds that they would say Swift A-Frame, Barnes TSX or Federal TBBC or anything bonded before the NP crossed their lips.

Those were the exact recommendations by my PH. I mentioned the NP and he cringed a little bit and said he would much prefer that I stayed with a bonded core or all copper bullet.

As long as the animal dies quickly (which I believe is what we both want), it matters to me very little because it's your hunt. And subsequently your dime if the NP blows up on the shoulder of an animal without a lethal wound channel resulting in a long tracking or worse a lost animal.

Exactly!

 

[Philip Glass]

@Philip Glass
If you can't get accubonds Woodleigh works just as well if not better in my humble opinion.
Bob

I am sure they do work well. I am on a strict diet of TSX these days however. Ive taken everything from duikers to deer to rhino with TSX.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I have used the Partition bullets for many years and have never been disappointed. But recntly I have begun to appreciate the accuracy of the Accubond, though it is a tougher bullet and not as broadly useful as the Partition.