Nosler Ballistic Tip and Partitions

[dak0ta]

Hi,

I shoot a R700 Mtn Rifle in .270 Win that I have developed a load using IMR 4831 53.5 gr that shoots Nosler 150gr BT about 0.77MOA at 100 meters. I want to keep this load as a deer load, but want to shoot Nosler 150gr Partitions to take bears, elk, moose. I've heard that these two bullets can print pretty close to one another without adjusting scope zero and may use similar powder charges. Anybody have experience with these two bullets in the same rifle and caliber? How is accuracy of the Partitions when compared to the BTs?

 

[Chuck R.]

I used to load a similar combination of 130 BTs and 130 Partitions, but for open country VS wooded. The Early BTs were pretty nasty close in.

The partitions developed slight more pressure with a higher MV and were close for elevation, but slightly left. They impacted close enough IF you weren't taking shots past 200 yds, which is my normal zero. I just zero'd the rifle for both and recorded the delta's. You're probably going to verify your zero prior to changing game, so it's easy just to click in for the Partitions and verify.

 

[Varminterror]

I've heard that these two bullets can print pretty close to one another without adjusting scope zero

This has not been my experience.

 

[Varminterror]

Partitions tend to be far less accurate than Ballistic Tips. Finding a great shooting load with an NBT is easy, getting Partitions sub-moa can be a chore. I’d consider it a fluke if I had a rifle, after appropriate load development for each, which fired the Partitions smaller than the BT’s. A fluke, or a gross mistake in my BT load development, coupled with an amazing stroke of luck with the Partition development.

What I have found to dramatically improve grouping with Partitions has been to give them a bit longer jump, much like loading mono-metal bullets. While I typically find my best precision with conventional bullets somewhere between 5-25 thou off of the lands (discounting circumstances where jamming is applicable), I have found the Partitions tend to do their best when given a 50-70 thou run at it.

 

[Patocazador]

Partitions tend to be far less accurate than Ballistic Tips. Finding a great shooting load with an NBT is easy, getting Partitions sub-moa can be a chore.

I agree for the most part but I shy away from ballistic tips for hunting due to a couple of bad experiences with them.
I've found that the partitions can usually use the same load but are less accurate. A 1/3" group with a BT usually results in a 3/4" group with the partitions.

 

[dak0ta]

Okay thanks for the heads up. I'd be happy with a 1-1.25 MOA group with Partitions. I have my BT 0.002 off the lands.

 

[Col. Cornelius]

I have shot standard lead point spitzers, Partitions, Ballistic Tips and Accubonds in the 270 win.

I find most of the time, Ballistic Tips and Accubonds print 1" to 2" different at 100yrds compared to standard lead point bullets.

I typically choose standard points for deer nowadays (too much blood shot with Ballistic Tips).

For bull Elk, I choose a bigger cartridge (30-06, 300 win mag or 375 H&H) and use either Accubonds or Partitions.

 

[Nature Boy]

Partitions tend to be far less accurate than Ballistic Tips. Finding a great shooting load with an NBT is easy, getting Partitions sub-moa can be a chore.

I agree.

In my experience, Nosler BTs are measurably more accurate than Partitions, so much so that I won’t use them, but I’m admittedly an accuracy nut so take that for what it’s worth.

I used Accubonds for the first time this season and was pleased with the results, both on paper and flesh.

 

[jmr40]

Several years ago Nosler started making the jackets thicker on the Ballistic Tips after getting complaints about them failing on bigger game. Nosler never recommended them for game bigger than deer, but people used them anyway. By making the bullets tougher they are now a viable bigger game bullet.

I don't have that much personal experience, but I've read several reports stating that the newer BT's are giving performance indistinguishable from Accubond or Partition. A 165 30 caliber gave complete penetration on a 260 lb black bear for me. I'd hunt black bear or elk with the BT's in a heavy for caliber bullet, and a 150 in a 270 performs like a 180 in a 30-06. Not so sure about moose, and definitely not big bear, but I'll never hunt them anyway. If the BT's are shooting great in your gun I'd use them for anything I'll hunt.

 

[Aletheia]

I believe the Ballistic tips are "harder" now than they were years ago, but I think 150gr B.Tips work very well on deer due to their slightly slower speed than 130gr B.Tips. For several seasons I used 150 gr. B.Tips as a deer load and was very satisfied. I used 150 gr Partitions for "bigger than deer" animals. But lately I have been using 140 gr. Accubonds as a compromise that seems to work. They seem to be as accurate as B.Tips always were, and they test well for terminal performance, and I have no complaints so far on actual game. Haven't shot anything bigger than deer yet since I have a bigger gun for that most of the time. I would never count on two different bullets shooting to the same point; but I would also never say it won't happen. Only testing your loads in your guns will tell you the facts for your loads.

 

[dak0ta]

One could always just buy another 270 winchester to shoot the Partitions if it doesn't zero the same as BTs in same rifle. Hm... possibilities

My R700's barrel is 22". Most of the load data is 24" barrels. Roughly with IMR4831, 1in10" twist rate, 150gr bullets, how much FPS should be lost in 2"? I was wondering if a 24" 270 Win rifle provides any meaningful FPS advantage.

 

[lordpaxman]

I load the 165’s and 180’s in 30-06 and had the same thought that if I found a load for one the other would just work. That and the price difference at the time I figured I’d practice with the BT, use them for deer and the AB for heavier game. This was in a Weatherby Mk 5, at a 100 yards it would be acceptable, but beyond that, not without a scope adjustment.

 

[Aletheia]

One could always just buy another 270 winchester to shoot the Partitions if it doesn't zero the same as BTs in same rifle. Hm... possibilities
.

Or just get a good scope with repeatable adjustments and figure out the adjustment needed when changing loads.
Or just get one good load with one good bullet for the rifle/cartridge and hunt all suitable game with that load. If a 130 grain will work - so will a 150 grain.

 

[Chuck R.]

Several years ago Nosler started making the jackets thicker on the Ballistic Tips after getting complaints about them failing on bigger game. Nosler never recommended them for game bigger than deer, but people used them anyway. By making the bullets tougher they are now a viable bigger game bullet.

I don't have that much personal experience, but I've read several reports stating that the newer BT's are giving performance indistinguishable from Accubond or Partition. A 165 30 caliber gave complete penetration on a 260 lb black bear for me. I'd hunt black bear or elk with the BT's in a heavy for caliber bullet, and a 150 in a 270 performs like a 180 in a 30-06. Not so sure about moose, and definitely not big bear, but I'll never hunt them anyway. If the BT's are shooting great in your gun I'd use them for anything I'll hunt.

Agree with the change in construction for the BTs. the newer version is a much better BG bullet.

I've killed probably 40 dear and 4 Chamois with the 130 BTs without an issue, I've killed 4 with the 130 ABs and 2 with the 130 Partitions. Honestly I can't tell a difference between the ABs and the BTs on deer, but all of my shots with the ABs, were heart/lung, not breaking bones, where I think the difference would show up. I now load only the ABs for hunting and use the BTs for practice, just to save some money practicing. Since my range is in the back yard, it's no trouble to re-sight before hunting season with the ABs. I like the idea of the bonded due to the MVs I'm running and the chances of a close in shot in some of the areas where I still hunt.

 

[Captcurt]

You will have to check them out in YOUR gun. I have had rifles that would change POI changing brands of the same weight or different weights of the same brand. Then again, I had a Ruger 77 270 that didn't care what you put through it. It would print them near the same POI out to 200 Yards. Like a dummy I sold it.

 

[witchhunter]

It is my experience that NO two different bullets will not print in the same spot using the same powder and seating depth. Your mileage may vary.

 

[entropy]

Hi,

I shoot a R700 Mtn Rifle in .270 Win that I have developed a load using IMR 4831 53.5 gr that shoots Nosler 150gr BT about 0.77MOA at 100 meters. I want to keep this load as a deer load, but want to shoot Nosler 150gr Partitions to take bears, elk, moose. I've heard that these two bullets can print pretty close to one another without adjusting scope zero and may use similar powder charges. Anybody have experience with these two bullets in the same rifle and caliber? How is accuracy of the Partitions when compared to the BTs?

You should be able to for hunting purposes. I did my workups for all my Partition hunting loads with Ballistic Tips in the same weight, for .30-06 and .300 Win. Mag.
As Nature Boy mentions, they won't probably be 3/4 MOA, but I got @ 1MOA with 165 Partitions in .30-06. The BT's shot closer to 1/2 MOA.

 

[Laphroaig]

I always do my load workup with cheaper cup and core bullets then switch to Partitions for hunting. I always check my zero with the Partitions. Its generally pretty close but not always. I recently loaded some Speer 180 gr. hot cores that were 8" different than Partitions at 200 yards.

I've never found the Partitions to be as accurate as whatever I used in load workup. But then I use Partitions for the way they perform on game rather than accuracy. They haven't caused me to miss anything yet.

 

[dak0ta]

Good. Will try out and post results.

 

[Aletheia]

I always do my "load workup" with every bullet. I am not comfortable with changing components and expecting the same pressures you get from another bullet of completely different construction. If you want to use a Partition, you need to do your load workup with the same Partition.

 

[George P]

Partitions tend to be far less accurate than Ballistic Tips.

I found that to be true in my 7-08 and 7mm mag; however, the accuracy differences were minimal as regards a deer/elk boiler room/kill zone.​

 

[Bayou52]

Well, I'm a range shooter and not a hunter, so I can't speak of the effect of the projectiles on game. But I did load a batch of 150 grain partitions in front of 43.5 grains of IMR 4064 with a COL of 3.32", no crimp. Out of the 1966 vintage Rem 700 in 270, moa groups @ 100 yards, with some tighter, was repeatable.

Just my limited experience with the partitions. I've never tried the BTs but comments on this thread indicate that they are very accurate as well...

Bayou52

 

[Aletheia]

I'm a hunter and not a range shooter, but my experience with Partitions and B.T.s is the same. Both have perfectly adequate hunting accuracy in my guns, but I would have to say that B.Tips are very accurate. Performance is so close that, for hunting, I pick the bullet best suited to the game and never have any doubts about accuracy.

 

[Weflyfast]

Accubonds shoot better that partitions in my guns- and kill elk and bears dead-

 

[entropy]

Accubonds shoot better that partitions in my guns- and kill elk and bears dead-

That's nice for you, but not relevant to the discussion at all.