Nosler 180 grain partition experiences

87TT

WKR
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Messages
3,435
Location
Idaho
Shot and killed three elk with 165 gr Nosler partitions out of my 30 06. Saw them all drop.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Guy

mcseal2

WKR
Joined
May 8, 2014
Messages
2,672
180 gr. Nosler Partition - great bullet and it will hold together and penetrate very well for you! No need to change!

180 gr. Accubond - great bullet also if you wanted to give it a try. They will hold together and penetrate wonderfully.

180 gr. E-tip - also a fantastic bullet that will hold together and penetrate very well.

I like all those bullets too. 180 E tips worked great on a couple moose for us in 2018. One at 300 yards, one at 500 yards.
 

NorthCountryAB

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Messages
173
Location
Alberta
A 300wby with a 180 Partition is a perfect moose combo.
If you cant kill a moose with this than your not doing it right. Ive killed plenty of moose, never an Alaskan/Yukon but plenty of Canadian moose.
Im my experience elk are harder to kill than moose. Elk seem to suck up the energy and keep going, where as a moose stops once shot, or atleast slows down.
If you do your job and hit any moose, any NA animal for that matter in the boiler room with a 180gr Partition from a 300wby you will be successful.
 

cooperjd

WKR
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
473
Location
Mount Pleasant, SC
I have never used partitions, so, take this with that knowledge :)

I did hunt south africa with a PH that has hunted all over africa and specialized in dangerous game for his early career, and moved over to RSA to have an easier time after he had kids. I trust the opinions of the been there, done that PH's, since they hunt 10 months out of the year and has seen thousands of animals get shot.

He HATES partitions; and does not understand why the Americans bring them. He claims more plains game is lost to partitions blowing apart than any other bullet. He prefers the a-frame or a solid copper bullet and says they perform much better on game consistently.

The design is to "mushroom" on the front (but they seem to tend to blow apart) and bring a small back end through the animal. When I look at them I also wonder why anyone would use them. Swift A-frames are a similar design but don't blow apart the front half, they mushroom and hold nearly all of their mass. IMO that is a far superior bullet when looking at cup and core.

I was in alaska recently and the guys there all guide moose and brown bear. They really like the accubond as well and says they perform very well on moose. I shot the caribou in my avatar pic with a 160gr 7mm AB, went through both shoulder blades and the bull took one step and folded. The bullet did exit, but there was also quite a bit of meat damage and a lot of tiny shiny copper fragments in the meat. The AB worked great, but i have a box of 150gr ttsx to play with next, as I really like the idea of close to 100% weight retention.

Moose are big animals, you may not get a broadside shot, i would opt for solid copper or an a-frame. I have a goal of canadian moose hunting in 2 years with my 338RUM, and i will likely load up with 210 ttsx's and push them fast.
 

Julius K

FNG
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
91
I shot a bull straight on here in Maine (9.5 year old mature bull) at 60 yards with my 300 wby and a 200 grain partition. The bullet stopped in his hips, he took ten very labored strides and tipped over. I have also killed some white tails with that load and love it. A buddy of mine shot a bull moose with a 180 partition out of a 300 wby at 30 yards and it worked, very very well.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
1,079
Location
NC
Hopefully will be able to provide a report in October up in Maine. Drew the golden ticket and planning to shoot 3006 180gr partitions!
 

FLAK

WKR
Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
2,287
Location
Gulf Coast
I shot a Gemsbok on the White Sands with a .200gr. Partition out of my 300WM.
Penetrated over 3ft of Gemsbok, and I still have the bullet.
 
OP
wolfpup

wolfpup

FNG
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
22
Well folks, my gun and bullets went to Alaska in august and I can't change anything now. Its 180 grain partitions put to the test. It knocked a caribou over backwards shot through the lungs at 300 yards. Now what will it do to a moose given the opportunity? Hopefully I'll find out. Also going to pick up a grizzly tag if I have time in spite of the steep price for the tag. Since my brother in law is going with, I can legally shoot a grizzly (if I want to). Everyone says, "don't eat them." I can guarantee you though, if I decide to pull the trigger on a grizzly, I'll be frying up some backstraps. Not being able to eat the grizzly meat really discourages me from killing on and seeing it go to waste. My point is, I just may have another experience with 180 grain Nosler partitions on another big game animal. The way I see it, I'll have to go back with another load and bullet to compare results lol.
 

yukon254

FNG
Joined
Jan 11, 2019
Messages
5
Location
Yukon
Ive been guiding professionally for 33-years now and have seen a ton of game taken with NP. In my experience they are one of those bullets you can always count on to work. You wont have any trouble taking anything in Alaska with them, including grizzly. Good luck
 

Milhouse58421

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 17, 2019
Messages
193
Location
North of you
Somebody said it earlier.... sometimes the animal is not impressed by whoever the manufacturer of the bullet was/is. If Nosler partitions shoot well in your rifle, I'm sure they'll work just fine. So will Trophy Bonded, A frames, and any number of premium bullets. I'll also say I'm not a fan of "admiring your shot". Especially on bigger stuff... if in doubt, shoot him again.
 
OP
wolfpup

wolfpup

FNG
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
22
Well I pulled the trigger on a 60” bull the morning of the 13th and he folded up like a sack of rocks. I could only see the top of his back, so couldn’t get an accurate assessment of bullet performance. Any bullet with that kind of shot placement should drop a moose instantly and I wasn’t disappointed.
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
Messages
792
Location
Pendleton, Or
Well done; I like many who have guided love the partition. My 50 years of running them have demonstrated results like yours.
cant wait to see pics.
 

PA Hunter

WKR
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
582
Location
Bethlehem Pennsylvania
I ise 200 gr Accubonds for moose but absolutely nothing wrong with partitions. Dont expect moose to just fall over on impact from anything. You may even think you are missing. I put three 200 gr barnes ttsx righ behind shoulder on one and not even a flynch from the bull.
 

Jim1187

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 7, 2020
Messages
198
Location
New Brunswick, Canada
I don't know what a moose that a .300 Magnum and 180 partitions is ill suited for looks like but I suspect they died off around the time mammoths did.
Glad to hear the OP managed to snatch success from the jaws of defeat in spite of all the handicaps he placed on himself with outdated bullets and cartridge design.
 
Top