[Doug in Alaska]

I've been loading 250 gr. Nosler Partition bullets for my .338 Win Mag for many, many years. I bought a couple boxes of bullets about six months ago because my stock of loaded ammo for this rifle is just about gone. I loaded fifty rounds today and noticed these bullets no longer have a crimp cannelure. I don't need the cannelure but does anyone know when Nosler stopped putting the cannelure on these bullets? Wonder if this is going to have an effect on my accuracy?

Thanks,
Doug in AK

 

[jaybirdjtski]

It shouldn't affect your accuracy one bit unless the ogive of the bullet changed which could affect the distance from the bullet to the rifling. Nosler Partitions are my favorite hunting bullet! Very predictable performance and accuracy.

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

Well Doug,

If you've been loading Nosler partitions as long as it sounds like, you will remember the ones made on a screw machines, complete with the machine marks full length and the wide relief groove about mid way.

Well, that stopped with the extruded jackets and along with it any sort of groove on most of the bullets.

I have a few of the old ones I just hang onto because there are not enough to work up loads with and because they are different then the current norm.

You may notice some grouping difference, but doubt it will be of major concern.

One way or the other, it would be worth working up a new load if needed, just to continue using one of the best jacketed bullets ever.

The young fellers don't know how good they have it with all the high quality bullets now available. However, I figure the Nosler Partition will work just fine for what years I have left to hunt and that of my son as well.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[TMan]

I've been loading 250 gr. Nosler Partition bullets for my .338 Win Mag for many, many years. I bought a couple boxes of bullets about six months ago because my stock of loaded ammo for this rifle is just about gone. I loaded fifty rounds today and noticed these bullets no longer have a crimp cannelure. I don't need the cannelure but does anyone know when Nosler stopped putting the cannelure on these bullets? Wonder if this is going to have an effect on my accuracy?

Thanks,
Doug in AK

Doug, I think the last partitions I bought with machined jackets were ??? I'm gonna say mid 70's, early 80's.

Actually the consistancy improved a lot over time.

 

[RLTW]

Doug,
Agree with the other comments. I have been using that bullet for 30 years and have taken everything from Alaska to S. Africa with it. My wife even stole that rifle from me (Argintine Mauser '09 in a custom job) when we both hunted 15 head in the Eastern Cape. She loves it and now I am in the process of getting the parts to build another. I use IMR 4350 and never looked back; put a heavy bbl on and get sub-MOA. I have also been using their seconds which are sometimes available and have never noticed a difference in accuracy. For my money it's the best hunting bullet out there. Good shooting and hunting.
RLTW

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

RLTW,

Where do you find Nosler "seconds"?

I have not been able to find that source.

Back a number of years, we used to buy Speer 2nds at Lolo's sporting goods in Lewiston, Idaho - about 45 min. drive from home - which is home to Speer, CCI, Bitteroot bullets, Jack O'Conner etc.

For some reason during all the changes in ownership, the pencil pushers at "Speer" decided they should sell the seconds else where. That really hurt Lolo's, big time, as well as area shooters!

Lolo's was the old time gun shop, wood floors, photograph of Jack O'Conner on the wall, upper racks filled with OLD!! firearms, in store gunsmith.

Great place then, a mear shadow of it's former self these days!

Back when RUGERS were at times hard to get, the word was that Lolo's could get them because of the connections with Jack O'Conner. Hmmmmm?

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[M1Garand]

You can get them at Shooters Pro Shop:

http://www.shootersproshop.com/index.php?p=11&b=8&s=393&t=Partition

Or Midway sometimes has them, all they have in .338 right now is the 225 Accubond:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=883095

 

[Shawn Crea]

I have a box of the 250's, bought at least 5 yrs ago, maybe even 10. They don't have the cannelure. Do they make two different lines, or are the ones with cannelures unsold stock from many years ago? Have found that out-of-the-way rural shops have some gems on their shelves, with dust and all, with price tags from many years ago too! The recent past 'ammo scare' likely cleared all those out, everywhere, though.

 

[RLTW]

When I am home,( Ft Lewis Wa,) Household-6 and I drive down to Bend on one of our road trips and hit the factory. Been doing that since the early 80's. They do not always have the exact caliber/wt that you might be looking for, but I always seem to find something useful at a decent price. I have really never been able to tell the preformance difference between the seconds and retail. So long as I can get the accuracy I am looking for, generally MOA on my .338, then I am a happy camper as the rest is up to me. Think I remember both cannelured and non. It's been too long since I have been at my reloading bench...

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

Have shot many of the Speer seconds.

Sometimes you can't tell them from first run, but some times the metal of the jacket nose will be folded funny.

One way of the other they make great banger ammo and lots of varmits had died because of them!

Wish I could still get them!

keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[beretzs]

Probably about 75% of my handloading is with Nosler 2nds. Great bullets and an awesome price. Scotty

 

[Doug in Alaska]

I guess the thread notification hasn't been working for me so I didn't realize the question had gotten so many responses. Anyway, I loaded some of the newer style Nosler Partitions and took them to the range. I'm using my original load and point of impact is exactly the same. Accuracy is very good as usual. These bullets have served me very well here in Alaska so I see no reason to change a thing.

Crusty Ol'Coot,
I was born and raised in Lewiston (been in Alaska since 1981) and remember the Speer seconds at Lolo very well. I learned to reload and shoot using those cheaper bullets. My wife and I travel to Lewiston every November, I hunt whitetail and she visits family. Last year we stopped by Lolo expecting to find the shop unchanged. Wow, you are correct, it isn't the same. Kind of a shame.

I'll be there Nov 19 through Dec 3 this year. Just got my re-barreled 7mm RUM back from Hart yesterday so I need to start working up loads in preparation for the trip this year.

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

Well Doug,

With you grow'in up in Lewiston, guess you probably remember Deary. Yesterday was the annual, "Deary days." Lots of people and activity for a small town. Thankfully the folk mostly crawled back into the hills or went back to homes in the surrounding communities.

Yep, I can still straddle the 4wheeler and head to the post office or head the other direction and ride for miles and miles on some great trails.

Hunting as close as about 5 minutes behind the house, on and around Ol'Spud Hill.

No need to try and sell you on Nosler Partitions for your ultra mag, as it is clear you have been there and done that.

Yep, the Speer rejects!!!!!!!. Have shot a lot of .22 and .243 and sure wish I had a bunch of those 75 gr Hollow points stashed for the 243.

Still have some Speer rejects stash, but not really the fun stuff.

Without them, guess I'll just have to get along with the 55gr. Nosler Balistic Tips in my old "flatbolt" RUGER.

That 243 will now show it's heels to any 22/250 I have had or seen.

Nothing against the 22/250, love em, but wow is that little bullet fast out of the 22" barrel of my old RUGER.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[Doug in Alaska]

Yep, I used to attend Deary Days back when I was younger. Also deer hunted up there and bucked bales and drove grain truck down to Kendrick in the summer. I worked for a couple brothers with the last name Halseth.

Probably the next rifle I add to my arsenal will be a .243. I've been wanting one for some time but recently had a .22-250 re-barreled to .22-250 AI and have been having a blast with it. I grew up a 'velocity hound' and guess I've never grown out of it. I'll probably drag the Ackley down with me this year and spend a couple days shooting dogs. I put the hurt on a few of those coyotes last year with the RUM but it was a little over kill.

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

The name, Halseth is one I hear around these parts, so they must still be around, even if not farming.

Back in the late 50s, we moved from Salem, Oregon to Eastern Oregon, and then happen to make friends with a family who happened to live in Salem.

These folk came to our place to hunt or visit a number of times, and one time the fellow handed me his Winchester M70, and a bag, not a box, not a handfull, but a bag of 243 reloads.

I sat down on the back steps, we lived 7 miles from the next place, and started shooting at rocks up the ridge.

My 32 Special was a bang and then ----- a pop if I hit the rock, but with the 243 it was bang/pop.

Have loved the 243 ever since.

He had won the rifle in Portland, for a dollar as I recall, and it came with a 4X Leupold scope with a dot. WOW!

Guess it will be simple to figure out what my first scoped rifle was.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[beretzs]

Good story. That must have been something. A M70 for a dollar!! Scotty

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

Yep, as I recall it was a punch board game or some such in Portland, Ore.

Even though this was probably mid 50s, a buck was still one whale of a good price especially with a Leupold scope attached.

However, it HAS cost me a goodly bit more then a buck, over the years, to keep a 243 fed and groomed.

Great fun and a number of eat'in critters later ------------------

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[beretzs]

Wow, talk about a bargain. Didn't figure it had a Leupold attached to it also! That is akin to winning a small lottery nowadays. Scotty

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

For sure, ---------considering today that rifle would probably sell - second hand - for well over a thousand dollars.

Sure impressed this kid.

Not much later, I saw Lou show me how he formed 30/06 brass to 243. I think it may have been on an old Hollywood press.

Way cool!!!!!, that feller had enough ammo to put it in a canvas bag and hand it and the rifle to a kid.

Other then .22s I had never seen that much ammo before.

Now, I am the Ol'feller show'in the youngsters the loading/shoot'in/rifles etc.

My how time has a way of mov'in on!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[beretzs]

Those are skills you don't see around much anymore. The local gunsmith taught me how to reload and I am thankful for him letting me sit in his shop somedays and shoot the bull. He was a great guy, taught me alot about handloading and shooting during my younger years. Scotty