[DaveN26]

the rifle is a 300WSM and the type of game is whitetail deer and black bears. i prefer to shoot 165 0r 168 grain bullets. alot of people say that the nosler partition is a great bullet. but my concern is that a bullet like that coming out of a high velocity magnum rifle wouldnt expand properly in deer sized game. so i guess my question is who makes the best 165-168gr bullet for deer sized game?

 

[M1Garand]

I don't think you can go wrong with the Partition. IMO, it's still one of if not the best all around bullets. There are some that I can get better accuracy, but as far as a do all bullet, it's the standard and hard to beat. The front half is soft enough it will expand in the smallest deer. Some others that will also work very well are the Accubond, Sierra HPBT, Hornady IB, TSX, etc. etc.

 

[pisgah]

The fact is that many if not most of the newer high-tech bullets were designed to work like the Partition -- dependable expansion in a wide range of velocities coupled with deep penetration. If the Partition gives good accuracy in your rifle, it will do as well as any of the others, and better than most.

 

[jwp475]

the rifle is a 300WSM and the type of game is whitetail deer and black bears. i prefer to shoot 165 0r 168 grain bullets. alot of people say that the nosler partition is a great bullet. but my concern is that a bullet like that coming out of a high velocity magnum rifle wouldnt expand properly in deer sized game. so i guess my question is who makes the best 165-168gr bullet for deer sized game?

The Partition is not a difficult bullet to open and will open just fine on Deer in fact at the closer distances will most likely blow the front portion up

 

[pisgah]

Some folks see a Partition make a small entry hole and a small exit hole, and they assume it has failed to expand. In fact, it has worked perfectly, as designed. The front part of the bullet has expanded rapidly, and has been "wiped off" as the bullet moves through, breaking in to a number of secondary projectiles and leaving only the heavy, non-expanded shank to penetrate the rest of the way. The typical wound channel is tiny-hole-in, internals wrecked, tiny-hole-out.

 

[Wazz13]

Cant go wrong with a Partition for all around performance on the game you have chosen. Have used them a lot on NE Whitetail and great performance. I have used them in .308, 30-06, 300 WinMag, heck I use to used the partition HG bullet in my muzzleloader.

 

[mattsbox99]

Some folks see a Partition make a small entry hole and a small exit hole, and they assume it has failed to expand. In fact, it has worked perfectly, as designed. The front part of the bullet has expanded rapidly, and has been "wiped off" as the bullet moves through, breaking in to a number of secondary projectiles and leaving only the heavy, non-expanded shank to penetrate the rest of the way. The typical wound channel is tiny-hole-in, internals wrecked, tiny-hole-out.

Perfect description! I find the Ballistic Tip also does this, but more of the bullet 'blows up' leaving just the solid base to exit or stop just under the opposite hide. Regardless, the AB, Partition, and BT have done very well for me.

 

[Sask boy]

I am maybe getting in a little late, but I would use the ABs in the 180gr. We just used them on a Mule deer hunt and they are deadly. I was always a Partition man but I really believe that the AB has better accuracy. I do not have a 300 wsm but after this season I think I will have in the near future

 

[700sage]

For .300wsm the Nosler Accubond works great for me. Anything from deer to elk I don't change bullet weights or types. 180g Accubond FTW!

 

[Saskshooter]

Velocity never prevents expansion; it accelerates it. High velocity will sometimes cause too rapid expansion (around here we call it "splashing" the bullet") but it will never result in failure to expand. Too much expansion can be just as disastrous as too little.

All my experience with .30 cal. bullets is from a .300 Win., and from watching others use various .30 cal cartridges over the years.

The Partition is the bullet against which all others are measured. It is very, very reliable; the front half expands and often is wiped away and the bottom continues to penetrate. However, I think that, for deer, it is unnecessarily tough. I have come to believe I have had more and longer tracking sessions with Partitions on deer than with some other types, to the point where I actually avoid using the Partition on deer and smaller game unless the cartridge is on the "small" side. I still load Partitions for two .243 Win as a deer load, for example.

I want a bigger exit hole than I often get from the relatively small caliber of the unexpanded rear half of a Partition, so I get better blood trails, especially if there is no snow.

I am now experimenting with Accubonds. With not enough data to be totally convinced yet, it seems like they are a more appropriate bullet for deer sized game because they seem to expand to larger diameter without losing much mass. Ballistic Tips expand very quickly and are devastating on deer, but penetration is limited. I have several Ballistic Tips recovered from deer; I have no Partitions. I am looking for more expansion than a Partition, less expansion than a Ballistic Tip, and I think the Accubond may be it, although I expect that with the explosion of new bullet technology in the last few years, there may be many more that are just as good. It is hard to get enough actual hunting experience to prove anything, and wet news print is just not the real thing.

So, one cannot go wrong by choosing a Partition. They are completely reliable and provide, in all my guns, accuracy that is perfectly acceptable for hunting. For strictly deer and smaller, I prefer a little more expansion. I would not hesitate to start experimenting with a .300 WSM on deer by trying 165 gr. Partitions or Accubonds, but if it was my gun and I had nothing purchased yet, I would start with 180 grain Accubonds for deer.