I'm curious to get some technical or field experience on using my 30-06 with either 180gr partitions or 220gr core-lok ammo for a close quarter grizzly attack under 50 yds.
I don't reload nor do I prefer to use a heavier caliber rifle, and I'm looking for the best bullet choice for hardest hitting and best performance on bone breaking and penetration. Both bullet weights have similar muzzle energy, but how would the performance differ between these two, will the heavier 220 gr soft point do more damage or breakup?

Hi Aceman..first I dont recomend getting attacked by a grizzly over 50 yards let alone under.. ..however for best defense use the biggest and best built available...

my choice would be Barnes triple shock (tsx) because it retains 90% PLUS..then Nosler although it does a great job retains only around 40 %

yes 220 grain over the 180 grain..

Steven

stay away from the 220 rem core lost bullets they make a good paper weight !!! 180gr nolser good bullet but if you can get your hands on some 200 gr nolser partitons they will go deeper than John Homes on Linda Lovelace !!! Good luck on your grizz hunt

use the partitions for plinking get some Barnes bullets and you will lump partitions in the same catagory as all the other lead core bullets.

I am sorry but I disagree with most regarding the Barnes X-bullet.

The X gets its penetration capabilities from having a relatively small surface area after expansion. When you have a big critter you want to put down quickly you want to do as much damage as possible to both shock the animal and cause rapid blood loss. "Penetration" - while highly advocated by some - is not the end-all and be-all of bullet performance.

The Nosler Partition is probably the most versatile bullet ever designed.. The soft nose opens very wide and very quickly and dumps an enormous amount of energy instantly into the animal. After this energy dump the nose will shear off - as it is designed to do - and the rear core will dig deep and usually exit.

The 220 RN bullets are designed to open fully at a low velocities. At modest velocities like found in factory 30-06 ammo it works well but is in my opinion not as capable as the 180 or 200 grain Partition.

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I agree and I have used Nosler Pts. for 40 years with total satisfaction.

Since the initial poster is not a handloader and is using factory ammo, the best choice and one I have used while packing an '06 on fire lookouts for possible Grizzly problems, is the Federal ammo loaded with 180 NPs.

If, he takes up handloading, I tend to prefer loading a 220 NP-SS over H-4831SC or RE-22, about 54 grs, (check this with your manual) in WW brass and a mag. primer. I also have 200NPs over RE-22-58 grs. for my 1961 vintage Browning Safari in .30-06, currently being restocked with a customized Boyd's laminate as is one of my 9.3x62s. I would use up to 56 grs. RE-22 with the 220NP, but, only 54 grs. with H-4831 and build these loads VERY carefully, they have worked VERY well in several .30-06 rifles for me.

This is for Grizzly defence, I think a 180 NP is just perfect for all other hunting.

Kutenay, thanks for the reload recommendations.
What muzzle velocities do you achieve with both the 220gr. partition and the 200gr partitions with the r-22 powder?
I may consider having a buddy reload a box for grizzly defense, and use the federal factory 180 H.E. partitions for moose and elk, which is a flat shooting round at an advertised 2880 fps!

aceman.

It depends as I have four .30-06 rifles, a Mannlicher-Schoenaur carbine with 20" bbl., the Browning with 22" bbl., a Pre-64 Mod. 70 with 22" bbl and a Brno ZG-47 with 23.5" tube. I have chronoed my standard 180 NP loads from the MS at 2725 fps-mv., the others will do a bit more and I had some Fed. HE, but, I felt it was just a tad TOO hot and did not care for it.

My Browning just scrapes 2700 with the 200 NP and the particular older lot of RE-22 I have used in it; I have not chronoed my other rifles with these heacy bullets as I seldom use a .30-06 and have sold off those that I did carry, which were P-64s with 24"tubes. An educated guess would be about 2500-2600 with the 220 NP depending on bbl length.

Now, comes the crux of this and it is that a 180 NP at 2700-2800 mv WILL stop a Grizzly, IF, you hit him where you need to, I have seen about a dozen Grizzlies shot and this load did for a couple of them. SO, I would prefer to use my "all around" bullet for BOTH my Elk, Moose and Grizzly shooting as this is what you will be most familiar with and that is important in self defence, IMHO.

In .308 bore rifles, such as the '06 and .300 mags, I prefer to load 200 NPs and 200 Speers for hunting and practice, respectively and will hunt deer wit the Speers, as well. I have had rifles in both .30-06 and .300H&H that would put both of these into the same group with identical loads, an option should you become a handloader.

If, you are in the Lower Mainland, I shoot at Mission and if you wish to come with me, I will gladly chrono your loads in your rifle, if you wish. I make a full day of it when I go as I have a lot of guns to check and the pita drive from Vancouver makes this a practical necessity. PM me here if I can assist in this manner.

I'll disagree (I often do ). My experience watching the "performance" of Partitions vs Core-Lokts will have me buying the Remingtons every time.

My buddy shoots 180gr Federal Premium NPs from his 300 WM and most of the game he shoots is splattered from top to bottom with jellied bloodshot. I've yet to recover a bullet from his animals that was even partially intact.

The Core-Lokts I've used have killed over 30 years of game from elk, moose, and deer, with terrific bullet performance. The 180s in my 308 and 300 WM have performed excellently, as have the 175s in my 7mm RM. I now use the 180gr Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded in the 300 WM and I'm even more impressed with the bullet's weight and shape retention.

Fire away boys, I know you all wear your Nosler ballcaps to bed!

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Well, not really. Not at all actually. The X gets its penetration capability from the fact that it is a long for caliber bullet, and retains all of its weight.
If you look at an expanded X (or TSX) if you can recover one, and compare it against a cup and core bullet, you'll find them very similiar in expanded diameters.



Well, no. The nose doesn't shear off. It disintegrates, throwing lead particles ahead of it and off to the sides. (Google bullet wound channel Xrays to see what that looks like if you want). The "energy dump" is from this front section mushrooming back and coming apart. The partition in the middle of the bullet is what stops it from coming any farther apart. This results in a high speed slow down of the bullet, although it will exit sometimes.

I love how you introduce yourself. lol

Welcome to the site, lots of good info/people here

RD

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Sometimes the banter back and forth about bullet types or what caliber is better is akin to the question "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin". However, I've always thought that a bullet should "mushroom" and stay together to deliver maximum damage. My experience with noslers is they no longer do that. Like Cariboo says, the front part sheers right off. Whether it disintigrates on impact or loses it grandually, the end result is horrible weight retention, which I think you need on large dangerous game. My turn off of noslers happened a couple of years ago when I shot a mulie at about 60 yards with my o6. The two 180 grain bullets cleanly seperated leaving wound chanels with bits of lead and brass all the way along. Neither bullet exited the animal and I would have thought one would have seemings how it never hit bone; and like I said, I was only 60 yards away. Put an extra 400 fps on that with my 300 win mag and I wonder how that bullet would have performed. It also raises a doubt in my mind as to how it would perform hitting the big shoulder bone of a pissed off grizzly. I've seen pictures of the internal damage by the triple shock and I'd have to disagree with the assertion that nosler out performs them.

Yeah Right!!!! Get a grip bud. The Barnes TSX is a good bullet, but it has no real world advantage over a Partition of equal SD. You might be able to convince a noobie that the Partition is no good compared to the Barnes, but those of us who have used them for 40+ years know differently. Regards, Eagleye.

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hmmmm have used PARTITIONS for many years..they alwys got their game..yes the seem to lose a great deal of their original weight..this year I started a new rifle and went with tsx in the new .338 as for the .270 I still have to decide....

Steven

LOL are we getting a little bit insecure read what i posted , i never said the partitions were no good( did have a poke of fun at though ) just that simply they are a lead core bullet and they are subject to the same physical limitations as other lead core bullets are.
Just because you have been useing a product for 40 years it does not make it better , 40 yrs ago it might have been the bee knees but bullets have evolved and gotten better across the board .

The partitions are no longer the standard in which bullets are measured by. Dont let stubborness and insecurity let you loose sight of the big picture when it comes to gaugeing performance .
Nosler obviously hasnt overlooked the promise of this design because they offer An E-tip bullet which is very similer to the Barnes in that it is a solid copper projectile but has some improvements .