.30-30 Nosler Partition Hogs

[kmittleman]

Hey all,


Thanks for the advice about the above load last week. I actually called Nosler today and they said the 170gr FN was specifically for the .30-30 and was to be used at 1400fps and above. I bring this up because some folks have said the lower .30-30 velocities would negate the use of the NP. Also, while I'm focusing on smaller "meat" hogs, what if I see a big 'un? Does anyone here have any experience using the 170gr Nosler Partition on hogs?


-Kevin

[86er]

Here's my most recent test on hogs:

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=33515

I spoke to Nosler at length. I explained and described all kinds of situations I have observed, tested and experienced. The technician said the bullet is intended to work exactly as it was designed to do at an impact velocity of 1800 fps. He advised +/- 100 fps due to various influences. In my situation, I actually am ok with losing the entire lead front and therefore some weight. This is because on small deer and other animals I want to get violent expansion, instead of a more controlled and slow expansion that will exit before completion. On the other hand, I want to be able to take a bigger, tougher animal if the occassion presents itself. The Nosler tech and I played around with some data and determined that in a 30-30, or other 30 cal that I might use the bullet in (300 Savage, 308 Win) the loads muzzle velocity should reflect the furthest distance I intend to shoot at while retaining a minimum of 1900 fps. In a 30-30 at 2200 fps this limits the range to 100 yards where you barely retain 1900 fps. At 2100 fps it is 75 yards and at 2000 fps it is 50 yards. Again, this is for a complete expansion down to the partition with significant frontal lead loss. I tested it at 2000 fps at 100 yds on deer and test media, and the results were as predicted. The expansion was inconsistent. In some cases, it did not expand down to the partition. In some cases it mushroomed a bit but was still in the .400's diameter total including the jacket. The penetration was good, as I recovered few broadside shots on deer. On deceased deer with set up full length shots I got up to 22" of penetration with narrow to medium wound channels. Frankly, on a small deer at 100 yards there was little gain over a standard Remington Core-Lokt 170 grain. I repeated the above on some deceased hogs up to 200 pounds and had surprisingly similar results. It is difficult to get a load to 2200 fps in a 30-30 with that bullet in a 20" barrel. I found one and repeated the experiment. Just 200 fps more at the muzzle made a world of difference in the bullet performance under the same test situation at 100 yds. The expansion was much more consistent, the overall diameter was in the mid to upper .500's (with a few making the .600 mark at the widest point of the jacket), and the penetration was still up to 18" in both deer, media and small hogs. In the above link, I shot a big boar with over 3/4" hide in the scapular and got 14"+ penetration, full frontal expansion with total loss of lead and wide jacket diameter, and 53.5% weight retention average. My impact velocity was about 2100 fps (the same as what you'd get at 50 yds if you start at 2200 fps). I think with a velocity of 100-200 fps slower at impact I may have got an exit and I would expect more frontal retention but less overall expanded diameter. In other testing, I tried different velocities on hogs to meet a certain goal. The goal was at least 65% weight retention, 15" penetration and at least .425 diameter. This was accomplished with an IMPACT velocity of 1700 fps. That equates to 175 yds if your muzzle velocity is 2200 fps. At lower impact velocity the results were not consistent but at 1700 fps every bullet recovered looked the same. However, to me I was not getting the utmost performance for this bullet design, as the same goal was met by 170 grain Remington Core-Lokt bullets, and the penetration and weight retention were exceeded by the Speer 170 gr Hot Core while the expansion goal was right at or just under set parameters. My point is, I think the 170 gr Nosler Partition is an excellent bullet and it is wonderful on hogs. However, if you are cost conscious or are really intrigued by terminal bullet performance you are not going to get any more out of the Nosler than you would with a conventional bullet unless you are congnizant of your IMPACT velocity. You must contemplate your shot range(s) and adjust your muzzle velocity accordingly within safe guidelines to get the advantages of the Partion design to really shine through. If your shot is further than expected or if you just cannot get the muzzle velocity that will retain over 1800 fps at impact the bullet will still work quite well, and will be sufficient on any hogs with good shot placement. However, it will not perform significantly better than a Core-Lokt or Speer Hot Core in the same weight and at the same velocity. All will result in a very dead hog. The real variable here is what your personal expectation for your bullet performance is. Good Luck!

[m.wun]

With the money you spend on the premium (in 30-30) spend the money saved to buy
more corelocs to practice so the bullets get put in the right spot on the hogs.Its also a
good excuse to pick up a 35Rem,444 or 45-70...

[Griff]

Very good info, Joe.

[brno602]

I am a big!
Nozler part fan I find they work like they are supposed too! they expand fast even at low vel and at high I mean High I have shot game with a 165gr .308 bullet going at 3400fps muzzel vel with them the back half keeps going. Many think the Nozler it a tough bullet it is not it is kinda soft. But at High vel the back half acts like a solid wadcutter the back half is like a solid sure it is only 60% so shoot a slug that is on the heavy side if hunting anything bigger than a Deer.