Partitions or Ballistic Tips ?

[Guy Miner]

Gee, have a few hundred of each in 115 gr .257" size. Which will I pick for the Wyoming mule deer & pronghorn hunt this fall? Dang.... Decisions, decisions.

The .25-06 seems equally happy with either. Maybe a tad better accuracy with the B-Tips, not much.

Tough choices we have to make as shooters & hunters, doggone it... I'm not sure that I've got a "wrong" choice here.

Nosler - you guys complicate my life with all these great bullets. THANKS! :grin:

 

[R Flowers]

Guy, while it may seem unreasonable, I have had better luck on game with the 115 Grain Ballistic Tip than the Partition. I am a huge Partition fan, but in the 25-06 with the 115 grain weight I have had the Ballistic Tip kill game more reliably.

No, I never lost any game shot with the 115 Partition, but I have had to follow up a few. We used to shoot LOTS of wild hogs around here and with the Partition they just seemed to wander off a ways. With the Ballistic Tip they were on the ground immediately. And I can tell you, that 115 Ballistic Tip is great on antelope.

I now shoot the 100 Barnes TSX due to stupid CA laws, but before I switched, my favorite bullet in the 25-06 was actually the 100 grain Partition.

 

[SJB358]

I am with Mr Flowers. Seems like the 115 BT is tailor made for mule deer and antelope. Neither need alot of bullet so you might as well take advantage of the extra BC... Good luck Guy, your right, there isn't a bad choice in the mix.

 

[Guest]

Count me in the 115gr BT (in this case, that's "Blue Tip," right?) crowd. Wind is going to potentially be huge in WY, and the BT will give you about an inch less drift in a 20mph wind at 300yds. If you're shooting farther out, it just gets better by comparison. Since you don't need the structural advantages of the Partition for antelope and muleys, I'd stick with the BT. The fact that you said it's a scoche more accurate just makes it all the more right.

 

[Africa Huntress]

Guy, while it may seem unreasonable, I have had better luck on game with the 115 Grain Ballistic Tip than the Partition. I am a huge Partition fan, but in the 25-06 with the 115 grain weight I have had the Ballistic Tip kill game more reliably.

No, I never lost any game shot with the 115 Partition, but I have had to follow up a few. We used to shoot LOTS of wild hogs around here and with the Partition they just seemed to wander off a ways. With the Ballistic Tip they were on the ground immediately. And I can tell you, that 115 Ballistic Tip is great on antelope.

I now shoot the 100 Barnes TSX due to stupid CA laws, but before I switched, my favorite bullet in the 25-06 was actually the 100 grain Partition.

Mr Flowers, Speaking of California laws. I do not remember the facts exactly, but remember reading that an island off the Calif coast, had Elk on it since the turn of the century. But since they were not originally on the island before the turn of the century, the state or feds shot all of them. I always thought it would have been advantageous to the state financially to sell the hunting rights to California hunters. They would have accomplished the same end result and made some money for the state. however, I may have some of my facts wrong.

Mr. Miner, we have also used the Nosler 115 BT successfully

 

[DrMike]

Guy, whilst I would never discourage someone from carrying Partitions, the Ballistic Tips will accomplish all you want for mule deer and antelope. Save the Partitions for some really tough game.

 

[6mm Remington]

Guy considering the animal you are hunting, I'd have to chose the more accurate bullet out of your particular rifle with the two choices you have listed. Either one will work fine and you have shown by your own water jug tests that the Ballistic Tip is more than enough bullet for this adventure you have planned. If all goes well, maybe you can snap a couple more photographs with that Remington as you did with that nice mule deer buck you have so we can enjoy them!! I wish you the best on your hunt and 15" plus antelope with nice bases and great prongs will be running everywhere. :grin:
David

 

[JD338]

Guy,

Both are excellent bullets but I would also lean towards the 115 gr BT.
This bullet is tougher than you think. Time for a water jug test. :mrgreen:

JD338

 

[muleman]

Guy,
My vote is for the 115 BT! My 257RAI likes them a lot. The BTs are less expensive for more practice.

Scott

 

[SJB358]

Guy,

Both are excellent bullets but I would also lean towards the 115 gr BT.
This bullet is tougher than you think. Time for a water jug test. :mrgreen:

JD338

Yeah Guy, let the water fly!

 

[hunternyny]

Guy, whilst I would never discourage someone from carrying Partitions, the Ballistic Tips will accomplish all you want for mule deer and antelope. Save the Partitions for some really tough game.

excellent point. The 115 BT work very well on antelope

 

[Guy Miner]

bbearhunter posted a good test of the 115 Ballistic Tip from his .257 Weatherby:

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=16550&p=163491#p163491

and I posted up a test of the 115 Partitions from my .25-06 Rem:

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=16603

I think I'd be happy with either. Have about 450 of the Partitions on hand, and 500 of the Ballistic Tips, so no shortage of either bullet! Cool.

bbear hunter's .257 Wby produces about 200 fps higher muzzle velocity than my .25-06, so I'd expect the Ballistic Tips to hang together a little better when shot from my rifle.

Either way, if I can find & hit the deer & pronghorn, I think things will work out just fine. :grin:

Spare rifle will be one of my .30 cal rifles. With Noslers of course!

Regards, Guy

 

[Bruce Mc]

I've taken a couple of deer with the 115 bt from my "Bob". The bullet was very effective and didn't "blow up" like some attribute to ballistic tips. Both were small deer my most standards, around 120 lbs, and both at optimum ranges 150-200yds. They were both DRT. I'd use the ballistic tip over the Partition for deer and antelope simply for the higher b.c. Though a do recall an article my John Wooters, this was more than a few years ago, whereby he claimed the .25-06 with the 115 Partition was a near a perfect deer rifle as there was to be had. I don't gues I helped much, just added a few boards to your fence.

 

[Wincheringen]

I've shot both critters with both bullets (and the AccuBond). I like the BT best, every time I've had that bullet pass through completely. The ABs tend to stay inside and the Partitions tend to do a lot of damage and while they are good bullets I would prefer to use them on tougher game than deer.

 

[muleman]

Guy,
Why don't you pull a "Fotis" and hunt with your 375H&H? :twisted:
Scott

 

[Guest]

He's going after Speed Goats. What he really needs is a 416. The 375 is marginal at best, if you follow the Fotis Principles.

 

[Guy Miner]

"Why don't you pull a "Fotis" and hunt with your 375H&H?"

I've seriously considered bringing the .375 Number One for those big Wyoming mulies and the .25-06 for pronghorn.... Just to get more field experience with the .375 Number One. I've got Big Hopes for that rifle down the road a few years.

I already know the .25-06 is pretty much my perfect mule deer rifle... :grin:

Pronghorns though - never hunted them. About 1,600 pounds each aren't they? Dangerous too I've been told. Maybe the .375 makes more sense. Gosh, I'd hate to be under-gunned on the trip...

Thanks guys - I'm having a lot of fun thinking about this hunt!

 

[SJB358]

"Why don't you pull a "Fotis" and hunt with your 375H&H?"

I've seriously considered bringing the .375 Number One for those big Wyoming mulies and the .25-06 for pronghorn.... Just to get more field experience with the .375 Number One. I've got Big Hopes for that rifle down the road a few years.

I already know the .25-06 is pretty much my perfect mule deer rifle... :grin:

Pronghorns though - never hunted them. About 1,600 pounds each aren't they? Dangerous too I've been told. Maybe the .375 makes more sense. Gosh, I'd hate to be under-gunned on the trip...

Thanks guys - I'm having a lot of fun thinking about this hunt!

The 375 would certainly add a little challenge to the hunt! Never know when you will run across a dino out there in WY either!