Short range/ammunition advice

Members of the Africa Hunting community: I have read and studied what many of you have said about caliber, types of bullets and the like for a safari. I have benefitted greatly from your many posts. I have recently tuned up my Whitetail Deer rifle. It is a Remington 700 in .270. I typically shoot at very short ranges as I hunt from a tree stand and am in the woods of WI. Most shots are between 15-100 yards. I think I would like a large for caliber bullet but don't want a stout bullet that doesn't open up on a close shot. What can you recommend. I don't reload. Thanks in advance for your help.

With factory I am not sure what is available. But, for deer I think you will want a round nose profile if going heavy for caliber at short range. Have you checked out your options?

What have you been using thus far?

I hunt much the same type of terrain, thick hardwoods and or brush. My all time favorite .270 load is the 150 grain Nosler Partition. It is available in Federal Premium ammo and I'm sure Nosler would load you some.

BobT said:

I hunt much the same type of terrain, thick hardwoods and or brush. My all time favorite .270 load is the 150 grain Nosler Partition. It is available in Federal Premium ammo and I'm sure Nosler would load you some.

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This!

I used the nosler partition in 150 grain. I just started this because prior to several years ago I was required to use only rifled slugs. So, I have not yet taken a deer with the rifle at close range. My concern with the Nosler Partitions is that they are very strong. If I shoot them at close range I am concerned that they will enter and exit without much expansion. I thought perhaps something softer is in order. I wanted the 150 grain bullets to perhaps slow down my FPS so that I don't damage so much meat.

gesch said:

I used the nosler partition in 150 grain. I just started this because prior to several years ago I was required to use only rifled slugs. So, I have not yet taken a deer with the rifle at close range. My concern with the Nosler Partitions is that they are very strong. If I shoot them at close range I am concerned that they will enter and exit without much expansion. I thought perhaps something softer is in order. I wanted the 150 grain bullets to perhaps slow down my FPS so that I don't damage so much meat.

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I think you will be quite satisfied with the Partition, it will open nicely and penetrate from any angle. I have used the Partition from inside 20 yards out to over 150 on our local whitetails and none required a second shot or very much tracking. If you keep your shots in the ribs meat loss will be negligible and in my experience the deer will run 20 to 60 yards or so, a high shoulder shot will cost you a burger or two but will result in no tracking required. I'm guessing that I have probably killed a couple dozen deer, a couple of pronghorns and one bull elk with the 150 grain Partition and have zero complaints.

gesch said:

I used the nosler partition in 150 grain. I just started this because prior to several years ago I was required to use only rifled slugs. So, I have not yet taken a deer with the rifle at close range. My concern with the Nosler Partitions is that they are very strong. If I shoot them at close range I am concerned that they will enter and exit without much expansion. I thought perhaps something softer is in order. I wanted the 150 grain bullets to perhaps slow down my FPS so that I don't damage so much meat.

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Shoot the version with the exposed lead tip and all will be just fine.

gesch said:

I used the nosler partition in 150 grain. I just started this because prior to several years ago I was required to use only rifled slugs. So, I have not yet taken a deer with the rifle at close range. My concern with the Nosler Partitions is that they are very strong. If I shoot them at close range I am concerned that they will enter and exit without much expansion. I thought perhaps something softer is in order. I wanted the 150 grain bullets to perhaps slow down my FPS so that I don't damage so much meat.

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Not much to worry about with expansion from Nosler Partitions - the design of the bullet has the soft frontal portion expanding (usually quite dramatically at close ranges) and the the harder rear portion of the bullet will push through to give you the penetration - the best of both worlds from a single bullet

Lately a lot of people have been bashing the Partition because they are looking for an extremely high % of retained weight and you often don't get this from the Partition, simply because they were never designed that way. Can't go wrong with the partition for most NA game and plains game in Africa

Thanks for the help. Nosler
partition it is!

Try federal premium fusion. Personally I use factory cartridges in my 270 as I only cite half a dozen shots a year.
I use 130 grain Bullets but you may find heavier Bullets better. I used Nosler partition Bullets when I reloaded and found them very good.

Dr Ray said:

Try federal premium fusion. Personally I use factory cartridges in my 270 as I only cite half a dozen shots a year.
I use 130 grain Bullets but you may find heavier Bullets better. I used Nosler partition Bullets when I reloaded and found them very good.

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Thanks Dr Ray. I appreciate your help.

At the short ranges you shoot, get a steady rest and use neck shots. No wasted meat.
Also if your gun will shoot them well, Remington CoreLokt works well for me.
The Nosler Partition is a grand bullet for North America and up to the larger Africa antelope. I think the bashing is only due to the fact that we have so much financial investment in African animals that we just want the best available bullets for a given purpose. When you pay $1500 for an animal, what does another couple of dollars matter if you might have to take a rear racking shot?
JMO and thoughts on it.

gesch said:

If I shoot them at close range I am concerned that they will enter and exit without much expansion. I thought perhaps something softer is in order.

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Hi @gesch , the opposite is usually the case. At short range the heavily constructed bullet will open well because it is at max velocity. The soft bullet will open too quickly and potential for fragimentation. Stick with the strong bullet at close range.

HSM loads Sierra Game Kings:

https://www.hsmammunition.com/game-king/

Norma Oryx 150 grain.

Hi Gesch,

I see you have made two commentaries I see are rather common in some places but, in my experience, wrong.
The first is "My concern with the Nosler Partitions is that they are very strong." Yes and no! The front part of the Nosler Partition is VERY soft. More then many simple cup and core soft point bullets! So it expands at lower velocities than many. And the rear part, roughly 2/3 in weight, does not expand and penetrates more than many so called premium bullets.
The second is "If I shoot them at close range I am concerned that they will enter and exit without much expansion." Absolutely no! I don't know, where, how and when, this idea originated...It is exactly the opposite! The resistance of a medium to other to be penetrated is a direct function of the velocity of the impact. With soft point bullets it means : more impact velocity of a bullet (closer distance all other being the same)-more "toughness" of the medium-more probability to expand of the bullet. Not the contrary.
Last but not least, I think you will never do a mistake to use Nosler Partition bullets, close or long distance!!! They are, to me, one of the most versatile and all around bullets to have!!

Good luck!

Thanks again everyone for your help. I was re reading this as I approach deer season in WI USA. I recently finished my tune up with my Remington 700 in 270. To my happy surprise the Federal Premium Nosler Partition shot much better than any other at 100 Yards—actually about a 3/4 in group. That is as good as I have ever achieved. Thank you all for your help.

Hi gesch,

Waidmannsheil!

CF

Vielen dank!