100 Grain partitions for whitetail?

[Jevyod]

I am working on getting an order together for more reloading " stuff " and was looking at bullets for my Ruger M77 in 260 rem. I am looking at the 100 Grain Partitions for whitetail. Most shots are within 100 yards with a few at 300 or so. Is this a good idea? Or would I be better off with 120's? The rifle only has a 22 inch barrel so my idea was to go a bit lighter and possibly get a bit more speed.

[Doyle]

I think you are better off with a heavier bullet. 100 grn in a 6.5mm is really a varmint round. I've been using 140's in my .260 (18.5" bbl) with great results but I'm going to switch to 128grn Hornady SPs to see if I can tighten up the groups even more.

[steveno]

I suspect that a 6.5 100 grain Nosler partition will kill any whitetail deer anywhere if you hit it in the right place. the partition bullet might be overkill on whitetail deer but if it shoots good use it. try the 120 grain along with the 100 grain bullet to see which on shoots better out of your rifle

[Jevyod]

I should have said that I am looking for a clean pass through. I'm not sure what you mean about a partition being overkill. You mean more weight retention than i need? I really dont like when a bullet fragments inside the deer. Is a cheaper bullet like Hornady spire point going to do the trick or is premium ammo worth the extra money?

[PhilGarn]

Personally, I feel the Partitions are too heavy for deer-sized game. I'm 100% sold on Hornady SST's for whitetail hunting. They are basically a ballistic tip design with a slightly thicker (.015") and stiffened jacket to delay the expansion on medium-sized/thin-skinned game such as the whitetail. I've been loading them for a couple of years and have had excellent success with them. The main body of the bullet is designed similar to the InterLock bullet to ensure adequate penetration and energy transfer. I've shot several deer with the SST and they were all dead before their chin hit the dirt. No tracking needed. I call them "anchor bullets" and DRT's (Dead Right There). Shot placement is critical so find a good bullet that hits where you point it. After all, you can kill them with a broom straw if you know where to put it.

I load the 130gr in .270 over 51gr of IMR 4350, 165gr in .30/06 over 53gr of IMR 4350 and the 117gr in .25/06 over 50gr of IMR 4350.

[Doyle]

The Hornady Spire point is what I'm going to. No tests on animals yet but it has a good reputation. To get a through pass-through, think heavier. That light bullet (even though it is a good one) is less likely to pass through than a good heavier bullet. Plus, a 100 grn bullet in a 6.5mm is missing the best part of shooting that caliber - the great BC. The BC on that short 100 grn bullet is going to be far from ideal - not to mention the sectional density.

[dunerjeff]

Phil beat me to it, I was going to suggest the Hornady SST or Interlock, I've had good results with them in 25-06 and .280 . Partitions are to pricey for any benifit unless your going after elk or so.I've also put a lot of whitetails down with Ballistic tips out of my .280's. 115gr or 120gr would be a good choice for up to 200yrds, then maybe drop down to 100gr,maybe.

A pass through shot puts much of the energy from you bullet into the trees or dirt behind the deer, where it does no good. To me a perfect shot is one that is stuck under the hide on the oposite side of the animal,but like you said, don't want it to shrapnel inside.

[PhilGarn]

The SST's are a SPBT's so the BC is fairly impressive. I've got all of my rifles sighted in dead-on @100 yds and have no problems installing an auxiliary air exchange vent in a deer @ 300 yds.

[603Country]

Last hunting season I only used the 260 (in my Ruger 77 Compact with the 16.5 inch barrel) with the 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet. It did a fine job on the deer, pigs, and coyotes, but I have since switched to the 100 grain Ballistic Tip for a flatter trajectory out to 350 or 400 yards (a trajectory that intentionally duplicates what my 270 does). If I'd had a 22 inch barrel I'd probably have stayed with the 120 grain bullet. I have to say that the 120 grain bullet is amazingly deadly. Nothing I shot took even one step, except one 9 point buck that took maybe 5 steps. Anyway, to get to your question, the 100 grain Partition will do an excellent job, but so will most everything else that was mentioned. As for the guys using the 140 grain bullet, I'm sure that does a fine job also, but I can't see the need for the heavier bullet unless you are shooting something bigger than a Whitetail. And at 300 to 400 yards, do you really need a super high BC? With the short barrel and the 120 grain bullet, I used a rather warm load of Reloader 17. With the 100 grain Nosler, I use a near-max load of IMR 4064. It's a great caliber. I've said I'm a Ballistic Tip fan, but in the last couple of years I've seen great results in accuracy and downrange performance from SST's and Sierra Gamekings. All good bullets. And as for the suggestions about wanting the bullet to stay in the animal, I disagree. I want an exit and a good blood trail, just in case I make less than a great shot. It happens.

[PhilGarn]

I feel the same way about the exit. If the bullet I've chosen has delivered enough energy for a pass-through, I'm satisfied with the performance of the bullet. But again, the best bullet in the world will not compensate for poor shot placement. Find a good bullet that shoots well in your gun at the distances that you are comfortable with.

[steveno]

partitions are normally reserved for heavier game than whitetail deer but try several different bullets and see which shoot the best. I don't think you can go wrong with the bullets that have been mentioned.

[Jevyod]

Thanks for the imput guys! Based on your recommendations I went ahead and ordered some 129 grn Hornady SST. Can't wait to seehow they do!

[crowbeaner]

I'd try the Sierra 120 grain spitzer, the Hornady SST or Interlock or the Nosler BT. The Partition is the bullet that all others are compared to; if you need a Partition, chances are good that you need a bigger bore. If it stomps, gores, scratches or bites, use the PT. For whitetails, I'm sold on the Sierra or Hornady. Last year an aquaintance shot 8 deer with 8 shots, only one took more than 2 steps. Bullet? 139 grain Interlock BTSP 7mm caliber out of a 7mm/08 over H414. Try the 120 in your 260; I think you'll do just fine.

[res45]

I load the Nosler 95 gr. Partition bullet for a friends wife to shoot in her Win. 243. She is an excellent shot and hasn't lost a deer yet in several years using the particular bullet load combination. The exit wounds are pretty impressive on the average whitetail deer found here in NC.

[Rifleman1776]

Perfect choice.

[PawPaw]

My sister-in-law shoots 120 grain Ballistic Tips from her .260 for our smallish whitetail deer. Her shots average about 80 yards and she's 4-for-4 so far. She only takes morning shots and shoots them all in the neck for a bang-flop. She says that she doesn't like to track them.

[Doyle]

I load the Nosler 95 gr. Partition bullet for a friends wife to shoot in her Win. 243.

A 95 gr bullet in a .243 is a "normal" weight. A 100 gr bullet in a .260 is undersized (i.e. shorter than normal). That is going to have an adverse effect on both the BC and sectional density. The lightest factory loads I've seen in .260 are 120 grn.

[tango1niner]

I use the 100 gr. nosler partition for the .243 with excellent results on white tail. In the larger calibers I use regular Hornady spire points.

[Uncle Buck]

I would think if you wanted a pass through bullet, and you are sure of your ability to place a kill shot, you would want to use a competition bullet.

I like the Sierra Matchking bullets for my my coyotes/foxes and I am comfortable enough to know that I will either hit a kill zone or pass the shot up for deer.

Looking through their literature and reloading manual, for the .260, they offer a 107 grain Matchking. Something to consider next time you order bullets.

[Jevyod]

How do the competition bullets differ from their others? What is it about them that would make them pass through more easily/consistently? I am fairly confident of my ability to put the bullet where it needs to go.

[603Country]

If you are going to hunt with the rifle, use a hunting bullet. You've gotten much good advice on the subject. Use competition bullets for punching paper.

[okie24]

100 grain partitions will do the job fine.

[Mike / Tx]

You have gotten some good advice on both ends of the spectrum.

Me personally, I choose the Partitions for the higher velocity rounds like my 25-06 or in the 7mm STW, where I might shoot a critter up close at a higher velocity. This keeps most of the damage to a minimum from what it would have been with a standard cup and core type bullet. I don't hunt anything bigger than a few 300+ pound hogs and they are on the rarity side of things.

This said, the 129's you ordered should give you plenty of velocity, and weight for penetration on a longer shot, even from your shorter barrel. The thing a lot of folks fail to consider when going light is even if started out faster, once the range starts to be stretched out, they also slow down faster than a heavier bullet that has been started out a bit slower. Not only that on the longer shots the penetration is sometimes highly lacking.

When I developed loads for my first 25-06 I started out using the 100gr bullets at top end velocity. while they worked fine at 75 - 150 or 200yds, they were overly explosive at short range and didn't give adequate penetration at longer distances. I then went to the 120's but I couldn't get them to shoot as well as I wanted, so I backed off to the 15gr Partition. With it, I got almost the velocity I got with the 100gr, but with the added weight and construction, much better performance on close up shots and more than enough penetration out to 400yds as well.

I think you will be fine with the bullet you selected, good luck, and good shooting.