Nosler

Nosler exists because a bullet failed. In 1946, John Nosler's bullet came apart on a moose in British Columbia -- inadequate penetration on a broadside shot. He went home to his garage in Ashland, Oregon, and invented the Partition: a bullet with a copper wall separating two lead cores, so the front expands while the rear drives through.

That design, largely unchanged since the 1950s, is still the standard by which hunting bullets are judged.

• •John Amos Nosler founded the company in 1948 after that hunting trip went sideways. Started in his garage, moved to Bend, Oregon in 1978, and it's been family-owned for 75+ years. They're a SAAMI member and one of the few bullet companies that actually started because someone needed a better bullet, not because they saw a market opportunity.

Nosler exists because a bullet failed. The 1946 moose hunt that started it all demonstrates that the best innovations come from solving real problems, not chasing market trends.

• •Why this matters: Nosler's hunting bullets are what built the company, and they're still what they do exceptionally well. Understanding the differences saves you from buying the wrong bullet for your game.

Here's the decision tree: Partition for the biggest, nastiest stuff where you need penetration insurance -- elk, moose, bear, anything that might charge back.

• •Nosler hunting bullet selection decision tree

• •AccuBond for everything else. It's more accurate in most rifles, expands better at distance, and handles deer through elk perfectly. The Ballistic Tip gets overlooked, but it's deadly on deer-sized game if you don't need deep penetration.

The Partition remains the gold standard: When your life might depend on it, this is the bullet African PHs recommend. 75+ years of proven performance speaks louder than marketing claims.

Varmint version turns prairie dogs into pink mist.

Nosler makes decent match bullets, but they're not Berger or Sierra.

• •Custom Competition line competes with MatchKings for general target work
• •RDF (Reduced Drag Factor) bullets have highest BCs in Nosler's lineup
• •Work well for long-range precision applications

If you're already shooting Nosler hunting bullets and want to practice with similar construction, these make sense. Otherwise, stick with the established match bullet makers.

• •The bottom line: Trophy Grade uses their premium bullets and delivers consistent performance, but you'll pay for it. Ballistic Tip ammo gives you decent hunting performance at a lower price point.

• •Trophy Grade is excellent factory ammo, but handloaders can beat it for half the price.

If you don't reload, it's worth the premium for important hunts.

Between 2014 and 2017, Nosler rolled out their own cartridge family -- all rebated rim magnums designed to fit in standard-length actions while delivering magnum velocities.

• •Nosler cartridge family development timeline (2014-2017)

These cartridges deliver impressive numbers, but they're overbore designs. Expect 1,500 rounds of barrel life on the 26 and 28 Nosler, maybe 2,000 on the 30 and 33.

They're not your everyday hunting cartridges unless you really need that extra 200-300 fps.

• •Nosler makes M48 rifles (controlled-round-feed bolt guns in the $1,800-$2,500 range) and excellent brass for handloaders.

The rifles are well-built but compete against Tikka, Browning, and other established names.

The brass is genuinely superior to most factory brass -- tighter tolerances, consistent case capacity, worth the extra money if you handload.

• •What shooters say: Partition is genuinely proven -- 75+ years of taking big game without drama. AccuBond might be the single most versatile hunting bullet made. Nosler brass is some of the finest you can buy. Quality is consistently high across their product line.

• •Everything costs more than competitors
• •M48 rifles are good but not exceptional for the price
• •Nosler cartridges are barrel burners
• •Match bullets lag behind Berger and Lapua for pure accuracy competitions

• •Nosler is the bullet company that invented the modern hunting bullet, and they're still excellent at it. The Partition remains the gold standard for dangerous game -- it's the bullet African PHs recommend when your life might depend on it. The AccuBond is probably the most well-rounded hunting bullet available, combining accuracy with reliable expansion and adequate penetration.

If you handload, Nosler bullets and brass are worth the premium. They're not the cheapest, but they're consistently excellent. For factory ammo buyers, Trophy Grade delivers, though you'll pay accordingly.

The Nosler cartridges are impressive on paper but practical only for specific applications. Most hunters get 95% of the performance from standard cartridges without the barrel life penalty.

Save the exotic cartridges for when you actually need that extra velocity -- like consistently shooting past 600 yards or hunting at extreme range.

For 90% of North American hunting, an AccuBond in a standard cartridge will do everything you need. Save the exotic solutions for when you actually need that extra performance.

For the remaining 10% -- the biggest, meanest stuff -- the Partition has been doing the job since your grandfather was hunting.