Author Topic: Winchester Partition Golds (Read 2146 times)

MI.sabot · « **on:** December 17, 2006, 02:50:48 PM »

These are pictures of recovered slugs that a deer processor posted.
The first pic is of 4 petal Winchester Partition Golds. The second pic is of 6 petal Remington Copper Solids.

I know there are a lot of people using the Winchester's with great success.
After all, these a recovered slugs from harvested deer.
But when I look at the pics I see no expansion, no petals.

The following is from a thread in the H&R/NEF Shotgun Forum regarding the Partition Golds:

"last year i tried them. i also tried the remington corelokts and federal barnes xpander.
just for fun(not real scientific) i shoot a few of each round into a 100# bag of shelled corn at about 20 yards. after digging thru the corn, i found that the barnes expanded and opened just like their picturs show. the corelokts mushroomed/petaled back very evenly. the partions for whatever reason had all the 'petal sections' sheared off the main base(core) and 2 of the rounds and had only 1 'petal section' still attached on the 3rd round. hard saying if this is a fair test, but i chose to use the barnes in my 20 and the remingtons in my 12...............don't know if this helps you or not."

Accuracy and velocity aside, what makes this such a highly regarded slug?
I don't get it. What am I missing?

PARTITION GOLDS:

COPPER SOLIDS:

1187VX2 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2006, 07:29:41 AM »

If I remember right, the Partition Gold was one of the first High velocity/lighter sabot slugs on the market. Maybe that is a big part of why people use them - they tried them, made good shots, never lost a deer and just kept using them. Some guys won't take anything but a broadside shot - and never recover a slug.

I've only kiled one deer with a Partition gold - but it did the job. None of the guns I tried them in grouped them well, so haven't used them much.

Yes, the Barnes expanders and Winchester platinum tips do expand nicely and look just like the box shows..........

messer454 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2006, 08:04:15 PM »

Was the first lightweight slug I tried the year they came out. I was practiced enough at the time that if I had a rest I was confident in taking a 150 yard shot at point blank range. Only allowed one deer in my area so research takes awhile! I have now taken 6 deer if memory serves and have recovered 1 slug. Quartering toward shot went in right front shoulder, diagonal through deer to left rear leg. I cut a slit in the hide and took the slug out from underneath the skin. It was a very nice mushroom.

That being said the slugs in shotguns are so big and heavy I am not real sure how important expansion is on game the size of deer. They blow a big hole all by themself! I have not taken a second shot in years 100 yds-20 yds. Just my experience I have not tried anything else still have more left from the first case I bought.

300winman · « **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2006, 02:20:07 AM »

I have not used these slugs, but too much expansion just destoys meat. I shot 2 does this year with my 12 ga benelli nova using Rem. Buckhammers. These slugs anchored both deer where they stood, but put golf ball size holes in the deer and destroyed alot of meat. I'd pay more attention on accuracy and how effective they were on dropping the deer than how big of hole they make. I'm with messer454 on this one, 12 ga makes a big enough hole without expansion.

1187VX2 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 19, 2006, 07:27:23 AM »

Is expansion necessary? If you place the shot right, no. But when I'm paying $ 2.50 or more for each 'premium' slug, the dang thing better deliver everything advertised and that includes expanding. They start out at .50 caliber and they will dump a lot more energy in the deer if they've expanded to .75 or .9 by the time they exit or reach the far hide. Shoot an animal with a .44-.50 caliber slug that doesn't expand and then shoot an animal with a slug that does expand and you'll see a difference in the wound channel & the animals reaction - .44 - .50 caliber hole in & out and the animal may not realize that he is dead for a while.

In my experience, big hole in and big hole out (or no exit) and there is no tracking because the animal drops in sight.

I always aim right behind the shoulder (lungs) which results in no meat loss.

300winman · « **Reply #5 on:** December 19, 2006, 10:55:54 AM »

In a perfect shot scenario with the deer perfectly broad side, a shot behind the shoulder is great and will no destroy meat. But quartering toward you or away, you will destroy meat on the opposite side of the deer. Of the 2 does I shot with the buckhammers, I only found one slug (granted I only took 2 shots). The one slug I found was on the doe I shot at 75 yards quartering away, and it still buried in and busted the opposite side shoulder. The buckhammers are full bore diameter slugs at .723 out of the barrel and expanded to 1-1/16" after hitting my deer. The heavy 12 ga slugs are hard to stop on 75 yard or less shots. But again the only complaint I have is damaged meat and maybe recoil. These slugs shoot accurrately and I can't complain about 2 shots, 2 dead deer.

NYH1 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 20, 2006, 06:34:08 AM »

I've never shot a deer with a shotgun, just rifles. I'm joining a hunting camp/club next year that's in the "shotgun only" part of the state. I'm going to use a 20 ga. I was hoping to use either the Winchester Partition Gold (2 3/4" or 3") or Remington Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded (2 3/4) slugs. Obviously I'd go with which ever slug shoots the best in my gun.

A bunch of guys at work have been using the Partition Gold slugs in their 12 gauges for a while now and absolutely love them. None of them have recovered any of their slugs that I know of. One guy did switch from the Partition's the Hornady SST slugs. Not because the Partition's didn't perform well but because the SST's grouped quite a bit better in his gun and to him that was more important. I can't argue with him on that.

MI.sabot · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:03:36 AM »

I had someone question whether these pics were in fact Winchester Partition Golds.

I have no way of verifying that as I'm only going on the pic and description provided in the deer processor's post.
What caught my attention though was that the description provided in a different thread of someone shooting the WPG
into a bag of corn. This sounded very familiar to the pics I had previously seen.

I am in no way WPG bashing.
I've never heard of anyone complaining of their performance.
I just find it strange that if these are WPG, there doesn't appear to be any expansion to what remains intact after imapct.

IOWA DON · « **Reply #8 on:** December 21, 2006, 05:51:32 AM »

messer454 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 30, 2006, 05:13:38 AM »

New York Hunter- If I recall correctly the Win Part Gold in 20 ga had similar ballistics to a .45-70 rifle and not near as much recoil as a 12 gauge. I did not shoot it myself but this is what I recall from a write up in a magazine so take that for what it's worth. If I were just getting started in slug hunting I would buy a rifled 20 gauge of one knid or another. My aunt's NEF Tracker II in 20 ga. always fills the freezer when she wants it too.

To the thread in general- I always looked at the high price of the premium slugs as pay off for extended range and accuracy. Due to their diameter the expansion was never important too me. I can see why other might demand expansion but I have never lost a deer with these. Good luck huntin'

usherj · « **Reply #10 on:** December 31, 2006, 03:50:17 AM »

Some of the slugs in the bottom picture look like barnes expanders. I agree with the logic so far - the 12 ga sabot makes a nice sized hole (actually two of them) even without any expansion. On an ideal shot (broadside behind the shoulder) you will have two holes, an excellent bloodtrail, and no recovered slug. I had one deer hit this way drop and just kick a few times, otherwise they would go 20-80 yds and be lifeless when I got to them. My brother recovered a barnes expander from a frontal shot on a big doe - it looked just like the picture on the box. When I get my 20ga barrel, I will try fed barnes, rem ultra core lokt, hornady sst, and win part gold, and then use what groups most consistently. Shot placement it key after all. Keep in mind those top slugs came from dead deer, and I don't think win advertises perfect expansion like barnes does anyway.

MI.sabot · « **Reply #11 on:** December 31, 2006, 04:47:32 AM »

USHERJ wrote:

Quote

I agree with the logic so far - the 12 ga sabot makes a nice sized hole (actually two of them) even without any expansion.

When I get my 20ga barrel, I will try fed barnes, rem ultra core lokt, hornady sst, and win part gold, and then use what groups most consistently. Shot placement it key after all

Well this is part of my reason for starting this thread in the first place.
I likewise will be spending a geat deal of time at the range this year with a 20 ga USH.
And I will be trying the same sabots as you, probably including the WPG, to see what it likes best.

I have had no need to use the high velocity sabots out of my 12 ga USH but I do forsee doing so with the 20 ga.
The end result will be leaving a 20 ga hole not a 12 ga hole where expansion or possibly in this case lack-of-expansion could be an issue.
Before I give up that 12 ga, I want to be confident in that whatever 20 ga sabot I settle for will not only pattern well on paper but will also effectively put-them-down to at least a 100 yards in the field.

carbineman · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2007, 07:56:58 AM »

I have used the 20 ga. Winchester Partition Golds in the past and they have done their job, but all the deer ran a short distance with no Bang-Flops as of yet except a small doe I shot in the head for our Wis. Earn-A-Buck.

My son uses the 20 ga. Remington Premier Ultra Cor-Lokt's in his shotgun (we are both shooting scoped NEF Tracker II's) and has bang flops on two deer. One was a 186# dressed weight 7 point 2 1/2 year old buck. For the most part I would say the Remingtons have worked better for killing performance than the Parttion Golds. In Midwayusa's ordering area their are customers rating for the Remington 20 ga. Premier Ultra Cor-lokts and they did not receive a favorable review though.

Personally I think they are both ok. I recently purchased some 3" Partition Golds (2000fps and 2309 ft. lbs. muzzle energy) on a special order from Scheels Sports ($35 for 10) and these shot to about the same point of impact as the rest. I have 8 remaining and will save 3-5 of these for our 2007 shotgun only season where I live here in Cheeseville.

NOTE, I have noticed the Remingtons were a little more erratic when switching to a different lot than the Winchesters were.

Bugtussle · « **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2007, 10:02:03 AM »

I've used the 2 3/4' WPG 20 ga. for 5 years. 5 deer- 4 hit the ground where they stood, one ran about 25 yds.

MI.sabot · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2007, 03:09:41 PM »

Carbineman and Bugtussle:

Could you tell me the distances you've harvested your deer using your 20 gauges with either the WPG or the Corer-Lokts?

Thanks

carbineman · « **Reply #15 on:** January 05, 2007, 05:46:50 PM »

The longest was 142 yards with a WPG. Most other were 50 yards or less with the WPG's.

With the Cor-Lokt's the shots were all less than 50 yards. Two were virtually Bang-Flops with the Cor-lokt's

muzzymike · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2007, 12:36:29 PM »

I have shot my last three deer with the WPG. All 3 went in a thumb size hole and came out slightly larger. two of the deer were quartering towards me and one was broadside. the 2 that were quartering two me ran less than 30 yards. the ranges were 90 and 110 yards. the broadside deer went right down. the range was about 50 yards. i get about 2 inch groups out of my marlin bolt action slug with a bushnell trophy 1.75 x 4. I feel comfortable using this load out to about 150 yards. i think the WPG was designed for deep pentration because if you look were the partition in the bullet is, it is very close to the front of the bullet, leading to a little expansion yet a long .50 bar to push deep. i would like to try a bear with this load.

heres some pics.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/555/medium/2166web_8_point.jpg

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/555/2166web_both_bucks.jpg

MI.sabot · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2007, 03:27:12 PM »

Muzzymike:

That was using the 20 ga WPG or 12 ga?

muzzymike · « **Reply #18 on:** February 24, 2007, 11:22:37 AM »

12 gauge WPG. Only drawbacks are price, Aprox. $12 for five, and recoil.

jy951 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 01, 2007, 11:55:26 AM »

shot a 150 buck last year using a mossberg bolt action slug gun with WPG. deer was slightly quartering away around 100yds. bullet entered toward the back of the rib cage and exited right behind opposite front leg. deer ran around 50yds and was dead. maybe with .50 cal bullets you just don't need much expansion and at longer ranges penetration rather than expansion is preferable.