Finally re-barreling one of my favorite rifles (pre64 mod 70) with a Shilen Select in .270. I have always used 130 and 140 grain bullets for hunting and paper punching but am playing with the 90 Sierras now. What powder and load have you been succesful with and at what velocity? Running drop calcualtions I'm finding it pointless to drive this 3300fps as Sierra recommends as the drop after 200yds gets beat by the 130gr's.
Looking to hot-rod the 90grainers and possible Ackley the chamber if there are fun gains to be had. Thanks in advance to hear your experiences, hard to find much 270 info period on web searches

I've shot the sierras for years and I think Speer is now making the TNT in 90 grain...that too should be a kick on prairie dogs and coyotes.

Either Varget, IMR4064, or RL15 will do nicely start any of them at 50 grains and work to about 54 grains.....you should reach about 3,500'/sec

Ultraman-If you're considering an improved 270 you might want to look at the 270 Gibbs. It has more powder capacity than the Ackley and has a 35 deg shoulder. A friend has an old book about the Gibbs cartridges that shows a max load for a 110gr bullet to be 3491fps out of a 26" barrel with 63gr of H4350. Fireforming for the Gibbs is a little more complicated than the Ackley but not that big a deal to me. I just had my Browning A-bolt converted to 270 Gibbs with 26" Pac-Nor barrel. I tried 5 loads and I'm very impressed with the accuracy so far. All my 100yd groups have been .5-.6" with 150gr Nosler Partitions(the fireform loads with Hornady SST's were better than that). The best group was with the hottest load. I haven't checked the velocity yet but I will with the next batch of loads.I'm using H4831 but I'm going to switch to H1000. If I don't get around 3200fps with the 150gr bullets I'll be a little disappointed but not too much. I'll use whatever load is the most accurate @ 200yds. Good Luck!

Ultraman-I forgot to mention that the friend who has the Gibbs book also has a 270 Ackley with a 24" barrel. His Ackley shoots a 130gr bullet 3060fps with 61.5gr of H4831(max load). My 270 Win. with a 24" barrel shoots a 130gr bullet 3117fps with 60gr of H4831(Max load). I actually tried up to 61.5gr of H4831 in my 270 Win. but the velocity didn't increase after 60gr. This was with the same chronograph on the same day. I know all rifles are different but my point is that I don't think you will be able to tell the difference between a 270 Ackley and a 270 Win. because there is such a small difference in powder capacity. Good Luck again.

Sierra 90gr HP, 61gr IMR4831, sub MOA, approx 3400fps!
This load will really make a Coyote Puff-Up!
This is a Max load, so start at say, 57-58gr and work up.

Strictly over a chronograph and at the rifle range shooting a few targets to check for the accuracy of the load, I have pushed the 90 grain HPs out of a 270 to 3500 fps plus.

I have not had the opportunity to use them on varmints and have no reason to since I have a safe full of varmint rifles.

An 85 grain Sierra HP can be pushed to 3500 fps in a 26 inch barrel out of a 260 or 6.5 x 55, so 3500 is not a problem for a longer case in 270 I am sure. But you bring up a good point: WHY??

Unless it is your only rifle and you are a velocity freak.

The accuracy out of my Model 70 with the 90 grain bullets at 3500 fps at 100 yds was excellent. It would hold minute of ground squirrel at 100 yds.

Currently I am teaching some boys with the Boy Scouts to handload. One of the cartridges that they wanted to do was the 270. So just this morning, I went out and fired a couple of rounds just to see what the recoil ( or lack of it) was with a 90 grain HP and SR 4759. I did loads or 20 grains, 22.5 and 25 grains of 4759.

I can see some use for these loads with the 90 grain HPs on Varmints at close range, or say 200 yds. We are talking Coyote loads. I have not chronographed them yet, will do that once the boys have done their initial loadings and have taken them to the range to let them test their accuracy.

Cheers and Happy Holidays
seafire

Just a comment re. recoil: there is none with SR4759 and 100 gr bullets! Well some, obviously, but it's like a .222 basically. I've loaded them for my 75 pound son to shoot. I forget the exact grains of powder, but it was the load from the Lyman manual.

Have used RL 15 in a pre64 model 70 and 90 grain Speer TNT's. Loaded at 3350 fps, they group under.75" at 100yds. Don't have the charge weight handy. With the wind blowing hard last June in Wyoming, they worked better than my 223 loads. Can't see the hits on P-dogs through the scope but everyone else could see lots of hang time. Much more destructive than what a 223 would do.

Have also used 21 grains of 4759 and the 90 grain Speer bullet. Shoots at 1/2" at 100 yards. Recoils like a 223. Lots of fun for a mild plinking round.

The Gibbs cartridges went out of favor when people found out what presures he was running with them. They were way up in the 70's like Weatherby. No free lunch in this world.
Good Luck!