I just aquired a Remington 700 SS .270 I personaly never owned a 270, nor have i ever shot one I need some help on where to start load wise.
I'll be using this gun for deer only out to 200yds max. I need to know my best bullet weight and brand, and the best powders. I'v heard the slower burning powders(RL22,H4831)which I use in my 7mag, work best in the 270.
Yes to those powders -- they are usually the best for the .270; IMR and H 4350 also work well, often giving good accuracy, but a bit less velocity in max loads.
As to bullets, see what your gun likes best. The 130 grain is the classic bullet for the .270 but my rifle usually gives a bit better accuracy with 150 grain ones. If you're going only for deer, and only out to 200 yards, almost any bullet in the 130 to 150 grain range will work.
[ 08-21-2003, 18:32: Message edited by: LE270 ]
Posts: 5883 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 11 March 2001
Yep, IMR 4831 or H4831 are probably your best choices. Find a 130grainer that the thing likes, put a full charge of powder behind it, and you're in business. It's difficult to not get a 270 to shoot well.
Posts: 6545 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: 28 August 2001
First you need to get a good Reloading manual, read it, and start from there. The 270 is a very good caliber with a wide Range of bullet choices and powder uses..Work up the loads within safe parameters that work in "YOUR" rifle..I say YOUR rifle, because every one on this forum can give you their pet loads for the .270 or every other caliber they reload..Don't get me wrong, there are hundreds of knowledgable people here, and a lot of good data.. Build it for your rifle..good luck
I am in the same boat. Recently, I bought a Ruger 77 Express in 270 Winchester. No hunting or reloading experience with the caliber. After some study and T&E, I have some very good loads worked up. I hunt whitetail deer, so my bullet choices reflect that size game. I have come to prefer Nosler bullets for all my big game hunting. There are many other brands that perform well,I just happen to like Noslers. The 130 Partition shoots very well (3 shot groups of well under 1" @ 100 yds.) in my Ruger with IMR 4350,Reloader 19, and IMR4831. I currently am working with the Nosler AccuBond 140 grain bullet with H4831sc. Looks promising. I use Nosler data from their excellent number 5 manual. Good luck with your 270, perhaps we can both "make meat" with our new rifles during the up-coming season.
Posts: 37 | Location: TN | Registered: 08 July 2003
The slower of the powders mentioned, plus IMR 7828, will give you the highest velocities with your .270. However, if your shots are limited to 200 yards then powders as fast as IMR 4350 or IMR 4831, although not optimal, will provide sufficient velocity.
If your deer are the "light framed" variety, then you are likely a little better off with 130 grain than the heavier bullets. As to brand, shoot whatever your gun likes. There is no such thing as a 130 grain .270 bullet that is insufficient for deer.
I would recommend (with a 130 grain bullet) to start with 58 grains of either H 4831, RL 22, or IMR 7828. That load will be safe in virtually any .270, and can be increased in many. Look for 3000 to 3100 FPS with a 130 at acceptable pressures from a 22" barrel, and many 24" barrels will reach 3200 without straining the "system".
redneck: I'd recommend that you start with the "Accurate Load" listed in the Sierra book and work up and down from there in 1/2 gr. increments. Start with the Sierra bullet in the weight you want to use. After you find the accurate group, you can switch to the bullet you want to use in the field and fine tune.For my .270, I prefer the 150. After the optimum group has been achieved, start playing with seating depth. I've found that invariably, it's about 0.010" off the lands as measured to the ogive. I never measure for OAL if I can help it. Measuring to the ogive is much more consistant in my experience. Good luck, I think you'll really like this caliber. Bear in Fairbanks
[ 08-21-2003, 21:13: Message edited by: Bear in Fairbanks ]
Posts: 1544 | Location: Fairbanks, Ak., USA | Registered: 16 March 2002
I also have found the 140 grainers, Hornady 140 SPBT to be the most accurate shooter in several 270's that I have. Remington 700's as well as a couple of Winchester 70's. I use H4831 and a CCI-250 primer. I have not been able to get the 130's or 150's to shoot as well as the 140's. Good-luck...BCB
Posts: 212 | Location: WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA | Registered: 11 March 2001
My best .270 Winchester loads are about like Pop's. I always use Winchester cases for this cartridge.
I prefer 130 gr. bullets in the .270 Win., especially the 130 gr. Nosler Partition. Depending on the rifle, I've had the best luck with IMR 4831, H 4831, or Reloader 22. With IMR 4831 and H 4831, I almost always use Federal 215 primers, but Reloader 22 does best with Winchester Large Rifle (WLR) primers.
Loading data varies quite a bit, so as Pop advised, start low and work your way up carefully.
I expect and usually get over 3100 fps. out of the .270 Winchester with 130 gr. bullets, even out of a 22" barrel with carefully worked-up handloads, and accuracy is usually under an inch at 100 yds.
The .270 is a really great cartridge to handload for, and it's very conbsistent and unfussy in my experience. I've been handloading for it for some twenty-five years, and time has made me love it more and more as I've gotten into middle age.
quote:Originally posted by allen day: I expect and usually get over 3100 fps. out of the .270 Winchester with 130 gr. bullets, even out of a 22" barrel with carefully worked-up handloads, and accuracy is usually under an inch at 100 yds.
The .270 is a really great cartridge to handload for, and it's very consistent and unfussy in my experience. I've been handloading for it for some twenty-five years, and time has made me love it more and more as I've gotten into middle age. AD
By now, everyone may be tired of hearing things from the late Jack O'Connor about the .270, but here's one more anyway. Jack said that the .270 is like "a magnum without the belt."
Posts: 5883 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 11 March 2001
First of all congratulations on picking a great caliber. I agree with the person who said check a number of combinations and you will find one that works in YOUR rifle. Every barrel seems to have its likes and dislikes. In my bolt action rifle it likes the Nosler Partition bullet, CCI primer, H4831 and stuffed in Winchester brass.
Good luck and like someone said you will need to work hard NOT to find an acceptable hunting load.
Posts: 104 | Location: Western Canada | Registered: 12 March 2002
Wasn't Jack O'Connor's favourite load something like 60 grains of H4831 behind a good 130-grain bullet? I've never owned a .270, but I understand this load has been considered the standard against which all others are compared for the last six decades.
quote:Originally posted by P-17: Wasn't Jack O'Connor's favourite load something like 60 grains of H4831 behind a good 130-grain bullet? ... I understand this load has been considered the standard against which all others are compared for the last six decades.
Yes, but beware: The H4831 that O'Connor was using was a surplus powder that was a bit slower burning than present-day H4831 -- that old surplus stuff is all gone now, except for private stocks that some lucky shooters still have. So, don't take data that was worked up using that old powder as a starting load for today's stuff.
Posts: 5883 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 11 March 2001
quote:Originally posted by P-17: Wasn't Jack O'Connor's favourite load something like 60 grains of H4831 behind a good 130-grain bullet? ... I understand this load has been considered the standard against which all others are compared for the last six decades.
Yes, but beware: The H4831 that O'Connor was using was a surplus powder that was a bit slower burning than present-day H4831 -- that old surplus stuff is all gone now, except for private stocks that some lucky shooters still have. So, don't take data that was worked up using that old powder as a starting load for today's stuff.
Good catch, Lloyd. Some .270's will digest 60 grains of currently manufactured H4831, but that's too hot in most (and IMR 4831 is WAY too fast with this amount of powder). Old surplus 4831 was (is for those of us with a stash ) almost as slow as current IMR 7828. I have found it to be only about "one grain" faster in most applications.
EVEN SO, my Sako .270 has all it wants with 58.5 grains of surplus 4831 and a 130 Nosler Solid Base, yielding 3200 fps, so remember that each rifle is an individual.
Posts: 13263 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
Yes, I'd neglected to mention the burning-rate issue. And as you pointed out, some rifles will still take the old charges with the newer powders, and some won't.
In my particular .300 Winchester Magnum, for example, I can do well with the "old" standard load of 76 grains of H4831 with a 180-grain bullet. This is theoretically 3 grains over max according to the latest Hodgdon data.
Redneck7mm: Congratulations on that new rifle and selecting a good bullet weight to start out with. I have had excellent results with 140gr Hornady Interlocks using 58.0gr R-22 and Fed GM210M primers. Sub MOA groups at 100 and 200 yards and average vel of 2,910 fps. I tried the H-4350, Imr-4831 and R-19 powders but none as accurate as R-22. This was in a Win Mod 70 Featherweight with a 22" barrel. I've killed lots of deer with this rifle and most of them fell in their tracks from 50 to 300 yards like hit by a freight train. LOL and let us know your results! BLR7
Posts: 154 | Location: Texas | Registered: 31 December 2002
A friend at work just bought a new Remington 700 synthetic in .270 WInchester and I whipped up some reloads for him to try.
We took that gun to the range yesterday and came home quite pleased. This guy had never shot anything bigger than a 22LR and the trigger on that gun is about a jillion pounds, but it shot well.
With factory Remington ammo he was shooting groups of 1.5 to 2 inches. Then we tried my reloads and things really came together. I had just sort of guessed, using the Sierra manual. Now, I have loaded LOTS of ammo so I really was not guessing. But anyway, a load of 53 grains of IMR 4350 behind the Sierra 130 grain boat tail really shot well in that gun. Both of the last two three shot groups fired had two of the three cutting each other. Good shooting for a novice, a new gun, and the first attempt at a good load for it.
You might want to try it.
R F
Posts: 1220 | Location: Hanford, CA, USA | Registered: 12 November 2000
I went to the range today with a rifle I just had rebarreled to 270 with a Adams and Bennet barrel. I started with the winchester 150 grain power point factory load and put ten in an inch and a half. I had loaded some winchester brass from the previous barrel with 59 grains of H4831, 130 grain Hornady and a CCI 200 primer. This load consistently put three under an inch. I am happy with my new barrel! I expect that I am getting over 3100 fps and this will take my Wyoming antelope this year no problem.
While everyone is recommending max loads and you indicated that you are going to use this rifle at 200 yds max!?
IN the Two 270s I own, I have found that my accuracy is a little better at less than max velocity. I prefer to use IMR 4064, RL 15, or H 380 with a velocity of 2600 fps.
For bullets also, I use the 140 grain Ballistic Tip, but in the field, my preferred bullet is the Nosler 160 grain partition. Sectional density of .298, semi pointed ( my favorite bullet shape) and the partition performance.
Within 200 yds, whether deer or Elk, this will be the max hitting power ( read penetration) for the 270.!
Go to your UP-TO-DATE reloading manual and verify these loads: All are with Hodgden 4831 [H-4831]. 130 gr bullet...58.0 grains 150 gr bullet...56.0 grains 170 gr bullet...56.0 grains [Speer dropped the 170 about 30 years ago.]
Posts: 355 | Location: Roanoke, Virginia | Registered: 29 May 2003
My .270 likes 59 grains of the old surplus 4831 with the 130 Partition. That load will make the .270 do anything that can be reasonably expected.
I see no point in using marginal bullets. Sierras may work, but they sometimes come apart too soon, especially up close at high velocity. Boattail bullets are more inclined to squirt out their cores than flat base bullets, and offer no measurable advantage to the hunter.
A Nosler Partition or Failsafe will be far more reliable, particularly when the shot is close or at a bad angle.
Posts: 283 | Location: Florida | Registered: 12 August 2001
I own two 270's and reload for them and several 270's that my hunting buddies own. The load that that shoots well in all of them is 58 grains H4831SC and 150 grain hornady bullet. This load has taken just about everything from deer to moose and performed very well.
My favorite caliber with my favorite loadings: SIERRA GAMEKING 130 grains with 52 grains VV N 160 This normally produces 5 bullets in a piece of 1 euro at 100 meters with my rifle in my better days. For 140 Grains SIERRA GAMEKING i use 51 grains of VV N160. Try these one's I recently shot 2 Roebucks with these loads at 120 and 200 meters. Dirk Scout
Well yesterday my buddy and i went out with some Remington 130gr. factorys just to see how the gun shoots, and to collect some brass..
The first few rounds I took to get the gun "on the paper". I then fired a 3 shot group and was amazed! I had three shots touching. I was very pleased with this gun, and hope i can do the same with the handloads.
I'v changed my mind a little bit bullet wise. Instead of going with 140 sierra's, I think im going to start with 130gr Hornady Interlocts. The hornadys do not have a boat tail design and I have recieved opinions saying that for out to 200yds, the BT will not help at all, and infact with solid base will give you more bullet on the rifleing, which will improve accuracy. I dont no if this is true or not but the gun shot the Remington factory 130gr really well soo i guess i'll try the hornadys.
Thanx everyone for their opinions. Greatly appreciated Ryan
My son and I have shot a lot of whitetails with 130 gr. .270 bullets over the last 20+ years. We have used mostly 4 bullets, and mostly with heart/lung placement. Here is my experience: Nosler Solid Base (discontinued, but similar to the Ballistic Tip): sheds jacket, almost never exits. Speer spitzer: pretty much the same as the Nosler. Sierra Pro Hunter: exits leaving caliber-size exit hole, deer go farther than I like before expiring. Hornady Spire Point: exits leaving about a 2" exit hole. We have never lost a deer with any of these bullets, and only once had to shoot one twice. That was one that jumped just as I fired, and the first bullet broke down the hindquarters.
Posts: 40 | Location: Kansas | Registered: 27 August 2003
54.5 grains of H4350 topped with a barnes X 130 grain tripleshock = sub MOA accuracy and velocity of 3000 to 3040 fps in my BRowning Eclpise 270. If the triple shock perform as well on game as the x's have for me in the past, and I 'm sure they will this will be my new hunting load.
Comparing standard bullets like the Hornady, Sierra, Nosler BT and Speer Hotcor's I'd gave to say the Speer is slightly tougher than the Hornady While the Nosler BT is slightly softer than the Sierra Flat base. This of course in 130 grain bullets. I use either the Hornady or Speer bullets for all my hunting on game up to Mule deer. I have taken several elk with Speer's 150 grain HotCor with excellent results.
Hi redneck7mm. I've found that IMR4831, and RL22 to be very good in my 270Win. When worked up to max loads with the 140 Sierra Gameking I find the compression factor better than with H4831 or IMR7828. I also find the 140grs bullet weight to be the best for my needs in this caliber.
Posts: 172 | Location: Canada | Registered: 06 August 2003
quote:Originally posted by ricciardelli: Bullet:Sierra 140 Grain Hollow Point Boat Tail Powder:53.1 grains of IMR-4350 Primer:Winchester WLR Case:Winchester Firearm:Winchester 70 Velocity:2944 FPS @ 15' from muzzle
I used a similar load to this in my 700 ADL, only used a 140 Nosler BTip instead of the Sierra and an even 53 gr of IMR4350. I would routinely get 1/4-1/2" MOA with this load in my rifle. My chronographed velocity was about 2850 fps. It was murder on any whitetail or muley that ever encountered it !!!!
bowhuntr
Posts: 931 | Location: Somewhere....... | Registered: 07 October 2002
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I need some help on where to start load wise.
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) almost as slow as current IMR 7828. I have found it to be only about "one grain" faster in most applications. ![[Cool]](images/icons/cool.gif){kind=icon}
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