I've used the .270 Winchester on many mule deer, and I've always loaded my own ammo for it since 1978.

I started out with Sierra and Speer Grand Slam bullets in both 130 and 150 gr. weights, but the results were mixed -- blow-ups and perfect mushrooms. Dissatisfied with inconsistent performance, I went with Jack O'Connor's preferred 130 gr. Nosler Partition, and I've never looked back, except for a brief period when I was using 140 gr. Hornady's.

To this day, I consider the 130 gr. Nosler Partition to be the most nearly ideal .270 Win. bullet ever offered. It delivers superb accuracy in most rifles, plus excellent killing power and great penetration that is out of proportion to its weight. I think that 150 gr. loads are fine for elk and moose, but for any sort of deer hunting, I prefer 130 gr. Nosler's, and I'd only go heavier if I had a rifle that didn't shoot the 130s particularly well.

I prefer Winchester cases, either IMR 4831 or H4831, Federal 215 or CCI 250 magnum primers, and I load to about 3100 fps. or better with the 130 gr. Nosler's, and zero for 250 yds.

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I too use a .270 Win. with 150 gr. Partitions. I have to agree with a number of comments made by others. I have found that Partitions are generally not as accurate as Sierra's or Hornaday's however I'm willing to give up a bit of accuracy in exchange for premium perfomance. I've tried most of the commonly recommended powders including H-4831 & IMR-4350 along with playing with seating depth. I could never get consistant accuracy. I finally tried Rldr-22 and played with seating depth and arrived at a consistantly accurate load (about 55 grs. I think). I would suggest that you try Rldr-22 & play with seating depth, I seat mine at 0.010" off the lands and ALWAYS measure length to the ogive and not the OAL. Get the Stoney Point gauges to do this. I think you'll come with quite satisfactory results. Bear in Fairbanks

I would also suggest you try IMR 4350 it has produved the smallest groups I have shot in both a savage and m70 feather weight in 270.

I would try H4831, my rifle seems to shoot all the 150's well with 57 grains in Winchester cases capped with CCI 250 primers. My experience with the partitions is that they are not always MOA bullets. That said anything less than 2 inches will work fine. If I had to break MOA I would try Speer's 150 grain flat base spitzer or Hornady's similar bullet. The partition is not a better mulie bullet than these two.

Hey NR, maybe I'm missing something but it looks like you said your lands are 2.884 inches off of the bolt face.I think a typical listed maximum Cartridge Overall Length for a .270 is about 3.340 inches. You said your length you are loading is 3.325" --a good length I think, Unless your chamber is really cut to 2.884 to the lands--Maybe i'm reading something wrong, but there is some descrepency between these two numbers. At any rate, check the specs on the factory ammo you have that has shot well and match up your reloads physical dimensions with it and see what happens. As someone else mentioned a little difference in OAL or seating depth can make a pretty good change at the target.

Good Luck & stick with it --D.

I would suggest getting a Stony Point tool and using it to determine overall loaded length to get the bullet seated to approximately 0.030" from the lands. Experiment with the powder charge to get your bet load, and if it is still not shooting the way you want, start varying the seeting depth in 0.010" increments. I have had excellent accuracy in the .270, and a number of other calibers, with Nosler partition bullets. It just takes a little load development as with any bullet.

My favorite powder for the .270 is Hodgden's 4831. In one rifle I got better accuracy by cutting the powder charge by 0.5-1.0 gr. and using the Fed. 215 primer rather than the Fed. 210. That was in a Ruger #1 with 26" barrel.

You might also try the 130 gr. Nosler partition. If your rifle likes the lighter bullet, use it. A mule deer will not know the difference between the 130 and 150 gr. bullets.

Newby! Hand loading to obtain small groups has little to do with hunting mule deer. Ground squirrels and prarie dogs you bet. If the first shot out of your rifle goes to the same point of impact every time you are going to kill your deer if it is up to the rifle doing it's part.Now if you want to have fun making small holes in paper have at it , but using Nosler bullets to print on paper is a bit pricey.
It also makes more sense for paper punching to use smaller calibers than a .270 and use a lot less powder unless you are going long range. Reducing recoil facilitates smaller groups.

Good quiery. The handloading is for enjoyment in combination with the shooting. Making a hunting rifle shot groups better than an inch at 100yards can be done using hand loads but the doing may prove time consuming and totaly cost ineffective. Let's say you finally get that .270 to group 5 shots at 1/2" at 100 yards. Do you think your deer will be any deader using your hand load than it would be if you hadn't changed anything and used a factory load with the rifle as it is today? Making more accurate ammunition to shoot deer really isn't what the fun is all about. The pleasure a person gets from handloading is multifacited. Resently I have been building light scout type rifles from military rifles. I've reached a point in life were the happiness from gettin thumped from shooting is long gone. To use these light weight scouts what I do is tailor make reduced loads that won't hurt me so bad but will still do a job on your muleies at maybe 200 yards.I've only killed one deer over 200 yards.\

So off I go to the range with my 1 1/2 powered scope on an 8X57 and put 5ea. 175gr bullets in 2" at 50 yds and am as happy as a pig in shit knowing if I go after that mulie he is mine. There are ways you are going to find where your reloading yields that which makes you a happy gun nut. Get some decent loading equipment and stay with us. roger

I used to shoot big mulies in Colorado and N.M. using a 20" barrelled Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine in .270 Win. with a load of 55.5 grains of IMR 4350 and the Nosler 130-grain Partition bullet. Never ever had to shoot one more than once with this load!!

Thanks to all of you for your posts. I went out and bought some 4831 and 4831SC to try on those 150g Partitions. The measurement of 2.8840" to the lands was arrived at using a Stony Point Comparator (to the ogive) so the bullet nose sticks out beyond this.