Well, long story short after resisting the peer pressure for years I finally broke down and picked up a 270 win. Nice clean Rem. 721 for under $200.

So here's my question to all of you well experienced 270 shooters what grain bullet do you like for large whitetail deer? Seems around here all the shops seem to have an abundance of 130's. Myself I like to shoot bullets on the heavy side for caliber.

So what say ye'? 130's 140's or 150's???

I've been using Remington core lokts for years with great results. Whitetails aren't really that hard to bring down, so pretty much any of the weights you listed will be fine (as will 110 and 120 grs). Plain jane ammo and bullets in the 270 are the medicine for deer.

I prefer to use the 130 TSX.

My logic has simply been that properly placed any one of the common weights (130, 140 or 150) will bring down a white-taled deer; the trajectory is a little flatter with the 130 within normal deer ranges where I hunt.

IV

130 grain anything. The partition, silvertip and corelok work for my son.

Pick what shoots best. It (like all others) is no magic death ray. I've always thought the .270 was a good choice but way overrated. Nate

Great purchase. I'll bet that rifle is a tack driver. The 130 grain is THE classic loading for the .270 Winchester.

up until now I have been using 130 grain ww powerpoints which are more accurate in my gun than corelocs. They kill whatever deer that they encounter. I am now loading 130 grain Sierra Pro Hunters which shoot even better but I have not had a chance to try them on deer yet.

I've shot a bunch of deer with 150 gr. speer's. I shot three deer this year with core lokt's, no complaints. I'd use what shoots the best.

Most any 130, or Remington's Managed Recoil 115 for close work in the hands of those of small stature.

Both 130 and 150's work well, I like the 150's best though, most gun are more accurate with them, and you have more downrange energy. Any 150 will work fine on the largest deer..

I prefer 130 g. bullets. Whatever gives good accuracy. But if you want heavier, don't overlook the 140 g. offerings, there are some good ones out there, and on paper they can give better performance, at longer distances, than 130's. That said, the 130 remains my choice for deer sized game.

BTW, I have been shooting a 270 for deer/antelope since 1969 and have found no reason to change calibers or bullet weight.

I like the 150's in a .308 but just don't see the need for them in a .270. The 130's offer a sectional density of .242 about the same as a 165 grain 30 caliber bullet. They also are pretty fast out of my 24 inch barrel....

quote:

Originally posted by tdobesh:
Well, long story short after resisting the peer pressure for years I finally broke down and picked up a 270 win. Nice clean Rem. 721 for under $200.

So here's my question to all of you well experienced 270 shooters what grain bullet do you like for large whitetail deer? Seems around here all the shops seem to have an abundance of 130's. Myself I like to shoot bullets on the heavy side for caliber.

So what say ye'? 130's 140's or 150's???

My favorite bullet for deer is the Sierra 150 GameKing.

Any of those you mention will work. I would go for whatever is the most accurate in your rifle.

quote:

My favorite bullet for deer is the Sierra 150 GameKing.

It's a great bullet, you guys that say you can't see using a 150gr in a 270 probably haven't tried them. You only lose a 100fps muzzle velocity, and at 500 yds you will have about 15% more energy.

I have killed 10 whitetails with a 270 with 130 grain bullets, most with ballistic tips. I think it really is a magical death ray. I have only had to track one deer, the rest dropped where they stood. I have seen a lot of whitetails killed, nothing died as fast as a 130 grain ballistic tip in the lungs of a calm deer. Even the running, spooked deer, or bad hits still died quickly. Deer are easy to kill.

I see no reason to turn a 270 into a 30-06 with a heavy bullet.

I hunt whitetails where a long shot is 200 yards and have become very fond of the 150 grain Hornady interlok. I never had any trouble with any of the 130 grain bullets other than being a bit destructive. My real reason for leaning on the heavy side is the large number of big feral hogs on our lease. I did note the Speer 150 grain spitzer being a bit tough for our under 150 pound deer though.

Even thought my 270 is WSM I bought it pretty much for whitetail and caribou. The 140 gr. Nosler Partition in Federal Premium factory ammo shoots a legit 3/8 group at 100 yds and has been successful on both the whitetail and caribou. I also wouldn't hesitate to use this same combination on the sheep catagories as well. Sounds like you got a good buy, play around with the different ammo combos and good luck.

Larry Sellers

130 gr barnes TSX at 2950-3000 fps for everything up to and including elk. The triple shocks just perform way heavier than they are. Super flat and accurate and tough as nails when they hit.

Like AZ Pete, us guys in Arizona are in the know, LOL. I have been shooting the 270 since about 68 or 69, I see no need to shoot any other bullet weight besides 130GR in the 270 Winchester. I use Ballistic tips in my Sendero, which churns them out @ 3275fps, and I use Winchester bulk 130's in my Model 70. The 270 is a DEATH RAY, the only elk I ever shot that went down and didn't twitch was with the 270, and the 130 Winchester bullet. BTW that unit 27 bull elk went 920 lbs, 6X6. Still, shoot the bullet your rifle likes. After testing all the bullets mentioned here, I always go back to 130's.


Jerry

I have shot both 130s and 150s out of my BDLs, beginning in 1978. All were (are) handloaded Speer Grand Slams. Never could tell the difference in performance between the two on deer or feral pigs. Both shoot to one hole, and both will exit any deer or pig, regardless of where they are hit. The one elk I shot with a 150 was dead on his feet, but the bullet came apart. No more Speer Grand Slams at bull elk, at least not out of a .270...

Like you, I succumbed to the lure of the 270Win about 12 years ago. I did not reload for that cartridge, I wanted to shoot it "right now." I went by Walmart and picked up a box of Remington 130gr coreloks, a box Winchester 150gr PSPs, and some Federals (130's if I remember.)

I went to the range and tried them all out. The Remington coreloks shot to one hole from 100 yds to nearly 300yds. Really incredible.

I went back to the store and bought the rest of the 130 Remington's they had from that lot #, about six boxes. I'm still working on them.

Like several have suggested, try several and pick the one your rifle likes (and then buy up all they have on hand!) Kudude

Any bullet that you shoot will be great on deer.

I started with 150 grainers years ago then went to 140's and now shoot the Remintons and Winchesters in bulk. I honestly can not tell the difference in killing with any of them.

They are all deadly

Like Kudude and others have said, your rifle will pick the load. I've owned and loaded a half dozen different .270's over the years and about half liked the 130gr bullets and the other half the 150's. The S.D.'s of the 130, 140, and 150gr are about like the 150, 165, and 180gr bullets for the 30/06 (.30 cal). Other than a little less recoil, the .270 works as well on deer and caribou as the '06 (I haven't shot elk with one). The lighter bullets usually start out faster, but ends up with less energy at extended range; terminal results depends on bullet construction. I haven't had much use for the 140gr; just a compromise between speed and weight. IMHO the .270 Win is the best, balanced long range deer caliber made, big or small. Your 721 Remington's longer barrel will get you an extra 50 to 75fps over the standard 22" ones; and I'll be willing to bet it's accurate to boot. Mags

I have been shooting Remington Core Lokts for many years now and they do a very good job, providing I put the bullet into the vital area. I use the 130 grainers but have also used those 150 grain Nosler partitions on big mule deer close to 300lbs on the hoof.

Tdobesh: I have been using Rifles in 270 Winchester caliber for going on 45 years now. I have killed Mt. Goat, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Antelope, Blacktailed Deer, Elk AND Whitetails with svereal different 270's I own.
I only use the 130 grain bullets for my Hunting!
For Whitetailed Deer I not only recommend the 130 grain bullets but heartily recommend the Nosler Ballistic Tips for you to use in your new/old Remington 721 - they are amazingly lethal on Deer as well as being VERY accurate!
Best of luck with your new set up.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Easy answer, 130gr.

If you are worried about performance use a premium. IMO not needed on deer.

I have lots of experience with the 270. Bullets ranging from 110gr to 150gr.

This past fall I used 110gr TSX's @ 3260fps on 6 deer.
They performed flawlessly.

I have been in on lots ( 100-150 or so) of deer shot with 130 & 140gr Hornady SP's and 130gr Interbonds (three). I honestly couldn't tell the difference between them.

Three elk with 150gr Grand Slams.
Three elk with 140gr Barnes "X".

But if I could only pick one weight...it would be the 130gr

I have a couple of 130gr bullets recovered from caribou and they performed super.I think you get higher energy with the 130gr compared to the 150 at most distances.The 130gr silvertip was a good bullet for me,I also used the 140gr ballistic silvertip with good results.The sierra boat tail,Rem bronze point,and the Nosler balistic tip were the most accurate factory loads,but the nosler was too fragile of a bullet for 200+ lbs deer.I would go with a 130 or 140gr TBC,partition,silvertip,and chose the one that gives best accuracy in my rifle.

The 130grain bullet was made for the .270. They are like bread and butter.... I've shot lighter and heavier. Nothing gives the trajectory, velocity, impact that the 130 gives. If you don't believe me, look at your reloading charts, out past several hundred yards the 130's overtake the 150's in "foot-pounds" of energy, time of flight, etc., which means it's acually less bothered by the wind.

For many years now I've reloaded most brands and type of bullets, killed most big game in the west and I've tried many of the newer brands, to it's credit the old Sierra Boat-tail spitzer has taken more than thirty head of Mule deer and several Elk.

I tried the Barnes 140gr on an Elk hunt one year. What a Joke. At a 150yrds a .277 cal hole in and a .30 cal hole out, broadside thru the heart and one lung. The Elk ran 200 yards before stopping.... Never again...... By the way 4831 was also Made for the 270win.

Just My Thoughts on the 270win, make up your own mind though.....

I use 130gr triple shocks in my .270
Very accurate!You don't need any bigger for deer than a 130gr bullet.

The other guys have said it real well.
My old FN .270 likes most bullets well enough but I have prety much setteld on the 140 grain nosler acubond. But any decent bullet from 130 up is real good deer medicine.
Don't forget ol jack oconner like a 130 grain .270 for his elk huinting just fine.
Nothing wrong with the 150s . But I see no advantge either. Just pick the one your rifle shoots best.
...tj3006

For deer up to 200lbs a 130 is just fine. I like the 130 NBTs. The 140 and 150 NBTs work quite well too. The 150 HDY IL is a good 270 bullet for mid range work.

Last season I used the 140AB in my 270. Only fired 2 of them at deer and got similar performance as the NBTs small hole in and nickel size exit.

Good Luck

Reloader

I would use one of the three 130gr bullet going 3115 FPS,
The 140gr bullet going 2952 FPS or the 150gr bullet going 2910 FPS. I have used the 140 before.

In 06' I used 130gr Partition handloads on 5 deer - no problems, In 05' I used 150gr Partition handloads on 9 deer - no problems, In 04' I used 140gr Core Lokt Ultras (factory loads) on 8-9 deer - no problems. In the 30 years prior to that I used factory 130 and 150 Core-Lokts - no problems - including dall sheep, caribou, mtn goats, moose, and sitka deer. The 130s do a great job, but I prefer a little more weight. If left with one bullet for the 270win to hunt everything, I'd go with a 150gr partition.

quote:

Originally posted by tdobesh:
Well, long story short after resisting the peer pressure for years I finally broke down and picked up a 270 win. Nice clean Rem. 721 for under $200.

So here's my question to all of you well experienced 270 shooters what grain bullet do you like for large whitetail deer? Seems around here all the shops seem to have an abundance of 130's. Myself I like to shoot bullets on the heavy side for caliber.

So what say ye'? 130's 140's or 150's???

I used a .270 for over 20 years, which included 3 in Alaska.

In Alaska, I used the 150-grauin Nosler for everything up there. When I returned to the lower 40, I started using 130-grain Noslers. Game shot with these included a couple of pretty large New Mexico mule deer. The 130-grain did real well on these. I believe a 130-grain is plenty for deer hunting.

My loads consisted of 53.5 grains of IMR 4350 with 150-grain NPJ bullets, and 55.5 grains of 4350 with the 130's. My rifle would use more with both bullet weights, but these were the most accurate loads......

quote:

So here's my question to all of you well experienced 270 shooters what grain bullet do you like for large whitetail deer? Seems around here all the shops seem to have an abundance of 130's. Myself I like to shoot bullets on the heavy side for caliber.

So what say ye'? 130's 140's or 150's???

Tom

Tom

The 270 is a great cartridge and since the magnum craze has been getting the cold shoulder. All the gun scribes scoff at it when they mention elk or bigger. Nope gotta use a 338 lounden booomer, 270 is good for only deer!

The 270 just doesn't get the respect since the inception of the short mags and the ultra mags!

Anyway, The 270 will do anything you need it to do as long as you choose the right bullet for the game you are hunting. Jack O'Conner proved to us years ago that the 130 grain pills can kill and kill with authority. But you need to remember that Jack did use alot of custom Hunting bullets ie Bitteroot etc.

Today we have alot more critter pills to choose from compared to Jack's era! So all in all it is really hard not to choose a good bullet.

My first experiences with the 270 are similar to those that have also posted. My first one was purchase by happenstance back in 1998. Went into the local gun store and looked over the used gun rack. They had a Remington M700 BDL w/ 22" barrel on consignment. Looked it over and bought it on the spot for $300. Turns out this rifle had never been fired, no scope ever mounted and the stock finish still covered the edge of the metal buttplate. I later find out it was made in 1968! So I mounted a Leupold 4x and off to the range I went with a box of Wincheter 130 Power-Point. It was an extremely windy day, but the rifle still managed to give sub 0.75" groups at 100 yds with a $13.00 box of factory ammo.

Later I have found out that everything I seem to feed this rifle will shoot under 1 inch. I really haven't handloaded for it even though I have all the components. Factory ammo is just working too well.

So try some 130, 140, and 150's out to see if your rifle has a preference. The go from there.
As for factory ammo goes I would look at Federal Premium for hunting loads. Great selection of bullets to choose from. Heck get a box of Winchester Super X 130 Power-Points you just might be surprised!

Mike

270 bore is blessed with some great and effective bullets...

however, if I have to have max lethality out of a 270, for ANY animal realistic to hunt with a 270, then I opt for the 160 grain Nosler Partition SMP...

With a Sectional density of .300 and I can push it to 2900 fps.. well, that is what I have confidence in....I like heavy for caliber in the 270

The 270 is and always will be dear to me. It is the caliber of the first rifle I ever owned, and the second rifle!

I'm a youngster compared to most, only been shooting one since 1988.

I've used 130, 140, 150 Nosler Btips, 150 Speer flat base and boat tails, 140 Sierra HPBT Gamekings, 140 Hornady boat tails, Rem coreloct, Winchesters, you name it.

You really need to find out just which weight and bullet YOUR rifle likes, then have at it.

In 4 270s between my bro. and I, we shoot 110 TSX, 130 TSX, 140 AB, and 150 Btips currently. I cannot tell any difference whatsoever on kill ability.

Good luck and please keep us posted on what you find out about your new rifle.

I'm on my second 270 Win. Both rifles loved the Nosler bullets. My current 270 will shoot 1 inch groups at 200 yards. My favorite for accuracy is either the 140 accubond or the 140 ballistic tip. That's plenty for any deer. For bigger game the 160 Partition can't be beat in a 270.

My 270 load was worked up thinking that if I were to carry it during deer season I might see an elk to shoot also so I'm using 140 gr. Failsafes (the old ones) on top of 59 grains of the old Scottish H-4831 with a Fed 210M primer.
This load can hold the 10 ring at 300 yards all day long.