Hi all.

I would like some feedback on a rebarelling a rifle.

I have a BRNO ZKK600 in 270, that I bought to be transformed into a 9.3x62. Later I found an older ZKK600 with pop-up peep sight that I had transformed, so the 270 is just sitting there.

I am NOT a fan of the 270. Goodness knows why, since so many people use it and swear by it, but my opinions were formed back in South Africa, where due to crappy bullets and the unsuitability of the crap bullets at high velocity at close range (bushveld), the 270 was considered a meat mincer.

Anyway, I have no faith in it, in spite of never having used one.

I was wondering - what do the boys here think of converting it to a 8x57?

What about a 280 Rem or a 7x64 Brennekke? I realise these two are a blond pubic hair different from the 270, but I have faith in them.

Thanks in advance.

What style of rifle are you intending to build?

Fancy wood and iron sights - the metric calibers.

Synthetic stock and no irons - 280 Rem.

30-06! The logical "up barrel". 7x64 was a factory option, as you know, so was 7x57 and also 30-06.

I don't believe that 7x57, 280 Remington or 7x64 offer much much great advantage now that the new RWS Evolution 155 grain cartridge loading does, now, for 270 WCF.

Yes the 280 and the two 7mm calibres will take a 174 grain bullet (and duplicate plus a couple of hundred fps the 303 MK VII load) but IMHO the 30-06 will do ALL THAT and give you a 180 grain option and a 220 grain option.

What's not to like?

i would take 7x64 in a minute,177 grain rws tig will penetrate like crazy

This all personal likes. by everyone who responds. There is no answer which will satisfy everyone's uses or needs.

My own personal choice for use out to 250 or so yards would be the 8x57. The ZKK will handle the x57 series very nicely, and the cartridge will give a usefully flat trajectory with heavier bullets, of which I am a fan.

I agree with enfieldspares - .30-06. In fact you should be able to rebore the current barrel with only a chamber clean-up needed. The 270 and 30-06 have the same dimensions all the way to the shoulder and even share the same shoulder angle. By reboring you wouldn't need to fit a new barrel to the stock (or vice versa). You could keep whatever sights and/or mounts are currently on your barrel just as they are.

Enfieldspares,

I like the dirty-oh-six, but I have one already (in a ZKK600 as well), so too much of a good thing maybe .....

I had a sudden brainwave a few minutes ago of either a .25-06 or maybe a 257 Bob as well.

Y'know if there were only 3 calibres we wouldn't have these terrible decisions to make - just as well there aren't.

I'm really starting to think 8x57 or Bob, but then I get the 7x64 feeling as well, and the 280 and 7x64 are basically the same thing if you're loading for bolt rifles, so every time I narrow it down, it expands again .....

Why does it have to be so HARD I LOVE it

How about just loading your 270 with 150gr bullets and telling yourself that it's a 30/06?

Since you have a 9,3x62 the 8x57 seems a wee bit too close. I'd opt for the 7x64 or maybe better yet, the 6.5x65.

270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64.....
.NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.
....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257
.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO.
...7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06
.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57.....
NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.
....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO....
.25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57.
.....NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO...
..270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64.....
.NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO...
..8x57......NO.....257.....NO.....270.....NO....7x64......NO.....25-06.......NO.....8x57......NO.....257...
..NO.....

You're right, Grenadier, that is how my mind is going .....

Well. Why not go for the ONE factory cartridge, of that length, that you have not considered...338-06?

That will give you a 250 grain option and, more to the point, there should not be any issues with feeding and/or extracting. Or opening up bolt faces.

BUT....I'd load up a dummy 338-06 and just try cycling it to see if it does feed up OK into the chamber before finally making the gunsmith appointment.

Or ANOTHER (there was more than one) factory cartridge of that length you have not considered....240 Weatherby?

Thank you all, gentlemen.

I still have not decided, although a 338-06 looks good (but then so does a 25-06).

Ah, well, to save money I might even leave it for a while.

Thanks again.

A favorite early post-WWII rechamber here in America was the 8mm-06.

There are some pretty good 8mm bullets out there these days...

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:
Hi all.

I would like some feedback on a rebarelling a rifle.

I have a BRNO ZKK600 in 270, that I bought to be transformed into a 9.3x62. Later I found an older ZKK600 with pop-up peep sight that I had transformed, so the 270 is just sitting there.

I am NOT a fan of the 270. Goodness knows why, since so many people use it and swear by it, but my opinions were formed back in South Africa, where due to crappy bullets and the unsuitability of the crap bullets at high velocity at close range (bushveld), the 270 was considered a meat mincer.

Anyway, I have no faith in it, in spite of never having used one.

I was wondering - what do the boys here think of converting it to a 8x57?

What about a 280 Rem or a 7x64 Brennekke? I realise these two are a blond pubic hair different from the 270, but I have faith in them.

Thanks in advance.

How about shooting the donor first.....270, .280, 7x64......are essentially triplets. What one can do,so can the others. By the time you wear out the tube, you will have decided on what to rebarrel it to. Good luck.

It has the most value now as the .270 that it is!

Just pass it on to someone else and do what you did on the other rifle.

Find one that interests you.

I ignored the 270 Win also as the 30-06 dominates here in the USA. Now I have one with nice wood.

Don't think I will hunt with it but it's handsome.

The .270 will do anything any of the mentioned calibers will do, I mean a 277 vs. a 284 is 7 divided by 4 in bore size!!

Load the 270 with 160 gr. Nosler or heavy bullets at lower velocity will get you the same effect as .280 or 30-06 on most game animals and not tear up meat..all you have to do is use the proper bullets in any of them, and the 338, 30-06 with light fast bullets will also tear up meat and bloodshoot the whole side...

All the caliber from a 250-300 to a 30-06 need a proper bullet to get the results you want.

Its usually folly to blame the caliber on a modern rifle, blame the bullet is proper.

If I had to relegate myself down to one single rifle, I would choose a 280 Remington. BUT! Since I have a 30-06, 7X57 and am building a 270, I guess I dont really need a 280. But you DO need a flat shooting 280 Rem to compliment that hard hitting 9,3X62..

280 Rem with 1 in 9 twist barrel and load with 160 gr bullets for larger animals. Anything smaller can be shot with 120 TTSX upwards.

I would leave it a 270 Win.

If I were to rebarrel it, it would be to 30-06. Next would be a 6.5-06

7x64 .. the 270 is like driving a chevy ... chevette .. and yes, i have both .. and at one time, all three

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
7x64 .. the 270 is like driving a chevy ... chevette .. and yes, i have both .. and at one time, all three

I've finally made a decision.

I'm sure you guys are all agog with amazement, waiting to hear what it is.

I'm actually going to load up and see what a 270 is like, since I've never even fired one. Yeah, I know.

So, now to work up a load or two and go see whther they will actually get through the paper - if so I might give them a go on something small to work up on.

Any of you got opinions on Nosler 130 gr Combined technology bullets? (Nosler / Winchester development)

Bren7X64, if you want a significant upgrade go with the 338 Gibbs - you'll essentially have a 338 Win Mag. Barrels, reamer, and dies are all available commercially in the USA...I assume they can be sent to Australia. All you need is a good gunsmith to make the cost-effective conversion. AIU

Probably won't go with the Gibbs, it'd probably require a fair amount of fiddling to get the li'l booger to feed, it being so square shouldered and straight walled. But I might go with the 338 Sabi since I still have contacts in SA.

Bren7X64, you initially said that you considered the .270 a "meat mincer". But, as suggested by olarmy, have you tried 150gr loads? Norma is offering .270 ammunition with their 150gr Oryx bullet. It is designed to reduce meat damage. I have not used Norma Oryx ammo in .270 but I have used it in 7X65R and 7X57. It performed for me as advertised in those cartridges. If you can get your hands on some .270 loaded with the 150gr Oryx I suggest you give it a try. You might come to like your rifle just as it is, no changes needed.

Compare gelatin tests:

A high velocity, light bullet (Norma Kalahari) - look at the video at about 1 minute and 4 seconds:



Versus the heavier Oryx bullet at lower velocity - look at the video about 52 seconds in:

Hi Grenadier,

I also said I'd never used one - only seen the aftermath of their use.

As of today I have never fired a .270.

I hinted that it was probably an irrational dislike. I'm going to reload a few and see how it goes.

Who knows, I might like it and that'd be one for the books.

At the moment I'm sort of in the position my grandmother was in many years ago - she "hated" avocado. And then her son in law actually asked if she'd ever tasted avocado and she admitted she hadn't, but she could see it was revolting ... except I'm not using words that are as strong as that, and I hint up front that it's probably me rather than the calibre.

Anyone used these Nosler Ballistic Silvertips in 130gr?

If you are worried about meat spoilage then you would be better off using 150gr bullets. I have no experience with Ballistic Silvertips but Nosler does offer them in 150gr .277 caliber.

I have a BRNO 22H in 7X64 and it is a really effective long range caliber. The difference from the .280 Remington is insignificant, but I have never owned a Remington hunting caliber I liked, maybe because I resent the Remington practice of taking recognized wildcats, rechristening them with the Remington name, and marketing them as their own invention (.22-250 Remington, .260 Remington, .25-06 Remington).

The 7mm-06 had been around for decades before the Remington company decided to adopt it. It and the 8mm-06 were simply reinventing the wheel, because they already existed in the form of 7X64, and 8X64S.

The chief advantage of the 7X64 over the .270 Winchester is the much larger bullet selection.

Seriously folks, suggesting a 30-06? If he does that, he won't need anything else until he gets to the >.4 range since 9.3/.375 is already covered. 25 years ago I made the conscious decision to go with a .270 for deer and antelope instead of a .30-06 so I would have a real-ish reason to use some of my very limited funds on other rifles.

Dean

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:
Probably won't go with the Gibbs, it'd probably require a fair amount of fiddling to get the li'l booger to feed, it being so square shouldered and straight walled. But I might go with the 338 Sabi since I still have contacts in SA.

I built a 338 Gibbs on a standard 270/280/3006 HVA Mauser action, and it feeds just fine. No problems.

I killed my second last deer at 85 yards with reloads using Nosler Ballistic tip (yellow polymer tip) 130 grainers around 3000 fps. Accuracy is great. But I never did find the bullet or any fragments and there was no exit hole. Nosler Partitions might be worth a look or new thread.

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:



Anyone used these Nosler Ballistic Silvertips in 130gr?

quote:

Originally posted by custombolt:
I killed my second last deer at 85 yards with reloads using Nosler Ballistic tip (yellow polymer tip) 130 grainers around 3000 fps. Accuracy is great. But I never did find the bullet or any fragments and there was no exit hole. Nosler Partitions might be worth a look or new thread.

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:



Anyone used these Nosler Ballistic Silvertips in 130gr?

I had a similar experience with a mule deer I shot in 2007 using 140 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. Total bullet failure. First shot was in the vitals, second shot was into his neck. Neither bullet exited. I've since switched to 150 gr Partitions and haven't looked back!

LRx: Many have said the same about the partitions. My last deer was shot at about 85 yards with 140 grain .280 Rem. factory Winchester Ballistic silver tips and heart and liver and most of the lungs were soup. No exit, no fragments. Partitions from now on for hunting deer. Have you experienced similar accuracy with the NP's? CB

I have never seen an NP that didn't have sufficient inherent accuracy to shoot big game out to 500 or more yards. That, as with every other bullet, assumes a competently developed load and loader.

When shooting game, MOG (Minute of Game) capabilities are more relevant than MOA comparisons with ANY other bullet, IMHO.

I've experienced perfectly acceptable accuracy with NP's in .277, .308 & .338. Not hair splitting, but certainly right at MOA. I've recovered a few NPs used on game, some lost their "nose" some didn't, but all were nicely formed mushrooms with weight retention exceeding 70%.

My one ballistic tip experience, on the above referenced mulie, was the opposite. The entrance holes looked like I tucked a grenade under his hide and pulled the pin. Fragments throughout the wound channel, and nothing that even resembled a bullet! Yes, they did the job, but not as neatly as I prefer. Because of that, I don't have much experience with the Ballistic Tips. Maybe others have had better results?

Best,
Lee

If you have a .30-06 and a 7x64, get "Bobbin' "

I'd love a 257 to complement my 7x64 and 9.3 x62. It will fit so nicely:

.223/.222 Rem
.257 Roberts
7x64
.30-'06
9.3x62

You know it makes sense

So what bullets do you have available for a 270?

Northfork has a beautiful 150 grain, Nosler's 160 is excellent, and Barnes now has a 129 grain LRX. If your shots will be under 300 yards, go with the heavier bullets. If you might possibly need to shoot over 300 yards I would recommend the 129gn Barnes. The Barnes has a good BC (.463) and the bullet integrity to fully penetrate even if impacting at 50 yards.

For deer with a .270 I have had great luck with both 130 and 150 gr. bullets such as Hornady, Speer, Sierra, it makes little differnce. I like the 130 gr Nosler partition or Accubond behind 58 to 60 grs. of old surplus H4831 or todays H4831 and IMR-4831 with a grain less..

My all time favorite elk load is the 150 or 160 gr Nosler partition or one of the 150 gr. GS Customs monolithics with the same load.

If anyone can tell the differnce betqween a 270, 280, 30-06, or 7 mag as to game killing performance, then I suggest a lack of real experience with the calibers or they are delusional by nature.

7x64- I don't think a 270 would ever disappoint you. Good bullet selection and works with a boatload of different powders.

I throw a 130g Hornady SST out in front of 53.7g of IMR 4831. It's a bit easier on the shoulder than factory loads, but good enough to get MOA groups out of my cheap Remington (I won't mention the model, but it ain't a 700)

If I get this kind of result out of a POS rifle, I can just imagine the fun you'll have!