I'm just renewing my anual request for any load info for the newer slow powders in the .270 Wby mag. I've just finished my stock of RL 25, (4 lb. all sent out behind the 150 grain Nosler Partitions). And I'm wondering where to go from here. Looking for info on RL 25, Retumbo, Magshot, Big Boy or any of the other newer powders, as well as tried and true loads using the nosler 150 PTs and H1000, 870 or 7828. I can't be the only old fart out there unwilling to buy a new "super dooper shorter louden boomer" just to use the new powder data. BD

Have you ckecked with the individual powder manufactuers.

I bet a simple phone call or email could get you some information.

I've pretty much tried all of them. I suppose i should try them again this year. All I got last year was real general advice, like "max load for the RL 25 should be about 2 to 4 grains more than your max load for that bullet using RL22". I don't consider that data. BD

Well BD I'm not trying to take a shot at you but that advice about 2-4 grains more than re22 is actually GOOD advice. I kind of like Alliant powders and have alot of them on hand BUT they do seem to vary quite a bit from lot to lot. I have some RE19 that my chrono tells me is within 1 grain of some of my RE22. AND my chrono tells me that RE25 is just barely slower than the same lot of RE22. Then when you couple the fact that you are working with a .270 wby you are multiplying the fact that these rifles can really vari among max loads depending on the gun, freebore, and brass used.

I guess what I'm saying (and trying to do it in nice way) is that anybody that offers max load advice on another guys weatherby is foolish. (I own 5 of them and have played alot with each and know where each of my 5 guns begins to "hit the wall") Weatherbies are the kinds of gun you learn to respect when you reload for them.
I've found that it does indeed work for me to say...ok I hit the wall with Re22..I should be able to start there and work up with the RE25.

Not sure if I'm getting my feeling accross but again....weatherby rifles do vary alot and only you should be in charge of YOUR load developement in YOUR RIFLE.

kraky ----- Your advice is excellent. I have shot and loaded many rounds with my buddies .270 Wby, which is by the way a Remington Classic, which may be very different from a Weatherby rifle. One without and one with freebore. I also shoot two Weatherbys of my own, a .257 and a .340. My experience is they all like RL-19, RL-22 or RL-25 powder, and all shoot quite good with RL-22. As you state each lot may or may not be different, it is a simple matter to get buy several pounds of a lot to keep from backing up and going again. I also use the RL-22 in .358 STA, .416 Rigby, and when I last counted I had 20 pounds of one lot available and 4 of another lot. ----- Conclusion as you stated, always figure your rifle has a favorite powder and it is up to you to find out what and how much of it to use. Good shooting.

Kraky, I understand your point, and at the same time you are demonstrating my complaint. Which lot of RL-22? I used RL-22 behind the 130 grain PTs for a few years at 74.4 grains. Then I bought 4 lbs of a new lot and got extractor marks at 72 grains. and a lot more temperature sensitivity, (120 fps variation between 10 deg and 70 deg. F). So the advice to, "Start with my RL-22 load and work up 2 to 4 grains" is not very useful. There's been that much variation in my lots of RL-22.

For any of the new short .270s I could look at a load page with starting and max loads of various powders including velocities and pressure in psi and make a more intelligent choice of how far I want to go with RL-25. We know we're playing near the edge in the high 50,000 to low 60,000 psi range, and while going to a slower powder should yield less pressure at the same or slightly higher velocities, without some baseline data we don't really know where we're heading.
BD

BD--Sounds like "you've been around the block" with reloading so you do know alot about your gun and it's loads. Not sure why I like the RE powders...I guess it's the metering. I've not had the same bad luck with good old I7828...that powder has been really consistant for me in the weatherbies. It's kind of interesting...never had a 300 win mag before but just got one and started studying the data. My goodness...talk about consistant per the reloading manuals and the forums. If you are loading a 180...well then it's just plain 74-75 grains of RE22 and that's all there is to it. Kind of like the 30-06...if you are loading a 165 then it's 57.0 of I 4350---sell the gun if it doesn't shoot this load.

This reloading is sure interesting....would be great if the powder manufacturers could do better. Bottom line is BE AWARE...Expect Anything...use a Chrono, and, I guess....only trust yourself??

I just wanted to second what kraky was saying. I'm sold on IMR 7828 in the Weatherbys and am soured on RL powders for the exact reasons mentioned. Ditto what he says about the 300 Winchester too. For whatever reason, RL 22 shines in the 300.

Kraky, I don't think I said I had bad luck with 7828. And maybe I should go back to it. I started trying other things looking for more temperature stability. Hunting temps can vary from a 65 deg. New Mexico elk hunt to a -15 Quebec Caribou hunt. I think Retumbo might be particularly interesting in this regard.
BD