.270 Advise

RCP Fab · February 22, 2013, 10:05 PM

This is my first time reloading .270 and I just wanted some advise.

I am using Hornday Interlock 130gr bullets, IMR 7828, and my once fired Winchester brass, Winchester LR primers, full factory crimp.

Cases were all cut.

I am a little confused on bullet depth, mostly, how much more the hornadys are inserted. This ammo ends up being very short, 3.175", compared to the factory Winchester, at 3.305".

I pulled a Winchester apart for some pics, and there are a few comparison pics of the loaded rounds.

Start grain is 56gr, do not exceed 60.2. I loaded at 56, 56.5, 57, 57.5 and 58 gr. 5 of each to try at the range.

Thanks!

4T4MAG · February 22, 2013, 10:11 PM

You could use one the ways to measure your throat depth and base your seating depth based on your rifle. Some tips can be deceiving because many think that the case should be crimped only in the canneluer. You will have much more accurate loads if you measure your seating depth on your rifle. You may end up loading the Hornady a lot longer than where the canneluer is located. You could try a Sinclair OAL length/bullet seating gauge.

Brian Pfleuger · February 22, 2013, 10:11 PM

Ignore the cannelure, forget crimping, load to a length that works in your gun/magazine and shoots accurately.

ripnbst · February 22, 2013, 10:13 PM

Most of the time people gauge their bullet seating depth based on how far the bullet is back from the rifling lands vs the location of the crimping ring on the bullet.

RCP Fab · February 22, 2013, 10:24 PM

I will work on getting the correct measurement for my rifle. Are these too short to shoot?

4T4MAG · February 22, 2013, 10:26 PM

It would be highly unlikely that they are too short. Read up on how close to seat your tip near the lands of your rifle. I load my .338 Win Mag .012 off the lands and end up with an overall length of 3.650 where the magazine OAL limits me to 3.400.

RCP Fab · February 22, 2013, 10:32 PM

Thanks. I am out of brass at the moment, but I will use the sharpie trick next go around to get it closer. My magazine limits me to about 3.400, so I will start there.

William T. Watts · February 22, 2013, 11:17 PM

Use one of your sized cases and just start the bullet in the case (no primer or powder please) insert the case with bullet in your chamber (with your fingers) until it stops, the bullet is now touching the lands. Take your cleaning rod and push it down the bore until it stops, your now touching the tip of the bullet, pull the cleaning rod out about a 1/4" and wrap a piece of tape around the rod, push the cleaning rod in while holding the case in place until it touches the bullet and mark the tape with a pin. Your loaded round will be shorter than the mark you made on the tape you affixed to your cleaning rod. Your loaded round should be .010" or more thousands shorter than the initial mark you made, a bit crude but this will give you a rough idea about where to start to determine the length of your loaded ammo for your chamber/lands combination.. I prefer H4831 for both the 130 & 150 gr Sp Noslers.. William

Brian Pfleuger · February 22, 2013, 11:22 PM

If you do that with a fully sized case you will not get a good measurement. The neck tension is much too strong and will push the bullet well into the rifling.

You can size a small part of the neck or size the whole thing and then cut the neck vertically with a hack saw so the tension is lower.

If you do it right, and a few times to verify, you can just chamber and extract the case/bullet and get a decent measurement. It takes some practice.

The Hornady comparator tool is a lot easier and more consistent.

FrankenMauser · February 23, 2013, 02:07 AM

7828, eh?

That's a bit slow for .270 Win and 130s, in my opinion. If it's what you want to use, go for it. You may see some low velocities and unburned powder, though.

What barrel length are you running these in?

(Just so you don't have to ask - W780, RL-19, and AA3100 are the slowest powders I use in .270 Win.)

hooligan1 · February 23, 2013, 08:12 AM

7828 eh?
I agree, thats like a magnum caliber slower type powder, H4350, IMR 4350, IMR 4831, H4831, are more dependable powders for the .270 win.
I personally like the H4350 in my rifle, it shines like a new penny with 130 Accubonds, 130 TTsx's, 130 grain Ballistic Tips..... My son found a nice load for his Handi-Rifle, 130 grain Speer BTSP's with IMR 4350.

RCP Fab · February 23, 2013, 08:38 AM

I agree on the powder, but I want to use it up. I will be replacing it with something better once its gone.

These are just range rounds, so if performance suffers, I will adjust the recipe and try again next weekend.

Also, this is for a 22" barrel.

zplinker · February 23, 2013, 09:28 AM

Hornady reloading books list Re-22 for the 270 w/130 gr. bullets, and I've used that a fair amount. Out of a 22" barrel, these chronographed at 3150 fps, and shot very well. I wouldn't write off the 'slow' powders.

hooligan1 · February 23, 2013, 10:55 AM

I have tried numerous powders with the .270 win, but I obtained the most repeatable accuracy and precision from the powders I listed in my previous post.
Heck I even tried H1000 with 140 grain B-Tips, but it wasn't good for me with accuracy or precision..
Use what powder you like young man, but we're just trying to get you on the right path with your bullet testing..... (save your powder), and try to find more suitable powders and you will be happier with your results!

RCP Fab · February 23, 2013, 10:59 AM

I am leaving for the range now, I will report back on how these work.

Thanks for the help everyone.

RCP Fab · February 23, 2013, 02:58 PM

Here's some shooting from today, 4 shots back to back in each area, 100 yards. The 4th shot was consistently off, I'm attributing that to barrel temperature. The 4th shot for 58gr didn't hit the paper. The 56gr shots were the first of the day, so I think it was more me than the bullets. The second target were shots 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 of the day.

56.5 was very accurate, and also very easy on my shoulder, so I think I will load some at 56.25 56.5 and 56.75 with varying bullet depth and crimps for next weekend.

Also, by no means I am a good shooter, this is my second time shooting a rifle.

Lower left is actually 57.5gr, not 57

hooligan1 · February 24, 2013, 10:05 AM

Hey that's not bad, it's certainly in the realm of "can do", Keep working on it, it just keeps getting more and more satisfying dude.

RCP Fab · February 24, 2013, 11:39 AM

Thanks!

3.230" just shows signs of touching the rifling. I am going to load some at 3.200, 3.210, and 3.220 for next weekend.

hooligan1 · February 24, 2013, 06:37 PM

I usually wait until a satisfactory powder charge weight has been found, then I start tweaking the oal. that way you waste nothing, including time and money.

RCP Fab · February 24, 2013, 06:42 PM

Good to know.

I just bought a primer pocket uniformer, its cutting the pockets to .126" (i believe the spec is .125-.132"

If I bottom out the primer, it ends up being about .015" below flush. I am assuming that I should *NOT* bottom it out, and shoot for that .001-.003 below flush spec, is that correct?

RCP Fab · February 25, 2013, 10:31 AM

Next weekends loads.

56.5gr, extended the length to 3.220, 70% factory crimp. Still nervous about not crimping, I'll work up to that.

kraigwy · February 25, 2013, 11:05 AM

My Winchester has a bit longer throat then average, but its a hunting rifle so I load to fit the magazine.

Then tweak it a bit for accuracy but it still needs to fit the magazine.

I don't pay much attention to the cannelure nor do I crimp ANY rifle cases.

hooligan1 · February 25, 2013, 06:33 PM

Me either, as there normally is plenty of neck tension to hold bullets fast. That primer question thing I'm still thinking about, because I use an RCBS hand priming tool, and I just bottom the primer into the pocket, and spin the case 90 degrees and squeeze it again.

RCP Fab · February 25, 2013, 06:37 PM

I set these primers to just under flush. In my mind, the explosion in the case that shoots the bullet out, should also push the primer back, so having it as close to the bolt as possible makes the most sense to me.

But..... my mind has misconstrued things before.

hooligan1 · February 25, 2013, 06:48 PM

quote: I set the primer just under flush. so having it as close to the bolt as possible makes the most sense to me.
Well not to me or anyone else for that matter, look the deeper you push that primer in the further away from the bolt face it goes........ but nevermind that, are you using a "hand priming tool"? If so just run the primer in until it stops......... there isn't any good reason to push on it further, get what I'm saying dude?....
I use CCI primers, (because I alway have) and they come to a stop when I push them in, and I don't push any further.....

February 22, 2013, 10:05 PM	#1
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	.270 Advise This is my first time reloading .270 and I just wanted some advise. I am using Hornday Interlock 130gr bullets, IMR 7828, and my once fired Winchester brass, Winchester LR primers, full factory crimp. Cases were all cut. I am a little confused on bullet depth, mostly, how much more the hornadys are inserted. This ammo ends up being very short, 3.175", compared to the factory Winchester, at 3.305". I pulled a Winchester apart for some pics, and there are a few comparison pics of the loaded rounds. Start grain is 56gr, do not exceed 60.2. I loaded at 56, 56.5, 57, 57.5 and 58 gr. 5 of each to try at the range. Thanks!

February 22, 2013, 10:11 PM	#3
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	.270 Advise Ignore the cannelure, forget crimping, load to a length that works in your gun/magazine and shoots accurately.

February 22, 2013, 10:13 PM	#4
ripnbst Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 1,552	.270 Advise Most of the time people gauge their bullet seating depth based on how far the bullet is back from the rifling lands vs the location of the crimping ring on the bullet.

February 22, 2013, 11:17 PM	#8
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	Use one of your sized cases and just start the bullet in the case (no primer or powder please) insert the case with bullet in your chamber (with your fingers) until it stops, the bullet is now touching the lands. Take your cleaning rod and push it down the bore until it stops, your now touching the tip of the bullet, pull the cleaning rod out about a 1/4" and wrap a piece of tape around the rod, push the cleaning rod in while holding the case in place until it touches the bullet and mark the tape with a pin. Your loaded round will be shorter than the mark you made on the tape you affixed to your cleaning rod. Your loaded round should be .010" or more thousands shorter than the initial mark you made, a bit crude but this will give you a rough idea about where to start to determine the length of your loaded ammo for your chamber/lands combination.. I prefer H4831 for both the 130 & 150 gr Sp Noslers.. William Last edited by William T. Watts; February 23, 2013 at 04:01 PM.

February 22, 2013, 11:22 PM	#9
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	.270 Advise If you do that with a fully sized case you will not get a good measurement. The neck tension is much too strong and will push the bullet well into the rifling. You can size a small part of the neck or size the whole thing and then cut the neck vertically with a hack saw so the tension is lower. If you do it right, and a few times to verify, you can just chamber and extract the case/bullet and get a decent measurement. It takes some practice. The Hornady comparator tool is a lot easier and more consistent.

February 22, 2013, 10:11 PM	#2
4T4MAG Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2009 Posts: 162	You could use one the ways to measure your throat depth and base your seating depth based on your rifle. Some tips can be deceiving because many think that the case should be crimped only in the canneluer. You will have much more accurate loads if you measure your seating depth on your rifle. You may end up loading the Hornady a lot longer than where the canneluer is located. You could try a Sinclair OAL length/bullet seating gauge.

February 22, 2013, 10:24 PM	#5
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	I will work on getting the correct measurement for my rifle. Are these too short to shoot?

February 22, 2013, 10:26 PM	#6
4T4MAG Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2009 Posts: 162	It would be highly unlikely that they are too short. Read up on how close to seat your tip near the lands of your rifle. I load my .338 Win Mag .012 off the lands and end up with an overall length of 3.650 where the magazine OAL limits me to 3.400.

February 22, 2013, 10:32 PM	#7
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	Thanks. I am out of brass at the moment, but I will use the sharpie trick next go around to get it closer. My magazine limits me to about 3.400, so I will start there.

February 23, 2013, 02:07 AM	#10
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,426	7828, eh? That's a bit slow for .270 Win and 130s, in my opinion. If it's what you want to use, go for it. You may see some low velocities and unburned powder, though. What barrel length are you running these in? (Just so you don't have to ask - W780, RL-19, and AA3100 are the slowest powders I use in .270 Win.) __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

February 23, 2013, 08:12 AM	#11
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,586	7828 eh? I agree, thats like a magnum caliber slower type powder, H4350, IMR 4350, IMR 4831, H4831, are more dependable powders for the .270 win. I personally like the H4350 in my rifle, it shines like a new penny with 130 Accubonds, 130 TTsx's, 130 grain Ballistic Tips..... My son found a nice load for his Handi-Rifle, 130 grain Speer BTSP's with IMR 4350. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

February 23, 2013, 08:38 AM	#12
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	I agree on the powder, but I want to use it up. I will be replacing it with something better once its gone. These are just range rounds, so if performance suffers, I will adjust the recipe and try again next weekend. Also, this is for a 22" barrel.

February 23, 2013, 09:28 AM	#13
zplinker Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2011 Location: way out here Posts: 262	Hornady reloading books list Re-22 for the 270 w/130 gr. bullets, and I've used that a fair amount. Out of a 22" barrel, these chronographed at 3150 fps, and shot very well. I wouldn't write off the 'slow' powders.

February 23, 2013, 10:55 AM	#14
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,586	I have tried numerous powders with the .270 win, but I obtained the most repeatable accuracy and precision from the powders I listed in my previous post. Heck I even tried H1000 with 140 grain B-Tips, but it wasn't good for me with accuracy or precision.. Use what powder you like young man, but we're just trying to get you on the right path with your bullet testing..... (save your powder), and try to find more suitable powders and you will be happier with your results! __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

February 23, 2013, 10:59 AM	#15
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	I am leaving for the range now, I will report back on how these work. Thanks for the help everyone.

February 23, 2013, 02:58 PM	#16
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	Here's some shooting from today, 4 shots back to back in each area, 100 yards. The 4th shot was consistently off, I'm attributing that to barrel temperature. The 4th shot for 58gr didn't hit the paper. The 56gr shots were the first of the day, so I think it was more me than the bullets. The second target were shots 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 of the day. 56.5 was very accurate, and also very easy on my shoulder, so I think I will load some at 56.25 56.5 and 56.75 with varying bullet depth and crimps for next weekend. Also, by no means I am a good shooter, this is my second time shooting a rifle. Lower left is actually 57.5gr, not 57 Last edited by RCP Fab; February 23, 2013 at 03:20 PM.

February 24, 2013, 11:39 AM	#18
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	Thanks! 3.230" just shows signs of touching the rifling. I am going to load some at 3.200, 3.210, and 3.220 for next weekend.

February 24, 2013, 06:37 PM	#19
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,586	I usually wait until a satisfactory powder charge weight has been found, then I start tweaking the oal. that way you waste nothing, including time and money. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

February 24, 2013, 06:42 PM	#20
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	Good to know. I just bought a primer pocket uniformer, its cutting the pockets to .126" (i believe the spec is .125-.132" If I bottom out the primer, it ends up being about .015" below flush. I am assuming that I should NOT bottom it out, and shoot for that .001-.003 below flush spec, is that correct?

February 25, 2013, 10:31 AM	#21
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	Next weekends loads. 56.5gr, extended the length to 3.220, 70% factory crimp. Still nervous about not crimping, I'll work up to that.

February 25, 2013, 11:05 AM	#22
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	My Winchester has a bit longer throat then average, but its a hunting rifle so I load to fit the magazine. Then tweak it a bit for accuracy but it still needs to fit the magazine. I don't pay much attention to the cannelure nor do I crimp ANY rifle cases. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

February 25, 2013, 06:33 PM	#23
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,586	Me either, as there normally is plenty of neck tension to hold bullets fast. That primer question thing I'm still thinking about, because I use an RCBS hand priming tool, and I just bottom the primer into the pocket, and spin the case 90 degrees and squeeze it again. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

February 25, 2013, 06:37 PM	#24
RCP Fab Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2013 Posts: 113	I set these primers to just under flush. In my mind, the explosion in the case that shoots the bullet out, should also push the primer back, so having it as close to the bolt as possible makes the most sense to me. But..... my mind has misconstrued things before.

February 25, 2013, 06:48 PM	#25
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,586	quote: I set the primer just under flush. so having it as close to the bolt as possible makes the most sense to me. Well not to me or anyone else for that matter, look the deeper you push that primer in the further away from the bolt face it goes........ but nevermind that, are you using a "hand priming tool"? If so just run the primer in until it stops......... there isn't any good reason to push on it further, get what I'm saying dude?.... I use CCI primers, (because I alway have) and they come to a stop when I push them in, and I don't push any further..... __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.