.270 Winchester, Best mid-range load?

[GunsmithWw]

I'm looking at some loads for 200-450 yards for maximum effect and devastation, don't really care about the speed as much but I need consistency. Pointers? Was intending to use the 140gr Nosler BT (yellow nose)...

[kraigwy]

I use 150s..........Hornady SST's for practice and IB's for hunting. The SST's are cheaper but have the same BC as the IB's. Same sight settings, same velocity.

50 Grs of 4350 makes a nice accurate load in my Model 70 Featherweight.

Wacked this guy at 586 yards last fall. Turned his lungs into what looked like coffee grounds.

[hooligan1]

I don't use "heavy for caliber" bullets in this cartridge because I think that overall bullet designs have improved the 130 grain line up nicely for the .270 winchester.
I did use 140 grain partitions in one rifle years ago and I'm presently working up the same load for my daughter.
I just love the flat trajectory of the 130 grainers, in which I like to pair them up with H4350. And I use Accubonds, Ballistic Tips, TTSX's, and Partitions.

[BumbleBug]

I suggest that you work up a full density load of H4831 behind those 140's. But I will agree with hooligan1 that 130gr bullets are the best choice for the .270 in general. Try some Sierra SBT GK. They shoot & perform great for a mid-range load.

...bug

[JD0x0]

I think any decent bullet in .270 win should take down a deer no problem especially with a "stout" load of powder. I think an 83 grain moving at 3800fps+ will kill just as well as a 130gr @ 3100fps or a 150 at 2880fps.

Im assuming the main difference would be trajectory (faster lighter=flatter obviously) and meat damage, the faster bullets probably destroy more meat.

An 83 grain will still have over 850ft/lbs of energy with the bullet traveling over 2100fps @ 500 yrds. The heavier bullets will tend to have more energy at that range because they carry more mass to the target and generally have better BC's.

[Colorado Redneck]

Nice goat! 270 is a great caliber. Interesting to note how the IB worked that great at the remaining velocity at almost 600 yards. With the .525 bc it is still ripping along at over 2000 fps. Thanks for posting that!

[Clark]

I have killed a lot of mule deer between 400 and 500 yards with 50 gr IMR4895 and 130 gr Nosler Ballistic tip.
From a 22" feather weight barrel that is only 2850 fps, but it really gets the job done.

[JD0x0]

Thought this would be cool to share. 270 win, 82gr "ER Raptor" by Cutting Edge Bullets, ballistics test.

http://youtu.be/rfPpJNvSRUQ

[twobit]

I gotta vote for the 130 grain bullet

[Mike / Tx]

I have several very good loads for our .270, but the one that I keep coming back to time and time again is using 46.5grs of IMR-3031, under the Nosler 130gr BT or Solid Base.

It ain't fast, it ain't fancy, but it shoots bug holes for groups out to 300yds and drops deer and hogs like they were hit with lightning.

That is the thing with the Ballistic Tip you don't have to push them to uber velocities straining both brass and bolts. They work just fine at the most mundane velocities that most consider a target load.

[dahermit]

I don't use "heavy for caliber" bullets in this cartridge because I think that overall bullet designs have improved the 130 grain line up nicely for the .270 winchester.

I find it interesting that the .270's reputation was made using 130 grain bullets that were not of the "improved" (and expensive), variety. Jack O'Connor, et. AL., did not seem to have much trouble with 130 grain standard bullets in the .270.
Having had both 30-06's and a .270, I could not see the logic of using 150 grain bullets in a .270 when it would appear that they did not show much of any advantage over a 150 grain bullet in the 30-06. I am now too old and lazy to open the manuals for ballistic data and figure it out...maybe someone could explain it to me. If you want to use a 150 grain bullet in a .270, why not just use a 30-06?

[Jimro]

Sectional density.

.277" (.270) 130 grain, SD .242
.277" (.270) 150 grain, SD .279
.308" (7.62mm) 150 grain, SD .226
.308" (7.62mm) 180 grain, SD .271

Put it this way, a 150gr 270 bullet has a higher sectional density than a 180gr 30 cal bullet.

You really don't need that for deer or smaller, but on elk or bear it makes a lot of sense. Also for long shots a heavy bullet with good BC is a better choice than a light bullet that "shoots flat."

Jimro

[JerryM]

I agree that the 130 gr bullet loaded to about 3100 fps is about as good as you can do for deer size game. I have not found any need for bullets other than the standard Hornady, Sierra, or Speer depending upon which shoots the best in your gun.

Deer and antelope are not difficult to penetrate so unless I were going to hunt elk I prefer the faster expanding bullets over the so called premium bullets. If I were to hunt elk with the .270 I would use something like Barnes or Nosler partition.

Jerry

[Slamfire]

I went out and did some load testing in my FN Deluxe 270 which has a 24” barrel. Most barrels on 270's today are 22 inches. I was surprised that only Federal factory broke 3000 fps with 130’s and none of my early attempts with 130 reloads broke 3000 fps. A number of combinations were less than 2900 fps.

The 150 grain bullet was the most accurate in this barrel but the velocity was only 2704 fps. Now I have not gone out and tried to load test to primer piercing loads, (yet) but I can push a 150 grain bullet faster in a 308.

I think 130’s are the best overall bullet in a 270 Win. I shot a 270 Win a couple of times in Silhouette matches and the match director would fuss at me for pitting the 200 yard targets with 130’s. It seemed those bullets arrived at 200 yards instantly after the trigger broke. Bang!, Clang! My recollection the 130’s were running out of gas around 400 yards, but up to that distance they were flat and fast. Four hundred yards is about 100 yards further than most people should be shooting at game anyway.

FN Deluxe  24" Barrel 				
							
			
								
130 gr Winchester Power Point SP Factory 					
								
29 Dec 2011 T =  51 °F						
								
Ave Vel =	2789			 				
Std Dev =	17			 				
ES =	42			 				
High =	2809			 				
Low =	2767			 				
N =	5							
								
								
130 gr Federal Hi Shok Factory						
								
29 Dec 2011 T =  51 °F						
								
Ave Vel =	3028			 				
Std Dev =	38			 				
ES =	103			 				
High =	3088			 				
Low =	2985			 				
N =	5							
								
			
								
130 gr R-P Bronze Point 55.0 grains H4350 wtd lot 22655 R-P cases WLR OAL 3.250"	
								
8 Feb 2012 T =  50 °F 							
								
Ave Vel =	2757			 				
Std Dev =	20			 				
ES =	38			 				
High =	2772		 	 				
Low =	2734		 	 				
N =	3							
								
130 gr Nosler BT  55.0 grains H4350 wtd lot 22655 R-P cases WLR OAL 3.3"		
								
29 Dec 2011 T =  50 °F 						
								
Ave Vel =	2833							
Std Dev =	15							
ES =	39							
High =	2848							
Low =	2809							
N =	5								

130 gr Federal Fusion (pulled)  55.0 grs IMR4350 wtd lot RBS (60's) mixed cases Fed 210S OAL 3.225"
					 	 		
8 Feb 2012 T =  50 °F 							
								
Ave Vel =	2942			 				
Std Dev =	5			 				
ES =	10			 				
High =	2948			 				
Low =	2938			 				
N =	5							
								
								
130 gr Nosler  55.0 grs AA 4350 wtd lot 9-95 Rem cases WLR OAL 3.250"		
								
8 Feb 2012 T =  50 °F 							
								
Ave Vel =	2961							
Std Dev =	6							
ES =	16							
High =	2967							
Low =	2951							
N =	5							
								
						
150 gr Speer Flat Base  53.0 grains H4350 wtd lot 22655 R-P cases WLR OAL 3.250"	
								
29 Dec 2011 T =  51 °F 						
								
Ave Vel =	2704			 				
Std Dev =	18			 				
ES =	49			 				
High =	2727			 				
Low =	2678			 				
N =	5

[dahermit]

Put it this way, a 150gr 270 bullet has a higher sectional density than a 180gr 30 cal bullet.
You really don't need that for deer or smaller, but on elk or bear it makes a lot of sense

. For elk or bear, does it not make more sense to use a 30-06 with 180 or in the case of bear, 190, 220 grain bullets and not a .270 at all? If we accept the concept that one cartridge can do it all (well), then we as gun enthusiasts cannot justify having so many guns that fit a "niche". The .270's "niche", seems to be in the light-bodied (as in Deer, Antelope, Sheep and Goats as per Jack O'Connor),game niche. Not elk, not bear, etc. , which are arguably better served with bigger calibers and heavier bullets.

[dahermit]

.270 Winchester, Best mid-range load?
I'm looking at some loads for 200-450 yards...

450 yards is way beyond my "mid-range" distance.

[603Country]

I use the 130 gr yellow tip over 59 gr of H4831sc. I used the load for years before a couple of books said it was above max. It is an extremely effective load that I have used out to 450 yards. A couple hundred deer have not survived the encounter.

[Jimro]

. For elk or bear, does it not make more sense to use a 30-06 with 180 or in the case of bear, 190, 220 grain bullets and not a .270 at all? If we accept the concept that one cartridge can do it all (well), then we as gun enthusiasts cannot justify having so many guns that fit a "niche". The .270's "niche", seems to be in the light-bodied (as in Deer, Antelope, Sheep and Goats as per Jack O'Connor),game niche. Not elk, not bear, etc. , which are arguably better served with bigger calibers and heavier bullets.

Key word there is "arguably." Jack O'Connor's "other rifle" was a 30-06, with a Sukhail barrel if I recall correctly. Jack used it for the "big stuff" in America.

If you were hunting deer in bear country, having 150 gr bullets in your 270 Win would be cheap "just in case" insurance. Personally I think the 270 Win is just fine for elk and black bear. I'd start to feel a tad loose in the bowels going after Alaskan brown bear or grizzly deliberately with a 270, but if I only had the choice between a 30-06 with 150gr bullets and a 270 Win with 150gr bullets I would reach for the 270.

Knowing how many Scandinavian moose have been taken down with the 6.5x55 and how many African plains game have fallen to the 7x57 I have a healthy respect for high sectional density bullets at a moderate velocity. The 270 with 150gr bullets has only slightly less SD, but quite a bit more velocity, than those two old standbys.

Jimro

[JD0x0]

People seem to forget that you can handload 180 grainers in a .270 with a SD of .334 for the bigger stuff. Just for reference...

info for comparison.
.308" (7.62mm) 220 grain, SD .331
.338" (.338) 250 grain, SD .313
.458" (.45) 500 grain, SD .341


Not saying that a 30-06 couldn't do a better job, but there isn't much that a 30-06 can do that a .270 cant do. If we really want to take down elk and bears we'd probably be better off with a .338-06 or .35 whelen anyway.

[BumbleBug]

I grew up reading Jack O'Conner's Outdoor Life articles every month. I've been hooked on the .270 Win cartridge ever since.

The biggest animal I ever shot with a rifle was a feral boar hog that dressed 265lbs. The shot also happened to be my most precise long range shot at 480 yards. The hog dropped like he was hit by lightening! The bullet did not exit. I was shooting 130gr Speer SP in front of 57gr of IMR-4831.

Here of late, I have had the opportunity to shoot enough axis deer to come to some definite conclusions also. Axis deer have a body about like a large muley buck. A really good axis can top 200lbs. Again, the a fore mentioned 130gr load drops them with no doubt. I have only one recovered bullet from an axis & it weighs 80grs. I tried some of the newer "lead-free" bullets & they worked just fine, but I've switched back to my traditional Speer hot cores. Why mess with a good thing!

I can't comment on the bigger stuff, but it just doesn't seem right to shoot anything but 130grs out of a .270 - at least to me. Maybe its because the trajectory is burned into my brain!

BTW: I had to make a lot of chili to eat up that stinkin' ol' hog!

...bug

[jimbob86]

I went out and did some load testing in my FN Deluxe 270 which has a 24” barrel. Most barrels on 270's today are 22 inches. I was surprised that only Federal factory broke 3000 fps with 130’s and none of my early attempts with 130 reloads broke 3000 fps. A number of combinations were less than 2900 fps.

I found similar results when I got my Chronograph ....... out of my Remmy 721, most 130 gr factory loads* did not make 3.1K f/sec -some did not make 3K ....... and none of the handload recipes did either.

Sierra's 150's exceeded expectations, and retain enough velocity past 400 to pass through a buck's chest. They will go through a deer's chest at short range as well, not going "poof" on impact like the Silvertips did.....


*this was just prior to the advent of "Premium Ammo" in the '90's, including Hornady's "Frontier", Remington Express, Winchester Super-X, and Winchester Silvertips.

[Colorado Redneck]

I have a load from an older Hornady book that produces 3160 fps with no pressure signs. It shoots pretty accurate, and I chronied the load a couple of times. Model 70 post '64 with 24 inch barrel. New books have down loaded the caliber, either for lawyers of profits. Even at 3060 the 130 gr. 270 Win is a fine round for deer and antelopes.

For the 30-06 folks, a .277 cal 150 gr. IB has a BC of .525. If you look up the trajectory and remaining energy at 400 yards comparing the 150 gr. IB in both calibers, the 270 wins by a nose, even if it starts slower than the '06.

Consider how many elk were slaughtered with black powder rifles. A well placed shot from a 270 will work every bit as good as the same shot from an '06. Nosler makes a 160 gr. partition that can be mailed at about the same velocity as a 165 gr. partition from an '06. Better SD. Whats not to like?

Just MO---carry on

[trobin]

Now I wanna get rid of a box of 150 Sst's and 3/4 box of 140 accubonds.

[Colorado Redneck]

Why? 150 gr SST's are great bullets. 140 Accubond is considered a good all around bullet, has a good BC, and some say the Accubond is the best big game bullet on the market. Use'em!

[trobin]

Thinking of working with the 130 bt's and accubonds. I began working the 140's but ran out of powder and haven't started with the 150's. South Louisiana deer are small (average 100-150 lbs) and shots are generally within 300 yards (vast majority 100-200). I mostly use a 100 grain 25-06 because that is more than enough.