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I just purchased a .270 Win and I'm looking for some advice about bullet weight, style and powder selection. Anyone out there got any favorite recipes to share? Or, any bullets or powder to avoid?
I'm mostly interested in a decent hunting load, even though this will not be my primary hunting rifle.
 
This could probably rate as one of the most virulent topics ever, on any forum at any time. Only thing more powerful is "Which is better: .30-06 or .270"?? Close runnerup (at least on this forum) is "Glocks are crap" (followed closely by "Glocks rule!"). Wait. Maybe the all-time great is " Model 1911's rule or are crap: you decide!"

Got my first .270 when I was 15. I'm 55 now. Shot the caliber every year, gophers to bears. Killed something with it most years. Been through 4 of them now. Reloaded from day one. Shot factory rounds too.

Here's where I am now: Will not discount the possibility of a new guy or another old guy coming up with something better. (Old guys get more credit, and will probably allow me the same latitude.)

For Deer , Antelope, Black Bear and Sheep (proven on each): 130g Nosler Ballistic Tip, propelled by 58.0g of IMR4831, and a Federal 210 Gold Match benchrest primer.

For Elk (proven): 150g Nosler Ballistic Tip, propelled by 56.5g of IMR4831, and a Federal 210 Gold Match benchrest primer.

If you are not acquainted with Jack O'Connor, get that way now.

You will notice my preference in these later years for the Ballistic Tips. All reports of them being light duty are false in my experience. The 150g smacked a 6x6 Bob Marshall Wilderness bull Elk in Montana directly in the ball of the shoulder at 175 yards. The bullet made it completely through the far shoulder blade, devastating the heart and lungs. The animal plowed a furrow of 3-foot snow when he fell on the run. Other elk kills were less spectacular, but just as rapid.

My preference for the Ballistic Tips resides in their gilt-edge accuracy that is unequalled in this caliber and this gun (M700 Stainless BDL). That combined with their explosive arrival effect combined with necessary integrity has cemented my reliance upon them.

As always, these are "internet loads", and so not only do I caution you to work up, I recommend you hold them suspect until you prove them otherwise.

Attached here is Mister Dall. Taken on a self-guided drop-camp hunt in the Brooks Range, Alaska. (Lest you believe I'm a "pay-to-hunt" guy.) The 130 grain load worked hard and fast at 375 yards. The hardest I've worked for anything in my entire life, but I knew I had the right tool.

Jack said so.
 
Currently shooting a model 70 AW rifle in 270 130 partition 60 HC4831 using Winchester Large rifle primers and Winchester cases it has been one of those standard loads since the beginning of time shooting around 3100. In my gun I have gotten 3 shot 1/2 groups at 200 yards I always stop at three when I have a good day :).

I would not hesitate to shoot this round for any thing in Oregon including elk. For 150 grain round I was using 56-58 grain of H4831SC. I don't shoot them often but again my bullet of choice is a partition for some reason I have not been able to shoot Accubonds very well. Another option would be the 140 grain Accubond it would be a great round if you can get them to shoot. The 130 just seems to go hand in hand with the 270.

I have not shot the ballistic tip you can't argue with spitpatch's record. I am in the 50's range as well but a new convert from the 06 to the 270. I was concerned with the ballistic tip holding up at close range with the 270? I am shooting some 165 grains ballistic tips in my 308 and they are very accurate.

PS. No matter what load start under and work up watching for pressure signs.
 
I shoot a Ruger 77 and my wife shoots a Winchester model 70 in .270. Our favorite hunting loads are:
1: 130 grain Sierra Game Kings over 55.0 grains of IMR 4350.
2: 150 grain Nosler Partions over 53.0 grains of IMR 4350.
We use CCI 200 primers when we can find them but have used Remington primers and have not seen a difference in accuracy or performance.
Both rifles like these loads. We have found .270's to be very easy to load for.
Start with less powder and work your way up for safety.
 
ehunter: My experience with the Ballistic Tip (spanning all calibers I've used on big game, .22 to .30), is that they expand at all ranges/velocities and that is why they kill so well. Most normally, on a broadside closer range shot, you might observe what you think is no exit hole, and then upon skinning you will find a very small exit where the bottom solid copper wafer of the bullet (and perhaps some jacket) did get out.

Longer range impacts result in what I would call "normal" exit holes, or the classic "mushroom found under the far skin".

If I was in the habit of shooting animals in the fanny and expecting my bullet to range forward into the chest cavity, I would not choose this bullet.

I am not in that destestable habit.

As for Quiet Man's choice of the Sierra, that was my choice as well for years.
 
Thanks to those that responded. The choices of the Ballistic Tip and the Partition mimic what I have done for years with my '06. Ballistic Tips for deer, Partitions for elk. I've also used the IMR4831 for a few loads in the '06, so I'll probably start there.

Anyone use any of the RL powders (RL 19, RL22) in the .270?

The reason that this won't be my primary hunting rifle has to do with the combination of weather here and my stainless, synthetic stocked '06. Many days in the treestand when it's pouring down all day makes for less to worry about once I get home.
But since this will be (at least for now) the backup gun, for myself and the others in out family hunting party, I'm looking to be well prepared.

Thanks again.
 
From Spitpatch:
For Elk (proven): 150g Nosler Ballistic Tip, propelled by 56.5g of IMR4831, and a Federal 210 Gold Match benchrest primer.
This load is indeed proven. Although we used a different bullet (Sierra 150gr SPBT), this was the "go to" load for elk for 10 years in elk camp.
There were about 6 of us that shot the .270, and every one of us had great accuracy out of it, killing many many elk along the way (3 for me). Many different rifles too. Rugers, Rems, Wins and Mausers.
In the coldest of years (2nd season NE OR, <20*F) we would switch to a CCI magnum primer.

I have had so much great luck with 150s in the .270 I have all but given up the 130gr bullet.
Not much velocity is sacrificed, and the accuracy, BC (range) and stopping power is phenomenal.
Part of this is due to the way many factory .270s are currently throated. Their long throats really like the longer 150gr bullets.

Since I do more target stuff than hunting nowadays, I am working on a load for the Sierra 135gr HPBT MK, and looking forward to the Nosler 150gr ALR.

The 130s killed many deer for me over the years though. The longest shot I ever made was with a 130gr Rem CorLokt factory factory round, on a buck that was trotting through a rocky area. 325yds across a shallow swale, and that buck dropped in his tracks with both shoulders shattered and his aorta shredded.

I have tried many powders over the years and have found the 4350s, the 4831s, RL19 and 22 to work the best, but I have some RL17 to tryout soon.

The "other" powder one should look for when loading for the .270 is Norma's MRP.
If you happen to stumble upon some, grab it.
It is unequaled for driving the 150s, but data can be hard to find.
"They" say RL22 is the same thing, but I have found it to be less consistent than the old MRP we used to use.
 
I'm shooting 130 Barnes tsx's over 54 gr of RL 17. I'm getting right at max listed velocities from a 24" barrel and great accuracy. I've killed a couple elk with this load, one shot and down both times. Full penetration at 230 yds. My rifles haven't shot the 4831 powders as well, not nearly the velocity of the RL17. I keep meaning to try RL19 and one or two others but not sure what I'd be looking for!
 
My load for deer is 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips with a max load of H4831sc, WLR primers and Nosler brass. My current .270 is a Wby Vanguard and accuracy is under 1 inch at 100 yards. I'm on my third .270 Win and the Ballistic Tips and H4831 have worked in all three of them very well. Sierra 130 grain GameKings worked well in two of them but my current .270 doesn't shot them very well. My .270 is my backup elk rifle this year and I'm going to develop a 140 grain Accubond load for it.
 
My favorite 270 load is a max charge of H4831sc behind a 130gr Hornady SST. My current 270 (a left hand Tikka T3) prefers this bullet over the Nosler bt. Remington brass & Winchester LR primer. I am locked in on this load, stubborn. Too many positive results to change.. If your just starting out, I would heed the advice of the guys promoting the 150gr loadings.
 
Note to all that responded;
Since I started this thread 2 1/2 years ago the .270 went down the road. It was the gun, not the cartridge that prompted the sale.
I'm still hunting with a 30-06, but someday would like to give the .270 a fair shake. You all have just reinforced what I thought I knew and hopefully this thread will be helpful to other, new (or old) .270 shooters.

As a side note, when using RL22 in the 30-06, SD and velocity spread (high to low) was improved with a magnum powder. Not only that, the velocity achieved with a standard powder was matched with a magnum primer and one grain less powder.

Thanks again to all that participated here.
 
The guy I hunt with reloads all my rounds for me (.270 win) and uses Reloader 22 powder. I use 140gr nozler partitions, figure that is good for deer or elk with proper bullet placement. My rifle gets 3/4 inch groups with that load.

He uses the same powder with my father-in-law's .300 win mag and I can't tell you what a difference it makes! With regular loads you pull the trigger and the rifle HITS you, but with the reloader 22 it is more of a push.

Obviously, I am not a reloader, but I can tell you that powder seems to make a huge difference.
 
With Orygun's (deserved) resurrection of this thread, I thought I'd advise that even now I am still learning about .270's.

People keep buyin' .270's (imagine that), and keep droppin' 'em off for accurizing and working up loads. Most recent project was a new M700 CDL, purchased by the wife of a ranch foreman in Prineville. Foreman has had great lifetime success with the .270, and currently uses it regularly on deer, elk, and coyotes, all with the 130g bullet. So, when the gun was dropped off with me, that was the bullet weight specified as preference.

With the good chance this new gun might regularly be employed on elk, I thought I'd try the Accubond offering (I believed as perhaps many others do that the Accubond is merely a Ballistic Tip with more engineered integrity). I might also at this point say that the new CDL 700 is in my opinion second only to the Classic for visual appeal. Kudos to Ranch Wife for her taste. The gun would come to endear itself to me in ways other than esthetics as well.

Initial indications off the bench (after glass bedding, free-floating, trigger work and careful handloads) showed the Accubonds falling short of what I was used to from Ballistic Tips (for accuracy).

Repeated trials (back and forth between the two styles) confirmed those indications. I really wanted the best of both worlds: increased integrity along with perfect accuracy. Such is attainable, but rare in my experience. It should be said here that Ballistic Tips are NOT the bullet they originally were, that suffered from reports (never in my experience) of too much fragility for big game: they have been improved in that regard, with little if any sacrifice where accuracy is concerned. I certainly believe the Accubond to be a very accurate bullet. It is not (as the Ballistic Tip has proven to be) an EXTREMELY accurate bullet. Average groups in this new rifle (after glass bedding,free-floating, trigger work and careful handloading) show the 130g AB at 1.28". The BT will produce an average of .93" . Please note these are AVERAGES, not "this gun will shoot such and such size group" (occasionally).This means the Accubond will quite frequently shoot sub-inch groups (very accurate in a big game rifle).

But the Ballistic Tip launched out of this gun will almost ALWAYS land less than an inch from the last one launched.

For those doubting new Remington accuracy, this beats my beloved sheep rifle from an earlier era that I put more work into.

To make a long story short, I discovered that for this rifle at least, Accubonds' accuracy cannot compare to that reliable precision I have enjoyed without fail from the Ballistic Tip.

I will also state the case that in some scenarios a bit more integrity may be more desirable than a bit more accuracy, especially for the largest game.

Casual glance at the factory boxes for each is educational. Descriptive phrases advertising attributes of each bullet curiously (and revealingly) differ in regards to accuracy.

Apparently Nosler beat me to my discovery.
 

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