Need help on reloading 270 Win for Whitetail

Do you have powders now? If so, which ones?

I started down the same road about 9 months ago after a 50 year layout, and 270 Win was one of my first projects. Tried a lot of stuff, but finished with 130 Hornady Interlocks over either IMR4350 or H4831sc powder. Got them running at factory level velocity and printing sub MOA groups from a sporter rifle. Not sure one can ask for more than that.

I've been loading 270 for friend using good ole IMR 3031 and H4350 with Speer Hot cores because I that was the only hunting bullet I could find. I'd prefer ELDx or Interlocks but they just haven't been available.

If you have to go with factory ammo, Norma Whitetail has been readily available and works very well in my friend's Rem 700.

Midway has had 130 grain Interlocks and 150 grain Speer Hot Cor. Bought some Interlocks last week.

Right now, you're probably going to have to work with what you can find.

My favorite powders for the .270 are IMR4831 and H4831SC, lately it's all been H4831HC. I normally load Nosler 130 BTs and ABs to over 3150+ FPS due to my 24" barrels. On paper there's just a couple click difference in POI between the two. Longest shot I've taken and made to date was a little over 440 meters on an Austrian Chamois. I've yet to lose an animal, nor has one required a 2nd shot.

I worked up both 150 and 140 grain loads, but for some reason have just stuck with the 130s.

Chuck R. said:

Right now, you're probably going to have to work with what you can find.

My favorite powders for the .270 are IMR4831 and H4831SC, lately it's all been H4831HC. I normally load Nosler 130 BTs and ABs to over 3150+ FPS due to my 24" barrels. On paper there's just a couple click difference in POI between the two. Longest shot I've taken and made to date was a little over 440 meters on an Austrian Chamois. I've yet to lose an animal, nor has one required a 2nd shot.

I worked up both 150 and 140 grain loads, but for some reason have just stock with the 130s.

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This is my go to for my .270...

Well you are in good shape for powder, 3031, 4064, 4831, and 4350 are all good choices for the .270. Now all you need is more cases and some dies.
I just bought this set and it's working fine for me. If you don't use the factory crimp than you might look at other 2 die sets. But this is probably the most economical set you'll find and personally, I use the FC.
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....-length-pacesetter-3-die-set-with-shellholder

Hornady interlocks are fine bullets. Get ya a set of Lee dies and good luck. Midway will have free shipping again this week I bet and has bullets in stock.

I tried IMR 4064, IMR 4350, H4350, WC852 and IMR 4831. It is impossible to say that any are "bad". They all produced good groups out to 300 yards. IMR 4831 gave outstanding accuracy and a little more velocity than all the other powders, with 130's and 150 grain bullets.



However, check with a ballistic calculator and figure out when the bullet drops to sub sonic. Unless you target your rifle at distance, you don't know if the bullets are tumbling when they drop below sub sconic.

This was a surprise, I actually thought the rifle or scope had broke, but, I came to the conclusion these bullets tumbled at 600 yards

More or less held the ten ring at 300 yards



surprise, tumbling



The "long range" shooting promoted by the inprint crowd is a crock. These guys don't shoot past 100 yards, but they assume the bullet stays nice and stable all the way out, like 1500 yards. But, until you actually determine what the bullet is doing, in your rifle, with your load, at your max distance, you don't know if the bullet is stable or not.

I am of the opinion that given all the bullet makers have 300 yard wind tunnels, all these hunting bullets will be stable, at factory ammunition velocities, out to 300 yards. But beyond that, unless they publish results, they don't know, and you don't know. Everyone is just assuming.

White Tail are not hard to kill, we use H4831sc and 140 AB bullet for excellent accuracy and leaving lots of blood to follow.

You should be fine! I still have 3x9x40"s on a couple of my rifles, one on my 30-30 is an early 80's Bushnell.

I shot a Ruger 77 270 for over 20 years. My go to load was a 130 gr Speer HotCor over a medium load of IMR-4350. Shot a couple of mulies and a whitetail between 350-425 yards, but most were under 100 yards. These were shot with my rifle sighted in 3" high at 100 yards. That put it 4" high at 200 yards and around 12-14" low at 400. This was before the laser range finders came into being. Now I use a BDC reticle and a range finder. Only shot 150gr Hornady on 2 deer. Didn't open up quick enough for me, but should work well on elk.

The 270 Win made its reputation with 130 grain bullets, and that was the bullet weight Jack O'Connor wrote about most of the time. And based on a sample size of one deer, shot with a 130 gr bullet in a 30-06, depending where and what that bullet hits, the damage can be spectacular. My shot hit the ball and socket joint on the hip and totally ruined the leg, the femur was shattered. Took a second shot through the neck to end the suffering of the poor thing.

My rifles never shot the 130's as tightly as the 150's, and that might be due to throat dimensions and bullet wobble. But, they shoot well out to 300 yards in a number of rifles



this FN Deluxe has a 1950's chromed barrel and its accuracy is acceptable but not exceptional



my lot of WC852 is a little slower burning than AA2700. This cartridge likes slower burning powders.



Now the thing is, even 130's float, and probably tumble at distance. All those 800 yard shot touted by the inprint guys, I do not believe they actually have shot on paper at that distance, and therefore they don't know what the bullet is doing.

those high shots, I am going to say, tumbling



these nines, I am going to say tumbling, or, very wind sensitive at distance. Can't be due to me right? (I did not shoot enough of them to find out whether it was me or tumbling/wind drift)



greasing my bullets

I load for my .270 using 140gr. Game Kings and IMR4831. They work for me YMMV.

The OP states he wants a 400 yard load for whitetails. Has he ever shot at 400 yards? Will he ever shoot at 400 yards?

There is absolutely no need to over-think this, there are many bullets which will work just fine for the .270. This cartridge has been around almost 100 years and in spite of “new and improved” components, tried and true combinations are well known. For practical purposes any of the pointy 130-grain bullets will work great for him, but some will lighten his wallet more than others. While IMR3031 will go bang, slower powders like the 4831s, RL22 and 4350 will give higher velocities for those long shots. It’s not rocket science….even though many seem to think it is.




.

A good 130 gr bullet and a maximum charge of either H4831 or H4831. It's what Jack O'Connor was using and is a standard hunting load for that caliber. Personally I have found that Spitzer boat tails shot better in my rifle. At 800 yards (shooting steel) a 130 gr Remington core-lock would bracket the target where a 135 gr Sierra Match kings would hit it consistently. But test your particularly rifle.

Also, I recommend you DO NOT grease your bullets. This antiquated practice originally used to reduce fowling on Cupronickel used in WW I era ammunition. Any grease on the case reduces the ability of the case to adhere to the chamber and greatly increased bolt thrust.

I've had very good success with IMR 4350 and 130gr Speer/Sierra bullets.

alnukem said:

The biggest scope I have is an old simmons 6.5-20x44 Whitetail Classic. It has been rock solid. I'll use that for load development.

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Yes, develop your load with the rifle and scope you will use to hunt with.

Find what your gun likes. I went through about 10 loads until I found the one that works the best for my rifle. Settled on 42.5 grains of IMR-4064 under a Hornady 150gr old fashioned spire point. It's what my rifle shoots the best so far. I also set the COAL a little longer than most due to the chamber on my rifle. This load will drive tacks in MY rifle. YMMV.

Only you can find out what works best for your rifle etc... Anything that anyone tells you on the internet is just a starting point that would need to be checked for your rifle. I have had the same loads shoot different in the same model and caliber rifle. The only difference was that it was physically a different gun. It was the same make and model though.

Ive been loading 130 gr. Sierra Game Kings, StaBall 6.5 powder, Sellier and Bellot primers and new PRVI brass. Simply what I have on hand. Great loads. Very fast. Took a nice mule deer buck at 125 yds with my 270. First shot dropped the animal. I would not shy away from 130 gr. Sierra Pro Hunters or 130 gr. Nosler Accubonds either.