What is Your Best 270 Winchester Load?

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A long time hunting buddy told me that his Rem 700 in 270 Win "just wouldn't group with 130 grain bullets, regardless of manufacture. He was using 150 grain factory loads which grouped okay, about 2 MOA, but I never could figure out why. I ended up getting the rifle from him and found out immediately why he was having issues. The factory cartridge length was too short for the leade.
I loaded some Hornady 130 SPBTs over some H4831SC and the overall length to the limit of the magazine box-presto! The groups went under 1 MOA and very satisfying to shoot. I stayed a couple of grains under max recommended load and its turned out to be one fine shooting rifle.
 
Different cases, new, once fired, commercial, surplus LC, different dates and arsenals etc, different powders with different loads with different bullets, different weights and manufactures.

12 different loads of 10 rounds each, I took a 270 Winchester I built to the firing range in an effort to determine 'what the rifle liked'. I did not adjust the scope after the first 10 rounds, the groups moved but did not spread, there was not one group that could not be covered with a quarter, some groups shared the same hole as another group.

I delivered the rifle with another 120 rounds loaded in groups of 10, again with different head stamps. I ask the new owner to take the rifle with ammo to the range to determine the most accurate combination.

A waste of time, he said he used the first 2 rounds of each set of 10 to center the scope, after centering, the last eight rounds shared a hole smaller than my quarter sized hole.

Upside? he returned the 120 cases in a box and apologized for mixing them up, not a problem, all I had to do was separate the cases by head stamp.

later he called to explain he had difficulty when taking the rifle apart (separating the action from the stock), and I ask "You took that rifle apart!!?

F. Guffey
 
Just reading back over the thread again and I note a few saying that the 270 isn't too good with 150g bullets. I would like to disagree on that.

Through my loading of bullets from 90 to 160g in this chambering I find the 150 loses nothing to the more popular 130. In a 24 inch barrel with 150g bullets, 2950fps is easily and safely gettable with slow powders. In fact there is plenty of official data going to 3000fps.

With BCs of around or over 0.5, the 150g bullet at those speeds gives so little away in trajectory to the 130g as to be of no matter to the hunter.

In my tests and hunts with the 150g SST in particular, I also found it penetrated better and expanded more than most 130s. The only 130g that I have found that penetrates further than the 150g SST or 150g BT was the 130g Partition. However the partition did not expand as much.

While I do use a variety of 130 grain bullets in my 270 Win, the 150g loads have been a standby for me. I generally only buy 130s these days if they are heavily discounted and too good to pass up.

The new 150g Accubond LR may well be a good excuse for those that haven't tried 150s in their 270 Win to give them a try!
 
I just got this new 270 back from the range yesterday. I shot 3 different bullets and loads through it. I really did not finish due to the heat (out there for 3 hours) and the painful process of breaking in a new barrel.

So far the rifle had not shown any real preference over another. As the barrel settled in, maybe just a slight nod to the 140 Accubond with a max load of H4831SC (straight out of Nosler loading manual).

The first two shots would almost touch at 100 yards(cold clean barrel). Then the 3rd would open up to about an inch. Not bad. This rifle only has a 22" barrel so the velocities were about 100 fps off of book. To be expected.

I hope to make it back out in a day or two. Thanks again for all the recomendations.

Wooly
 
When I divested my M70 .264 Mag, I promised myself a .270 to replace it. It took quite a while, but I finally did it. I MAY get hold of another .264 just to see if what the first was like, is true. I really like my .270, tho'.
When I put a new barrel on a rifle, I use an AI chamber, instead of the original, and that's what I did with my .270, so I won't quote amounts of powder, or velocities
My rifle is an FN M98 Mauser with 24" barrel, and thumbhole stock. It'll give sub-1moa groups all day long, but needs to cool down some between groups.
That's with 130gr Sierra (flatbase AND boattail) 130gr Speer (flatbase) Hornady, and Nosler Ballistic Tip. I can't seem (yet) to get 140 Sierra boattails to group like I know it will.
150gr SGK, 150gr Speer boattail, and Hornady A-Max will do anything the smaller 130s will do.
The premium (mostly Nosler partitions) that I've run through, won't do small groups, in my rifle, but they're more than acceptable.
The powders that do well are 7828ssc (with anything) MagPro, with 130s, and 4831sc and H1000 with 150s.
It's an excellent long-range (to 400yd, my max at unwounded game) rifle on game to the size of Moose, tho' I'd use 150s for them.
It'll do all I can ask, so I'm one happy camper.
Have fun,
Gene
 
IMR 4350 is hard to beat.

Owned 2 or 3 270's with my favorite being a M77 Ruger. Shot several different loads ranging from Barnes bullets to Grandslams and 4 or 5 different powders. Finally settled for 54gr of IMR4350 behind a 130gr Speer HotCor. I took 22 whitetails, 2 mulies, 2 pronghorn, a bobcat and a turkey with that gun and most were shot with the Speer load. From 15 yards to 400, they worked flawlessly.

A friend tried it in his pre-64 Model 70 and shot 1"-1 1/2" groups at 200 yards. It is his favorite load now.
 
Hornady 130 gr Spire point, 55.6 gr 4831
Hornady 130 gr SST 55 gr 4831

These loads are form the Hornady manual and not crowding the max.

I like the 130 gr bullets in the 270. No problem bringing down a mulie.
 
Finished, settled on a load.

I finished up my first 50 reloads today on my new 270. The two bullets that rose to the top so far are the 140 Nosler Accubond and the 150 Berger VLD Hunter. However, every bullet and load I tested would have been within acceptable hunting parameters.

Since the best suitable powder that I had was an 8 lb keg of H4831SC, that is all the powder that was used. I was really not interested in getting hung up in an endless "do loop" of powders, bullets, seating depths, etc. Just find a good hunting load and go with it.

I was using a bag of Winchester factory brass that after being sized through a Redding body die, and neck sized through a Redding Type S Bushing die (.301 collet), turned out a surprising runout of less than .001". After today, I went and cancelled the custom Nosler brass that I had on back order. I have two more bags of the Winchester that I have had for several years.

Toward the end of the day, seemed like the barrel began to settle in a start grouping better. I was using the standard "shoot & clean" method of break in that Winchester recommends on their website.

Here are the common components between the two loads:

Primer: Federal GM210M
Powder: H4831SC
Brass: Winchester, trimmed, pockets & flash holes uniformed, mouth chamfered in and out.

The variables:

140 Nosler Accubond
58.0 H4851SC
Seated 3.340 OAL
2759 average FPS

150 Berber VLDH
56.0 H4851SC
Seated .002" off of lands
2666 average FPS

As it turns out, both of these loads grouped 4 shots around 7/8th inch at 100 yards. I also ran both through my Loadbase 3.0 program and they both shot very close to the same point of aim all the way out to 500 yards. The difference in drop and energy is practically the same for both. Both retain 1500 ft/lbs of energy to about 325 yards (the minimum I believe is ethical to take a bull moose/elk with).

I have 100 bullets of each kind. I will load them up and use interchangeably until they are gone. That is going to be a while.


IMG_0461.jpg
 
Woolecox, good work with your loads. You don't seem to be hung up about the highest velocities either which is refreshing. I must admit I lean a little harder on my 270 loads but I wouldn't call any of them hot-rods.

Those groups are more than acceptable, I would be very pleased with those groups in any of my small collection of hunting rifles.
 
I messed with a series of rounds for my Ruger .270, including a box of Speer 170gr. RN (nope, they're not made anymore!).

The rifle ultimately was most happy (accurate) with 53.3gr. of IMR4350 under a 150gr. Nosler Partition. No pressure signs, and just under 3000fps (long throat).

I now have Nosler BT's in 140 and 150gr. in my inventory, and Hornady SST's in 130 and 150gr. I've got some ladder loads in the Nosler 140 BT's and the Hornady 130 SST's, but they're going to have to beat the partitions' 1/2 moa 100 yard performance.
 
Still Shooting said:
I messed with a series of rounds for my Ruger .270, including a box of Speer 170gr. RN (nope, they're not made anymore!).

The rifle ultimately was most happy (accurate) with 53.3gr. of IMR4350 under a 150gr. Nosler Partition. No pressure signs, and just under 3000fps (long throat).

I now have Nosler BT's in 140 and 150gr. in my inventory, and Hornady SST's in 130 and 150gr. I've got some ladder loads in the Nosler 140 BT's and the Hornady 130 SST's, but they're going to have to beat the partitions' 1/2 moa 100 yard performance.
Click to expand...
If I was getting 1/2 MOA out of 150 grain bullet moving at 3000 fps, I would quit looking. That is outstanding. Particularly if you are getting it out of a factory rifle. Most won't get near those numbers.

Good shooting!
 
Really old post I know

This load may sound a bit out there, but so far it is the ONLY load Ive found in my old M77 Ruger that will shoot under 1/2 an inch at 100 yds. There are several that will shoot 1-1.5 inch groups, with Remington 130 grain factory ammo being about the best. Sometimes I can get 3/4 inch groups out of it. This rifle was never more than a 1.5" shooter at 100 yards before I bedded the barrel and found this load.

140 gr Hornady BTSP interlock

CCI LR primer

62.5 gr of H1000

2828 fps average.

Assorted brass, all fired previously from my rifle.

Just sighted in a new scope with this load Saturday and it measured 3/8 of an inch at 100 yards. I used the H 1000 out of desperation. My dad had it laying around to try in his 300 mag, so I gave it a shot. I wasnt having very good luck finding a powder/ bullet combo that shot worth a hoot so it didnt hurt to try. Deer shot with this load generally fall where they are standing. The one time last year that a doe I shot didnt, went 100 yards down a hill and left a blood trail a blind man could follow. The amount of destruction these bullets do for a soft point is just impressive. I wont say there arent other good powders that will work with this rifle but I have no reason to keep looking with the way it shoots now.
 
I really like H-4831 it was also Oconnors favorite 60 grains as I recall. My Accumark shoots the 130 gr Nosler Accubond with 56 grains 210M primers at 3.350. A little slow for a 300 yard shot but the rifle will put them into an inch all day and it handles these Virginia whitetails as good as anything. My favorite load for long range shooting is the 130 Accubond and 60 grains of Viht Vouri N560 same length and primer. I can cover 5 shots with a dime if I take my time between shots. I like it out west for anything out to 600.
 
The best load to date for me in almost 30 years of loading for the .270 win. has been the Speer 130 gr. Hot Core. I know there a lot more bullets on the market now, as opposed to back when I began loading for the .270 win. But the above bullet pushed with a worked up max charge of IMR-4350 has been a long time favorite of mine, and this load has killed a lot of big game, and at some incredible distances too.

There are numerous other options and directions to go in. For instance, I started using RL22 more and more over the last 15 or 20 years. And although I've discovered that RL22 isn't getting me the same velocities which are nearly 3200 fps with IMR-4350, the astounding accuracy at 3000 fps with RL22 is well worth sacrificing almost 200 fps for.

As for regard for the .270 as being some how limited in use, I have killed more big game with the .270 win., and have seen more big game killed with that cartridge, than with any other. I've personally taken, and have seen taken with the .270 win, antelope, deer, elk, black bear, and all types of varmints and other game. As for bullet weights, I have taken all of the above using nothing heavier than 130 gr. for big game, and a 90 or 100 gr. HP for explosive long range varmint hunting.

GS
 
My 270 Howa likes 59gr of RL22 behind a 130gr bullet, but it also likes almost anything I put through it. That is what I like about this caliber. I have two, a Remington 760 & a Howa 1500 and they both shoot better than I can with about any ammo that I've tried. I seldom use the 760 anymore but when I did it liked 44gr of H4895 with a 130gr bullet.
 
Hornady 140 grn BTSP and Varget. I disremember the exact load but it gives sub .5 moa out of a Browning Stainless Stalker. Sierra 140 grn SPBT does equally well with IMR 7828. I have yet to find any other weight or shape bullet that gives satisfactory results.
 
My hunting load this yr. I may for the fun of it play a bit more after hunting.
petgroup.jpg
 
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