bullet problems

[fireshots4]

Good afternoon
I am a newer reloader and I have run into a little bit of a problem with a load work up for a Barnes 129 Grain LRX-BT in 270 Winchester, I am currently shooting a Ruger M77 mark II. I started out at 51 grains of IMR 4831 and have worked up to 55 grains the bullets are seated at 3.300 but I can’t seem to stabilize the bullets. This load data came from Barnes web site. When I was out shooting, I had to move my target up to 50 yards just to find out where the bullets were hitting. With the 55 grain I had one dead center and then two at the top of the paper about 5” apart from one another and not the cleanest holes. So, I am trying to figure out do I keep raising the charge to the max of 57 grain, try to seat the bullet lower, or try a different style of bullet altogether. I have loaded a Hornady Interlock 130 grain with 52.2 grains seated at 3.210 and had sub MOA at 100 yards. My goal is to come up with a good load to hunt hog with.

Any wisdom from someone with more experience than me would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Random 8]

Keep it simple and revisit the fancy bullets after you've gained some experience. The 130 Hornady IL from a .270 has probably killed more game than all offerings from Barnes combined. If not, a 130 Soft point in more general terms certainly has. Shoot that load, kill game, save money, be happy!

If you MUST shoot a premium bullet, consider the flat based Speer GS or Nosler Partition. They are regarded as easy to find good loads for. It is entirely possible that your rifle does not like long, skinny boat tail bullets.

As a general rule, bullets with more radical boat tails and sleeker designs and/or complicated design features tend to be more "fussy" and harder to develop good loads for. You are likely seeing an extreme example of this.

Another thing to troubleshoot, would be if your barrel has bullet jacket fouling. I've never used Mono bullets, but it's my understanding that they are very sensitive to jacket fouling in the bore, and also very prone to leaving metallic fouling. A real catch 22 and one of the main reasons I don't use them.

 

[Blue68f100]

Do you know what the twist rate is on your Barrel?

Do you know what your bullet jump to land distance is? Barnes mono like 0.050" min jump.

 

[243winxb]

Copper fouling? A good copper remover may help?

 

[.308 Norma]

So, I am trying to figure out do I keep raising the charge to the max of 57 grain, try to seat the bullet lower, or try a different style of bullet altogether.

I'd go with the "try a different style of bullet altogether" idea first. I have an old Ruger 77, 30-06 that absolutely loves Hornady 165gr BTSPs. My wife has an old Ruger 77, 7mm-08 that absolutely hates Hornady 139gr BTSPs, yet it will put 3 Hornady 139gr regular base SPs in an inch at 100.
I won't go into the whole long story, but my wife and I went through a whole box of those Hornady 139gr BTSPs, a couple of different powders, and a good many different seating depths before we figured out her Ruger 77 just doesn't do at all well with those particular boattail bullets.

 

[Hugger-4641]

As mentioned , Barnes mono bullets like a long jump and must go fast. In a .270, you probably need to drop down to 120g for a mono copper bullet.
I'd just go with the Hornady Interlock, SST, Partition, or one of the others already mentioned.

If you insist on using the mono's you will probably have drop down closer to 3.20. I would try that before I took the charge up, but you may also have to get the charge up some. I would do this in 0.2 grain increments until you get a good group or reach max charge.

 

[fireshots4]

Thank you all for your input on this as I was wondering if certain guns did not like some bullets.
I am thinking that as I have a few bullets left I will try to shorten my seating depth but if that does not work, I will stick with the Hornady loads.
I do not know what my twist rate or jump to land distance is right now but when I get time, I will have figure that out.
Thanks again for the info.

 

[Hugger-4641]

Thank you all for your input on this as I was wondering if certain guns did not like some bullets.
I am thinking that as I have a few bullets left I will try to shorten my seating depth but if that does not work, I will stick with the Hornady loads.
I do not know what my twist rate or jump to land distance is right now but when I get time, I will have figure that out.
Thanks again for the info.

More than likely you have a 1/10 twist.

 

[kalielkslayer]

Some great advice.

But are the bullets keyholing, oblong holes?

that seems a lot of spread at 50 yards. I suspect something with the gun/scope. I would make sure the s ope is tight, stock is tight. Or shoot a known load that shoots good in that gun. See if it still shoots good. If it does, disregard everything I said and listen to the others.

 

[Blue68f100]

I've had scopes not keep any kind of zero before, internal failure. The scopes had no since of what zero was. Every shot it would move some where else. If all your mounts are tight replace the scope if you have another 1 around to test with. A couple of these were what we would consider good quality scopes not cheap.

 

[DukeConnor]

How does factory ammo shoot ?

 

[JFrank]

It is normal for rounds to go all directions until you reach a node. Im pretty sure you are way low on the powder charge, run it up towards 58.- 59. Ish , don’t go beyond heavy bolt lift.( pressure )
Find your own load data and only use others data as reference.

 

[fireshots4]

I shot factory ammo that same day and was hitting a 4" gong 200 yards out multiple times.
With the lower powder charges the bullets were keyholing, at the higher powder charges they were better but not clean.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I shot factory ammo that same day and was hitting a 4" gong 200 yards out multiple times.
With the lower powder charges the bullets were keyholing, at the higher powder charges they were better but not clean.

I've found similar results when reloading long bullets in 240 Wby. They keyholed until I got to max loads. But they lost the marginal stability they gained by 200 yards and went haywire.
Save primers and powder and try a non high BC bullet.
My 270 liked 140 grain Noslers and any cup and core 130 grain bullet.