Hand loading.270

[Deadeyejedi]

Hi guys just signed up to this site for advice on hand loading I'm in the process of loading some rounds for my 270 savage 110 I only have three powders to choose from h4350 h414 imr4831 . I have a box of 130gr nosler ballistic tip bullets win brass and cci primers . Any recommendation for this combo? I don't have a lot of range time or money to do all the experimentation required to find the best round . Your opinions would be appreciated.

 

[sage5907]

Load several test cartridges of three rounds with each of the following charges and shoot them as follows: First, shoot 3 rounds with 53 grains of IMR 4831 to check for pressure signs and accuracy. Shoot 3 rounds with 54 grains of IMR 4831 to check for pressure signs and accuracy. Shoot 3 rounds with 55 grains of IMR 4831 and check for pressure signs and accuracy. Shoot 3 rounds of 56 grains of IMR 4831 and check for pressure signs and accuracy. The last load should put you at about 3,000 fps and should provide good accuracy. I would hunt with either the 55 or 56 grain load, whichever provides the best accuracy. You should get 1 inch groups at 100 yards less than MOA (1 inch). Each time you complete a 3 round group adjust the scope reticle toward the desired point of impact.

 

[gamestalker]

I'm a big fan of IMR-4831 and H4350 for the .270 win and have had great success with regard to accuracy. Just use a start charge at, or near the published start, and work your way up in reasonable increments until you find the most accurate charge. I've found I usually get best results as I work up toward mid table charges, or higher. Feel for stiff bolt lift to indicate excessive pressures, and then I reduce to the previous, or lower charge increment that didn't produce stiff bolt lift and then work around that.

I like to start my OAL at the lands, or about .010" off the lands, with magazine fit being the primary control factor. And then I perform all my powder work up while I'm up nearest to the lands, as this is where pressures will be the highest. Once I've finished my powder work up, I'll then adjust the OAL shorter if accuracy is not to my liking. But my experience has been that accuracy is usually optimum up closer to the lands.

You should have excellent results with Nosler Ballictic Tips. They shoot very well in all the rifles I load them for.

GS

 

[BoltLover]

I use 46.4 grains of imr4350 and 130 grain Hornady sp great results with this load

 

[ArchAngelCD]

With a 130gr bullet I would go with H4350. If the accuracy isn't acceptable in your rifle then try IMR4831. BTW, H414/W760 is very similar to 4350 except it's a ball powder.

 

[Captcurt]

I use 46.4 grains of imr4350 and 130 grain Hornady sp great results with this load

Pushing it pretty slow there, Boltlover. My go to load has been 54gr of IMR4350 with 130 Speer HotCor. Yours is below starting load in the Hornady 8th Edition. Hey, if it works for you, go for it.

 

[BoltLover]

I have tried heavier loads with results not as good. Thanks for the input.

 

[2ndtimer]

Pushing it pretty slow there, Boltlover. My go to load has been 54gr of IMR4350 with 130 Speer HotCor. Yours is below starting load in the Hornady 8th Edition. Hey, if it works for you, go for it.

I have to agree with curt. The load you list is almost 4 grains below Hodgdon's recommended starting load for that bullet in the .270 Win. Most loading manuals caution against going below the minimum recommended charges listed, as erratic performance and pressure spikes can result. I heartily suggest getting your hands on a couple of loading manuals and reading them thoroughly before proceeding. For your health's sake and your rifle's well being.

 

[Grumulkin]

Hi guys just signed up to this site for advice on hand loading I'm in the process of loading some rounds for my 270 savage 110 I only have three powders to choose from h4350 h414 imr4831 . I have a box of 130gr nosler ballistic tip bullets win brass and cci primers . Any recommendation for this combo? I don't have a lot of range time or money to do all the experimentation required to find the best round . Your opinions would be appreciated.

Consult a Nosler manual. It will give you recommended powders and what they found to be the charge weight of a given powder that gave the best accuracy. If you stick to the manual recommendations you should have a usable load though perhaps not an optimal one with a minimum of test shots.

My 270 Winchester load, which is very accurate, uses IMR 8208 XBR powder, Federal 210M primers and Remington 130 grain Core-Lokts.

 

[Deadeyejedi]

Thanks for help guys I will try some of these recommendations

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

I use IMR 4831 with a 130gr Nosler Accubond. I'm running 57gr of powder in a Winchester case with a Rem 9.5 primer. 3019fps with a 1/2 group at 100yds.

WARNING: this load is safe in my rifle and is above max in some load books use with caution reduce powder charge 10% and work your way up.

 

[MSgtEgress]

IMR4831 is the gold standard for the .270 H4831 is about as good but about +.2 grains for equal velocity. I use 55g with a 150 Ballistic tip and get 1/2" 3 shot and 3/4" 5 shot groups all day long. 57g would be about right for the 130. Id make a few +/- .2 grain increments and see which group the best.

 

[Nick Antrillo]

I don't have a lot of range time or money to do all the experimentation required to find the best round.

I understand having limited time and money. That applies to all of us.

But very unfortunate you see it that way, it really doesn't take much at all to check out a load.
Making a dozen test rounds to determine how YOUR rifle performs best
is one of the joys and greatest advantages of handloading. Too bad to lose out.

Go here http://www.nosler.com/270-winchester to Nosler's online data.

They indicate best powder for your 130 grain bullet,
and they indicate best loads for your other powders.

To be smart and safe, start at the starting load they list, fire a few rounds.
Just make sure your rifle shoots it well. All guns are different, you want to be safe.
Then a few rounds of the mid-range and a few of the max load listed by Nosler.
That's all you gotta do, buddy. One of those will be great in your rifle.

We can share our favorite loads for OUR rifles, but they might not work as well in YOUR rifle.
It only takes about a ten or twelve rounds to get the picture in your rifle.
Do it that way and get really happy, really fast.

 

[Deadeyejedi]

Thanks for the advice nick I will check the nosler sight out . Don't get me wrong I was as proud as a peacock when my best friend took a beautiful 8 pt buck with one of my 30-06 hand loads . I'm just trying to narrow it down to a few powders and get a general starting point

 

[gamestalker]

BoltlLover, when your working with slow burners such as IMR-4350, reducing the powder significantly below published start charges can be risky business. The over all performance of the load is most definitely not going to be optimum, and will often produce low pressure problems. I've seen shoulders and body collapse, backed out primers, and gas leaks down the entire case body resulting from significant reductions to data.

The possibility of sticking a bullet in the barrel is rather high as well. Powders are designed to function within a particular pressure range. Dropping that pressure to below that tested pressure can cause the powder to produce an incomplete burn, thus producing a squib.

Also, as responsible reloaders we should avoid providing data that is outside of published tables, especially to new or reloaders with limited experience. It's best to point them in the right direction, such as working up from published start charges, and then explaining to them how to read pressures, bolt lift, chrony, and to a limited extent, reading primers.

GS

 

[Nick Antrillo]

Thanks for the advice Nick I will check the Nosler site out.
Don't get me wrong I was as proud as a peacock when my best friend
took a beautiful 8 pt buck with one of my 30-06 hand loads.
I'm just trying to narrow it down to a few powders and get a general starting.

OK, that makes sense, brother. In that case...

IMR4831. Go to Nosler and look it up. You'll be extremely happy.
H4831SC and your IMR4831 can be started at starting load identically.
(If you ever go to max load, you would be more cautious to find
more appropriate IMR4831 load data at www.hodgdon.com).
Notice that Nosler found the starting load to be most accurate.
Start there, if it shoots great in your gun, keep it!
At 2900 fps, it works great with that 130 grain bullet.
One of my favorites.

If you're buying more powder for that 270 and you find Alliant R22, it's a keeper.
I like it better than 4831, 4350 and all the others.

 

[Bird Dog II]

As someone stated earlier, IN GENERAL the most accurate and best performing loads I have found for cup and core bullets are in the mid range (between the start and max). I have particularly found it useful to back Nosler Ballistic Tip velocity off of the max due to their rather violent expansion. For example, my favorite Bal Tip 165gr .30-06s are loaded down to around warm .308 velocity levels with H414. They clover leaf and don't blow up on game the way full bore 2800 to 2900fps loads often do.

I also agree it is not a good idea to go below the published minimum loads for a given powder/bullet combo.

 

[Nick Antrillo]

Good point about Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting bullet and extreme velocity.
Nosler builds them for modest velocity, not 3000fps plus.
Their relatively thin jacket is designed for thin skinned game.
You would use the Accubond for higher velocity applications
on tougher game.

Nosler offers this advice: If you wish to use Ballistic Tip Hunting for cartridges
that typically get high velocity (like 7mm Mag, etc.) on a thin-skinned animal
where you can't use a heavier jacket, they suggest going with a 'heavy for caliber'
Ballistic Tip bullet, simply because we generally shoot heavier bullets slower.
So you will get the performance of a thin jacketed bullet on thin skinned game,
without the risk of through-penetration with no expansion.

Generally, I've found Ballistic Tip Hunting to work great on deer at the normal
velocities we get in 308, 30-06, 270, 7mm-08, etc etc etc.


Those who tell you NOT to use Ballistic Tip because they blow up too fast
probably impacted the target at much higher velocity.
You don't have to avoid the bullet, just use it as it is intended.

 

[BoltLover]

I use a Lee classic loader to load my. 270win and this is the light load data that came with it. There's no problems with this load.

 

[2ndtimer]

Just FYI, my personal .270 Win load is:
53.0 gr Reloder 17
Rem 9 1/2 primer
Nosler 130 gr Solid Base or Ballistic Tip
PPU case
Averages around 2900 fps, .80 inch 3 shot groups out of my Marlin XL7. A grain or 2 below max, depending on whose loading manual you look at.