Mossberg ATR questions

[esmith]

I think i have decided upon buying an ATR100 in .270 winchester as my hunting and shooting rifle. I chose the .270 over the .308 win because its shoots a little faster, flatter, and with a little more energy. The cost of ammunition is about the same on cabelas and my friend and I were going to handload since he has a 30-06 so we could just neck down brass. My question is, what grain weight for bullets is best for mossbergs 1 in 10 twist rate for their ATR? When i say best i mean which weight shoots the most accurate? Also how is the barrel life on the 270 compared to the 308? Thanks for any responses.

 

[jpwilly]

I just picked up an ATR in 30-06...I know that the short action 243/308 and long action 270/30-06 are going to have similar barrel life spans because the similar pressure and powder burnt.

Barrels will eventually wear. Throat erosion is caused by the heat and pressure of burning powder. Eventually the barrel throat lengthens and increases in diamiter causing a drop in velocities and accuracy.

Hot loads will speed this up but that will take a few thousand rounds and for a Mossberg 100 ATR you can get a new rifle for only $249 (less than some barrels cost). Therefore I don't think you have anything to worry about with barrel life.

As far as .270's most accurate bullet in a 1in10 barrel??? You should read this article. The 30-06 also has a 1in10 and I've heard that the 168gr and 175gn match bullets can be pretty accurate. I too will be handloading and may find my rifle likes 150gr or it may not care much from one to the next and just shoot 2inch groups no matter what I do??? I'm hopeing for better of course!

 

[Smitty in CT]

I have a 100ATR in .270, It took me about 5 or six boxes of ammo to find the best combination for me. 130gr Federal Nosler Ballistic Tips were the best, consistantly grouping at under an inch. The worst were 140gr Remington Core-Lokt Ultra bonded, I couldn't get them to group under 2 -2-1/2".

I also put on a "cheapo" ATI bipod, it gets the job done, but it won't win any beauty contests....

 

[esmith]

Alright i think i can buy one at wal mart for around $260 but ill have to call around to find the best price. Another question. I will need to purchase a scope for this rifle and i dont think that my $20 tasco scope will cut it for the recoil the 270 gives. Where can i find a scope for cheap and which companies are the best?

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

Well...if I can be allowed a little self-promotion, I have some scopes on sale, ranging from quite nice:

Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=296493

...to pretty good...

Swift 3-9x40 www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=296491

...to some real super-duper cheapies www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=266449

Take your pick!

 

[jpwilly]

Alright i think i can buy one at wal mart for around $260 but ill have to call around to find the best price. Another question. I will need to purchase a scope for this rifle and i dont think that my $20 tasco scope will cut it for the recoil the 270 gives. Where can i find a scope for cheap and which companies are the best?

You can also find some good "cheap" scopes as Wally World as well as a couple of decent ones. The Nikon and Luepold that are under the glass at the counter would work pretty well. The scopes in the plastic containers will be $40-$70 bucks and may get you by. If you plan on hunting with the rifle a low power Tasco, Burris, or Bushnell 3x9 variable is all that you need - eye relief and clarity are really good even with inexpensive units BUT If you plan on shooting paper or varmints from a bench you'll probably want more powerful glass and this is where a good quality scope will pay off. Midway USA, Cabelas, and Optics Planet online are good sources to check out.