Picked up a dream rifle yesterday, talk to me about .270 Win

[cal30_sniper]

Hey all,

Picked up this rifle yesterday. I've wanted a Husqvarna 640 since I got my first sporterized Swede Mauser. I've been looking for one in 8x57, .30-06, or 9.3x62. However, once I saw the pictures of this one, I knew I had to have it, even though it was in a brand new caliber for me: .270 Winchester.

For those not familiar, the Husqvarna 640s were made in Sweden from 1944-1953 on FN Commercial 98 Mauser receivers. This particular one was made in 1952. Husqvarna took the finished actions from FN, and built rifles around them with their own barrels and stocks. This has to be the absolute smoothest M98 action that I've ever worked.

This one was filthy dirty, but I only paid $300 for it. I spent a few hours cleaning it up last night, and it came out really nice I think. It looks like this rifle was carried a lot, and not shot that much. The top of the barrel has a lot of the bluing worn off, and there was some rust spots, but nothing really deep that didn't come out with a good scrubbing. Unfortunately, it isn't one of the earlier walnut stocked ones, but I probably would have ended up restocking it for something with a cheek rest anyways. The Scope and rings were an old El Paso Weaver K6 setup with the dual rangefinding reticule that I had laying around. Seemed like a perfect match for this one.

So, what do y'all think about .270? I've shot a bunch of 6.5x55, 7x57, and .30-06 rifles, but I've never had a .270. You read a lot about what O'Connor wrote about it back when, but it doesn't seem to be as popular today with the short magnum craze that's been going on. Personally, I think the ballistics charts read like a rifle that can do just about anything, at least on game in North America.

Here's some pictures I took out on the porch this morning:

 

[armedwalleye]

"You read a lot about what O'Connor wrote about it back when, but it doesn't seem to be as popular today with the short magnum craze that's been going on."

"Popular" and "practical" Don't necessarily run the same circles. What O'Connor said back then is no less true today, there are just fewer gun writers touting an old" cartridge while they're being paid so much to sell the new ones.

 

[montanaoffroader]

A .270 will do pretty much anything an .06 will do, I own and load for both. The .270 shoots a bit flatter and the bullets are a bit lighter, but out in the real world the difference is minimal. If you like your .30-06, you will probably like the .270.

Looks like a nice rifle you picked up there, hope it brings you lots of enjoyment.

 

[critter]

Nice rifle and you got it at a fair price-or better. The .270 is up to any task you can think up short of the African big 5. Easy to find ammo, pretty easy on the shoulder, good long range round, accurate, hard hitting.

Hard to find a caliber that could be called 'better' than this old stand-by. You are well equipped. Now go out and enjoy that one as it will serve you well.

 

[sage5907]

Excellent rifle and cartridge. That particular action was called a Mauser deluxe action. If it's an accurate shooter and you decide to keep the rifle I would suggest adding a Pachmayr decelerator recoil pad and a Leupold VX3 scope in Leupold STD bases and rings. Those changes will upgrade a good rifle to an excellent rifle. If you handload try 56 grains of IMR 4831 with a Speer 130 grain boattail bullet. I've never had an accuracy problem with a 270 Winchester. Again, that's a great rifle and a really good buy for $300.

 

[sage5907]

When you pull that safety lever up to place the rifle on safe it will come up all the way to the scope which makes it hard to push down again. To solve this problem don't push the safety all the way up, leave enough space above the safety so you can get your finger in to push it down again. A tip from past experience.

 

[xfyrfiter]

Most 270 are accurate and will do anything that 30-06 or308 will.

 

[pat701]

AMMO!!! Cheap available ammo.

 

[Ronin101]

I love my 270...Im glad I bought one over the 25-06. Bigger bullets cheaper ammo!

I love my Tikka.

 

[cal30_sniper]

Thanks for the responses guys. I got itchy and took it out to the range today. It's a keeper.

Finding ammo was a problem, but I finally found a box of Federal 150grn RNSP at Gander Mountain for $20.

It took several shots to get it centered at 25 yards. I then moved out to 100 yds and finished the sight in. The first 2-shot group measured 0.700", but was hitting very high. I adjusted elevation, and the first 3 shot group was 1.4" center to center, and the second 1.88" center to center. By that point, I had it sighted right where I wanted it, 2" high at 100yds. I then fired a string of 6 shots to finish out what was left in the box. That group measure 2.75" center to center from the furthest points. That thin sporter weight barrel was getting pretty hot by that point. I'm betting that's what caused the groups to start spreading so drastically.

I think for now I'll skip adding a recoil pad. Even as light as it is, it doesn't punch as hard as my '06. However, after 40 rounds out of the .270 and the '06 today, my shoulder is feeling a little tender. I'm debating whether to install a low-scope safety, or just save up for a Model 70 style side swinging safety. The base and rings are definitely going to be replaced by some Leupold or Redfield turn ins, but I think for now I'll just save my money and shoot it as is. When I do the base and rings, I may also go with a Weaver, Redfield, or Leupold 3-9 scope. I kind of like the old Weaver K6 on there though. I figure if that scope has lasted 50 years without getting knocked apart, it's not likely it will happen on my next hunting trip either.

After careful cleaning and inspection of the bore, it does appear that there are several small marks about 3" in from the muzzle. Possibly pitting, but it doesn't seem to be affecting the accuracy potential that much. I was impressed for cheap factory ammo. I can't wait to start handloading for it.

 

[sleepyone]

Nice find. .270 is my favorite caliber. Will kill anything in the lower 48. I sold my .30-06 and .308 because they just sat in the safe every deer season. A little less recoil than the .308 and quite a bit less than the '06. I used to shoot 150 gr. bullets but switched to 130s a couple of years back. You will enjoy it.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Nice looking rifle in a classic caliber. 270 is one of those calibers that seems to have been set aside by the new generation of shooters. It is known by some of us older guys as "The American 7 millimeter"...
It will do the job on any wild game in the lower 48 with the right bullet and proper placement.
Good find at a great price.

 

[murf]

try cleaning the copper fouling out of the barrel. many used guns have not been cleaned properly by the previous owner. accuracy may improve.

nice steel, by the way. that's my favorite caliber.

murf

p.s. try limiting yourself to three shots at a time, then let the barrel cool. thin barrels heat up fast.

 

[Clark]

Here is what I did with a 270:
Load it with 130 gr Nosler Ballistic tip bullet. ~$0.36
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/63...iber-277-diameter-130-grain-spitzer-box-of-50
Leupold 2x7x33 scope ~$200
http://swfa.com/Leupold-2-7x33-VX-1-Riflescope-P51824.aspx
Stoney point elevation turret ~$30
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/899510/stoney-point-target-knob-leupold-scopes-one-only
Harris HBLS 8.5" - 12.5" type S bipod ~$100
http://www.amazon.com/Harris-Engine...8&qid=1359304158&sr=1-1&keywords=bipod+harris
Leica range finder ~$800
http://swfa.com/Leica-7x24-CRF-1600-B-Rangefinder-P53924.aspx

I shot 4 mule deer in 2008 and 5 mule deer in 2009 with this set up.
They were between 400 and 500 yards and it was typically a half hour before sunrise and I was shooting prone.

Practice prone at long range, hitting 12" circles on big pieces of cardboard 1/2 hour before sunrise, until you learn your maximum range for hitting the kill zone every time.
This is not a waste of bullets. A man has got to know his limitations.

 

[Trent]

Let that barrel cool COMPLETELY between shots. See how it compares.

I used to own a very light barreled Weatherby in 270 that would shoot dead-on cold bore, but as the barrel started warming up, it would walk high / right pretty aggressively.

ANY barrel has stress in the metal. As it heats, areas of differing carbon concentration will expand at different rates. Heavier, "stiffer" barrels resist this much more than light, thin barrels.

Although I no longer own a 270, I have some 270 components left over.

PM me your address and I'll send them your way. (Brass, etc).

 

[BADUNAME37]

My first real high-powered rifle was a .270

I shot my first deer with it, predators, woodchucks, you name it. Somewhere along the way I ended up selling it - so I could buy something else.

That was before the days when I decided to not ever sell a gun again to buy another gun as I ALWAYS lost my shirt (and more) each time I thought I needed something different.

Over the years, I have gradually-learned to be happy with what I have and found ways to make what I have work for any type of hunting I do (through the reloading of different projectiles).

 

[cal30_sniper]

try cleaning the copper fouling out of the barrel. many used guns have not been cleaned properly by the previous owner. accuracy may improve.

nice steel, by the way. that's my favorite caliber.

murf

p.s. try limiting yourself to three shots at a time, then let the barrel cool. thin barrels heat up fast.

Murf, thanks for the tip. That's actually what I spent about three hours last night doing. I was using Hoppe's Copper Fouling cleaner, and alternating a bore brush, a wet patch, and a dry patch. I'm still getting lots of blue out, but I am starting to see streaks of metal through the copper fouling, so I think I'm getting closer. I'll be back at it again today.

Let that barrel cool COMPLETELY between shots. See how it compares.

I used to own a very light barreled Weatherby in 270 that would shoot dead-on cold bore, but as the barrel started warming up, it would walk high / right pretty aggressively.

ANY barrel has stress in the metal. As it heats, areas of differing carbon concentration will expand at different rates. Heavier, "stiffer" barrels resist this much more than light, thin barrels.

Although I no longer own a 270, I have some 270 components left over.

PM me your address and I'll send them your way. (Brass, etc).

Thank you so much for the offer! I was digging through my reloading stuff last night, and found out that somehow over the last two years of picking up brass at the local range, I've only managed to gather up about 20 .270 casings. I'll shoot you a PM. I have some other stuff that I've picked up that I have no use for, maybe I can send something your way too.

I really wanted to let it cool more, but time was of an essence at the range. The local range charges by the hour, so I didn't want to spend all day out there. I'm going to have to wait til I get back home and hit the free public range. Yesterday, I was just alternating one group out of my .270, one group out of my .30-06, and intermittently going to check targets. That light barrel on the .270 was still staying pretty warm though. The barrel is in full contact with the forearm. It might help a bit if I free float the stock a little bit. Then again, I still think I'm going to put another stock on there eventually, so I may just wait and glassbed/freefloat the new stock.

 

[redneck2]

If you check ballistics tables, a .270 has about the same drop with a 130 bullet as a 22-250 with a 55.

 

[murf]

might as well retorque the action screws, check the scope mount screws and make sure that scope is not bound up. i think that gun will do better than 2moa.

and try the business card trick before you float that barrel.

murf

 

[cal30_sniper]

Murf,

I'll go over that stuff again. I just put on the mounts, rings, and scope back on two days ago. I locked in all the screws with fingernail polish, so it should be tight. I took the mounts off to clean up the rifle, it was dirty everywhere.

I'm pretty certain new scope mounts are in the near future. I have the elevation and windage cranked way over to the left and down to get it on target. That could be affecting accuracy as well. I'm planning on going with a Leupold 2-piece turn in base and rings. That should get things back to center. I may switch to a spare Weaver V9 that I have laying around when I do that. I put on the K6 because I'm certain that it's accurate. I just pulled it off a 7 Mag that shoot well below MOA.

 

[murf]

might want to check the muzzle crown on that old girl. hopefully, you won't have to go with a one-piece base. the bolt probably needs to be cleaned out, too.

if i think of anything else, i'll let you know. projects, like this, are fun.

murf

 

[cal30_sniper]

I stripped and cleaned the bolt the first not when I got home. It was filthy inside. I make it a habit to do that with all the Mausers I pick up. It makes the actions so much smoother to work on them when you get all the crud out of the cocking piece.

The crown on it looks really nice. No bluing left, but no dents or anything. I've been running patches of Hoppes #9 Copper fouling through it off and on all day. They just now stopped coming out solid dark blue. I might have run 60 patches down it so far.

I'm going to try and snag a set of dies and start working up loads for it. I'm thinking about trying the H4350 that I load 7x57 with. I don't have any 4831, would it be worth getting some just to load the .270 with? That seems to be the preferred powder from what I'm reading.

I'd rather not run a one piece base, they can be a real pain to load around. I think with a Leupold style turn-in two piece, I'll be fine. That will allow me to adjust the windage in the scope base rather than the scope. I may have to shim it a bit too, but I'm betting the elevation problem is in the cheap rings/bases on there now. We'll see.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

sure looks like walnut to me. Might not be fancy walnut but id sure guess its walnut

 

[WoodchuckAssassin]

This goes without saying, but great buy

I just got myself a 270, and it was the right choice for SOOOOO many reasons. Availability, pedigree, preformance, testimonials, etc...

I've never seen Winchester abreviated like "Winch" before. Usually it's "Win," which is a little ironic because I've never seen a .270 lose. HA! Sorry bout the bad pun.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I recently did a similar project with a MkX Mauser in .270.
(It's a Yugoslavia made M98, imported by Interarms in the '70's). When I bought my MkX in .30/06 in 1975 I wanted a .270. However, no one had any as they were the hot caliber at the time.
I found this one in similar condition at a pawn shop and got it for $200.

I took it apart, cleaned it throughly and adjusted the factory adjustable trigger. Got it down to about 3lbs.
I started trying different loads and found two that are fantastic. Factory ammo and loads it's ambivalent about shoot about like your rifle.

Three loads it "likes";
130gr Speer "Hotcor"; 55gr H4350, Winchester brass, Winchester LRP or
substitute 130gr Nosler/Winchester Ballistic SilverTip...
140gr Sierra "GameKing" BtSpt; 58.0gr RL22, Winchester brass, LRP or Fed210 (best load).
150gr Speer "HotCor"; 56.5gr RL22, Winchester brass, Win. LRP.

The 24" bbl is "slow" for a .270bbl. It barely gives 3,000fps with the 130, 2,900 with the 140, and "almost" 2,800 with the 150gr.

The 140gr load will give 5-shot 1" groups.

I took three deer with it this fall. This was the first time I'd ever used the .270 on game. I wasn't dissapointed. (But not suprised either).

Rather than call it the "American 7mm", thats the 7mmRemMag. I prefer to think of it as the "American 6.5".... I performs much more like my .260 than my 7mm08. My 7mm08 with a 20" bbl matches it for velocity with same bullet weights, but 5-8gr less powder...
Wound channels on the animals look much more like the 6.5's and .257's; whereas the 7mm08 "looks" much more like the .30/06....
Either way, it "ain't no slouch"....