.270 powder/load recommendations

[Bigscot]

I got my son a Model 70 in .270 for Christmas. He is wanting to reload for it himself. We are going to the gun show tomorrow and if I need to get more/another powder I would like to get it there. So, if anyone has a pet powder for the .270 with j-bullets please let me know. Also, any load recommendations or starting points would be appreciated.
I still need to get a set of dies and more casings. Speaking of dies, all my dies are regular RCBS diesand will probably get another set for the .270. I have one Hornady neck sizing die and like the construction. Anyone have any preferences on dies.

Thanks,

Bigscot

[doghawg]

Bigscot

Either IMR or Hodgdon's 4831 are probably the most popular .270 powders but my preference is H4350 especially if you don't need the absolute max velocity.

If I had to buy new .270 dies I'd go with the RCBS X-Die because they work as advertised in .30/06 and .223 for me and I hate case trimming.

[felix]

The standard load that will shoot in most guns is 55 grains of a 4350 with a 130 grainer. ... felix

[Bigscot]

Dog and Felix,

Thanks for the replies. I have plenty of both powders and I plan on using the 130gn fullets. I will also take a look a the x dies. In my '06 I neck size only as this is my only '06 rifle.

[fourarmed]

I have owned four .270s, and I always grab the can of H4831sc when I load for them. Winchester brass is my choice, with Winchester LR primers. Put in 60 grains of powder, and seat any good 130 grain spitzer about .025" off the rifling. All of my rifles have shot very well with the Speer spitzer. I like the Hornady Interlock, too, but it is not always preferred by the rifles. It will give slightly better penetration than the Speer. The Sierra Pro Hunter always shoots well, but does not expand as reliably on deer as the previous two. Most rifles shoot the Nosler BT well, but the Speer does just as well in every way, and costs half as much. To keep on topic, my newest .270, a Winchester M70, shoots the SAECO bullet pretty well with a starting load of Re-7, and is a whole lot easier on the shoulder for long strings of plinking.

[felix]

Yep, 60 grains of a 4831 speed is another classic using 130 grainer bullets. It should be compared with your 55 grains of 4350, taking the one giving the most usuable accuracy for the money spent on 5 pounds of new powder. ... felix

[woody1]

Bigscot, If you're wanting something for cheap plinking with those orange bullets ... and have some 2200 you might try about 37 grains of it with the Remington bulk 100 grainers. I've not chronographed this load but it shoots pretty well for a short range varmint/plinking load in my rifle. It shoots only an inch or so lower than my hunting load of 4350 and 130 grain Nosler Partitions at a hundred yards. Matter of fact, I'm ashamed to say that's what I plinked a deer with this last fall. Well, it was rainin' and the rifle is a stainless with a plastic stock. UGH
OR you could try about 48 grains of 7383 with Remington's 130 PSP will give you around 2700 fps. I shot this load over the chrony in the backyard today. Haven't tested for accuracy yet but it burns clean. I'm thinkin' that the case full load of about 51 grains of 7383 will prob'ly be in the 2900 fps range and may be a good shooter. I don't recommend anyone try it but I will eventually get there myself. I've got 50 grain loads ready to chronograph weather permitting. Regards, Woody

[helenajoe]

Hi Bigscot,

Here's a fun plinking load plus a couple of Youth hunting loads that you might want to consider trying with your son and his new .270 rifle:

Plinking load with recoil of a .243 Win or less:
110 gr Sierra bullet
36 grs of H-4895 powder
Winchester case with WLR primer
COL of 3.145" (Cartridge Overall Length)
shoots 7/8" groups at 100 yds
Velocity is about 2600 fps per Hodgdon's website
Source: Hodgdon Powder website
http://www.hodgdon.com/data/youth/270win_y.php
This load can be used as a 200 yd deer load for kids.

Plinking loads that didn't work very well
I tried the "reduced loads" for the .270 Win listed in the Speer Manual #12 using SR 4759 powder and only got so-so accuracy and it sure made my rifle super dirty, plus the powder didn't completely burn.

Youth Hunting Load with recoil between a .243 Win and a full power .270 Win load
110 gr Sierra bullet
43 grs of Varget powder
Winchester case with WLR primer
COL of 3.275" (Cartridge Overall Length)
shoots 7/8" groups at 100 yds
Source: light load from Sierra Manual #5
velocity is about 2875 fps per the Manual (with 26" barrel)
standard 22" barrel velocity should be around 2750 fps
300 yd Youth deer load

You can use a Remington case with slightly better accuracy as follows:

Youth Hunting Load with recoil between a .243 Win and full power .270 Win load
110 gr Sierra bullet
43 grs of Varget powder
Remington RP case with Fed 210 primer
COL of 3.275" (Cartridge Overall Length)
shoots 3/4" groups at 100 yds
Source: light load from Sierra Manual #5
velocity is about 2875 fps per the Manual (with 26" barrel)
standard 22" barrel velocity should be around 2750 fps
300 yd Youth deer load

I also tried H-4831sc powder for a Youth Hunting Load and in my rifle it shot a bit to the left --- however, in your rifle it might be centered over the bullseye. Each rifle is different and vibrates differently. Here's that load:

Youth Hunting Load with recoil between a .243 Win and a full power .270 Win load
110 gr Sierra bullet
54.5 grs of H-4831sc powder
Winchester case with WLR primer
COL of 3.275" (Cartridge Overall Length)
shoots 7/8" groups at 100 yds
Source: light load from Sierra Manual #5
velocity is about 2900 fps per the Manual (with 26" barrel)
standard 22" barrel velocity should be around 2775 fps
300 yd Youth deer load

As always, check the current reloading manuals and make sure the above loads are safe and below the maximums. I tried to be extra careful but I'm human and am capable of a typo. Note: I never go over the max loads in the reloading manuals.

Reloading Dies
I've always used RCBS dies and had great success. Recently, I tried Redding dies and found them to be excellent. Here's a tip: I use a single set of dies for each bullet. That way, I don't have to mess with changing the bullet seating die for different bullets. Plus, I put a shell holder in each set of dies and only use it with that set of dies. This may sound unnecessary but I've been able to shoot many 3/4" and 7/8" groups since I started doing this --- and I'm using the .270 Win Remington Model 700 BDL rifle that I bought back in 1968.

Cleaning Tip
I use Hoppe's Elite gun cleaner in the spray bottle. It is by far the best gun cleaner I've ever used. It takes the carbon out of the pores of the metal. A clean gun is an accurate gun and my 3/4" and 7/8" groups prove it.

Well Bigscot, I hope this gives you some ideas for .270 Win loads for your son. The plinking load is fun and can double as a Youth hunting load limited to 200 yds for deer. I've listed a couple of other Youth hunting loads for deer good to about 300 yds that are actually just light loads per the Sierra Manual #5 --- but your son will greatly appreciate the lighter recoil.

The bottom line is to have fun with your son and his new .270 Winchester rifle. The .270 Win is a heck of a caliber that has a lot going for it. Congrats on getting your son a great deer rifle.

Good Luck,
helenajoe

[helenajoe]

Hi Bigscot,

I began shooting the .270 Win when I was a teenager in the late 60's. I purchased a Remington 700 rifle with money I made shoveling snow off of roofs of residental homes after a car dealer's showroom collasped from too much snow and people got worried about their homes. It was a heck of a winter back in '67-68 in Spokane, WA.

Anyway, back then my dad, my brothers and myself all used 58 grs of H-4831 powder with any of the 130 gr bullets (Speer, Hornady or Sierra) and it flat out killed every buck with just one shot, plus it was very accurate. We also used 56 grs of H-4831 with the 150 gr bullets (any make) and later used this same 56 gr powder load for Speer's 150 gr Grand Slam bullet. Note: Back in the late 60's, one could buy a pound of surplus H-4831 powder in a small paper bag for $1 at a local store in Spokane called the White Elephant.

We always found the best accuracy for the .270 Win was one or two grains under maximum loads listed in the various reloading manuals. Maximum velocity is not needed for killing deer but accuracy is critical for proper bullet placement in hunting conditions where shots are under less than ideal circumstances --- like offhand shots or huffing and puffing when cresting over the top of a hill.

In the 90's, my brother and I finally got around to using Nosler's 130 gr Ballistic Tip bullet in a Winchester case with a WLR primer. We used 57 grs of H-4831sc (short cut) powder and my brother took 2 very large mule deer bucks, both were one-shot kills. The load was accurate and deadly (see Nosler Manual #5). Note: You can buy factory ammo with the Nosler 130 gr Ballistic Tip bullet if you don't have time to reload or forget your ammo on a deer hunt.

As always, check the current reloading manuals and make sure the above loads are safe and below the maximums. I tried to be extra careful but I'm human and am capable of a typo. Note: I never go over the max loads in the reloading manuals.

Well Bigscot, I hope this gives you some ideas for .270 Win deer hunting loads for you and your son. One can use premium bullets for deer, however, fancy premium bullets are not necessary for deer in the .270 Winchester. A standard Speer 130 gr spitzer bullet provided my family (father, brothers and myself) with one-shot kills on deer for some 30 plus years.

The bottom line is to have fun with your son and his new .270 Winchester rifle. The .270 Win is a heck of a caliber that has alot going for it. Congrats on getting your son a great deer rifle.

Good Luck,
helenajoe

[helenajoe]

Hi Bigscot,

After trying Nosler's 130 gr Ballistic Tip bullet for deer, I didn't like it because, in my opinion, it caused too much meat damage and left too big of an exit hole in the hide (I have my deer hides tanned), so I tried some of the new premium bullets.

I ended up using the 130 gr Swift Scirocco bonded bullet in a Winchester case with a WLR primer and 56 grs of RL-19 powder or 60.5 grs of H-4831sc powder (both are max loads per Swift Manual #1). Both powders shot 3/4" to 7/8" groups at 100 yds.

I shot a nice mule deer buck with this load and the bonded bullet cleanly broke the upper leg bone, broke a rib, went thru one lung, traversed diagonally across the entire length of the deer, hit the femoral artery and finally came to rest under the hide on the off-side. Best of all, meat damage was minimal, even the leg bone was broken cleanly with no splintering or fragmenting of the bone.

The 130 gr bullet mushroomed perfectly and the retained bullet weight was 118 grs for a 91% retained bullet mass. This was the only bullet I ever recovered from a deer shot with my .270 Win rifle in some 40 plus years. Also, this was the only deer I ever shot in the shoulder as I always shoot my deer just behind the front shoulder. Note: Remington uses the 130 gr Swift Scirocco bullet in their Premium factory ammo.

So, how does a bonded bullet (Swift Scirocco) compare to a regular bullet? My brother once shot a nice mule deer buck (that was facing him) in the front chest cavity with a 130 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet using his .270 Win and the bullet only penetrated about 12" or so --- thru the lungs and stopped in the stomach and the deer immediately dropped dead in its tracks.

Any bullet is OK for deer if you shoot the deer behind the front shoulder. However, if you shoot deer in the front shoulder then you want to use a bonded bullet (Swift Scirocco bullet) or a copper bullet (Barnes Triple Shock). I went to the bonded bullet because when I aim just behind the shoulder, I sometimes accidentally hit the front leg or the off-side leg.

Speaking of the Barnes Triple Shock bullet in 130 gr for the .270 Win, I shot a nice mule deer with a single shot in the neck. The deer immediately dropped dead in its tracks. I was aiming for the body but the deer was running straight away from me at about 50-75 yds and instead I accidentally hit the neck (mule deer bounce up and down when they run making shots difficult).

My load for the 130 gr Triple Shock bullet (see Barnes Manual #3) was a Winchester case with a WLR primer and 59 grs of H-4831sc powder and I was able to shoot 3/4" and 1" groups at 100 yds with my .270 Win rifle. Note: This load is one grain under the max load listed for the Barnes "X" bullet.

Hints for Barnes copper "X" bullets:
Stay away from the Barnes XLC bullet with the blue coating. The blue coating comes off the bullet when you seat it and it gets all over your bullet seating die, regardless of reloading technique. Plus, the XLC bullet is fussy with regards to accuracy with some rifles and with various powders. The regular "X" bullet is OK, but the new Triple Shock bullet is way more accurate with less chamber pressure.

Fancy premium bullets are not necessary in the .270 Winchester for deer. A standard Speer 130 gr spitzer bullet provided my family (father, brothers and myself) with one-shot kills on deer for some 30 plus years. However, a premium bullet is nice if one wants to make a shoulder shot to quickly anchor a deer "on the spot", thus preventing the deer from going onto private property or run in front of other deer hunters.

As always, check the current reloading manuals and make sure my "Pet Loads" are safe and below the maximums. I tried to be extra careful but I'm human and am capable of a typo. Note: I never go over the max loads in the reloading manuals.

Over 20 years ago, I shot a couple of elk with my .270 Win rifle using standard 150 gr bullets. One elk was a one-shot kill but the other elk I shot needed repeated shots before they fell down. Thus, I bought a used 7mm Rem Mag rifle and that worked much better.
However, if you use the new premium bullets like the Swift A-Frame bullet or the Barnes Triple Shock bullet (or Winchester's Fail Safe bullet), you and your son can use your .270 Win rifles to shoot elk. I've seen plenty of pictures of successful elk hunters using .270 Win rifles and premium bullets. Note: I'd recommend a bigger caliber for elk but sometimes you have to use what you have and a .270 Win is OK as long as bullet placement is correct and one limits their shots to about 250 yds and under.

The bottom line is to have fun with your son and his new .270 Winchester rifle. The .270 Win is a heck of a caliber that has a lot going for it. Congrats on introducing your son to a great deer rifle.

Good Luck,
helenajoe

[waksupi]

Joe, you pretty much described what a cast bullet does, only they generally don't stop.

[StarMetal]

When Nosler first came out with the Ballistic Tip it was a really explosive bullet. Rick Jamison did an article on that. It was brought to Nosler's attention and supposely they have updated the bullet. Winchester currently had a brand new bullet out and it's dandy. They wanted to make a bullet that was their own, not one make along with Nosler like the New Technogoly bullets. There are a tremendous amount of good premium bullets out there.

You mentioned that the Barnes blue coated bullets get that bullet all over the reloading equipment and such. So what does it do? Any harm? If not so what? Soft bullet lube for cast bullets gets all over stuff too. The only harm with that is that is can eventually fill up the bullet seating punch and you're bullets will be seated a tad deeper.

I wrote this a few times before so I'm not going to go into detail with it. A prominant hunter noticed how when shooting moose with a 338 mag with the same load, the same distance and same impact point and angle on the animal, that one would drop instantly and the other would linger on and on. It took some forensic animal biologist to come up with a reasonable answer. Basically the two moose were shot in the heart. What the found was that the one that dropped quickly, the bullet hit the heart when the heart was making it's pressure beat, pressure going out to the arteries that is, and with the energy of the striking bullet, the pressure got greatly increased. They had found that there were burst blood vessels in the moose's brain. On the one that lingering on and on they found no burst blood vessels in the moose's brain. Kinda like if you have two milk jugs full of water and one has the lid on and one doesn't and you shoot them. The one with the lid will blow up more dramatic. So what this means, with a heart shot, that even with perfect placement, it may not mean an instant kill.

So I wouldn't condemn the 270 as being too light for elk. I think it would be more accurate to say is not to go over the limit at WHAT distance the 270 provides good energy and kills. By switching to the 7mm Mag, all you have is basically a 270 with longer ranger. The different in bullet diameters is hardly that different. In other words there's a distance that both could be shot at that the bullet energy would be exactly the same. For the 7 Mag it would of course be farther.

Joe

[carpetman]

Starmetal Joe---If before you shoot an elk with a .270,if you will sneak up to it and screw the lid on it,not only will it drop it instantly,it will gut,skin and quarter it for you and even pack it to your vehicle if it is reasonably close. Oh and you do have to hook an EKG up to it to monitor the heart pulse and this has to be timed in too.

[carpetman]

I read all time about the .243 being too small for deer or marginal at best-------if used,use a premium bullet. I use cheap Winchester bulk packed bullets for the ignorant deer around here that don't know I am supposed to be using a premium bullet. I suspect they would work in a .270 as long as the deer aren't well read.

[Bigscot]

Joe,

Thanks for all the info. I will have to try some of the loads out.
I don't have to worry about light loads for my son. He shot his 1st deer this year with my 30.06 using 58.3 gns of I-4350 and a 150gn Hornaday sp. He shot his 2nd one with a 3" Rem 00 buck. And he got another shot at deer with his .270 using a 130gn Win factory load. He is able to handle the most of the full power loads. He just turned 12 and he about 5'10-11" and about 205 lbs.

Thanks again,

BS

[MARCORVET]

I have a Model 70 Featherweight that I inherited. Shoots 1 1/2" groups at 100 yds (as long as I can do my part). I load 54Grs AA4350, CCI primer, and a Nosler 130Gr Ballistic Tip.
Very accurate, but not enough weight in the rifle to shoot for fun.

[stephen perry]

Hornady and Barnes are two bullet favorites for the .270. What the hey all the Companies make good bullets my favorites if there is such a thing as favorites are Winchester silver tip 130 or 150, bought several boxes a while ago had some anyway. Sight-in with Sierra's verify with a few Winchesters ready to go.

Don't take much to kill a deer. Smaller calibers like .243 and .257 do fine. A .270 is a bit much but if the velocities are kept in the 2700 fps and good expanding bullets like Hornady's are used hunting goes well.

I said earlier I considered a good .270 as accurate as it gets in a big game hunting rifle. Though for every 3/4" group the next one up is usually one inch plus, maybe if the wind plays some tricks a 2 inch.

To know what your hunting rifle is worth shoot some 200 on a windy day, anything under 2 inch would be respectable. Most have never shot anything other than 100.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR