Books Listed .270 135gr Cast Loads Non Consistant

[Petro58]

Still fairly new to casting, I've had success with my handgun loads and figured I'd try some things for a Browning BAR in .270. Wow the Manuals I have Loads Suck, and are inconsistent. Very few with OAL's and powder charge inconsistencies. Ok I'd appreciate anything you all could share to give me an Idea based on your experiences with the .270, and the Components I have. Any Ideas which way you'd start? Or a different Powder and Start. Not Looking for your specific, unless you just want to share. But Powders that maybe you tried that didn't perform as well as expected. Or what powder worked better. Maybe I need better books for my Rifle Loads?

Thanks In Advance

Browning BAR Mark I .270 caliber
Universal neck expander
Brass Win, Fed, Frontier Rem. All brass has been FL sized, also have a Neck Sizer
Primers Win Large Rifle and CCI 200 Large Rifle.
My Boolits should be Lyman#2 hardness (or Close)
Lee Mold # C277-135rf, average wt 136.2gr, Powder Coated, Gas Checked, sized at .278
My OAL. Inserting dummy cartridges into the chamber, appear to hit the lands at a Length of 3.22 so I'm figuring 3.12 or there about.
Powders Listed are Powders I have on hand.
Varget
4064
4198
4227
4350
3031
2400
4895
Herco
Unique

Lyman's Cast Manual #3 *** the most useful so Far
mold #280412- 136gr
OAL 3.095
Unique Start 11.5 Max 14.8
Herco 12.0 15.0
IMR 3031 29.2 40.0

Lyman #47 Nadda

Lyman #48 Nadda

Lyman #44
Mold #280412- 136gr
No OAL
Unique Start 8.0 Max 12 **Big Difference?** seems to me
No Herco Listed
No IMR3031 Listed
2400 15.0 23.0
IMR4227 15.0 25.0
IMR4198 20.0 28.0
IMR4895 34.0 38.0

[JWT]

I am just about to start the same quest with a 1959 Steyr Mannlicher in 270. I will be attempting a 160gr from a NOE mold.

Good luck.

[Petro58]

Yeah I've got 100 win cases ready to Start. Hoping someone will chime in with a better Idea that what I have formulated. looking at Unique, Herco or the IMR3031. Then start a ladder from one of them I guess.

[Moonie]

If it were me I'd start with light (60% of maximum listed for jacketed loads) loads of H4895. I've had good luck with a 742 in 30-06 cycling loads at this level because the 4895's were designed to run gas guns well.

[Yodogsandman]

Your overall length will be dictated by the length of your magazine and the length at which the boolit hits the lands. Seat out to touch the lands and then try backing off in .010" steps until best accuracy is achieved. Your magazine length might not allow you to seat out that far.

By powder coating, you've introduced a variable. The thickness cannot be applied consistently and will screw with your O.A.L.'s, throat fit and neck tension. I've recently been having good results using just 3 coats of Ben's Liquid Lube (BLL). Easy to make and easy to use. Less work than PC, too.

I suggest some type of heat treating and quenching to increase your boolit hardness a bit to match the increased speeds that you'll need to run them at to work your action. Either water dropping right from the mold or oven heat treating. This will also help to keep the boolit nose from being damaged while feeding in a semi.

Look at jacketed bullet start loads to see what will work that action. I'd expect 3031,4895, 4064 and Varget to work. You can work backwards from there, using less powder, to see what loads will still work your action.

[dsh1106]

As mentioned above, the COAL will be dependent or your rifle and magazine.

In my 270 (Ruger M77), the maximum overall length (touching the lands) for the 280412 (sized to .280) is 3.220"

I haven't tested much with the 280412. I did try 10 gr of unique at and OAL of 3.175, this load may not cycle your BAR, but it was a blast at the range. 5 shot group of ~1 1/8 @ a 100 yds of the bench.

1st you'll hear the gun report, then what seems like 10 seconds goes bye, and then you'll hear the bullet hit the paper.

Here's some more info from a 1973 Lyman Book

From the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (1973)

Lyman 280412
No COAL Listed
Powders Listed
700x 10 gr - 12.5 gr
PB 10.5 gr - 13 gr
SR7625 10.5 gr - 13 gr
SR4756 11.5 gr - 15 gr
RED DOT 10.5 gr - 13 gr
GREEN DOT 10.5 gr - 13 gr
UNIQUE 11.5 gr - 14.8 gr
HERCO 12 gr - 15 gr