Powder Choice for 270 Win ?

superd222

superd222

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Hi Guys,

I'm looking for the best powder(s) to start with for the 270 Win. (22" barrel with 1:10 twist).

I'm not looking for load data or recipies - just powder selection. I understand every rifle is different, and would like to find out what others have had good success with.

It seems I have access to many of the suggested powders for the 270. For example: H4350, Varget, H380, H414, 760. The only powder I don't have which seems to be a popular choice is H4831(SC).

110gr and 130-140gr bullets will be loaded.

Is there any rule of thumb for powder selection?
ie: is there a better choice for lighter 110gr or heavier 130-140gr bullets?
For example, in the 243 it is suggested to use H380 for under 87gr and H4350 for over 87gr bullets.

Thanks for your help - look forward to learning what works for you in your 270.

Happy New Year! SD
 
Hi,
I use WC852 a surplus powder from Higginson Powders. It has a burn rate between H380 and 760,H414.
It's a ball powder and I find it good with everything from 90gr to 170gr bullets.
But the most important thing in my opinion with 270 is I use magnum primers ! Years ago I read in the Norsler manual that because your burning a lot of powder in 270, over 50gr, mag primers gave better performance. After my experimentation I found that to be the case.
I also factory crimp. But that's another discussion. :D

Big G
 
big g said:
Hi,
I use WC852 a surplus powder from Higginson Powders. It has a burn rate between H380 and 760,H414.
It's a ball powder and I find it good with everything from 90gr to 170gr bullets.
Click to expand...

Unless there are two entirely different lots of WC852, the stuff I have is much slower than any of the ones big g lists. Actually it is very close to old H450, which was a ball powder equivalent to H4831, making it a suitable powder for the 270. My personal choice is Norma MRP, and it has consistently shown itself to give the best performance in the 270 with all bullet weights from 130 to 160 grain. Regards, Eagleye.
 
IMR 4831 worked good for all the 270 rifles that I ever shot,I have had a truckload of them between 1972-1990.
The old 130 grain Silvertip knocked everything down from bears to moose.
 
303carbine said:
IMR 4831 worked good for all the 270 rifles that I ever shot,I have had a truckload of them between 1972-1990.
The old 130 grain Silvertip knocked everything down from bears to moose.
Click to expand...

I agree.... I load for my buddy's 270 with IMR 4831 and it does give good results.
 
I've always started with whatever powder my Lyman book gives for the accuracy load for the bullet weight I'm using. IMR4064 is that for 130 and 150 grain jacketed bullets. IMR4350 is given for the factory duplication load for both.
 
Eagleye's comment re WC852

Eagleye said:
Unless there are two entirely different lots of WC852, the stuff I have is much slower than any of the ones big g lists. Actually it is very close to old H450, which was a ball powder equivalent to H4831, making it a suitable powder for the 270.
Click to expand...

Eagleye, there are multiple entirely different lots of WC852. Military production WC852 has run the gambit of burning rates from roughly H335 to H450 (Hodgdon numbers).
There were a number of 90,000 pound lots of WC852 sold as surplus new powder. Each lot had a different burn rate.
There actually was a WC852f-like H380, a WC852m- like H414 and a WC852s - like H450/H4831.

"Military surplus" powder is not the standardized, consistent "canister" powder to which reloaders are accustomed. Military powder has no pretense for uniformity lot-to-lot. With these bulk powders, no attempt is made to standardize lot-to-lot, rather each lot (and, they are big lots) is tested and the powder charge load quantity adjusted until the specifications for pressure and velocity are met. When the lot changes, the powder is retested and the load adjusted again.
As WC852 was loaded into .30-06 machine gun ammo of various types (tracer,AP,API etc) Olin made tons of it over the years.

Big G
 
Having tried a few, the best performers I had was IMR4064 and RELOADER 22, all behind 130gn bullets.
Using the ladder method of testing I found IMR 4064 to be the shortest group string. I shot these out of a Browning.
Like everyone says each gun is different but search out accurate reloading sites and sometimes you even find loads out of the same type of gun.
 
Just finished load development for my 270.

Used 54 gr of H4350 behind 139 Horndy bullet. Powerful and very accurate.

Tried H380 before, good powder but can only go as far as 46 gr.
 
michaelsabre said:
Just finished load development for my 270.

Used 54 gr of H4350 behind 139 Horndy bullet. Powerful and very accurate.

Tried H380 before, good powder but can only go as far as 46 gr.
Click to expand...


If you stuck a 139 in a .270 it would've been an awful tight fit, like maybe 7 thou over? (.284 minus .277 = .007)
Sounds hot. Without looking it up I'd guess a full grain over book max for a 130.
Always used 54 gr IMR4350 with a CCI 250 primer in cooler weather and a 130 Sierra SPBT. Worked great.
 
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