.270 Win and H4831 for deer

Canuck223

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Ok folks,

My uncle has decided that he has to have a .270 Win and wants to use it for deer in the Haliburton/Bancroft/Madoc area.

I prefer to load using H4831. Anyone care to suggest a decent bullet make and weight for this cartridge and powder??
 
I hunted with a guy that used 130g boat tailed bullets, Sierra I think. I don't remember tha charge of 4831, but the velosity was around 2900 fps, and it dropped whitetails on the spot.
 
I use Hornady 150gr spire points in front of 55.5grs of H4831. (Use reloading tables starting with the recommended minimum charge and work up in half grain increments watching for pressure signs) This load works for deer to small elk and the odd moose if necessary.
 
60 gr 4831 with 130 gr bullets is the all-time classic 270 load..........because it works! :D

The second largest bull moose I ever shot, was down for the count with a single shot using that load.

Ted
 
If you want cheap and effective the bulk 130g Winchester Power Point bullets are about as good as you can get for standard bullets.

Go to Reloading Seconds.com (google it) they have some cheap ballistic tips if that suits your fancy. They also have 150g partitions, great for deer to moose.
 
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Go to Reloading Seconds.com (google it) they have some cheap ballistic tips if that suits your fancy. They also have 150g partitions, great for deer to moose.
I just got a batch of those 270cal Nosler BTs from them. 140s and 150s, but I like heavy bullets. Good prices and excellent service.



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In talking with a friend who's been using a .270 for a while in this part of Ontario, he advised against bullets lighter than 140 saying they tend to fragment or shred and bloodshot too much meat on the way out.

He strongly advised staying around the 150gr weight.

Any comments??

R of A, I checked out the site. Thanks!!
 
just about any bullet from 130 grain to 150 grain would do the trick. personally I would probably shoot a 140 grain Nosler Accubond
 
In talking with a friend who's been using a .270 for a while in this part of Ontario, he advised against bullets lighter than 140 saying they tend to fragment or shred and bloodshot too much meat on the way out.

He strongly advised staying around the 150gr weight.

Any comments??

R of A, I checked out the site. Thanks!!

I was recently reading Jack O'Connor's book "The hunting rifle" It seems jack shot just about anything up to and including Moose with his Famous .270 130 grain Load (See Why Not's post) He talks about 60 gr and than he even loading up 62 gr.

I was wondering if this is with the old H4831 or new one ?

This is above any loads I have in any of my manuals. All I can say is work up.
 
Canuck223
I hunted Bancroft area for about 5 years and shot about 15 deer with a .270 useing 130's,140's and 150's and couldn't tell the difference in meat damage or hitting power. I use 140's as it is a happy medium, It really won't matter much as most of his shooting will be done at short range due to the heavy bush. Figure out what his rifle likes and go hunting.
Good Luck.
 
In talking with a friend who's been using a .270 for a while in this part of Ontario, he advised against bullets lighter than 140 saying they tend to fragment or shred and bloodshot too much meat on the way out.

He strongly advised staying around the 150gr weight.

Any comments??

R of A, I checked out the site. Thanks!!



Your friend is on the right track. Higher velocity (lighter bullets) that expand rapidly (most non "premium") will give explosive performance, more likely to ruin meat. But the reality with a 270 is that if you shoot meat or hit any bone with meat on it you have pretty much lost that meat no matter what bullet you are using.

I have taken a lot of deer with the 130g Power Points in factory loads. I think I used that bullet and a 270 exclusively for almost 10 years. However, my favorite general combination for deer is a heavy easy to open bullet (like a 150 ballistic tip:)) at fairly good velocity.
 
I was recently reading Jack O'Connor's book "The hunting rifle" It seems jack shot just about anything up to and including Moose with his Famous .270 130 grain Load (See Why Not's post) He talks about 60 gr and than he even loading up 62 gr.

I was wondering if this is with the old H4831 or new one ?

This is above any loads I have in any of my manuals. All I can say is work up.

I have loaded 62 gr with the old surplus 4831, but get the same velocity, 3200 fps in 24" barrel, using 60 gr of the current stuff.

Ted
 
I have loaded 62 gr with the old surplus 4831, but get the same velocity, 3200 fps in 24" barrel, using 60 gr of the current stuff.

Ted

Ted, I found the opposite about the difference between old and new H4831.
We once bought a 50 pound keg of the old surplus, for about $20.
I seldom got more than 60 grains in the 270, because of having to tamp, then squash it pretty good, with a 130 grain bullet.
When the newly manufactured H4831 came out, Hodgdon stated you could use the same loading data as the old. I had access to a chronograph, so I loaded two batches of five rounds, exactly the same, only one batch had 60 grains of the old, the other, 60 of the new. I got just over 3000 with the new and over 3100 with the old. And, the old gave less difference between high and low.
I still have some of the old surplus and waiting 'till a factory delivers an RCBS chronograph. When it comes I will again check the old and the new, to see if there is any deterioration of the old powder. Some years ago I checked quite a few loads of the surplus and always got 3100 and change with 60 grains and 130, while 58 gave 150 grain about 2925, and little variance.
 
I still have the fifty keg, but no powder left in it. We use it for a map holder! :D

Will be interested in hearing what the velocity is, but doubt there will be much change if the powder has been kept dry and cool.

Best,
Ted
 
2nd (or third?) on the 140 grn bullets. I've used accubonds, ballistic tips, and am now on SST's (can't tell the difference in performance, and they're half the price).
 
For what & where "Uncle" is, I'd try a 160 gr. Nosler Partition...
slow it down ... 50, maybe 52 grains of H4831. I like Federal GM210 primers.
Heavy bullet, not too fast, and not destructive.
 
I have been using seirra 130's the was few years they are soft a bone hit will have serious fragmentation. But they have been such a reliable killer of deer I am reluctant to give them up.

But then the last deer gun whas a 338wm with 200 nosler bt's so it is a major reduction in meat damage for me. It probably a matter of perspective.
 
Oy, so now he's changed his mind and decided to go with a .243 Winchester.

I'm thinking 95gr bullets are in my future............
 
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