Long distance with a 270 WSM?

2

270 short mag

New member
Rating - 100%
31   0   0
Location
Smithers, BC
I have fine tuned my 270 WSM with some 140 grain boat tails at 100 yards. She is a real tack driver, as good as I can shoot it. There is a 1000 yard range close to me and I was wondering if anyone has or heard of people shooting 600 + yards with the 270 WSM? I really want to get into it. I don't see why the cartridge can't perform out that far. If so, what grain of bullet is best? A lighter one (110 grain) or a heavier one (140 / 150)? Thanks for the help and assisting in my vice.

Jim
 
No reason at all you can`t use it to shoot long distance. I would stick to the heavier bullets as they will perform better in the wind.
 
Hi Jim,

I think the 270WSM would be great for long range. Berger has come out with some 150 VLD's for it. Try Sinclair's to order some, not sure if they are available yet but that bullet would be ideal.

I'm no expert but to shoot long range you will want a bullet with a high Ballistic Coefficient. Do not confuse this with heavy bullets although in general the heavier the bullet the better the B.C. will be.

The B.C. has as much to do with the shape of the bullet as the weight.

eg. a corvette vs. a pickup truck.

Which one weighs more is not as significant as which one is more aero dynamic. In fact a lighter bullet with a high B.C. is better than a heavy one because you can push it faster.

When selecting a bullet look up the B.C. value. Some manufacturers put it right on the box while others will be in their reloading manuals or online.

Something above a .5 B.C. that you can push over 3000fps is a heck of a good start for long range shooting. Not sure what the B.C. of the 140 your using right now is but it should be close to .5?

Another thing you might want to look at is the brass you’re using. To stay consistent from shot to shot nothing beats well made brass and Norma happens to make 270WSM brass. (Try Sinclair’s for that to if you can't find it locally)

What scope do you have? Does it have adjustable target turrets? When shooting long range you will not do well with holding over. It's best to get a good ballistics program and learn how to dial up a scope to shoot at extended range.

Good luck and have fun, LR is addictive!!!

Dave
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the help.

Right now I am using Hornady Interlocks with a BC of 0.486. I completly forgot about looking at the BC. I am pushing them at around 3000 fps. I have not crono'd it yet, just got that number from the books. I am not running max with this bullet, 1 grain under, but I have run max and the pressure looks OK.

I have a 3 x 9 Burris Fullfield II with the balistic reticle. I am shooting a Weatherby Vanguard Sub MOA. I liked this one cause of the upgraded stock. And it lives up to it's MOA claim. I shot a 3 shot group two days ago that measured 0.608".

I have always wanted to shoot out far and have finally been able to afford a good rifle with a good scope. I know these are not the top of the line persision rifles and scopes, but they will do until the kids grow up and move out.

I think when I find a good bullet to try I will get some new brass to keep with it.

Right now I am using IMR 4350. Is one powder better for long range then another?

Thanks a ton for all the help.

Jim
 
Those are some good threads. It will take me some time to digest all the info as I am in the learning stages of this.

I looked at some of different websites quickly (Nosler, Hornady, Sierra, Speer) and the highest BC I could find is in teh Hornady 150 grain at 0.525. Is there much of a difference between the 0.486 that I am shooting and the 0.525?

Where are you buying the Berger bullets from?

Thanks again for the help.

Jim
 
Berger bullets

270 short mag said:
Those are some good threads. It will take me some time to digest all the info as I am in the learning stages of this.

I looked at some of different websites quickly (Nosler, Hornady, Sierra, Speer) and the highest BC I could find is in teh Hornady 150 grain at 0.525. Is there much of a difference between the 0.486 that I am shooting and the 0.525?

Where are you buying the Berger bullets from?

Thanks again for the help.

Jim
Click to expand...


I know a guy in greater Montreal who's a dealer for Berger. Someone might remember his CGN username ???

BB
 
270 short mag said:
I have a 3 x 9 Burris Fullfield II with the balistic reticle.
Click to expand...


Although a good hunting scope, a 3 x 9 Burris is less than ideal for shooting over 600 yards. The accuracy of the ballistic reticle hold over point is not nearly as good as having target turrets with 1/4 MOA adjustments. To be accurate at distances over 500yards, using hold overs will just not work. I'm not saying it can't be done, but don't expect to be consistantly under MOA and that is before you factor in things like wind and temperature.

I am not try to discourage you and am only speaking from my own experience. I started off the same as you but quickly learned that it is better to dial in than hold over when going beyond 500yards. A great starting scope for LR is the bushnell 10x40 w/mildot reticle. I think they still go for under $250.

As far as powders are concerned, as long as your load is accurate it is a good powder. Depending on your barrel length a slower powder might get you a few extra fps if there is room to burn it but at the end of the day a small group is still the key.

Hope this helps.

Dave
 
I've got the same Burris scope, and they are definitely a great hunting scope. But they pretty much max out at 300 yards.

As Dave mentioned, the target scope would be a better option for reaching out to those distances.
 
Thanks a ton for all the help guys. I love the Burris, but I was thinking along the same lines. I was thinking of buying another scope for the off season when I am shooting at the range and putting the Burris back on when I go hunting. I for sure can not afford 2 quality guns plus scopes.

I have seem that Bushnell 10 x 40 and like it. I thought I would have needed something with a higher power.

And it takes alot more then that to discourage me. I have too much gun powder in my veins and have seen what this rifle can do to not try it.

Thanks for the connection for the Berger's. I will pm him.

Jim
 
I have a 4.5-14 nikon on mine right now, but I am going to give a 4.5-18 from falcon scopes a try.

you are really lucky to have a 1000 yard range near you
 
I just checked the Berger website, no 270 bullets. The difference between the bc of .486 and .525 (150 grain bullet at 3000fps) is about 2 moa at 1000 yards. There has been much written on long range scopes here. Just do a search.
 
Terry Perkins said:
I just checked the Berger website, no 270 bullets. The difference between the bc of .486 and .525 (150 grain bullet at 3000fps) is about 2 moa at 1000 yards. There has been much written on long range scopes here. Just do a search.
Click to expand...

And just to put what Terry said into simpler terms 2MOA is 20 inches at 1000 yards. Significant difference.

I hope the Berger VLD's are not just a myth. I read on Longrange hunting that guys are using them in the States. Hope we see them soon. If they are available Sinclairs should be one of the first to have them. They are closed for the day now but I'll call Monday to find out.

A higher power scope is definatly better for LR but I would not give up quality glass and repeatability to save on cost. I mentioned the Bushnell because I have one and know it works yet it is still low cost, also alot of others say the same thing. I have not tried any of the cheep higher power stuff out there because I'd rather have 1 scope(Leupold, nightforce, nikon, Bushnell 4200) that I know does the job rather than 3 scopes that might (Tasco, Bushnell legend, super sniper or whatever <$300 POS). This is just my opinion, I know alot of people are happy with there cheep scopes and thats fine.

I just did another quick search on LRH form and here's what I found about the .270 150gr bergers


Where do you get 'em?

They still aren't listed on their web page, as of yesterday.......

You are right, they aren't listed on their web page. Just give them a call directly and talk to Andrea at 714-447-5456. They were very nice and helpful, I only bought one box so you don't have to buy in bulk to get them from the manufacturer. Good luck, you will love them.

So there you go. That was posted last week and the guy already had them and was posting his range results. So you can get them direct from berger and if they won't ship to Canada Sinclair's will (up to 900 qty) if they have them in.

Dave
 
Last edited:
Dave42 said:
Hi Jim,

I think the 270WSM would be great for long range. Berger has come out with some 150 VLD's for it. Try Sinclair's to order some, not sure if they are available yet but that bullet would be ideal.

I'm no expert but to shoot long range you will want a bullet with a high Ballistic Coefficient. Do not confuse this with heavy bullets although in general the heavier the bullet the better the B.C. will be.

The B.C. has as much to do with the shape of the bullet as the weight.

eg. a corvette vs. a pickup truck.

Which one weighs more is not as significant as which one is more aero dynamic. In fact a lighter bullet with a high B.C. is better than a heavy one because you can push it faster.

When selecting a bullet look up the B.C. value. Some manufacturers put it right on the box while others will be in their reloading manuals or online.

Something above a .5 B.C. that you can push over 3000fps is a heck of a good start for long range shooting. Not sure what the B.C. of the 140 your using right now is but it should be close to .5?

Another thing you might want to look at is the brass you’re using. To stay consistent from shot to shot nothing beats well made brass and Norma happens to make 270WSM brass. (Try Sinclair’s for that to if you can't find it locally)

What scope do you have? Does it have adjustable target turrets? When shooting long range you will not do well with holding over. It's best to get a good ballistics program and learn how to dial up a scope to shoot at extended range.

Good luck and have fun, LR is addictive!!!

Dave
Click to expand...


You are exactly right. A bullet with a higher ballistic coefficient will resist wind drift and retain velocity longer than a bullet with a lower ballistic coefficient.

Weight is only one component in the formula used to determine ballistic coefficient. The others 2 factors are bullet shape and diameter.

A 60 grain .223 bullet with a BC of .450 will buck wind just as well as a 180 grain .30 caliber bullet with the same BC. As long as the BC is the same, the difference in weight is irrelevant.
 
Thanks for taking the time to answer all my newbie questions. I really apprecate it. I did not think that such a small difference in BC would make that much of a difference down range. All your help is really hooking me into this. I pm'd Arrowhead and he said he will help me out when he gets a cost of the Berger bullets.

Again, thanks and I see myself saving up some $ for optics and a quad to drive out to the 600 + mark :)
 
well if you are gonna order some I guess I might as well too.... I just was out shooting today and tried some 135gr sierra MK's and they shot better on the first test load than all the combinations I have tried with hornady IB's

I think its time to try the bergers probably 140gr
 
a couple pics with my .270wsm from todays shooting/fireforming/load dev. session a little snowy out there, but its nice to get out shooting after this long -30 snap

camera-march08022.jpg


camera-march08025.jpg
 
Last edited:
redlaker1 said:
a couple pics with my .270wsm from todays shooting/fireforming/load dev. session a little snowy out there, but its nice to get out shooting after this long -30 snap
Click to expand...

Fireforming? Have you done some sort of modification or just getting your brass to chamber specs?

Where do you live that it has been that cold lately?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom