Ok I took the plunge and got a reloading kit and a set of dies. I also picked up a new winchester model 70 in .270 with a 22 inch barrel an a 1 in 10 twist rate. I am going to do my own reading and research to figure out the "how to" end of reloading and I am sure I will have some questions along the way. My question here today though is I have to go out and buy cases, powder, primers, and projectiles. I am wondering if there are any suggestions you guys might have that will save me a little time at finding the right load for my combination. I want to shoot the 130 grain bullets that are acceptable for hunting deer. Any suggestions tips or proven loads you use with a similar setup would be appreciated.
powder/bullet/shell recomendations for .270
- Thread starter spenom
- Start date
The old go to load for a 270 is H4831. Your rifle will tell you what it likes re amount of powder. Check your manuals (note plural of manual) for starting and max. I have had good luck with 140 gr bullets when I had a 270. I have used Winchester brass, CCI large rifle primers and Hornady bullets with good success. Good luck in reloading.
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
What works for me
Winchester brass
IMR 4350 poweder
CCI #200 primers
I use this for 130-150gr bullets. Start around 50g of powder and work up.
I agree that 4831 is an old favorite in the .270, but I have found that I've never been able to reach top velocites with it.
Winchester brass
IMR 4350 poweder
CCI #200 primers
I use this for 130-150gr bullets. Start around 50g of powder and work up.
I agree that 4831 is an old favorite in the .270, but I have found that I've never been able to reach top velocites with it.
We have had good success with whatever cases we have on hand - from Norma, Dominion, Imperial, Federal, or Remington.
We use IMR 4350 and Federal 210 primers. We have used Speer 130gr Boat tailed bullets with good success. Nosler Ballistic tips and Hornady Interlocks, and Sierra Pro hunters, all in 130gr have also done the job. I now have a few Barnes TSX bullets we will be trying out for next fall.
There are lots of bullet options available. It all depends on what your goal is. If you want precision paper punchers, then someone else will have to help you on match type bullets.
You will have to try out a few and find out what works for you. You will shoot more and probably become a better shot and have fun doing it.
Have fun.
We use IMR 4350 and Federal 210 primers. We have used Speer 130gr Boat tailed bullets with good success. Nosler Ballistic tips and Hornady Interlocks, and Sierra Pro hunters, all in 130gr have also done the job. I now have a few Barnes TSX bullets we will be trying out for next fall.
There are lots of bullet options available. It all depends on what your goal is. If you want precision paper punchers, then someone else will have to help you on match type bullets.
You will have to try out a few and find out what works for you. You will shoot more and probably become a better shot and have fun doing it.
Have fun.
I'm not an experienced reloader, but have done a lot of experimenting. I've only reloaded for .270, and I've put 4 different powders, 3 different primers, and 3 different types of brass (factory loaded) to work in the pursuit. I've also tried 5 different bullets (3 weights).
What all this experimenting has taught me is that it doesn't really matter all that much. Use something reasonable and you will get reasonable results.
What all this experimenting has taught me is that it doesn't really matter all that much. Use something reasonable and you will get reasonable results.
H4831 was the go to powder, because Jack O'Connor said it was. And no one else in history had as much influence on shooters, as did Jack O'Connor. I could also add that no one else in history had as much experience with the 270 Winchester, as did Jack O'Connor.
Jack's original load, and kept to the end, was 60 grains behind a 130 grain bullet. It is still very hard to beat that load.
Something to remember, though, is H4831 (the powder!) aint what she used to be. Well, maybe I shouldn't have limited my statement to "the powder!"
Anyway, to get back to shooting. I used the old war surplus Hodgdon's H4831 for quite a few years. Then when Hodgdon came out with newly manufactured H4831 and sold in cannisters, I wondered if it was the same powder. Hodgdon said the same loading data could be used and a little red flag came up.
I loaded five rounds of the old surplus powder in a 270 with 60 grains and a 130 grain bullet and chronographed them. At the same time I loaded five more, exactly the same components, except 60 grains of the new H4831 from a can bought from a store. Here are the results of the chronographing.
The old surplus powder, average 3078 with a es of 33.
The new Hodgdon H4831, average 2960 with a extreme spread of 45.
That is quite a substantial difference and could explain why some people say they can't get the expected results with the powder.
Jack's original load, and kept to the end, was 60 grains behind a 130 grain bullet. It is still very hard to beat that load.
Something to remember, though, is H4831 (the powder!) aint what she used to be. Well, maybe I shouldn't have limited my statement to "the powder!"
Anyway, to get back to shooting. I used the old war surplus Hodgdon's H4831 for quite a few years. Then when Hodgdon came out with newly manufactured H4831 and sold in cannisters, I wondered if it was the same powder. Hodgdon said the same loading data could be used and a little red flag came up.
I loaded five rounds of the old surplus powder in a 270 with 60 grains and a 130 grain bullet and chronographed them. At the same time I loaded five more, exactly the same components, except 60 grains of the new H4831 from a can bought from a store. Here are the results of the chronographing.
The old surplus powder, average 3078 with a es of 33.
The new Hodgdon H4831, average 2960 with a extreme spread of 45.
That is quite a substantial difference and could explain why some people say they can't get the expected results with the powder.
Nosler ballistic tips 130 grain. 5 whities and counting.
IMR 4064 recipe from lee reloading book.(my gun likes 45 grains)
I started at the lowest recommendation 3 shots of each 1/2 grain apart and went up till it grouped really nice.(.5 @ 100) Win brass, win LR primers.
clean often when testing.
Don't shoot the barnes tsx's then something else without cleaning all the soft brass out of your barrel. 100 patches and 2 hours cleaning. My TSX's are sitting in the back of the cupboard.
IMR 4064 recipe from lee reloading book.(my gun likes 45 grains)
I started at the lowest recommendation 3 shots of each 1/2 grain apart and went up till it grouped really nice.(.5 @ 100) Win brass, win LR primers.
clean often when testing.
Don't shoot the barnes tsx's then something else without cleaning all the soft brass out of your barrel. 100 patches and 2 hours cleaning. My TSX's are sitting in the back of the cupboard.
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
Ill put in another plug for H4831 and 130's , I didnt' find it hard to get the speed but settled at 58 grains for 3000 fps . Not hard to get past 3100 fps.
RL-22 is also worth trying with 270.
With 150 gr. I prefer IMR-4831 . (hornady max load works well)
RL-22 is also worth trying with 270.
With 150 gr. I prefer IMR-4831 . (hornady max load works well)
Qc_BearHunter
CGN Regular
- Location
- Pont-Rouge, Qc
I have a new model 70 Featherweight in 270.
It likes 54 grains of IMR 4831 under a hornady 150 grains SP for 2800fps.
And 59 grains of H4831 under a 130 grains bullets for 3030 fps.
RP brass and WLR primers.
Groups are always under an inch at 100yds with these loads.
It shoots Accubonds with hunting accuracy (1.5-2") but these are not the best.
51.2 grains of IMR 4350 behind a 140 gr bullet and a standard large rifle primer. As your reloading OCD takes ahold, you'l start sorting your brass by weight and headstamp, you'll try full lenth sizing, neck sizing, annealing, experiment with bullet seating, and logging thousand of miles (and rounds) trying to get that perfect...repeatable....group.
Good luck with your slow decent into madness. I have to go now and tumble my Winchester brass that was manufactured between March 15 and 17th of 2009........counterclockwise
.
Hakx
Good luck with your slow decent into madness. I have to go now and tumble my Winchester brass that was manufactured between March 15 and 17th of 2009........counterclockwise
.Hakx
I have reloaded several thousand rounds using different components and powders. Not for the 270, but for a few other calibres. I am, at best, a pragmatist and a cheap one at that. Through all of this experimentation I have discovered that, for my purposes, none of this matters. I hunt. Period.
I have settled on ONE powder, and ONE primer this makes it easier to buy in bulk and still produce satisfactory results in all of my meager store of firearms. I use lots of range brass picked up when we have hunter sight-in days at the range (I know it is once fired, because it is still in the original 10yr old boxes). I no longer worry about lot numbers or specific water weights and volumes, but I do try to keep the headstamps separate, makes it easier to know which rifle it is loaded for.
The rifles themselves, in conjunction with the cartridge, must perform to specific standards and fairly rigid criteria to be selected as a hunting partner each time. Long shooters must group Sub-MOA from the bench. Those that don't fall into other categories, bush guns; open, short range (under 200yds) light carry; type of game, etc.
Don't worry quite so much about the strict rules of reloading and simply reload so that you can shoot. I do play with the case itself more now than I ever did and I believe that it has contributed to greater accuracy. Each case, no matter the headstamp, age, or source (even new) gets trimmed to length, primer pocket uniformed, flash hole de-burred, and FL re-sized twice (once, then turn 180 degrees) the first time I load them, that helps keep the cases even. When I change to subsequent loadings, they are neck sized using the same method. I do not turn the inside or the outside of the necks, do not check for acceptable runout, or any of the professional long-range shooter practices that can make cartridges so super accurate. Again, I hunt. I get the best performance I can out of fairly generic parts.
I hope you enjoy this hobby, it is as fascinating and time consuming as you want to make it.
I have settled on ONE powder, and ONE primer this makes it easier to buy in bulk and still produce satisfactory results in all of my meager store of firearms. I use lots of range brass picked up when we have hunter sight-in days at the range (I know it is once fired, because it is still in the original 10yr old boxes). I no longer worry about lot numbers or specific water weights and volumes, but I do try to keep the headstamps separate, makes it easier to know which rifle it is loaded for.
The rifles themselves, in conjunction with the cartridge, must perform to specific standards and fairly rigid criteria to be selected as a hunting partner each time. Long shooters must group Sub-MOA from the bench. Those that don't fall into other categories, bush guns; open, short range (under 200yds) light carry; type of game, etc.
Don't worry quite so much about the strict rules of reloading and simply reload so that you can shoot. I do play with the case itself more now than I ever did and I believe that it has contributed to greater accuracy. Each case, no matter the headstamp, age, or source (even new) gets trimmed to length, primer pocket uniformed, flash hole de-burred, and FL re-sized twice (once, then turn 180 degrees) the first time I load them, that helps keep the cases even. When I change to subsequent loadings, they are neck sized using the same method. I do not turn the inside or the outside of the necks, do not check for acceptable runout, or any of the professional long-range shooter practices that can make cartridges so super accurate. Again, I hunt. I get the best performance I can out of fairly generic parts.
I hope you enjoy this hobby, it is as fascinating and time consuming as you want to make it.
As I was reading this I thought it must be something I had written! Virtually everything you have written fits to a tee what I have done or discovered.
Only I have loaded for the 270. I bought a new Sako L61 in early 1965 and a year or so later was out of brass. I then realized I had fired about 1000 rounds through it, but not one factory loaded cartridge! So I bought a box of factory loads.
I too, have done a lot of experimenting. Even before I started reloading I was well aware of the fact that the rifle was the most important part of making good groups. I associated with some good target shooters and from them I learned the importance of having the rifle properly bedded. The bedding of the 303 Lee Enfield was an art all in itself. Our sporting rifles were/are much easier to work with. Oops, I forgot, I have never shot a rifle with a plastic stock and don't intend to. They may be different. I leaned a pretty good method of bedding sporting rifles that holds true yet today. I even once bedded a friends target model Lee Enfield and ended up by me making a 5 shot group off a bench at 100 yards, with the big Parker Hale aperature sight, that actually measured one inch, with their military target ammunition they used. He let me have the rifle until I was satisfied with it, so it took some tries and it is someting I do not wish to try again.
I started out reloading for the 30-06 and because of purchasing arrangements I used nothing but Norma components. My standard 30-06 load was right out of the Norma GunBug's Guide, 50 grains of Norma 203 and their 180 grain semi-boattail bullet. I did quite well in matches with that combination, prone position and to 500 yards, in my 1949 model Husqvarna rifle with a Lyman 48 aperature sight. In later years I was able to chronograph that load and it actually made the 2700 fps, just as the Norma book said it did.
I still have that rifle, only now it has a vintage 4x Bushnell Scopechief on it, as well as many scars collected from some of the finest mountains in BC. A couple of months ago I took it to the range and discovered it did not make a good group. At home I took it apart and redid with JB Weld, the front rest for the barrel. I realised I still had all the components to duplicate my old original load. Went back to the range with my original load and the beddidng touched up on the rifle. With a solid rest, I shot a five shot group that measured .9 of an inch. I posted a picture of that group a month or two ago.
I have two other 30-06 rifles in the locker that I once bought for grand sons. The BSA I have just touched up the bedding on and the Browning A Bolt I have never had apart. I am loading some ammunition to test them both out and will let you know.
I am a firm believer that factory loaded ammunition is much better than most on these threads give it credit for. If I wasn't so tight I would buy a box or two of the cheapest Feeral, Remington or Winchester that I can buy and just see how it does in a properly bedded rifle.
51.2 grains of IMR 4350 behind a 140 gr bullet and a standard large rifle primer. As your reloading OCD takes ahold, you'l start sorting your brass by weight and headstamp, you'll try full lenth sizing, neck sizing, annealing, experiment with bullet seating, and logging thousand of miles (and rounds) trying to get that perfect...repeatable....group.
Good luck with your slow decent into madness. I have to go now and tumble my Winchester brass that was manufactured between March 15 and 17th of 2009........counterclockwise
Hakx
This put a smile on my face amidst the seemingly endless task of learning about re-loading. Thanks to everyone for all the input.
I can't remember what primers I was using, this was back in the mid 80's, but for a lighter bullet, 48 and a haf grains of IRM4895 pushing a 90 gr HP gave me 5 overlapping from a rest at 100 yds. Of course, that was back when I could see a hundred yards!
I too prefer RL22 in the 270 Winchester only I use a WLR primer to light it.
