Tell me about the .270 Wby Mag

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What is the deal with the .270 Wby Mag? There seems to be a decided lack of chamberings in it, even in the Weatherby line where the new Vanguard is chambered for .270 Win but not their own .270 cal.

The ballistics look incredible to my untrained eye - easily putting the .270 Win and the WSM to shame. If you're reloading, which I would be, availability of ammo isn't really an issue, and once you get a goodly supply of brass the reloading components are a snap.

So, tell me about the pros and cons of this rifle chambering. I'm really serious about picking one up in a fairly lightweight hunting rig, even if I have to go custom, and need to hear a voice of reason either telling me you're on the right track or am pissing into the wind.

1) Are the ballistics as impressive down range as they look on paper?
2) How is recoil and how would/should it translate to a 6-6.5 lb rifle?
3) Any issues with accuracy, feeding, bbl/throat erosion, etc... that is inherent to the cartridge?

I know you pretty much need to be in a 24" bbl or better to realize the advantages of the cartridge so getting into a lightweight rifle would most likely involve something custom but what other considerations are there?


Lets hear it, any and all input welcome.:D
 
I would hardly say a that the .270 Weatherby puts a .270 wsm to shame.
The 270 wsm uses less powder and can get the same velocities.

Also take alook at the price of 270 Weatherby brass, dies ect... The price is ridiculas when you can get the same performance from a 270 wsm and buy brass and dies at a resonable price.

The .270 wsm is chambered by pretty much all major firms, is deadley accurate and is a short action.

For example taken from Lymans 48th Ed.

270 wsm 130 gr. Interlock IMR 4831 66.5 velocity=3280

270 wm 130 gr Interlock IMR 4831 69gr velocity=3288
 
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case capacity always wins

all things being equal (pressure & barrel length) a 270 Wby will outrun a 270 WSM

that being said, a 270 WSM is a nice lil cartridge.

not to derail the topic, the 270 Weatherby is a good open country round for anything up to the size of elk and moose. It will do anything the 7mm Rem Mag will, which is saying alot. :)
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270 is good for deer, deftnitely not moose or elk. I know a lot of people won't agree with me but that is my opinion, based on experience. You just cannot trust a 270 caliber bullet to penetrate and stay intact on an animal the size of a moose. You need penetration, not speed. Heavy bullets win every time. Weatherby calibers were made for gullible people, not hunters.
 
todbartell said:
It will do anything the 7mm Rem Mag will, which is saying alot. :)

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It is only saying a lot if you can say it will do anything the 7mm Rem Mag can do & can do it better. The sheer availability of 7mm Rem Mag components from various makers & factory loaded ammo at very reasonable prices, not to mention every major rifle maker makes numerous version available in this ctg would sell me over a .270 Weatherby Mag any day. In fact I'd say except for a few guys who just have to have something different & not in the mainstream, the .270 Weatherby is all but obsolete. And the .270 WSM just pushes it farther towards it, too. Just my .02... ;)
 
If it gets the velocity it is a hot number. I use a 270 WSM, the WBY is more of the same. Anybody with handloading experience with the WBY should chime in with actual velocities.
bigbull
 
The Barnes manual #3 lists 130 grain loads at almost 3500,WHY NOT has a 270 Weatherby and I have seen his get well over 3400 with 130's.I have another buddy that shoots a Mark V in 270 weatherby and it does the same thing as Why Not's.I am just in the process of rechambering my 270 win to 270 Weatherby.
 
Don't want to argue with the WSM guys at all. My .270 WBY did 3450 with 130s and 3250 with 150s. These are sound loads with good case life. That is in 26" of barrel but it is an awsome round. As far as brass cost, if you've got 7mm Rem. brass and dies you've got WBY brass, I would assume any handloader would figure this out.
 
My 270 Wby is custom rifle, built on a 98 Mauser in the early 70s, more than thirty years ago. It has a 24", that's twenty four inch, Air-Gauged Douglas Supreme barrel, that was the best you could get from them at the time. It was originally 270 Win and I had Bevan King rechamber it about ten years ago.

The rifle shoots groups that are an inch, or less, almost every time I sit down at the bench with it. Occasionally it will do much better. :cool:

It gets waaaaay over 3400 fps with 130 gr Speer, Hornady and Barnes X bullets, and does so with good case life and repeated reloadings of brass. I have some cases that have been reloaded five times and the primer pockets are tight. There is no measureable case head expansion, none!

I also load 150 gr Swift A-Frames to a bit over 3200 and there isn't a moose in the world for which that that is not enough power and bullet. Actually, for more than twenty years, the largest moose I had killed went down to a single 130 gr bullet at a distance so far, I am embarassed to tell about it.

I have used Wby brass, but usually use reformed Winchester Super-X 7mm Rem Mag brass. One pass through the full length sizing die adjusted so the bolt will just barely close on the resized case and you are in business.

For those who are doubters, I have loaded to over 3500 fps with 130 gr bullets using Re22 and H450, but the accuracy is not quite as golden as when the bullets are leaving the tube at 3470 or thereabouts. Here is the IMR loading data showing 3500 fps using 7828 out of a 26" barrel. http://www.imrpowder.com/data/rifle/270weathmag.php

River Rat has seeen the rifle shoot, and I think Rockchucker may have been there a few times as well, when the Oehler lit up at well over 3500.

It is easily the flattest shooting rifle I have ever owned, and I have owned more than one 7mm Rem and several 300s. When sighted in three inches high at 100 yds, the drop at 411 yds (385 meters, the turkey rail) is less than eight inches. That, my friends, is flat! :D I have never seen a 7 mag that even comes close, out of a 24" barrel.

Finally, let me say that the throat in this rifle is still in excellent condition. I know we hear all the time that these kinds of loads will burn out a barrel in just a few hundred rounds, but that has not been my experience. With about 800 rounds down the tube, it is still shooting as good as when I first got it, and I expect it will be good for as long as I am around to use it.

Just my experience with one of the best hunting cartridges I have had the pleasure to use. :D

Ted
 
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Why not? said:
My 270 Wby is custom rifle, built on a 98 Mauser in the early 70s, more than thirty years ago. It has a 24", that's twenty four inch, Air-Gauged Douglas Supreme barrel, that was the best you could get from them at the time. It was originally 270 Win and I had Bevan King rechamber it about ten years ago.

The rifle shoots groups that are an inch, or less, almost every time I sit down at the bench with it. Occasionally it will do much better. :cool:

It gets waaaaay over 3400 fps with 130 gr Speer, Hornady and Barnes X bullets, and does so with good case life and repeated reloadings of brass. I have some cases that have been reloaded five times and the primer pockets are tight. There is no measureable case head expansion, none!

I also load 150 gr Swift A-Frames to a bit over 3200 and there isn't a moose in the world for which that that is not enough power and bullet. Actually, for more than twenty years, the largest moose I had killed went down to a single 130 gr bullet at a distance so far, I am embarassed to tell about it.

I have used Wby brass, but usually use reformed Winchester Super-X 7mm Rem Mag brass. One pass through the full length sizing die adjusted so the bolt will just barely close on the resized case and you are in business.

For those who are doubters, I have loaded to over 3500 fps with 130 gr bullets using Re22 and H450, but the accuracy is not quite as golden as when the bullets are leaving the tube at 3470 or thereabouts. Here is the IMR loading data showing 3500 fps using 7828 out of a 26" barrel. http://www.imrpowder.com/data/rifle/270weathmag.php

River Rat has seeen the rifle shoot, and I think Rockchucker may have been there a few times as well, when the Oehler lit up at well over 3500.

It is easily the flattest shooting rifle I have ever owned, and I have owned more than one 7mm Rem and several 300s. When sighted in three inches high at 100 yds, the drop at 411 yds (385 meters, the turkey rail) is less than eight inches. That, my friends, is flat! :D I have never seen a 7 mag that even comes close, out of a 24" barrel.

Finally, let me say that the throat in this rifle is still in excellent condition. I know we hear all the time that these kinds of loads will burn out a barrel in just a few hundred rounds, but that has not been my experience. With about 800 rounds down the tube, it is still shooting as good as when I first got it, and I expect it will be good for as long as I am around to use it.

Just my experience with one of the best hunting cartridges I have had the pleasure to use. :D

Ted
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Thanks for the excellent first hand knowledge Ted, and thanks to everyone else for their input and info as well. It would seem I'll be saving a bit of coin up now to start work on having a custom rifle put together for next season. I'm sure I'll be pestering everyone again before too long looking for ideas on actions, bbl's, etc... to use for a basis for a nice handy lightweight rig. As much as I'd like to say money isn't an issue, it definately will be unfortunately, so will be trying to keep everything (minus glass) under about 2k. Will also mean selling off my current rig (Sako 75 S/S .30-06) and maybe a few other toys to fund it.
 
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The .270 WBY was one of the first Weatherby cartridges and has not been the newest shiny thing out there for a long time. I notice two lines of opinions in the responses so far. The first group have one and love it. The others don't have one and dislike it. I think if the calibre interests you at all you will be more than happy with its performance.
 
altagunguy said:
The .270 WBY was one of the first Weatherby cartridges and has not been the newest shiny thing out there for a long time. I notice two lines of opinions in the responses so far. The first group have one and love it. The others don't have one and dislike it. I think if the calibre interests you at all you will be more than happy with its performance.
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Ain't that the truth... if you want the Fastest Factory .270 the Weatherby is the undisputed champ.:cool:
 
I can't believe I'm saying this but...I actually think the .270 WSM is the best WSM offering. and is a good .277 choice.
Ted, you are the CGN champ at using 7mm RM brass! First .308 Norma Mag and now .270 Wby Mag. Any other tricks up your sleeve?
 
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