Sorry to hijack a little here, but a veteran needs it.
Dave,
The special 2 step bullet was just in Winchester's original power point loading. None of the current aftermarket manufacturers use special two-steppers.
I'm getting 3175 fps using 65 gr of IMR 7828SSC, it's a published max load, I didn't make it up. But I've also got a 27.5 inch barrel to really wring the velocity out of that cartridge. The standard factory loads only do 3030 fps, and that's advertised, not actual. There's a lot left on the table. Someone on here gave me some of Mule Deer's loads from a past article, most of which were too hot for my gun. With Retumbo, I've gone over 3350 with 140 gr Speers, but it was erratic, some of the loads were closer to 3000. Not sure why.
Anyway, you can really open her up beyond .270 Win levels with handloads. The penetration is fantastic and it's still a mild recoiling rifle, not some Ultra Mag.
