Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 130gr or 150gr for whitetail. 270

is there an advantage to the 150 at all ? i shot 130gr ballistic tips last year and dont plan on using those ever again. i have about half a box of 150gr corelokt in 270win but im reading the best fActory rounds are 130gr for 270.

130 gr core lokts...all u need

Get a 30-06.

What ever bullet your gun shoots the best is how I would decide. I think the 130 gr bullets would be fine, as I have killed bull elk with the same wieght bullet. I like corlokt bullets very much, so if they shoot well, thats what I would use.

What is it about the 130BTs that you dislike?

FWIW,
What you ask is one of those questions where it is hard to get objective or empirical feedback, and typically most answers will be opinion. What's the nice way to say it, opinions are like noses, every one has one and most of them smell.

So with that in mind, just a couple quick observations.
The Sierra Manual #5 states that their hunting load in 130 Sptizer has a mv of 3100 fps, resulting in 2774 ft. lbs. of energy. The 150 gr sptizer has an mv of 2900 fps and an mv of 2801 fps. Not much difference. There will also be a differnce in the trajectory, but at 200 yds. or under, on game it will not be noticible.

Now for the opinion part. I stand to be corrected, but I'd bet the 150 grainer and lower velocity would give more penetration.

I've a particular 270 Winchester that I've owned for almost 20 years. The 130 gr. Nosler ballistic tip over 60 gr. of H-4831 has been my go to load in that rifle for that same amount of time.
Qien Sabe and best of luck on your quest.

GWB

the fact the leave zero blood trails. i recovered 3 of
my 4 deer last year but looked for hours in the woods for one of them And he wasnt far. just no blood. from what i remember very small exit hole. maybe it was all shot placement but ive got a couple friends who say stopped using the BT for the se
reason

Tough to find a wrong bullet. Shoot the 150's and see how they go...

W

That is one of the reasons I've switched to Accubonds in most of the different caliber rifles I shoot. A hole going and and a hole going out. If it's not DRT, almost always have a decent blood trail unless its poor shot placement. I've found that the Accubonds fly like the ballistic tips and penetrate similar to a partition. Typically work up loads with the B/T's and switch to A/B's on game.

Best,

GWB

130 Nosler Partitions will generally exit any size whitetail from any reasonable angle(yes I know they aren't "needed",whatever the hell that means )

I have killed whitetails and mule deer weighing up to 230-250 pounds field dressed (weighed) with them. Now and then I have recovered one, but not many.

On broadside shots through shoulders and lungs,they will generally exit. And will do this at distances from 20-30 feet(black bear and deer) to 300-400 yards.

As to blood trails, my pal whacked a doe through the lungs only; she ran (which sometimes happens with anything including 300 magnums)....we turned my 11 year old son loose on the blood trail,which was up on the vegetation along her path of travel as it blew from the exit,and he walked us right to the deer.

None of this is opinion. Reporting what I have seen.

Generally any blood trails from deer hit with NPT's are pretty darned short.

Same results from 140 NPT's from the 7/08,280 Remington,7x57, and 7 Rem Mag. A 150 NPT from the 270 will do the same things.

I have had good blood trails and exits from 130 gr Speer Hot Cores as well.

Nothing wrong with 150's

1 hole in 1 hole out follow blood 20-40 yards drag deer, process deer, eat deer.

Mike

I ran strictly 150 BTs on deer and loved them, at 2850 or so, and Partitions when in Elk country.

140 AB is my pick for deer, if only for a tad less recoil, and good speeds, unless shooting really far. Then, the 150 would again, be my ticket.

Ran several 270s, and IME, the 130s never shot as well, busted a doe at 80 yds with a 700 MR in college, those older BTs might have been softer, but it was hell on that deer. Ran as far as normal 50 yds or so, soup inside, exited but no bones hit. Just too destructive for me, and again, they never shot like 150s. My experience, my rifles/loads.

If I run a 130, I will pick a 6.5mm - just me. Nothing wrong w/a corelokt, but I believe other bullets are superior in accuracy, and retain speed better. ANY bullet made for hunting in 130-150 spells death, but as above, I prefer exits.

If you are hunting the woods, I would consider a 160 Partition, less speed/MORE edible venison, should always exit.

130TTSX in Barnes VorTx ammo has worked well for me.

Then the answer is clearly a bullet with more penetration. Cup and Core 150's, or "tougher" 130's (Partitions, Accubonds, TSX's. etc, as others have stated, would address your issue.

130 Federal Fusion shoots great out of my .270 and has gone through some big (200+ dressed) deer in Northern MN for me.

That said, my Core-Lokt handloads have killed 'em just as dead and also exited.

A .270 is "enough gun" for deer with almost any bullet of either weight.

130 grain Sierra-Some of the best Deer medicine made for the .270 Win.

Jayco

Used the Serria 140 HPBT and Horn. SST's in mine..Both performed quite well..

If you hand load, the plan jane 130 gr Speer SP flat base is about as good a cheap bullet you can buy and works very very well on White Tails, I should know for some years i shot deer on a crop damage permit and I used a 270 and 130 gr Speer SP's over 57.5 gr IMR-4831 in a Winchester Western Case. If you don't hand load, Give the Fusion 130 gr load a try if it groups well you are all set. I shoot 150 gr Fusion 7mm RM for my deer hunting these days, its a fine bullet and load at a reasonable price.

130 grain partition over 59 grains of 4831

i dont handload unfortunately tho i plan to. my cousin does and i may do some reloads with him.