I've always found the 270 Win. to be extremely accurate and a very easy cartridge to work with. When I started handloading for it in 1978 I was using 130 gr. Sierras, Winchester cases, Federal 210 primers, and 58 grs. of H-4831. Accuracy was good and performance on mule deer was good, but for some reason that must be common to 21 year-old hunters, I was convinced I was getting over 3100 fps. with that load. Then I started to have some pretty bad blow-ups on even does with those Sierras, so I started to load 130 gr. Nosler Partitions. Later, someone at the range had a chronograph, and I found out that the load I though was giving me 3100 fps. was only cranking out 2800 fps. & change! What a letdown -- and an eye-opener!

After that, I decided to see what I could do to warm up the numbers, so I started loading 60 grs. of H-4831 to a little over 3000 fps.. Then I switched to Federal 215 primers and hit over 3100 fps. with those same 130 Noslers, and accuracy got even better. Still later, I went to IMR 4831 and found (depending on the powder lot) that I could still achieve the same level of accuracy at 3100 + fps., but do so with 2-4 grs. less powder, and more ideal load density.

Mostly I have used 130 Nosler Partitions out of the 270 Win. on game, and I've never seen any difference in killing power or penetration between it and the 150 Partition or various 140 gr. bullets. They all seem to kill about the same, but on general principles, I've usually loaded 150 Partitions when I've carried a 270 Win. on elk hunts, and I almost hate to say this, but I've seen darned little difference between the way a 270 puts animals down versus even the 7mm Rem. Mag. or the 30-06. I do know that the 270 shoots just as flat as the Seven-Mag, but kicks a whole lot less. That's the biggest difference I see between the two cartridges.

Late last year, I had a custom Model 70 270 Win. delivered with a 22" Kreiger Featherweight contour 1-10" bbl., Leupold 2.5-8, and a McMillan stock. For starters, I calculated an OAL that would put the 130 Partition .025" off the lands. I had some old handloads on the shelf that were put up in new Winchester cases, so I seated those bullets a bit deeper in the case and headed to the range. The first group at 100 yds. went just over .500" and the second went .495", so there's no doubt I have a keeper.

The riflebuilder told me that when he tested and broke-in the barrel he got astounding accuracy with 130 Barnes TSXs, so it looks like I have another good bullet option already established. So I might just have to carry this rifle for mule deer and elk this year......

AD

"Ya' know, it's funny, but 130gr bullets in my 270's have never liked me, so-so accuracy and less than expected velocity--bad karma I guess. I like the higher Sd and BC of the 150 grainers anyway."

That has been my experience as well. I have had excellent results with H4831SC and 160 grain noslers. The heavier bullets shoot so well I never looked beyond that.

Allen,

Your experience and love affair with the 270 almost exactly mirrors mine, but I've been at it about 8 years longer, beginning reloading in 1970 for a Parker Hale in 270 and my 1st western deer hunt.

130 partitions (the screw machine turned version) were my mainstay for deer and antelope then, but when I started hunting elk, I began to use the 150 and since that time, that's pretty much all I use so as to keep things simple.

I currently own 4 270's, but the Parker Hale is long since gone.

My go-to rifle for the last 18 years or so has been a McM stocked Sako with a 22" barrel. Also have a custom pre-64 by Keith Stegall, an HS barreled/stocked M-70 and I just picked up a Rem custom shop KS in as new condition, circa 1990.

I am currently doing some work with the Swift Sciroccos as a deer bullet.....jury still out on that project.

I've had good luck with H4831, but when it was readily available, the very best powder I've used is Norma MRP, both velocity & accuracy wise - still have a small supply I use for hunting loads. (Regardless of what some think, MRP is definitely NOT the same as RL-22 and Ken Howell concurs.)

Next best for me has been RL-22 but I also like the new SC version of H4831 too; better than the old stuff.

I can usually get 3150 w/130's and 2950 with 150 grainers with most guns I've worked with in 22" barrels; little better with 24"ers.

All the 270's I've had over the years, and especially the ones I've kept have been very accurate and not very finicky as to what they were fed.....other people have not been so lucky, but sometimes you make your own luck.

I fully agree with your comments re: the 270 vs 7 Mag. Unless one is going to use 160 or 175 grain bullets, I would much prefer to have the 270 and see the 7 Mag as redundant.....guess that's why I've only owned 1 in my lifetime.

A saying I once heard from Dave Petzal goes something like this "When in doubt, get a 270". Unless the game is of the dangerous variety, it's mighty hard to beat.

MM

140 gr Accubond or TSX, 3000 fps, 24" Rem. 7-08 SPSS, Speer's max load of W-760 (for both 130's and 145's), <1". Very comparable to the numbers you guys are quoting for your 270's. Using the Accubond (BC of .485) yields over 1700 ft-lbs at 350 yds. Not enough difference to matter.

bludog,

3000 FPS in the 7-08 is very good number and is higher than anyone else here is reporting.

You are right, as I stated, at 300 yards, even if the 7-08 only gets 2850, the performance difference will be undetectable assuming same bullets.

The 7-08 is a fine cartridge and does allow use of a short action if that is important to you.

MM

Bluedog-don't doubt you're getting 3K with a 140 out of the short lil 7. I am not even saying that you shouldn't.

I will say that personally it is not some where I would care to try to go to, but we all have our choices. From my experience 2800 to a top end of 2850 is gonna be the end of the world for a 7/08 and how I care to run things.

Just a thought many for other readers as bluedog seems comfy in doing so and I am not trying to change his mind.

Mark D

No, out to 300 yards, the terminal performance is going to be nearly identical. At ranges further than that, the bigger engine will start to shine (slightly).

However, the real question to ask, in my opinion, is what gun do you enjoy carrying. The 7-08 can always be made shorter and lighter in equivalent models. I would choose between these two calibers based on gun fit, not ballistic performance.

The gun does have a 24" barrel (as do many 270's), and I am using Speer's max load of W-760 for either their 130 or 145 gr bullets. They don't differentiate between spire point, boat tail, etc, so, I carefully worked up to that load, and got very good accuracy, and am very pleased. Took a nice 8 point Mid-Missouri white tail with the Accubond and that load this past season.

I did! Two years ago I developed a load with RL22. I've posted this before, but to make the story short, I "cold soaked" the rifles and my handloads overnight in zero degree temps during the following winter, and with temps around 10 degrees, one rifle lost ~100fps, the other lost no velocity, but both had ES's of ~100fps second. It's not the velocity loss, but the shot to shot inconsistency that the "temp sensitive" label comes from I believe.

Now maybe a different rifle, different cartridge, different bullets, different pressures, may produce different results, but I couldn't like the big ES in my little "test".

Casey

Thus far, I am still considering the 7mm-08 for my next rifle. Actually my son will be using it and it just seems like the perfect option for what he will be hunting, deer/elk. Of course, Dad will still have his 7mm Rem Mag and grand pa the 30-06.