Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Help with .270 Win loads - beginner

130 grn partitions and IMR 4064

Best advice I ever got for the 270 was from my buddy Dennis. 130 hornady flat base and imr4831.
I dont know how they do beyond 400 yards, but up to 400, they hit targets. My dads coues 2 years ago at 200 yards didnt like em and the damage was noticeable lol. Thats all my dad will run in his 270 here on out.
I am currently working on 2 270s for a buddy. Im starting with 140 hornady's and imr4831 see how they work. 1 of em im setting up to be a 700 yard coues gun. See if it works. If it doesnt, ill be looking to re-read this thread

Kique

I've used H4831,and RL-22 for years. A little more speed with the RL-22 but for my uses it's not needed and has been tagged by some as temperature sensitive. It usually doesn't get all that cold here during rifle season, so I don't sweat it too much. I generally load 130 Hornady flat base Interlocks for deer with H4831. I have some 140 Hornady Interlocks also with H4831 and some 150 Partitions with RL-22. I can shoot groups under 1 1/2" at 100 while mixing all three loads in my ol'270.

IMR 4831 was the powder recommended by the late Ken Waters. I like it, and IMR 4350. I'm currently using 55 grains of IMR 4350 with the 130 grain TSX as I have an 8 lb. can of the stuff. There are so many newer powders in the correct burn range that's it's hard to decide. I suppose I should change to one of the temp-insensitive powders.

My favorite load with other 270s was 57 grains of IMR 4831. In the 22" barrels of those Remington rifles it gave me another 50-75 fps over IMR 4350.

The classic powder is H 4831, of course. Be sure to start low. I have loaded for perhaps 15 270s, most of them mine. Sloppy factory chambers accept more powder, but one custom 270 I loaded for maxed out around 52-53 grains of IMR 4350, so be careful. 55 grains of IMR 4350 was way too hot for that particular rifle.

I found 53 grains of IMR 4350 with a 130 grain bullet to be very accurate, but slower, around 2,800 fps in one Remington 700 with 22" barrel.

My current 270 has a custom Shilen barrel 24" long. 55 grains of IMR 4350 in that rifle runs around 3,130 fps. Accuracy is very good. 56 grains would be too hot in that rifle.

I go along with Jack O'Connor in preferring 130 grain bullets over heavier ones. If I were to take mine to Africa for plains game, I might load up 160 grain Partitions. Otherwise, it's 130s for me.

Finicky? Yes, that is my Savage 116. I purchased it used from Cabelas. It is from the 80's so there was no accutrigger. I replaced the trigger (Timley) and started load development using Hornady data. Factory loads were giving me 2 - 3 inch groups, My reloads were inconsistently giving me 1 inch groups @ 100. I had the rifle checked out by a smith, and he said it was fine. Frustrated cause none of my rifles shoot an inch @ 100, so I went to the Nosler manual. All I changed was my COAL and now I am making a clover leaf hole. I don't have the fps but I'm very happy with results. I'm thinking about loading up something heavier (140/150) just not ready yet.

HaYen


FYI

130 gr SST/NBT 50grs H414 COAL 3.320. The published min/max from Hodgdon's is 50.0 to 53.5.
Work up slowly

Slim,
I have had a lot of experience with the 270 in many rifles.

You mentioned that you shot some Federal blue box 130's. I have found that to be very good ammo and use it to determine a performance baseline for any new 270. It should go pretty close to 3050 in a 22" barrel. If so, then your rifle is "normal" and you can rely on data from Nosler and most other sources. Accuracy wise you can improve on it slightly by handloading but if your rifle won't shoot it well then it may take a lot of effort to find a good load.

With 130's you can approach 3100 but if your loads are faster then they are likely on the hot side.

I have taken lots of game with 130's and prefer that weight. Have had good results with Barnes 110 TTSX and H4350 R17 and H4895. Wouldn't use any other 110 on game.