Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 270 Win, 150 gr Partition over 60 gr RL26

Finally got to range to trial this combo in a pair of rifles, a Rem 700 and a Colt Light Rifle. Accuracy in both rifles was under an inch at 100 yards. OAL was 3.334" in once fired Win case and a WLRM primer. Now that I know that the accuracy there, I will get some over the Oehler as well as trial at longer ranges.
Subjectively, based on recoil, I suspect that the velocity is "up there."
Fired cases look good as do the barrels, a clean burning combo.

Run my Kimber at 60.5 gr under the same bullet but sparked by Fed 210. Mine clocks 3040 in a 24" Kimber.

60gr of RL26, WW brass, Fed 210, 22" bbl, 150 NPt from two M700's is netting me 3004 and 3005 fps averages. That's the average of two 10 shot strings from each rifle on two different days. ES was good also--better than I've had from H4831 in either of those rifles. 1" three shot groups and usually a bit better from both rifles.

Ran 3 loads in my 270 win Vanguard. Used 60.5gr RL26 in all loads 150gr Nosler Partitions and Winchester cases. OAL was 3.340

CCI 250 primers = 2968fps SD 31.2
WLR primer = 3019fps SD 16.4
WLRM primers = 3013fps SD 19.1

All were 5 shot averages. Some day I will try one of these loads in all my 270 Win. Got a new Sako A7 in 270 Win at Sportsmans last week.

As they say BTDT:






Excellent powder bullet combo.... This was shot in 31 degree temps....

22" barrel?

I'll have to give that combo a whirl in my BAR .270, it has a 22"bbl. I tried R26 but didn't go up that high. Seems I stopped at 58gr and accuracy was so poor I didn't pursue it. I think its one of those combos that dote on higher pressure. Thanks for the post!

Nice, I'm getting ready to try the same thing. I'm loading for a tikka so I'm pretty sure its gonna shoot. ☺


Trystan

Just for conversation, I've used RL-22 & Norma MRP interchangeably in a 270 with 150 NPT's for a loooooong time, & I get 2950-2975..............but I imagine the RL-26 is also more temp stable compared to '22.

So far, I haven't seen the need to switch since I'm typically not hunting in temp ranges for the change to be meaningful.

MM

Alliant advertises RL26 as being temp stable. John Barsness tested RL26 for temp stability and his tests found it to be stable. When I get the chance I'm going to test myself.

Although RL22 averaged around 2930fps with 150 NPt's with a 22' bbl, when I tested for temp stability a few years ago, it lost almost 100fps and accuracy fell off considerably in single digit temps (might've been my teeth chattering). I've never come close to 2975fps with RL22 though.
I've used H4831 for decades, but 60grs of RL26 netted 110-160fps better with those two rifles with NO pressure signs with well used brass (interesting how so many of us have arrived at 60grs for 150's in the 270). One of those rifles would not do better than 2850fps regardless of powder I tried in the past and I'd decided it just plain a "slow" bbl until I tried RL26. I'm also getting a smaller ES with RL26 than H4831 with these two rifles.

Although I dislike hunting in hot weather, there's been plenty of times even when ambient temps may be in the 70's the high altitude sun is beating down and cooks me and my rifle, and only a few days later be out in the morning in the teens. So temp stability is a consideration for me.

Casey,

I haven't tried RL-26 in really warm temperatures yet, but in my experience even "temperature stable" powder gain some velocity (and hence pressure) at much over 70 degrees. They just gain less than powders not claimed to be temp stable.

I have tested H4831 in 270's with 150gr NPt's and NBT's--twice. From high 80's and low 90's and then in single digit temperatures. I didn't let the rifle or ammo cook in the sun, just kept them under the camper shell. Interestingly, on both occasions my average increased around 10 fps in the cold weather! I put my M35 in the cab of the truck and ran the cord to the screens, so I don't think the weather affected the chrono. The rifles and ammo were left in the camper shell all night to "cold soak".

Not a 150 partitions, but just to add a little more data to the equation....

60 grains of R26 and 145 ELD-Xs gave me 3075 in my 24" tube (Montana) this morning. Elevation was around 3,000' fwtw.

Dave

iddave, That recipe should make a superior "reach out and touch 'em" package as you are in Weatherby territory. Have you grouped it at longer range?
Being a luddite, I am stuck on Partitions with occasional diversions into ETips.
However, I look forward to hearing results, from the field, on ELD performance.

Fishdog,

My apologies, as that should have read 3075....NOT 3175. As to your question, I shot it out to 550 yesterday and it grouped very, very well.

This is the first 3 I shot at 425 with that load.



Dave

I finally found some RL26 and have some 150gr Partitions also. I'm hoping for about .75" groups somewhere above 2900 in the 22" A Bolt.

59.5grs did better than the 60gr load. I could definitely feel that they were pretty hot in my shoulder, but didn't set up the chronograph. Probably just under 1" but good enough for me to stay at that load and work on COAL to fine tune it. But overall I can take it like it is and go kill stuff

I tried 60.2, 60.7 and 61,2 in a 22 inch barreled 700 Mountain rifle. Groups got steadily tighter to the 61.2 with it grouping about 1.3. Velocity average with 61.2 was 2955. No pressure signs but I am sure I am getting close looking at the speed. Trying 61.5 tomorrow to see if the tighter grouping with hotter load trend continues. Using WLR's and a 3.32 length with Federal brass.