Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best 270 brass?

I am looking at getting into neck turning and sorting cases by weight, and anything else I can do to help consistency. With that in mind is it still worthwhile to buy expensive brass? If so who makes the best brass for the 270?


I am thinking possibly size down Lapua 30-06? New Nosler? I read somewhere that RWS 270 is considered by many as the best. Would one of these be better than the others,or perhaps even something else since I will do everything possible to make it consistent?

I would not think your average hunting rifle in .270 would benefit much from that level of effort, but it might. Seems however like that sort of thing is left to the benchrest competition crowd.

Either way I like WW brass the best.

Lapua is surely the best if you want to go to the effort.............but you might not get it sized down & be as precise as it would be otherwise.

Unless you are using a benchrest grade rifle capable of 10 shots into a 1/2", it's not a really big deal.

Nosler is good, RWS is surely good if you can find it, Norma is better than average & good old Remington is usually good especially after fire forming; ditto for Hornady.

You really can overthink this stuff for everyday hunting rifles........................

JMHO, YMMV.

MM

In my experience WW brass ain't what it used to be.

Lapua and RWS are the best I have used. Neck turning is almost a waste of time with this level of brass. I have some accurate hunting rifles and I doubt I could tell a difference but I am not much of a bench rest shooter. Good brass will get more loads so the cost difference is not too bad on a per load basis. Norma is good but softer usually and won't allow as many loadings. Another one to watch for is Jagemann brass they produce some of the brass for Nosler which is good too but can be softer as Norma makes a lot of their cases. Not sure about the Jagemann as I have not seen any with that head stamp yet.

If you do turn I would just do a skim of about 3/4 of the neck. You will also need collet or bushing dies or a custom sizer. If you don't you will end up working the brass too much with conventional dies. I mostly keep the neck trimmer around for when I get a batch of thick brass. This has only happened to me once with an early run of 270 WSM. I think they used RUM brass as the parent case and the new neck was way into the body of the RUM case and thicker.

May not be worth the effort,but I've been getting 5 shots into 1/2 inch from my Forbes. Not bad for a just over 7 lb all up hunting rifle. I don't have an accurate scale to weigh it but it has a Swaro Z5 3.5-18X44 in Talley Lightweights.

Yea,I'm probably being too much of a perfectionist.

If you're getting 5 shots into a 1/2" now, I'd keep on doin' what you're doin' & rock on..................since you're asking about what you are asking about, I'd conclude that what you are doin', is not what you are asking about, right????

So why bother?

The gain for the pain just won't be there nor is it worth it either.

MM

I'm getting those groups now from my once fired Nosler brass that I bought as loaded rounds. They were fired from that rifle. The factory ammo shot pretty good too but not quite as well,still well under MOA. The thing is that I could buy some more loaded Nosler for nearly the same price as the Nosler brass or the RWS brass,probably cheaper than the RWS brass when shipping is added. I don't really want to size the Lapua down if the RWS is just as good.

I'm pretty new to all this so just looking for advice from folks who might know which brass would be better.

Nosler is very good brass, that's why it's expensive..............& if the loaded ammo shoots consistently under MOA, that's also very good.

But it will surely be cheaper to reload once you have the brass; if it were me, I'd buy a bunch of the loaded ammo if you like the bullets & then reload it as you fire the factory loads.

If you & the gun both like Nosler brass & loads, I'd consider it plenty good with the accuracy you say you are getting.

MM

Thanks partner. Yea,I'm fine with the accuracy. I guess the question I'm really asking is will I have any significant difference in the number of loadings, say between the Nosler or some RWS. I had read a few people say that Nosler was soft. I also heard some complaints of loose primer pockets with Nosler and one where a guy said it caused his bolt to get etched. I'm fine with the Nosler right now but I've only loaded it once. I just wondered if some folks with more experience might tell me if it holds up as good as others.

Nosler brass has not always been from the same manufacturer, so the time of manufacture of the brass in a good/bad report makes a difference.

I have used RWS & win brass. Annealing is the key. Both perform well. RWS is more constant.

RH,

You probably should learn to walk before you can run. As a guy starting out handloading don't be turning necks--and it likely won't do any good in a hunting rifle anyway. Although WW brass lately has been criticized for not being what it once was, the lot of 200 I bought a year or so ago is pretty good. If WW isn't good enough Hornady would be my other choice, although Starline is being praised too.

Focus on sizing the necks of any brass you choose for concentricty, and go shoot your new handloads.

This


Trystan

R H Clark: I commend you and your efforts and wish you best of luck.
Over the past 5 decades I have used lots of different brands of brass in my many 270 Winchester Rifles - including Winchester, Peters, Federal, Remington and the like.
Never tried the "expensive" few brands - didn't think I needed to.
For my latest "270" long range Hunting Rifle (Remington 700 Sendero with 26" heavy barrel) I chose Federal brass and have been MORE than happy with it.
Recently, in preparation for the just opened Big Game Rifle season here in Montana, I took my "270" Sendero out to the range on a dead calm day and the three shot group I fired measured just under 1/2" center to center.
This includes the first shot from a cold clean barrel.
I have a Leupold 6.5x20 30m/m tubed variable scope on this Sendero by the way.
Never had a problem with the Federal brass to date - I am into the third reloading of this batch of brass by the way.
If your end result objective is accuracy then don't over-look the moderately priced Federal 270 brass.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I use Norma.

Clark,

Just thought I would mention to you that with a factory chambered rifle you can get 99.9% of the accuracy that is to be had with a lee collet neck die, a forested benchrest seater die, and a Redding body die to bump the shoulder back every 3rd or 4th loading. Its much cheaper, faster, and no messy lube except when bumping the shoulder back. With this reloading method I shot 3 two shot groups at 500 yds last week that were pushing the 1" mark with a Tikka T3

Turning necks and bushing dies is designed to facilitate custom chambers. Several already mentioned that.

Best wishes whatever you decide to do



Trystan

Norma, Nosler, then Winchester

Seems like a real accurate rifle shoots well with anything I use.

In my hunting rifles I load WW brass, I've done this since I started handloading in 1973. I full length size using RCBS and LEE dies, my seating dies are Hornady New Dimension with the sliding sleeve that supports the bullet for precise alignment as it is seated. With this equipment I can load ammo that consistently shoots sub 1" three shot groups at 100yds. High priced brass, neck turning, weighing cases none of that will produce noticeable accuracy improvement in a hunting rifle. Save your money and your time, details like that are for the benchrest shooters.

Years ago Layne Simpson , had a 270 Winchester built into a rail gun , just to prove how accurate it could be ,yes it was highly accurate, yes it was a heavy competition ,but the Point to all this is it shot Fantastic. So much for the nay Sayers , if I recall he just used American brass ,R-P . I'd rate Rws, head and shoulders above any American brass . 1/2 inch rifles can shoot,3/8 inch groups, sometimes 1/4 inch ,Just depends what effort your willing to put into your project !.