Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters “.270 Win Testing a Vintage Load” Test..

I read the article in the Oct/Nov issue of “Handloader” and found enough interest in the article that I wanted to put it to the test with my .270...

My .270 is a bone stock Winchester 70, push feed Ranger model with a Redfield Revolution 3-9. Nothing fancy by any means but it has been a great shooter. I’m fairly new to loading for the .270... I’ve always been an 06 fan and what loading I have done for my .270 has been with mostly 140 grain pills.



I had some differences than the article load data. I used the written 49.5 grains of IMR-4064 but I used brand new WW brass, CCI-BR primers and all loads had a COAL of 3.250” for all bullets.

I loaded 130 Nos PT, 130 Horn SP, 130 Sierra BTSP (the bullet used in the article) and the 130 Speer BTSP.

I also shot 2, three shot groups instead of 2, five shot groups. I let the barrel cool 2 minutes between groups and 5 minutes between loads. My rifle could stand a bedding/floating job as I had a consistent shift in the zero between groups with a warm barrel but all loads performed very acceptable in my opinion. The Hornady load won the day but if I hadn’t pulled the one shot on the Sierra load, I think it would have beat the Hornady load. Also with the Nosler load, I only let the barrel cool for one minute between groups. The Speer load was the worst but still at MOAish.



In short, I’m sold. Much like the article I think I could work up a little even though the 49.5 load is above current max load data. My rifle showed ZERO pressure signs and the load actually felt very mild. I didn’t get any chrono data as I only have a strap on the barrel chrono that throws accuracy way off.

Thought you all might find my findings interesting,

Todd

I think the way you laid out the target and shot the groups shows a lot of information at a glance, concise and clear. Good rifle and good work, thank you.

The Hornady 130 spite point always shot extremely well in every.270 I owned.

You are the custom knifemaker as I recall.

The Hornady SP shoots excellent out of both of my 270's with a variety of powders. Doesnt surprise me about the 4064 cause its a powder that seems to work for everything. Good test... youve got me wanting to do one now.

That’s pretty danged cool. I wouldn’t mind giving that a shot myself. It almost looks like if you seated a skosh deeper you’d pull in some of the 2-1’s but either way it’s pretty danged good. What did the article show for speed with that load? 2950’ish or so?

May have to give that a shot in one of my 270’s just for grins. It’d make a very inexpensive practice load as well. Especially with something like the Hornady or Speers.

Not much out there that load wouldn’t work fine on. Nice shooting. Cool rifle.

To the op, if your satisfied do not chrono them, depression could set in.

That is good work.

I have had two of the Win 670, both in '06. And they both shot just like that with just about any 165, and also Hornady 190 btsp. And yes they shot even better after tweaking the trigger and bedding the action with Acra-glas in a manner to float the barrel.

And yes, when I bought a Chrony, they were over 200 fps slower than I had thought. But the groups were still tight.

A little more background on the article, 49.5 grains of IMR-4064 with a 130 grain bullet was a favorite accuracy load of Jack O’Connor’s. Terry Weiland wrote the article and put that load to the test with 5 different 270’s. He used the 130 Sierra BTSP for all loads. The results were favorable and all chrono data with all 5 rifles was around 3000 FPS, FYI...

I expect my loads will reflect close to that as well and as stated earlier, a 130 @ 3000 is no slouch. I’m going to confirm one of my loads this afternoon and I’ll report back.

Thanks for following along!

Todd

Just shot 5 130 Hornady’s with 49.5 of IMR 4064 over my Magnetospeed and averaged 2988 with an extreme spread of only 10...

A load that has accuracy, velocity and economics behind it is hard to beat!

Todd

Go hunting.

Geno

Isn’t anything to not like about that load! Very nice.

Just read Jack OConners article handloading the 270 in the eight edition of Handloaders digest. I had forgotten how thorough a reloader he was. I liked that his first order of surplus 4831 from Bruce Hodgdon was 200 Lbs. I would be willing to bet he got a slower lot too as his charges ran hot even for the surplus 4831.

I tried the same thing today with Fed brass, cci200 primers and the following... 130 Hornady SP, 130 Hornady SST, 130 Nosler Accubond, 130 Speer Hot Core, and 130 gr Federal Hi Shok... the biggest group was around 1 moa with the SST's and the smallest less than a 1/4 with the Hot Core.... Every group was great. I knew there was a reason I loved 4064. I did load all but the Fed to 3.25 OAL. Recoil even seemed non existent. Color me impressed and more than a little happy. I finally got an ACcubond to fly good in that gun!!

I guess I'm a lazy reloader, as I've been reloading for the 270 since about 1980, and I've only used one powder.......H4831. I've also only used 2 different powder charges......59.5, and 60.0. I figure that if it ain't broke, it don't need fixing, and it's always worked very well for me.

Speaking about IMR-4064, I knew a fellow who used I for practically everything he reloaded........22-250, 243, 270, 280, and 30-06. He always killed what he shot at, so I guess it worked.

Doethumper, glad I’m not the only one and I thank you for taking the time to report.

JamesJr, No doubt H4831 is probably the best all around powder for the .270, but at 10 grains less per charge, great velocity and even better inherent accuracy, there isn’t much to not like the 4064 loads in cheap 130’s..

Todd

Congrats on finding a good load that suits you.

If it were me, however, I'd try tilting the muzzle down, and then raising it to fire. Then I'd repeat with the muzzle pointed up, then lower to shoot. In other words, does powder position affects results. With that much air in the case, I'd wonder if it could be a problem.

Pretty much just fill it to the neck....

Thanks for posting this Justahunter. I have been sticking with 4831 for a long time. I have a couple of pounds of 4064 and this gets me interested in loading some rounds with it.

Good shooting too, that Ranger does real well.

Last year I lucked into a deal, on an unopened, 8 pound jug of IMR 4895 for $50.00! I went on Hodgdon's website and they showed a load for a 130 grain Honady, spire point, flat base.
My Ruger Mark II, in 270 Winchester, has always been,at best, an inch and a half gun. Good enough for woods deer hunting here in New Hampshire.
I loaded 46gr.of the IMR4895 behind the Honady and much to my surprise It would repeatably do less than 1 inch, 3 shot groups, at a hundred yards. I got to test it out on 180 pound, 8 pointer this fall. It worked great. 150 yard shot, DRT!
I guess sometimes, it works to try things outside of the box. I originally bought the IMR 4895 for use in my 308 Winchester but thought, what the heck, I'll try in the 270. Glad I did.

Bill































r

I got a model 70 fwt in .270 for Christmas in 1985, when I was a senior in HS. Old guy at the gun shop told me to use 4064. We worked up to 48.5 with a 130 NBT and it put 3 under the size of a quarter. I used it ever since and never knew any better until I started reading that h4831 was the standard powder for a ton of people. Funny seeing this old load being mentioned again, thanks for bringing it up.