Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .270 Win./150 gr. Velocities...

My experience with RL-26 is that it can indeed get 3100 fps with published 150-grain charges, with good accuracy from a 22" barrel. It does this in my Jack O'Connor Commemorative M70--which weighs just about exactly the same as O'Connor's favorite custom pre-'64 Model 70 "Number Two." (Have weighed both.)

That said, have yet to see any difference in "killing power" between a 150 Partition at 2900 or so--which is what they get with around 58 grains of H4831, or various similar powders, such as RL-22--and a similar .270/7mm bullet at 3100 fps, This includes plenty of "tough" plains game in Africa, or North American game up through bull moose.

Have also yet to discern any difference in killing power between .270 bullets that put three shots an inch at 100 yards and those that group half an inch, on any size of big game out to 400+ yards.

DMD
Namibia regards the 270 Win as a 7 millimeter which is .275591 inches.
Rick

You’re just being sensible. Give me 20 years, maybe I’ll come around. Still love the 270 but I like a few others as well. I figure if a fella shoots enough it’s all just crazy speak really. We have too many choices these days.

Scotty,
On the subject of multiple choices…consider the harem.

I hear you Rick. You’ve already kicked the can down the road with the 7’s, 416’s, 375’s, etc…. I’m just catching my stride

I do have a pact with myself, if I had to get rid of everything my 270 Fewtherweight, 7 Mashburn and 338 would stay. Alllll the rest could take a hike. I’d be bitter but no less well off.

I've been handloading for 270's since the mid 70's, have been chronographing loads since the early 80's, and have probably 10k 270 rounds in my chrono data notebooks. I have a M700 in 270 that has roughly 3500 rounds through it. Set the bbl back a couple decades ago and rechambered it, but it is still getting a bit wore......

Prior to the "Extreme" designation I could get 2860-2875 with H4831 and 150g NPt's, NBT's, and Sierra's in a 22" bbl. But when the new Hodgdon Extreme H4831 arrived on the scene velocity decreased around 50 fps. With the exception of one batch, like RinB 's experience RL-26 shoots the most accurate in the 2950 range for me also with 150g NPt's and NBT's.

Two years ago I had two elk hunts where deep timber was going to be the norm, and decided to hoard my RL-26 and try IMR7977 with160g NPt's. Before I got to max powder charge I was almost at 2800fps and it was a very accurate load. Thing is, IMR7977 wasn't worth a hoot when I tried it with 150g bullets.

I have cold weather tested RL-26 in two 270's with 150 NPt's and two 243's with 100g NPt's, and lost 30-40 fps.

I have cold weather tested H4831 numerous times in a bunch of different 270's and in a couple 243's, and it has been very temp stable every time.

I had wondered if that were the case in that I believe a .270 is a true 7mm, but when using your logic above I asked the outfitter I've used the last few times, he said .284. Good to know.

Rick,

That was not the case when Eileen and I hunted Namibia in 1999--which was when both our PHs (a father and son) had 7mm Remington Magnums as their "light" rifles. (They were also both anti-.270, though why I don't know, since apparently neither had ever seen one in action.) Do you have any idea when it might have changed?

However, African customs people (and those from other countries) are often confused, or unconcerned, with the supposed regulations. Along with our rifles, we brought a 12-gauge Beretta over/under for wingshooting, and we both used it on birds from Namaqua sandgrouse to helmeted guinea fowl. But when we were leaving, the customs agent at the Windhoek airport said the serial numbers on the Beretta did not match those on the form filled out when entering the country. We were stalled until our PH showed up (after going to the restroom) and turned the shotgun right-side-up. The serial number was all 9s, 6s, and zeros, and that made everything all right.

Have also found what is supposedly hunting-legal in various African countries depends on how much U.S. currency you might donate to the local "cause"....

The outfitter I've used there has a really beat Musgrave 7x64, which is about as close to a .270 WCF as you can get but of course in .284.

22" LH Rem 700 270 Win

RP case CCI primer ,60 GR RL 26, 3054 FPS, 150 GR NP Seconds, 3 @ .30 " at 100 yards, Wow load reshoot

That 150gr sounds encouraging. I'm new to the 270 and getting ready to unleash it when bear season comes around pretty soon. Got a good amount of factory Federal blue box 130 gr and that Federal Trophy 130gr I picked up for amazingly cheap about 1 1/2 year ago. Like really cheap. After I shoot a few boxes I'll load up a few Noslers. I don't have RL26 but do have plenty 4350 and 4831.

In fact KK Alaska probably knows all about this Ruger 270

My favorite 270 load for hunting has always been 130gr Partitions with 58gr of H4831sc. CCI primers. The Accubonds are SLIGHTLY more accurate but the Partitions beat any bullet where it matters most. They just never fail.

John,
On the 270 in Namibia, before taking one I asked multiple outfitters(5 or 6) about the 7 millimeter bore diameter rule. Remember Namibia has had a close relationship with Germany. The Germans are very familiar with the metric system. In responding to my inquiry they all looked at me as if I knew nothing and said of course the bore diameter is at least 7mm. They mumbled “Dunkoff” e.g blockhead.

There is a lengthy discussion on AR about a wildcat made by necking the 375 H&H so as to shoot .423” bullets which the developer has named the .404/375 H&H. According to Krieger the barrel’s bore and groove measurements are .413”/.424”. I understand it is to duplicate original .404 Jeffery ballistics using the namesakes’ .423” bullets. Senseless. It should be called the .413/375 or the .423/375.
Rick

I have had no trouble getting 3000 fps+ with a 22" barrel and various 150's. And RL26
I think this is what makes it so commendable- in a 22" barrel. .
As a sheep hunter, I will not carry a long tubed rifle up in thr rocks and through heavy timber etc.
When I look back over the last 40 years and the .270 wcf, the greatest single improvement is not the advancement of propellants, but the awareness that bullets have improved radically.
Factory ammo had to keep up , it was underloaded prior, and often used the most frangible bullet available
Hence , elk hunters went big because the .338's etc mads a bigger hole and retained more bullet weight.
Look at the wide range of excellent bullets available for the .270 wcf, the rules have changed, imo
My little old opinion

I agree!

Here was my quick work with RL23 in a Tikka Superlight



150 Berger’s



150 Partitions





150 ABLR with 26







I also had great accuracy with 150 Ballistic Tips

The only bullet that rifle wouldn’t shoot for beans was the 150 Interbonds.





Wished I loved it as much as my P64 270, as it is a great shooting rifle.

I got velocity with Re17, but I am not proud of it.

2010, 22" barrel, 270, 130 gr and 57.7 gr Re17, Chrono measures 3129, 3228 fps

Guess my point is...

Why?

150 gr. NP at 400 yds. w/ a 200 zero:

2800 fps MV: (55 gr. IMR 4831)
18 ft-lbs of recoil (8.5 lb. rifle)
~ 22.5" drop.
~ 2070 fps.
~ 1425 ft-lbs.

3000 fps MV: (60 gr. RL 26)
21 ft-lbs of recoil (8.5 lb. rifle)
~ 19.2" drop.
~ 2235 fps.
~ 1665 ft-lbs.

Shoot the 2800 load quite a bit better, and all day long w/o a problem.

Easier on the rifle Bbl. as well.

Out to 400 yards?

Just askin'.




GR

Not to be a smart ass, but why not if it is within PSI's specs and accurate? Some folks want a fast car, some folks are fine with a Corolla. I think of it the same way myself.

Well...

One doesn't ride the bullet.

The bullet just needs to get there, and then do its job.


As for car performance - if I need to get somewhere a second sooner... I'll just leave a second earlier.

8>)




GR