Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Favorite .270 powder?

IMR4350 is what i load for friends

I have been working some load development on a couple 270s. I have been trying RL26 ,RL16, Hunter, H4831sc and various bullets 130-150g.

One thing I have noticed is the H4831sc loads take quite a bit more powder than the manual say to match velocity and pressure. It has been this way with the last few pounds I have bought, all from different lot #s. Book max loads were very low velocity and no pressure signs, but about 2 grains over seems to fall in line - this was the same for both rifles. I am up at 62.5g with a 130 bullet and getting around 3,080 fps and no pressure signs.

All of the other powders tend to track velocity and pressure very close in these two rifles.

Anybody else seeing this with H4831sc? I just don't like going that far over book max (future trap) and have been leaning towards different powders because of it.

I haven't bought any in a while but I have noticed several comments over time about H4831 being on the slow side of what it had been.

I'm not up on the newer powders. For a quick and easy deer load I'd grab some 130s off the shelf and sit them on top of 55 grains of IMR4350.

I only run 150 gr. bullets in my .270 so my prefered powder is Winchester's long discontinued WMR. (Winchester Magnum Rifle) If I didn't have such a good supply of WMR on hand, I'd probably go with H4831SC or IMR 7928. I just don't care all that my for 130 gr. bullets in my .270s. Sorry.

^ this but in order from heavy bullets to light. I'd also throw in IMR 4451.

I only shoot 130s with H4831SC. Started on 4831 when it came in a paper drum.

I loaded for the land owner 130 grn bullets with a stiff dose of H4831sc. I use H4831sc in 25-06 also. Great powder and hard to beat. We always use BR primers.

After trying many different powders in my 270s with 130gr bullets, H4350 is my favorite in terms of velocity and accuracy (53-55gr). IMR-4064 is my second favorite, because it shoots well and is the cheapest due to the charge weights (49-51gr). I also like the “snap” of the 4064.

Like others have said, you need a lot (full case) of H4831SC to get decent velocities. I saw no better accuracy, and was burning 10gr more to get similar velocities. It’s also more of a push with respect to recoil.

RL26 will give crazy high velocities with 130s (>3250 fps), with a full case. However, I don’t like to push cup and core bullets that fast, and at a reduced load it’s a bit sooty/dirty. However RL26 is “the” powder for 150gr in the 270 Win.

So you can seriously feel the difference in the recoil of different powders generating the same or similar velocities?
I have not done enough reloading to have any experience with this.

Yep. It’s even easier to tell in a semi-auto, as you can also “feel it” in the timing.

Growing up and before I went looney in the 70's and 80's. That is the exact load our neighbor put together with a Hornady 130gr SP for Dad's and my 270's. Killed an awful lot of deer and antelope with it.

Have not had IMR 4831 or 4350 on the shelf for a very long time.

Understood.
So what powders are less snappy and provide more of a push?

I like 140gn Nosler Accubonds and a max load of RL26 in my Rem 700CDL.

I'm in business! I dug through the powder stash last night and found one lone container of 4350 I don't recall buying but I'm glad I did.

My 270 loves H450

I load for 3 270s. When I started reloading H4831 was highly spoken of and has a long history with 270. So that’s where I started. No doubt h4831 works and I was pretty satisfied with h4831 until I tried h4350 in one on my 270s. With 130 grain bullets and h4350 I get better velocity and accuracy In all 3 of my 270s with h4350.

I’ve been happy with RL-17.

The gold standard H4831…

With the 150s shooting so well at over 3000 with RL26, I quit the 130s altogether.

My favorite load with a 270 has always been with RL 19, 160 grain SMP Nosler Partition...

MV is like 2950 out of my Model 70....

The deer hunting bread and butter load, is pretty simple and still gets the job done...

30 grains of IMR 4198, and a 140 Ballistic Tip.. running like 2400 fps or so...Plenty enough for 200 yd blacktails..
the Model 70 also is one of those that had the BOSS on the end of the barrel, so that further reduces the felt recoil..
which 30 grains of IMR 4198, doesn't have a lot of recoil to begin with.

but it will certainly do the job every time I've needed it to.