Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Moderate Powered .270 Winchester Pet Load Recommendations

I'm looking for some "tried & true" .270 Winchester load combinations that accurately push a 130 gr bullet along at 2700-2800 fps. Thanks!

A starting load of IMR-4350 would get the nod at my house.

The max load gets 3,050 fps out of my 22" barrel.

Mike

Ditto the IMR 4350. The best load in several 270's I load for.

Just wonderin' why you want a "moderate" load. 130's at 2700-2800 f.p.s. won't reduce recoil noticeably.

It's not the recoil. Where we hunt deer, the range doesn't exceed 150 yds. I also like to use the plain flatbase cup & core style bullets like the Speer 130 gr Hot-Cor or Sierra 130 gr Pro-Hunter. At these velocity levels the bullets expand well, stay together and more times than not exit.



My current "moderate" load is 47 grs of IMR 4064. Just wondering if anyone else did the same.



I don't have any IMR 4350 on the shelf, but do have an unopened can of H4350 which I bought for some .257 Roberts loads. I'll give it a try.

270: Not to be argumentative (just analytical <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) FWIW according to the recoil calculator on HA:

130 gr @3100 yields 19 ft-lbs of recoil
130 gr @ 2700 yields 12 ft-lbs
for comparison: 100 gr @ 3000 (ie 243) yields 11 ft-lbs

all in 8 lb rifles. Sounds like a significant decrease in recoil to me....

Just for the sake of friendly arguement, I have owned several 270's all w/ 22" bbls. and it is hard to get 3100 f.p.s. with permissible pressure. I do use a chronograph also. I guess all I really meant was that reducing velocity that much {or that little} really doesn't accomplish much. If I was going to always shoot deer at less than 150 yds. I would use a different round instead of downloading the 270. A 257 Roberts maybe. I have had good results with the Speer Hot-Cor 130 loaded to full velocity. I don't find 19 ft. lbs. of recoil to be much. Neither does my 15 y.o. daughter.

Sorry, don't have a slowed down 130 grain load that I can recommend, but for your purposes (especially, since you said recoil is not the issue), you might consider the 150 gr round nose load from Remington. Shot my first deer with them and they did a marvelous job.

-Lou

Just for the heck of it, why not try Remy's new "managed recoil" loads. True, they're only 115 grain .270 Winchester loads, but that round is cruisin' along at about 2700 fps, and it's (supposedly) a single-shot pistol engineered bullet, i.e. it's designed to perform at those velocities out to about 200 yards.

According the Remy website, a 150 yard zero should put these loads about 3 low at 200, and deliver about 1150 ft.lbs. at that range (roughly 1900 at the muzzle). Should be plenty good for deer, considering this sounds a little better that .257Bob (factory) ballistics with a comparable weight bullet out to 200.

Couldn't hurt to try, and with luck the loads might actually be at least hunting accurate.

Joe.......

My old reloading manual shows an "accuracy load" for the .270 Winchester using a 130 grain bullet to be 43.5 grains of IMR4064 powder which yields 2724 fps with 39,000 C.U.P... a very mild load considering the "factory duplication load" (55.5 grain of IMR4350) yields 3134 fps with 54,400 C.U.P.

However, even the factory duplication load has a mild recoil compared to larger calibers using heavier bullets.

Incidentally, these velocity readings were obtained out of a "Universal Receiver" using a 26" barrel. Expect lower velocities out of shorter barrels. My best guess would be that the muzzle velocity will be about 30 fps less per inch of shorter barrel.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I use IMR4350 in my .270 with a 130 gr. Ballistic Tip. Accurate combo, for sure. I had things worked up to a 3238 fps average when the primer pockets started getting a bit loose. Pulled it back to a very conservative (in this particular rifle) 57 grs. that average 3112 fps from the 22" barrel of my Savage. I suppose you could pull couple more grains off the load to yield your velocity requirement. Downloading has never really been a specialty of mine. >> klallen

I happened to have a few 130gr Speer BT's in a box and a little IMR 4064 left in a can. Loaded up some of your 43.5 gr 0f IMR 4064 loads and went to the range yesterday. They all went into one hole! And the point of impact was the same as the full power loads (58gr of IMR4831). And I promise that the percieved recoil was SIGNIFICANTLY less....felt like my 257Bob. Think I've found a "target of opportunity" load while I'm hanging out on the ranch....and a great load for stands where shots won't be more than 200 or 250...

Why not just switch to a different bullet, and load it normally. That way you are also good to go, so to speak if those 250-350 yard shots present themselves. If cost is an issue, go to Shooters Pro shop and purchase Noslers seconds. They have accubonds 140 gr for 12 bucks per 50, and partitions are also available.

As for powder, when I loaded my 270 I was quite fond of IMR 4350, and IMR 4831, but now a days I also would give a look at RL-19 and RL-22 also.

AggieD: don't know if you were directing you question generically or specifically at me. But for me the answer would be: I already have a good full power load that I have confidence in. I was pleased to find this moderate load which:

uses components that I already have,
has less recoil and noise,
puts less stress on me and the gun,
is very accurate,
hits at the same point of aim as the full power load,
works well with a standard bullet,
and has good applicaiton for my situation..

That is: during the off season, about the only game that would require more than a 22cf is feral hogs. They are a spot and stalk situation. When we see them, we can usually stalk within 200 yards, so the 2700 fps load would work great. Secondly, during deer season there are some stands/situations where I would never get a long shot and the reduced velocity load would work fine.

So.....a reduced velocity load works for me...kinda gives me the equivalent of a 260, or 7x57 from the same rifle.

SouthTexas, no I meant it for Joe, the original poster, sorry if any confusion.

RL 19 is a great powder for the .270. I have had great luck with it out of the three I have tried it in.

Sounds like you know exactly what you want, and for very good reasons. The 4064 load suggested sounds good, but I have also had good luck with around 42 grains of IMR4895 and a 130-grain Hornady Spire Point. It not only takes deer neatly, but recoils gently and leaves lots of wild turkey left over if there happens to be a rifle season open in the fall (there is here in Montana). I loaded this one a lot when my wife and stepson started hunting.

Generally the faster powders work better here. The slower ones might do OK, but NEVER below suggested minimums. If charges of slow-burners like IMR4350 and R19 are reduced, very often velocities become erratic, and sometimes pressures spike dangerously.

Thanks to all for sharing your ideas and information. I'm particularly pleased that Ron's suggested accuracy load worked well for southtexas and was something he can use.

For those of you who read Handloader Magazine, check out Mule Deer's article When Less Is More in the June 2004 issue. Pretty much sums up what I was trying to say.

I fiddled with this for a new hunter a couple years ago -- I had good accuracy with a recipe from an old Finn Aagaard article that I now can't find. He taught a kid or two to hunt with 150-gr. Ballistic Tips at about 2300 fps -- the powder was IMR 3031 but I don't remember the charge.

Unfortunately neither I nor my pupil saw any deer that year ... shot up all the ammo at the range and moved on to other things.