Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting .270 Win vs. 6.5-284 shootout

Lighter bullets may fly flatter for a ways, but once you start getting past 500 yds. they are not the ticket. I know this from experience. My buddy had a Lazzeroni Scramjet built up that shot a 100 grn bullet at 3800 fps. It was great out to 500 yds. but then the wind ate it up. I built up a 270 WSM shooting 140 grn. Accubonds at 3200 fps and was pretty good out to 600 yds. Now I have a 6.5-284 shooting 140 grn. Bergers and a 338 Edge shooting 3000 grn Bergers. Neither of these shoot over 2900 fps. But hits out to 1000 yds. and a little beyond are becoming routine. If you shoot where the wind never blows, you are ok shooting light and fast. But if the wind blows at all, you are better off with higher BC. The 270 is my favorite caliber, but until someone starts building higher BC bullets, it won't be my go to caliber for long range.

I've been using 135 gr. Match Kings in my .270 this year for marmots. My shooting has all been over 12,000' elevation. I shot 7 'hogs this year at ranges from 600 to 749 yards. Next year I expect little trouble breaking the 800 yard mark. I'm not sure how far I can push this, but I'll keep trying to extend my range until shots become more a matter of luck that skill. I was out the other day and fired a couple groups using 130 gr. TSX's getting ready for elk next week. These are shooting nice little .5" three shot groups at 100 yds off the bench. I love getting this kind of accuracy from an 8 lb. hunting rifle. The BC of the MK's is published at .488, the TSX at .431. I used to shoot a .243 pushing 58 gr. v'max's at 3700 fps, but they were easily blown around in a breeze, and past 500 yard they were getting tough to hit with reliably. No such problem this year with the 27.

Pronghorn hunt with a buddy last August in N.E. New Mexico. Two killed at slightly under 400 yds. I was shooting a 6.5-284 with 140 gr. SST's at 2,950 fps, he a Model 700 Sendaro in .270, 130 gr. factory ammo. Not much difference. Very similar performance. Both antelope DRT. But, they're that not hard to kill, just got to hit them.

Dirtfarmer

Try a 150 berger at 2950 vs a 140 berger at 2950 there is not that much difference. .531 vs .612 BC with the advantage to the 6.5. I have shot the 150 berger out to 1k in the 270 and it does pretty well.

BTW I was never able to get 2950 out of any 6.5x284 I have ever owned while using 140 bergers and lapua brass. I have only owned 3 and now only own one but that is just my experiance maybe being at 200 feet above salt water has something to do with it.

I've noticed in these comparisons most default to the 130gr bullet for the 270. Why not a 140 or 150 gr? Longer bullets buck wind better right? I am no long range shooter just askin'.

raybass,

Good question on the .270. Seems that the 130 gr. has been the classic all the way back to Jack O"Connor. Good velocity, flat shooting with good knock down power. One would think that the longer, heavier bullets with higher S.D.'s might be interesting. Just haven't seen that much written about the heavier bullets. Most people think 130 gr. when they talk about the .270.

Dirtfarmer

EddyBo,

Try Vv 165 with the 6.5-284 and 140 gr. bullets. In my experience, the best accuracy, but sensitive to the "sweet spot" regarding the exact charge for max accuracy. Took a while to find what my gun liked best, but once found, it was consistent. One can get very consistent 3,000 fps loads with RL-17 and 140 gr. bullets with the 6.5-284.

Dirtfarmer

My first 6.5x284 was a Kelbly built rifle, built on a grizzly 2 action. 2850 was about as fast as I could push a 142 SMK without wrecking my brass and I tried a dozen powders trying to reach 3 K. I may could get there with RL 17 or vv560 but I was not using those powders at the time. I was using vv n160 and if I recall 165 at that time. The next was built on a BAT action with a kreiger barrel I was able to get 2900 with that barrel, but later re barreled it to 6x47 lapua. I still have one built on a trued 700 in a mcmillan and a kreiger barrel. I have never even tried the 140s in it now that I think about it. I tried some hornady interlocks in it to break it in and the darn thing shot so good I can not recall every trying anything else in it. I kinda decided that the 6.5x284 was not my favorite and moved on to the 6.5-270WSM.

am sure there are guys pushing 140s at 3K with the 284 case, but I guess I just had some slow tubes as I never could no matter what QL predicted.

Ray, my first 270 was in the 80s, a 700 MR, it never shot 130s well. Rem goofed the muzzle/crown, and I had to get that fixed, lap lugs, bed stock, and it was floated when cured. THEN it would shoot, but MUCH better, putting 3 150 BTs into a nickel sized group time after time w/52.0 IMR4350. It would crater primers at book max load of 52.5 so I stopped at 52.

Later, a Ruger 1B showed the SAME preference, 150s over 130s. The 140 Hornady I believe was then the only .277 made, but now, with BTs and NABs, in 140, that would be my 'go to bullet' save perhaps elk/moose sized game or larger, then I might opt for the 150PT.

Currently running 150 BTs in another 270. The original owner had bought some 140 Extended Range IIRC, back in the 90s, and it seemed to shoot fairly well at 200 yds. So, yes, I echo your sentiment's on 140/150s in 270.

No doubt the 130s have and will continue doing a good job for a long time in 270s, but I feel they leave something on the table...so why not utilize the benefits, inc. often better accuracy.

Seen that myself with a marlin XL7, I handloaded several types of 130's and was getting decent accuracy but not exactly what I was looking for. One day while at the range trying loads , (i was about done), I had a box of Winchester Supremes (something like the mrx) in 150gr shot 3 at the target and presto 3/4" group. Its done better since with a clean barrel, sold it to a buddy and hes happy with the little tack driver.

65BR,

I have probably loaded for 15-20 .270's over the years, and most have shown a decided preference for 150's over 130's. There were some rifles that shot about as well with 130's as 150's, but none that shot BETTER with 130's.

How about throwing up the ballistics of the .270-WSM instead of the plain Jane 270 Winchester and see what happens compared to the 6.5-284 shootout!!!

The .270-WSM I saw last week at the gun range was running over 150fps faster than my .270 Winchester or the wife's .270 Winchester with stainless barrel.

JB, thanks, thought I might be seeing a 'trend'..

No doubt the WSM is hotter/faster, but GOSH I really detested the blast my brother's MRC Custom had......really for 150 FPS, it just changes where you hold, not so much how far it will be effective IMHO.

They will ALL kill far more than most anyone can reliably consistently hit vitals IMO.

I chrono'ed a 270 WSM for a guy at the range a few weeks ago with 150 grain Winchester factory loads at 3226 FPS

Jwp-475, now that is close to what those folks at the range had on their .270WSM. They also were shooting some of those Hornady V-Max 110 grn bullets at 3500fps!

I thought the .270WSM was pretty quick using a 150 grain bullet at 3200fps. The wife's .270 Winchester shoots great groups with 150grn bullet but only at 2840fps. It has broken 2900fps but groups were not as tight.

i shot in an f-class match last week. no .270s. i am ready whent they are.

Wow!!
I had heard that some of the factory stuff was loaded hot, but that's screamin'. The best I have seen in mine is about 3050 with 150gr Partitions over 68gr of Magpro. Any hotter and the bolt gets heavy. The fastest I have pushed 140s is the mid 3100s.

In fact 3226 is, according to the loading manuals, fast for the 270 Roy.

This being said, I would call 3226fps an anomaly for comparison purposes.

405wcf

given the 6.5 rage, this thread needs some air.

And a moment of silence for EddyBo....RIP.....

Eddy was the good schitt for sure.