Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 270 Weatherby rechambered!

Hey guys, got that Mauser barrelled action that Bevan King rechambered to 270 Wby back. It is in the furnace room curing up the glass right now. Bedded the recoil lug, receiver ring and the bbl full length, all the way from the receiver to the forend. Did it all in one shot and a small pad under the rear tang also. Will take it out in the morning, relieve the bedding behind the tang and head up to the range.
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<br>Clint, I loaded 20 rounds of that Federal nickle-plated brass using that collet neck-sizing die you sent me. Really worked quite well! Thanks again. We'll see how it shoots.
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<br>Stick, I am starting out at 70 gr of Re22 with 130 Hornadys. Have loads to 74 gr to try tomorrow. Also loaded some with with a surplus powder I got from AmmoMart that works great in the 7 mag. Will let you know how it shoots and what the velocities are. Clint sent be a box of 100 gr Speers to play with. You will hear about them shortly. You get 3700 in you 257, we'll see what another .020" of bore will do with the same weight.
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<br>BD, I will load some of the 150 Swifts after I get this rig all sighted in. You were wondering how they will work in this rifle. Have mounted an old 6-18 Redfield with Accu-Range scope for the load develpoment. Will have some answers for you in a bit. Thanks again for the heads up about the pressure with them.
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<br>Once again, thanks to all the rest of you who replied to my original post about rechambering this rifle. I have appreciated every post in that thread.
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<br>It's past midnight. I'm off to bed. Big day, first shots with the new toy tomorrow.
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<br>Ted
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Good morning Ted, sounds like you have a fun day planned. Seems like your gunsmith has a great turn around time. It sure would be nice to get mine back that quick. I am real curious to see how fast them 100,s fly.
<br>After listening to you, Big Stick, and others that have been kind enough to help, I have decided to AI the 7x57 using the same barrel. I have decided to go with either the 243AI or 6-284 in the 722. The reason I change from the 6mm AI to the 243AI is because of the extra room for bullet seating. Keep us posted on that 270 Wby.
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Sounds great, let us know how it goes. I would imagine this Bevan King is in your area? In case you missed my reply from the other posting, I last saw the Fisher's I think in 1990. So hope all is well with everyone up there.

Partsman
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<br>Bevan lives just a little ways from you, in Pouce Coupe, BC. It is eight miles from Dawson Creek. He and I go back thirty years, so I have a bit of an edge in getting things done. He makes very fine bbls in everything from .17 to .585 cal. He's building a 585 Nyati for a guy right now.
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<br>I called him yesterday to thank him for the quick job and he told me that he is so far behind that he is not going to take any more work this year. He is one of the old craftsman and a really nice guy. The first rifle I had him build me wa a 375/06. That was way back in the early seventies. He learned how to make bbls from PO Ackley, built all his own machinery and has the best guarantee in the business. If you're not happy with one of his bbls, he'll replace it, period!
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<br>I have never had to ask for one to be replaced. :-)
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<br>Fishers are doing well. Kip is still strong as ever. Good folks.
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<br>Ted

Okay guys here's what happened today.
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<br>Got to the range and discovered that I had left my set of sandbags at home. Used a piece of carpet rolled up for a front rest and a smaller piece for a rear. It was not very steady at all, but got the chronograph results and enough paper to know that the rechambering has not changed accuracy at all.
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<br>Fired 20 shots, five groups of four, largest group 1 1/2", smallest 5/8" at 100 yds. It was very frustrating as even my pulse made the rifle move. The whole setup was kind of mushy.
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<br>Big Stick, the 73 grain load of Re22 gave 3265 and the primer radius is still quite distinct. Looks like it will easily take another two or three grains.
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<br>BD, 72 grains of the surplus powder from Ammomart gave 3304 with 72 gr so it is somewhat faster than Re22. The extreme spread was very good, only 19 fps. This was the powder that shot the 5/8 group. The primers are quite flat, but no measurable head expansion. We'll see how tight the primer pockets are when we reload this brass. All the cases were Federal Premium nickel.
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<br>Hey Stick, what is your experience with the Wby brass as far as handling pressure?
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<br>Ted

Yukoner, I meant to mention this in the previous post. I found that primer pockets loosened in my rifle with Federal brass and unsatisfactory velocities. The Weatherby brass holds a full 7 grns more of ball powder than the Federal brass. I picked up some RE22 today and am going out tomorrow to chrony, also loaded some hotter with H380 that i had tested before and case expansion was below Federal factory ammo, but didn't chrongraph, so will see what it does.

I prefer Remington brass...........

1886,
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<br>I have heard from someone else, as well, that the Federal brass will not take the pressures that Winchester does. We will see how this lot that I got from Clint works.
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<br>Let us know how you make out with the Re 22. It will be interesting to compare the two rifles, especially since they both have 24" bbls. I am going to try it with some 150's next time up to the range and will work up some more with 130s for sure.
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<br>Thought I had loads up to 74 gr yesterday, but had only gone to 73. I have a feeling that 75 or 76 gr of Re 22 ought to really make this case hum. That will be about all the Federal cases will hold. I am getting a 130 fps more velocity than before this rifle rifle was rechambered, and that is with the slow lot of H450 I got from AmmoMart. We'll see what lies ahead.
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<br>What primers are you using in your 270 Wby? I have a few Fed 215 here, but everything so far has been with CCI 250s.
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<br>Ted

Big Stick,
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<br>I tried to find some of the Rem 270 Wby. Called every place I found on the web who advertised it and no one had it. Thought about necking down their 7mm Wby, but can't find any of it either. Do you have any idea who might have some?
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<br>Tried to neck down and shorten some 300 Winchester brass, but the shoulders creased. I tried annealing and they still creased. One thing I do know, can neck up some 264 or down some 7mm mag. That's what I did when I had my first 270 Wby.
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<br>I will have to see how the 100s fly after I get back. My wife and myself are heading to Anchorage tomorrow for a ministers and wives retreat. Back here for one day and then off to St. Louis for some meetings there. Will have some time to think about loading them. Have a hunch that 4350 or 760 might be the stuff to at leat get what you do in your 257. BTW, what barrel length do you use in your 257s?
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<br>Thanks for your post,
<br>Ted

Yukoner,
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<br>My apologies,for not being more concise,I was trying to do 10 things at the time.
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<br>I use R/P 7mmWby brass and very much like it,for being tough. I understand it,to have been discontinued,I'll sniff around and see if anyone has any.
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<br>I've used both 7mmRem and 264Win brass to form cases and that works just fine.
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<br> 26" tube on the 257Wby................
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Yukoner, tried a couple grns. more H380, however was out of Partitions, so substituted Hornady 130, the pressures are considerably lower than my load with the Nosler and resulted in an average of 3265 fps, there is still a lot of room to get over 3300 fps. Was able to manage 3342 fps average with re22, and case head expansion was less than my usual load, and considerably less than Federal factory ammo, primers look better also, going to load more and try for accuracy next week if the warm weather holds.

Yukoner, I was using CCI at first because Federal weren't easy to come by in our area, but am using Fedral 215 now, can't say for sure it matters, but the Federal seem to give a little tighter fit than the CCI. If I had the option to form brass from 7mm RM I would, however the chamber is too tight to get brass to fit, even once fired from a different rifle usually can't be sized to fit.

Big Stick,
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<br>Thanks for the clarification. Marg and I are going to be staying with kkalaksa, part of the campfire crowd, and his family while we are in Anchorage. Will take a look for some of the Remington stuff while we are over there.
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<br>Kurt tells me there is a gun show in Eagle River this coming weekend, so may be able to scare some up there. Any of you campfire crew going to be there?
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<br>You get 3700 out of your 26 inch 257. Hopefully I will be able to get that out of the 24" tube on my 270. We'll see when I get back.
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<br>Thanks for looking around for me Stick.
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<br>Ted
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Yukoner
<br>If they build it, I will come... to the gun show that is. I will be in touch with Kurt, I'm sure.
<br>art

Okay, guys, here's the latest on the 270 Wby!
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<br>Went up to the range this afternoon. It was -7 degrees C (20 F) with a steady wind out of the North at about 25 kph.
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<br>I remembered to take my sandbags this time, so the groups are considerably better than the ones I reported to you after the first bench session. All loads used the new Federal brass I got from Clint and CCI 250 primers.
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<br>Remember this is a 24" Douglas Premium bbl, not a 26. Needless to say, I am quite happy.
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<br>130 Speer:
<br>73 gr 450, 3298 fps 3/4" group
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<br>130 Hornady:
<br>73 gr 450, 3330 fps 13/16
<br>74 gr RE 22, 3386 fps 3/4
<br>75 gr RE 22, 3473 fps 1 1/16
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<br>(note: 87 fps velocity increase with the last, one grain, increase in powder charge, however normal bolt lift and extraction. Primers pockets normal, no measurable head expansion.)
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<br>150 Swift A-Frame:
<br>70 gr RE22, 3164 fps 1/2" HEY! HEY! HEY!!!!!!!
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<br>(should be a really fine moose and bear load)
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<br>And especially for Big Stick, tried one load..............
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<br>100 gr Speer:
<br>75 gr 450 3617 fps 13/16"
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<br>(certainly a long ways from max, primers are still well radiused, 3700 will be a cinch, maybe 3800)
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<br>Stick, I am thinking the 120 X should be poison in this rifle. Still haven't tried the 130 XBTs as I want to moly them first. None of these loads are with moly yet. A friend of mine borrowed my setup to do a bunch of his bullets before I left on the last trip South and still has it.
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<br>1886, pretty sure I am going to stay with the H450 we got from Ammomart and RE22. As you can see this thing is really packing the mail with these powders. Have you done anymore with the H380? Your Model 70 is also 24" bbl. Is it the original bbl rechambered or something else?
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<br>Checked the throat and there is no freebore as in the original factory Wbys. Measures .325", just enough to seat the Hornadys out the full length of the magazine and still chamber. The Speers had to be seated a bit deeper as they engraved the rifling when seated out the same length as the Hornadys.
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<br>Well, the days are really stretching out here now. Not dark until 8:30, so will be able to get up for some shooting after supper. As soon as I get my tumbler back I am going to clean the barrel down to bare metal and start shooting moly. Will let you all know how that goes. Will have one more go without moly, the Swifts and some Nosler partitions.
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<br>Clint, I really like that collet neck sizing die I got from you. It is so simple to use and obviously doesn't hurt accuracy. This rifle is actually shooting better groups than it did as a 270 Win. You said it was a custom job from Lee. How much did it cost? I would endorse the use of one of them in a heartbeat!
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<br>Would appreciate any comments you guys have on any of this.
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<br>Thanks,
<br>Ted
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Yukoner; The powder you mentioned from Ammomart, is it the one they actually called H450, or is it the WC852?
<br>I have some of each in my possession, as well as a quantity of WC760SL [131] which is quite slow as well. I have bought a ton of powder and components from that outfit dating right back to the 1960's. I always liked dealing with old Thomas, too bad he's gone. By the way, I am just west of you in Prince George. Regards, Eagleye.

I have both WC852 and H450. The stuff I have been using in this 270 Wby is the H450. I refer to it as AM450 in my notes as it is actually quite a bit slower than any H450 I have used before.... and very accurate.
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<br>I have used it most in my 270s and a 280. A friend of mine uses it gets almost 2900 fps in his 338 Win with 250 Nosler partitons. That is actual measured velocity over the Oehler.
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<br>Have not even opened up my box of 852. Have you used it enough to determine if it is faster or slower than the AM 450?
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<br>Thommy Higginson did more for reloaders in this country than most realize. He and I were good friends, although we never met face to face. Whenever I would call, he would say, "Oh, it's the Reverend from Whitehorse!" I don't know how he even found out I was a preacher.
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<br>He almost always would put in an extra pound or two of some powder to try. That is how I became aware of his CF8506. Man I wish I had a bunch of that stuff! It is simply the best powder I have ever used in the 30/06 and the 375 H&H.
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<br>Don't know what Andrew is going to do with the outfit. He doesn't even advertise. Don't know how you can sell much product when folks don't know what you have to sell. Hopefully he will get things going soon.
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<br>As for our respective locations, you are actually 1200 road-miles South-East of us. :-)
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<br>Thanks for your reply,
<br>Ted
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Ted - Glad to hear that new rifle is working out so well. The 270 Wby collet die is a special order die. I got it from a poster named Cag from Florida. I don't remember what he paid for it. He occasionally post on this board, maybe he will see this post and let us know. I have several of the collet dies and have had good luck with them. Happy Easter to you and yours!
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VERY IMPORTANT NOTE CONCERNING THESE LOADS!
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<br>First of all, these loads were developed in my rifle. You MUST NOT, of course, assume they will be safe in yours. You must work up loads for your particular rifle, using safe load devlopment practices, starting with loads for this calibre published by the bullet and powder manufacturers.
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<br>Secondly, the 450 powder I am using is a very slow lot from AmmoMart. It can be loaded much heavier than Hodgdon H450. That is why I refer to it as AM 450, to distinguiush it from the Hodgdon product.
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<br>DO NOT USE THESE LOADS WITH HODGDON H450 POWDER.
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<br>Thanks, Eagleye, for jogging my memory on this. It has been a long time since I used Hodgdon H450.
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<br>Ted
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Haven't done anything with it since the last post, am going to play with rl22 some more, think I can get close to 3400. 71.5 grns. averages 3342 fps, have to check accuracy also, although the H380 will not match other powders ballistically the load I use will put 6 130 Nos. B.T. into 5/8 to 3/4 consistantly. If the rl 22 shoots similiar groups I'll opt for the velocity gain. The m70 is a rechambered factory barrel. Am finding that a half grn. increase with rl22 gets around a 40 fps gain so far.