Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 270 WSM- real world speeds???

Hi guys,
Just got a new to me 270 WSM Rem.700 XCR. Need to get more components but for now i tried 3 different loads and was wondering if the speeds sound right to yo'all. Seem kinda slow to me and compared to published data.

140grn Accubond, 60.5grns H4831sc, cci 250, 2800fps
140grn Accubond, 62.5grns H4831sc, cci 250, 2904fps
140grn Accubond, 58.ogrns H4350, cci 250, 2955fps

All 3 shot well under 1in. Just wondering what to expect with 130, 140, and 150grn pills in the real world? I want to try both 130,and 140grn TSXs or TTSXs. What powders have you had good luck with both speed and accuracy? I understand the difference in test barrels and chambers as opposed to hunting guns barrels and chambers thats why i was looking for real world examples.

Thanks, Guy

I'd step on the gas or switch powders... you're way under what I'd be looking for.

In my experience-

130s- 3200-3300fps

140s-3150-3200

150-3000-3100.

I'm sure some guys have seen higher, and some have seen lower. I ran a ton of 140 SST's at 3150 via H4831sc and CCI-250s, but I was using a lot more than you are now.

I only fired about 10 shots through my 270 WSM before putting it up on the rack. With IMR 4350, I wasn't getting more than 3000 with 150s and 3150 with 140s. Not enough justification for me to move up to the Model 70 WSM at 8 lbs 6 oz over a 270 Win on a Blaser K95.

But that's my experience. Yours may differ.

So you only tried 1 powder and then gave up on the cart? C'mon Maaaan....

I have 2 270 WSMs. I have found no problems hitting 3300/130s, 3200/140, 3100/150s. I have mostly used Magpro in the 270 WSM.

Lou

It has been my experience with the .270 WSM that the 150 grain bullet will move as fast out of .270 WSM as will a 130 grain bullet will move out of a conventional, 24 inch barrelled .270 Winchester.

My .270 WSM shoots 140's and 150's better that it does 130's. So I stick with 150 grain Hornady Interlocks and Nosler Partitions. The Interlocks being the better deer bullet. The Partitions don't seem to open up on even our big Northern bucks as well as the good old (and inexpensive) Hornady Interlocks. A stout charge of IMR 7828 being the magic elixir. Primers don't matter with this gun.I use Winchester brass with this cartridge. The Lyman manual data comes close to my rifles' performance. I load a half grain higher.

This keeps me shooting 130's out of my conventional .270 Winchester and not screwing around playing with bullets. A 130 grain Hornady Interlock pushed by 60 grains of H-4831 SC with Winchester cases. A Federal 210 M primer being the one that works the best.

YMMV

Tanner,
It is way under what I was looking for too. Not opposed to stepping on it some, just kinda wondered what others were getting as this cal. is new to me. I understand each rifle and barrel is it's own entity and the need to work up slowly and carefully. How did the Hornady SSTs hold together on game at those speeds?
Lou & albertan,
May need to try Magpro or IMR 7828 we'll see in time. Plus 1 on the inexpensive interlocks, been using them in our 06s forever with great results. How do they hold up for you at 270 WSM speeds on game?

Thanks for the replys, Guy

I never even got to shoot any big-game with my 270 WSM... it was the cash involved in a trade to obtain my sister a nice rifle.

I'd work up until you start to sniff any sort of pressure signs, and then go ahead and chrony it again. That 2.8" box might hold you back a bit, however...

Also, if you can find any Accurate Magpro, try it. It might just show you what you're looking for...

Tanner,
Going to have to take a ride around and see what i can find. Things are SO crazy right now. Just want to dail it in for an elk hunt this fall in Col. if we get it all put together.

Guy

130gr TSX, H4831sc (if you want load details, pm me) in a Win M70 (more generous mag box than Rem 700) gets me ~3300fps (most accurate load, could get a little more fps, but this load has been ~1/2 moa for me).

Here's some real world velocity figures as apposed to figures plucked out of thin air. I did this load testing around 2003/2004 and the velocities shown are a minimum 5 shot average.

The rifle is a Win Model 70 laminated classic .270WSM 24"bbl

My primary hunting load now is 69.5gns H1000 behing a 140gn Accubond.


.................................................................
140gn Nosler Accubond

67.0gns W780.........3008fps
58.0gns H4350........2981fps
69.0gns H1000........2989fps
64.0gns RL22.........2992fps
64.5gns IMR7828......2960fps
70.0gns Retumbo......2990fps
60.5gns IMR4350......3068fps
...........................................................
140gn Hornady BTSP

59.0gns H4831sc......2780fps
60.0gns H4831sc......2825fps
61.0gns H4831sc......2855fps
62.0gns H4831sc......2905fps
67.0gns H1000........2900fps
68.0gns H1000........2945fps
69.0gns H1000........2970fps
59.0gns H4350........3080fps
60.0gns H4350........3123fps
60.0gns IMR4350......2967fps


I also tested dozens of 130gn loads.

guy257, if you'd like details on the load featuring H4831sc that I used, shoot me a PM. I'll get some feathers all ruffled posting charges in here.

If you're prepping for an elk hunt, I'd grab a box or 3 of 140gr Partitions and a few pounds of H4831sc... that's got elk hunting written all over it.

I have read posts from other .270 WSMer's about Mag Pro powder. Lyman has it in their latest manual so I tried it. I have gotten 3 shot groups with this rifle in the low 2's often enough I know it is a tack driver. Mag Pro in loads that were the maximum in the Lyman manual showed much more pressure on the brass than did the IMR 7828. Almost a full thou more head expansion, with no real difference in velocity when compared to IMR 7828. The accuracy was much less than acceptable in my rifle as well. I seat the 150 grain Hornady Interlock (no plastic tips here) and the Nosler Partitions to the SAAMI maximum. I know of others that use this load successfully with Speer Grand Slams as well. It shot well and elk don't live long after being properly hit.

The Hornady's and the Nosler's hit very close to each other. Sometimes you get lucky. I prefer the Hornady's on deer, and I wouldn't hesitate to use them on elk.

Real Guns has some interesting stuff on the .270 WSM and Steve's Reloading Pages is always a source for me as well. Published load data on this cartridge is some of the most diverse I have seen with any modern factory round. In some cases, it shows absolutely no gain over the old .270 at all (Hornady manual). This is not true. It is not a lot, but it is something. The Lyman manual has data that closely approximates what my Sako 75 will do.

Some great info guys. It's easier to try what works for other folks and know what to expect than just go off spending money blindly, especialy at todays prices. ALL info being posted is being considered.

Tanner,
No need for ruffling feathers LOL. I'd like to end up with either 140grn Partitions or TSXs whichever the rifle likes best. Going to play around some in the next week or so, may get back to ya for a recipe. Like i said gotta go see what i can find first.

Guy

I don't see anyone mention RL25 for the cartridge.When I had a 270 WSM I used RL22 and sort of hit a wall at 3225 with 130's or so,despite factory factory ammo showing about 3280 with 130's....this from a Kimber Montana and a M70 FW.

Ross Seyfried wildcatted this cartridge before it became a factory round and IIRC he got good results with RL25.I never got around to trying it in the 270 WSM,but have had high velocities with compressed loads from RL 25 in the standard 270 Winchester,which tells me it should work well with the additional capacity of the 270 WSM.

I would give it a run in the 270 WSM, especially with the 140 and 150 gr bullets.Today if I had a 270 WSM it would likely be the first powder I'd reach for.I really think the cartridge is better suited to powders in the H1000/ RL 25 range, rather than the faster burning stuff.

I tried Reloder 25 when I was playing with Mag Pro. I found that gave me pressure signs with no appreciable gain in velocity over IMR 7828 in my .270 WSM. The accuracy was not nearly as good as my 65 grain charge of IMR 7828. I like the IMR 7828 in my .270 WSM.

I get around 3030 fps with 150's in my .270 WSM. I seat both the Hornady Interlock and the Nosler Partition to 2.860.

YMMV.

Thats because it hadn't been around for very long, if at all. When I started load developement for my 270WSM in 2002 Reloder 25 was never mentioned in any 270WSM articles and wasn't in any of the online reloading data put out by Speer,Hornady or Sierra etc. Its only become popular in the last 5-6 years.

dingo I can't recall the precise date on the Seyfried article (wish I could locate it),but IIRC it was in Rifle Magazine and I think it was published about the time the cartridge was introduced.

He was forming brass from 300 WSM;had a very nice custom rifle built for the cartridge,and all this was before the cartridge became a factory round,from what I recall.I am working from memory here but seem to recall that RL25 was his powder of choice.

In general however, you're right and there is not a lot of data but it would really be no probelm to start with RL 22 data and work up from there.

Maybe some one with access to the back issues of Rifle and Handloader could research it a bit(?) and fill us in more precisely,since I am working largely from memory.

130's with RL-22 @ 66.0 grains = 3,275 fps.

My gun, my CED @ 10-12'.

Dingo did some quick and dirty research......below is a post from another site (The Firing Line)in 2001...I guess it was a Handloader article in August 2001 by Ross on the 300 WSM, containing a few paragraphs on the (then wildcat) 270 WSM, and Ross mentions some data in that article...pretty sure he used RL25. I know that in 2002 he used a M70 FW in 270 WSM on Barbary sheep in Texas,and did an article on the hunt and the cartridge,in 2002.I just pulled up the issue by looking for articles on the 270WSM by Seyfried.The issue popped up.

"CoyDog
Senior Member





Join Date: December 15, 2000
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 163 Zorro: Ross Seyfried is ahead of you. The August issue of Handloader has a few paragraphs about a .270 WSM. Although Winchester had not officially declared the cartridge, Ross went ahead and ordered a chambering reamer based on a .277 version of the .300 WSM.
Good Shooting, CoyDog" ...




Maybe someone could dig up that article and see if my memory is failing me.