Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Reloading tips -270 win

Funny I have used lots of 130s and lots of 150s, and a few 160s in the 270 but never the 140s. Seems to 140 grainer would be a great compromise, but I always seemed to want to use the others.

I must admit I have never used the 270 on really big deer like sambar, nor buffs or scrub bulls or camels; mainly pigs, goats and medium sized deer. But on that style of game I find soft-ish 150g bullets like the SST are the fastest killers.

Plenty of penetration, a really devastating wound from nearly any angle and DRT game in most cases.

Started with 130s, in, what else, a P-64-70, in my first of about a dozen .270s and this was the influence of some old guy writing in the mag. I used to hide in my desk in both junior and senior high schools, to aleviate the boredom of most classes.

When, I FINALLY was "released" from the 12.5 years of "penal servitude" society seems to mistake for "public education", I was able to get a job, buy GUNS and try out every type of rifle, gun, load and bullet available in mi-1960s, B.C.....NOT much of a selection!

I soon found that the grizzled older guys I started work with in the BC "bush" as all non-urban areas, other than farmland and industrial installations are called here, had VERY little respect for the "guru" I had considered the "ultimate" authority on such matters and also that the rifle(s) I chose in .270 did not always shoot the 130s well.

I changed to the 150NP, first over IMR-4350, then H-4831 and circa 1990, RE-22 and THAT was/is IT, end of story. While I came to understand that the "guru" HAD been worth reading, but, that many of my older co-workers, had far greater real bush knowledge and knew a few things, as well, I tended to be guided by what MY rifles did and so have used this load consistently.

For a light-recoiling, VERY accurate and MOST effective load for any BC game I have ever been involved with hunting/killing, I seriously doubt that a better load than a .277"-150NP at 2850+ is or even CAN BE developed. I once, decades ago, saw a fairly large Kootenay Grizzly neatly killed with this load, not in my rifle, but, it seemed to work as well as any other I have seen and it is easy to shoot well.

So, I consider this as useful a load for any hunting I might do as anything and tend to use it or the very similar .284"-160NP-2850 fps in my .280 Rem. rifles more and more as I age and the various 9ish pound magnum rifles seem to "weigh" more each passing month........

Kutenay the 150 NPT was a favorite load of the late Bill Jordan,hand gunner extraordinaire...and he used it almost exclusively here and in Africa.

Kute:
A typically excellent reply from an experienced ol' codger.

bobnob17:
There was no such thing as a 140 gr. bullet for the .27's when I was growing up. I still can't see the point of them being on the market except that the bean counters advertise 'em as the latest & greatest of all worlds. For me, they're neither fish nor fowl. 10 grains +/- make no difference in real life.
Bear in Fairbanks

Mine likes Imr 4350 and Nosler 140gr AB

56 grains H4831sc under a 150 speer hot core in my 270 BAR shoots consistent .75"-1"- 5 shot 100 yard groups and at least 5 mule deer one hit kills at fairly long ranges in a few cases in my experience with that rifle have proven its darn effective

Any love for the lighter bullets like the 95gr Barnes TTSX or the 110gr TSX? Knocked off an big cow elk with the 110gr TSX out of a 6.8 AR and she really didn't like that much at all as it was DRT.

Been thinking and perusing loads for upcoming cow elk which is gonna be a farm hunt in November. Not quite a canned hunt but I'm guessing it will be close. I'm looking forward to the meat in the freezer but I do have to admit to a little mental masturbation over the exact rifle/load to use.

Used a butt load of Sierra 130gr Gamekings (bought cheap from the outlet store at the factory in the 90's) culling red deer hinds in Scotland back when I lived in the UK so I know they work real well.

Just got to thinking about that light 95gr TTSX howling along at about 3700fps and how flat shooting that sucker would be. Or the 110gr at 3500. Have some 150 Ballistic tips to play with too. Choices, choices but aren't they the kind of things that give rifle looney's things to think about outside of hunting season?? ;-)

I love the lighter .277" bullets and have little use for any above 130gr.
The 110TTSX at warp speed is just about a perfect load.

What are you running with the 110's? Been thinking about playing with those myself...

If I was to go down that road I would like to experiment with the 100 or 110 Accubond, doing 3500fps or maybe a bit more.

I am a fan of a healthy amount of deformation and am also happy enough for bits to fly off my bullet and tear up tissue as it passes through the game. Those little ABs at fast speeds might be just the ticket.

There certainly wouldn't be much guess work necessary with holdover out to around 350+ yards. For a bloke that doesn't shoot much farther than that under the best of conditions, this holds some appeal.

One day I might give those light ones a whirl.

Running my favorite powder, Magpro, and pushing them to ~3470 out of a 24" tube.
Fixing to try out N560 and should be able to crack 3500 with this combo.
Also have a bunch of the 110NAB's I'll be trying when this damn snow goes away.

No plans on shooting past 350 with the .270; got lots of other guns that do that much better like a 7mm RM, .300WM and a .338 Lapua Mag. Not used the AB much although I did shoot some out of my AR in 6.8 at targets when my buddy at Silver State Armory gave me some to try. They sure do look wicked tho...!

I have total confidence in the Barnes to stand up to those kind of velocities; AB's I have no real experience with as I mentioned. Like I said, I still have a big bag full of 130gr Sierra GK's that have dropped everything I ever pointed the gun at with no issues.

Never shot an elk with a .270 Win tho'; heard the bullets often bounce off unless you're real close......

Dewey,

The 150 Partition just whacks the snot out of animals.

Eileen and I have killed a bunch of animals with that bullet from the .270, including the "quickest-deadest" bull moose I have seen killed, Eileen's Shiras she took in 1988. It was quartering away at about 125 yards, and when the 150 hiy the short ribs it took a step and a half and collapsed, really most sincerely dead. The bullet ended up in the shoulder on the other side.

Eileen wasn't into handloading back then, as she is today, but had to memorize the exact load (Jack O'Connor's 58.5 grains of H4831) so she could torture friends of ours at that year's Christmas and New Year's parties--all the guys who'd never drawn a Montana moose tag.

Have seen similar results on a bunch of game both in North America and Africa--though not always quite so instantaneous. However, can't remember a big game animal of any kind going more than 50 yards after a well-placed 150 Partition from the .270.

It is a well known fact that the 270 Winchester is widely considered by many to be the lightning bolt of big-game cartridges.

Another laserbeamed DRT(140 Accubond/H4831SC).

Sam,

Nice buck!

That bullet works too. I've seen it in action myself....

nice buck Sam!

I like the split eye guard and it looks like a couple cheaters on either side. Beauty!!

You guys are all talking crazy!!



140 Accubond over 58.5 H4831sc.

If 130's work....and 150's work....there is no reason a 140 won't.

Looking forward to the 150gr. Nosler Accubond LR jobs myself.