Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 270 WSM, Reload or not?

280 Rem, I would think that a 280 is a better reason to reload for than the 270 WSM since the 280 is loaded to a lower SAAMI pressure than comparable rounds such as the 270 Win. By reloading you can squeeze more performance out of a 280 Remington than is available from factory standard loads.
That being said the 270 WSM is a great round to load for as it's been my experience that it is a particularly accurate round. I also don't think there are that many inexpensive choices for it out there either.
As good as some factory ammo is nowadays it is often tempting to not reload especially if you don't shoot much, but what's the fun of that?...................DJ

dj,

You really addressed my actual question. I know some here, many in this thread, load because they are complete "do it yourselfers". I am not. I reload for every round I have had up to now because I can do more with accuracy and velocity. One of the key elements of accuracy is seating depth IMO. That is removed with this gun and round due to mag legnth. Velocity, from all I have read, is max with factory rounds anyway. I can't honestly see the reason to reload for it, other than to say I killed the deer with a bullet I loaded. Which in my book, doesn't mean that much in and of itself, unless there is something about that bullet that is unique and better due to that unique quality IE accuracy and/or velocity created due to my craftsmanship. Just me personally, if I put a value on my time...which I do, then I cant justify spending time to create something that I can buy for less than the cost of my time, and that product be equal in performance.

Yes and no on mag length pre-determining your best accuracy with factory loads.

I also believe that seating depth is way up there when it comes to finding that accurate load. But to say that because a rifle (I have one exactly like yours/same cal.) has a magazine, that option is "removed"....is a false assumption. How many rifles out there don't have magazines, detachable or not?

I start out seating bullets for all my new rifles out as far as the mag will allow and still function properly. Whether I get good/great groups there or not, is always rifle specific. On some I do and on some I don't. On the .270WSM, I don't. It seems to like just a bit more jump, not much, but definitely more than loading it to the full length of the magazine.

Truly...it doesn't matter to me if you load for this rifle or not. I'd just hate for you to go on thinking that your (or any) rifle's magazine length has inadvertantly "removed" your ability to produce a more accurate bullet than a factory offering...which, as you state, is your main reason for not reloading for it.

Can't remember ever "saying" to anyone that I harvested any animal with a bullet I loaded. People that know me just know that's what it is. More important that feeling within....IMHO.

As I said earlier....do what you do because of your own reasons, but I just couldn't have you continue to believe that you can't achieve accuracy based on limitations due to magazine length. Simply not true.

Best of luck.

Here's my 270 WSM reloads in 2 different Kimbers:

8400 FW at 100yds:




Std 8400 at 200yds:




.............so far I haven't found any factory ammo that's approached this performance in my 270 WSM's........................DJ

magnumb...

I didn't consider the fact that I could seat them out further and not use the mag...just have a single shot. And also could seat shorter I guess. Do you know, or have you tried...is the Tikka 270WSM freebored so that its impossible to seat all the way out to the lands?

FWIW, I will eventually reload for it Im sure. I just like to do it. But for earlier stated reasons of convenience. I will find an acceptable factory load too.

Thanks for the input guys.

It's a long haul to the riflings. I, personally, wouldn't choose to single load although some people do. Obviously, it is that first shot that matters most and is all that one really needs MOST of the time. For convenients sake, it could be a bit confusing to try to separate the longer loads from your standard rounds (as we get older, memory is the SECOND thing to go). Perhaps easier for you and that remains a viable option.

I use to load as close as possible to the riflings, even into them at times. My 30+ years has shown me that each rifle is so different that there is no single answer, as I'm sure you have found. But pressure also become's more of a consideration, not always an obvious issue, but more often than when not seated too closely.

I also have found through the years that your seating depth for bullets generally (almost always) have 2 (perhaps more) sweet spots. One fairly close to the riflings and another, some distance away. Due to magazine limitations as you spoke of and especially with the Short Mags, the only way to approach finding a seating depth that gives you the accuracy you desire, is to seat a bit deeper each time to find the second sweet spot.

Once I forced myself to believe and apply this "2 sweet spot" theory into my handloading regime, it immediately opened up new possibilities. In application, it worked beautifully. The precision shooting masters have claimed this fact for years. Now, for me, a magazine's length is a non-issue. I would still much prefer not having to deal with the issue at all and load as far out as I wanted, but the reality of the situation makes that impossible with many rifle's...of numerous makes and caliber's.

As other's have said, the .270WSM is easy to load for. Doesn't seem to be finicky. Never shoots poorly with whatever it digests, which bodes well for factory loads as well. But loves certain loads over other's and shows it with tiny little clusters as shown in the post above. My groups are very similar....consistantly.

Hope this helps is some way. Best of luck to you.

Exactly all the same components for my load! Don't know what brass your using, I use Winchester. I also use 215M's. May move to Norma when these reach their end as my 300WSM loves Norma brass. My .270WSM loads chrono'd 3,240 fps (25 shot avg.) with just a tad more of RL22.

Great groups, the 200's are spectacular.

Yup, same brass and primers. I also load this load for my Buddies HS Precision with comparable results. I like the idea of Norma brass but with this load nuthin' seems to be broke so why fix it?........................DJ

Maybe we should patent this load.......grin.

+1 on the brass, but Norma is so uniform and consistant that I'll have to make the move when necessary....which may be never, who knows.

RL KURTZ,

The first thing I'd do, is get rid of the RP WSM brass, my shooting partner bought some "On Sale" to save a couple bucks, even with mid range loads he had split necks right from the git-go. This is the third incident with RP WSM brass I've read about on the net.
DS

Going to the store and buying ammo has a lot going for it. Me, I like to load my own, but I'll admit it gets to be a time consuming process. I loaded for a friend's 270 WSM. It shot my handloaded 140gr Accubonds and his factory 140gr ABs, 130gr BTs, and 130gr coated Bts all in the same place and all in 1/2" groups. What it may come down to is simply the cost of ammo. Once you get all the components, one could semi-quickly start loading for probably $12 a box (for Accubonds) - compare that to $30 a box of factory stuff. Now, put a price on 30 minutes it took you to get to the store and get it opposed to the 3 days (and hour or two after the kids are down) it took to load 50 rounds. Your call.

Fyi...my friend now just goes to the Sportsmans Warehouse and buys factory stuff.

.280,
I handload for the .270 WSM. Main reason is that I couldn't find a good factory round with the bullets I wanted to shoot, that would give acceptable accuracy.

I handload a 130 gr. Nosler Partition at 3250 fps from my 24" barrelled Wby. Vanguard, and 3140 fps with the 150 gr. Nosler Partition. Both loads are exceptionally accurate, and give me two rounds to cover everything from antelope through elk.

My .280, on the other hand, gave such great accuracy with Federal Premium Vital Shok ammo with the 140 gr. Accubond, that I really haven't been motivated to buy dies and start handloading. Probably won't, since I now have a near-lifetime supply of Fed. ammo.