partition or grand slam for my .270?

all right all you .270 shooters out there. i'v got my plastic adl shooting like a top with RP and winchester 130-grain wal-mart specials.
 
 but i am not sold on smallish high-stepping bullets at real close ranges (say inside 100 feet). a few years ago, had a couple of 6.5x55s loaded with hornady 129s just not penetrate on two deer at less than 50 feet. both got away. hardly dripped any blood at all.
 
 i've been shy ever since. heard the same thing happening with .270s at bow ranges. those 6.5 129 hornadys and 140-gr RPs killed like crazy at longer ranges, just like the .270 130-grainers.
 
 y'all's .270s shoot partitions or grand slams real well? by real well, i mean 1.5 inches or better off a solid rest? i'd rather buy 50 bullets for 15 bucks and reload 'em than 20 loaded cartridges for 20 bucks just to try 'em. i won't load 'em up hot. 2,800 fps or so with 130s or 150s is sufficient for as far in and as far out as i'll select a shot.
 
 wanna make up my mind today. got a good store only three blocks from my office just waiting to take more of my money.

fish,
 
 the Partitions are known for great performance. I haven't used Grand Slams but I load Partitions for my daughter's Model 7 243. They shoot sub MOA & have performed flawlessly on Whitetails. Also look at the Hornady SST. I have taken many deer & hogs with them without a single loss. Sadly, I've been pulled over to the dark side, however, with Barnes X's (100 grn) for my 270. [Linked Image]

I'll report later when I get something.
 badger.

I load the 130gr Partitions in my 270 and like them very much. I have found them to be accurate in everything I've tried them in.

The Partition shoots really well in all my .270's, including a .270 Wby. The Grand Slams don't usually shoot as well, and don't usaally kill as quickly, as they seem to expand more slowly. I prefer the Partition for deer.

I've used both in my .270 and the partition's DONOT hold well on close range shots. Go with the GS, might not be as accurate but will put them down from 50 Ft. to 300 yards everytime.

Mentioning the .270 and Partitions is nigh unto heaven to me [Linked Image]

I shot a little button head last year at 40-50 yds MV of 3000fps 130gr Partition went in hit one lung and came out..I could stick two fingers in the exit wound..I have also shot through both shoulders at 50yds or less no problems..They are the do it all bullet of choice for me!
 
 Mike
 I also load Partitions in .243 and .357Mag!

Have to agree on the Partitions. Have loaded it and the GS. Partitions win for accuracy in several 270 rifles I have owned and/ or loaded for; along with better game performance. Would suggest loading with H4831SC.

At close range, the Grand Slams have a better rep for holding together, while still expanding well at greater distances. The lead core is bonded to the jacket.

Count me in on the Partitions, but don't count out the Hornady Interlocks either. I've had terrific results with the Hornadies at all ranges and accuracy has been excellent- same can be said for the Noslers. Lucky for me, they both print to the same POI, so I can pretty much interchange them.
 Price is a lot better on the Hornady's too, so you can afford to practice more. I also use H4831SC to load them with. - Sheister

The problem is the cartridge not the bullets (grin). I don't like either bullet, but that is just my experience. It is probably because I have tracked more animals hit with .270's than all other calibers combined (my buddies all shoot .270's, not me, but I help them hand load to their particular rifles). Partitions being the worst, with small wound channels and NO blood trails (teeny exit holes). Recovered partitions look like wad cutters. Go up a step and shoot 150's in the .270. They seem to work much better in the .270 than 130's. If you aren't killing deer with ANY .270 bullet, I think you need a .30-06 (big wide grin). Oh, and 130 grain XLC bullets would be my choice in .270. For what it is worth. Flinch

hey flinch:
 
 i think your advice on bullet weight is sound. i also think the barnes copper bullet is a good alternative, too.
 
 but i also think your buds might need to spend more time on the range. heh, heh, heh.
 
 [Linked Image]

maybe the other reason you spend more time tracking .270 wounded deer is that more hunters use .270. could be the same thing all over again if they used something else. [Linked Image]

i ain't no .270 fan. it's just that i ended up with the rifle because my 16-year-old would rather have the money for dating and driving endeavors. besides, i got the rascal shooting real well.
 
 maybe i'll try the barnes instead. hmmmm.
 
 lots o' good advice here fellas. many thanks.

To muddy the water just a little....any thoughts of factory ammo? I have had great luck - accuracy and performance wise- with Federal HE shooting the 140 Trophy Bonded bullets and the Winchester loads with the Fail Safe.

Fish, no doubt my buddies need some range time, but all the elk I have tracked have been hit leathally and shouldn't have needed any tracking. The guy I hunted with this year killed his 351 bull at 38 yards. He shot it in the neck for some stupid reason. The bullet was a factory 130 grain core lokt bullet. It didn't blood shot ANY meat, nor did it break the neck. Even after skinning the neck, I honestly had to really look for the bullet hole. It looked like a cut rather than a bullet hole. I think the shock to the CNS knocked the bull down. We finished it off with a lung shot. Convinced me again that I don't EVER want a .270. The other three elk we took were also under 40 yard shots with 150 partitions. Penetration was about 6 inches through heavy bone, with very little trauma. One was hit squarely in the pelvic (bullet bounced around and was recovered, but no broken bone). The other was hit high in the front shoulder and nicked the spine. It should have gone down, but again, very little tissue damage and the bullet did not break the shoulder or back bone. Both required a lot of second effort. I was really surprised at the lack of bone and tissue damage. I have hunted with the 7mm mag and .30-06 all my life with standard bullets. Even with 150 grain bullets, elk get CRUNCHED from both calibers and ALWAYS drop where they stand (9 elk so far). Of course, bullet placement is everything. A guy came into the store this year complaining that he had shot at and hit 14 bull elk with his .270 and they had all run off. He traded it for a .340 Weatherby. I am sure there are a PILE of dead elk out there now from this #@%@$!$! True, there are a LOT of .270 elk hunters out there that are very successful, but many that shoot the caliber leave themselves very little room for error. I consider it marginal for elk for the average joe, but very effective in the hands of a cool shot. It is a great round, just not for me. Flinch

Flint,
 
 What weight and type bullet did you use in the 7mm Rem Mag that was so effective?
 
 HogWild

ouch, flinch!
 
 you were talking about elk!
 
 i was talking about whitetails. man, i don't know nothin' 'bout no stinkin' elk. they do stink, don't they? the bulls, i mean?
 
 shoot-a-monkey, if i ever get to go on an elk hunt, it won't be with my .270.
 
 7 rem mag (i've got one)? maybe with 175s.
 
 7.62x54R (i've got two)? not unless nosler comes out with .311 patition in 180-200grains.
 
 an '06, or .338-06, or 8mm-06 or .35 whelen? considering everything i've read on this board, yep. that is probably where my 7mm rem mag salvage is headed after this deer season.
 
 thanks, flinch, i think ... ouch. ouch. ouch.

Flinch, the reason a lot of people find, nowadays, that the .270 is not a good deer killer is because of the modern trend towards premium bullets. Deer don't usually require premium bullets with a .270, and will in fact fall faster using regular old spitzer soft points. The 130 grain standard soft pointed spitzer type bullet kills deer like a lightning bolt out of a .270 Winchester at all reasonable ranges. The reason that the Partitions don't do too well is because at close range, the forward portion just sheers off, leaving only an unexpanded "solid" to drive all the way through without much damage. At longer distances it may not have enough velocity to even disrupt the forward portion. There is a range at which it will mushroom perfectly, and drive right through, but why not use a standard design that will kill deer fast at any reasonable range? At close range, a standard soft point kills them by an exploding bullet making soup out of their lungs, and at longer ranges, they tend to mushroom nicely, making a big shocking hole on the far side.
 
 If I were to hunt elk with a .270 (actually did once), I'd use the 150 grain Grand Slams. For elk, you need a semi-premium bullet with a .270, in my opinion, and it helps more than hurts, unlike the deer situation.

NPs will always be my choice.
 
 BTW FWIW
 
 A life long friend of mine took a nice branch antlered bull
 this year in AZ. After hunting for 6 days he spotted a
 bull on yonder hill side. Measured the distance at 453
 yards looked at his cheat sheet. Then took one shot.
 The bull took half a dozen steps and dropped.
 My buddy was using a 270 using 130 g Remington
 Factory rounds. The bullet completly penetrated.
 My buddy has been using this same m700 for over
 20 years, wonder if that has anything to do with it?

Try the Hornady SST. I'm shooting 130 grain factory loads in my 270. Shot two deer last year under 30 yards and they performed great. One weighed about 180lbs. Shot through both shoulders, huge exit wound.

That makes perfect sense to use standard bullets for deer. I tell guys this all the time, but they keep complaining about premiums and pencil holes. 100 lb. deer don't need premiums, unless they are driven to extreme velocities. You knew exactly what I was talking about. I have used 140 grain ballistic tips on elk at 3,200-3,350 fps (depending on rifle). I only had one scary experience where the bullet only went into the front point of the shoulder at 200 yards on a 4x4 bull. The bullet mushroomed perfectly ( I have it in my box) and the bull dropped dead and never moved. The bullet didn't touch any bone or vitals. The bullet was stuck in the shoulder meat. There was a 3 inch circle of blood shot meat around the bullet. That was one of my "shock" kills. There is NO other reason that bull died, and died instantly. He never even twitched a hair. Weird as heck!!!! All others completely blew through both shoulders, or lungs with HUGE exit holes and wound channeld. I have always shot 165 grain ballistic tips in the .30-06. All have been found under the hide on the off side perfectly mushroomed, even after going through shoulders. Muzzle velocity is 2,800 fps. I have hit them at 50 yards and several hundred yards. One moose bit the bullet at 20 yards with a lung shot. Bullet was found under the skin in the off side shoulder perfectly mushroomed. I hit one spike bull straight on with the same load at 85 yards. The bullet went through the heart and lungs shredding them and was found laying agains the diaphram with a BEAUTIFUL mushroom. It weighed 114 grains. I don't think 20+ deer, a moose and 9 elk have been lucky. I full on trust the bullet, although I don't try and bust through shoulders at short range. I have only had the one bullet act weird. All others have been stellar! Flinch

How about an 270 X bullet for elk ?

The problem is that they took a neck shot at close range with a premium bullet. It is just common sense that they would poke a small hole throught the elk if the miss the spine. There is not enought resistance to expand the bullet.
 
 If they took a body shot at the heart/lung area the bullet would have had more resistance to expand against and should have done a lot more damage. The only question would be whether they got enough penetration to reach the vitals.

Conrad,
 I believe impact velocity has much to do with expansion characteristics, particularly with so called "premium" bullets. I have yet to see a bullet like an X fail to perform when driven at decent velocities. Think a 100 grn X in 277 cal won't expand when driven at 3500 fps? Bone or not, its going to do some serious damage at that velocity. JMO.......
 badger.

I've used alot of Partitions. They open fast and will shed their front cores at high impact speeds. But, they always have worked for me, time and time again. Regardless as what was hit.
 Gun Tests magazine has tested lots of Grand Slams in various cartriage, the .243, the .308, the .30-06, the 7 mm and .300 Win Magnum. When compared to the NP bullet, they didn't work as well. Their front cores are lost more easily than the NP, along with the front jacket portion. The exception is the .243 bullet. It, however, is not a dual core design like the others.
 The elk class stuff is much harder to kill, and put down, than the deer class stuff. Again, even the little .243/.257 stuff works on them in the NP design. I mean breaks shoulders and penetrates the lungs. Every time as long as the range isn't too long, i.e. over 200 yds. In contrast, I've seen such animals stay on their feet, and keep moving after one, or more, lung shots with everything up to and including the .338 Win Mag. Not uncommon for such critters, rare, but it does happen with the deer class stuff.
 The .270, with NP's, doesn't leave enough of a blood trail with lung shots on such critters ? I've had a few travel on me after taking a 7X57/140 gr. NP through the lungs. Say 400-800 yds. I found them. Enough blood, they were dead when found, and they were shot through the lungs.
 The bullet looses too much at short ranges, and leaves a small wound channel ? I suggest breaking at least one shoulder at such ranges. Not that hard to hit as a rule. I wouldn't worry about the damage. If you break a near shoulder and pass through the lungs, mine have all gone right down, like a CNS shot. Lots of damage from the bone fragments, etc. Do the off side shoulder, and even the toughest critter can't move very well, assuming they stay on their feet. Again, the NP can be trusted to do the job. E

many thanks for all the advice.
 
 went a whole 'nother direction: bought a box of 130-gr BTs today. will load tonight. hope to shoot a bit tomorrow at lunch. reckon i'll stay away from shoulder shots up close if the BTs shoot as well as they should.

Fish,
 Pitch them 130 boattails in the deepest river you got round there. Or et least shoot 'em at paper (they'll do thet good). Don't trust 'em on game. Wish I had a picture of ever blowed up 130 spbt I've seed. Go with the partitions. Ain't no sense in playin' 'round with vermin bullets.

Yeah, fish, boat tails have a real tendancy to lose their jacket on impact. Not the best hunting bullets. Probably will be ok on deer sized game though.

How come no one is mentioning Remington Corelokts for factory ammo, or Sierra bullets.
 
 Was it me, I'd use a plain old standard Speer 130, or a 140 whatever for deer. The Speer 120s always worked beautifully through my .25-06, on a couple dozen caribou 70 to 500 plus yards. Don't know what they'd have been like short range.
 
 I think I'd prefer 140 grains of standard bullet in the 270 - whoever makes them and what you like, but then, I don't have a lot of experience with the .270, tho I have owned one for 27 years. (I loaned it to my brother about 4 years after I got it, and have only seen it since when I visit him every 6 or 7 years. He lets me fondle it, then. Briefly.)
 
 Flinch - I gotta agree with whatshisname. Your friends need to (A.) Learn anatomy (B.) Learn to shoot better
 
 I kill most of my moose out to 100 yards with neck shots - meaning I hit the spine - not infrequently offhand (but not if I can help it). An elk spine at 40 yards ought to be a gimmee - if it ain't running. That calls for the old wing shooting technique through the chest cavity.
 
 My moose this year was taken at under 40 yds with a .338 Mag 250 grain Sierra Game King, 3 inches behind the head connection. I really wanted to try out the Fed 225 TB this year again, but the Sierra handload is more accurate, and I figured would be better on a long range lung shot if I got it. Thats why that one Sierra GK was on top of the TBs - and I forgot it was there. Anyway, I recovered most of the nicely petaled jacket - the lead was all in bbs of various size mixed in with similar bone bb sized pieces. Blew a 2 inch window right through the spine, and stopped there, pulverizing several inches of bone to either side. Lost maybe a double handfull of meat on the nearside, virtually nothing on the far side. I love the old "Thor's Hammer" shot when it is acceptable. Otherwise I want a big hole through the lungs/heart clear to daylight on the other side for a blood trail if needed. I'm testing the TB to see if it works acceptably for that, to carry if I ever need it on a charging brown bear. That blue Barnes X is also intriguing - but I certainly don't need anything more than a quality '06 180 gr. to kill moose with.

fish I've shot a boat load of deer and hogs with the 270. While I have used them I have never felt the real need for either a partition or g.s. for what I shoot. The 130 boat tail is sexy looking as can be and usually is very accurate. However until you get way to hellengone out there a boat tail has no advantages over a flat base. Sure do load easy though. [Linked Image]

Every body moans and groans over the partion losing the front part. That is what it is supposed to do. The base is to drive on through. The g.s. seems to me to be a tougher bullet in hanging together if that is what you want.
 My standard load for my 270 is the 140 gr Nosler ballistic tip over 58 gr of AA 3100. I have never lost an animal shot with it but I don't shoot to break shoulders. I want a bullet to slip into the chest area and go off like a bomb. That is my preference and my load will do it for me. About the best I have seen deer and hogs do is two or three stumbling steps and then dog.
 Go ahead on and use your 130bt. It will work fine on deer but don't expect it to be a bone smasher and then drive on through to the next county. It won't reliably.
 BCR

been there. done all that. i don't shoot way out there. i know the presumed jacket-shedding tendency of boattails. i'm loading at about 2,800 fps. i'm gonna select boiler-room shots. i want mr. or mrs. deer to run out of air very fast.
 
 but none of that will matter if the BTs don't shoot very, very well. it they don't do so early tomorrow morning at the range, i'll just use plain ol' winchester power points or remington core-lokts. that little adl shoots those mighty fine.

FWIW, I used Remington's old Extended Range Boat Tail 140 grain .270 factory ammo for 10 years on muleys and blacktails and they were instant death, in most cases. Excellent performance. An elk and a couple antelope fell to it too. Rarely a second shot needed and it was a non-premium bullet.
 
 I agree completely with Flinch and others that you don't need premiums for deer in a .270. The vast majority of non-premium .277's were designed specifically with the .270 and deer in mind.

I've gone through both shoulders on many GA deer with regular old 130gr core-lokts!
 
 It just isn't fun to shoot factory loads though [Linked Image]

Mike

Mike -- EXACTLY!
 
 Wouldn't life be boring if we were all 100% practical?

It would be unbearable!!
 
 I'm going this afternoon to check/reset the zero on the .338 so I can test it on some live medium (hopefully) this Sat. [Linked Image]

Gotta see what all the Ballistic tip fuss is about!!
 
 Mike

Bullet expansion is a function of the bullet construction, the velocity and resistance. If the bullet does not meet much resistance and it is tough and moving at high enough speed it woll just blast a small hole through.