Reloading .270 Winchester

Tomcottrell

Well-Known Member
Anyone load for .270 win on here? Getting into realising for it, got everything except the bullets for it, what success does anyone have and with what loading?
also, is there anything to look out for and not do?
Will be shooting at the range first then hopefully will go deer stalking in the near future,
Thanks in advance and happy shooting
 
I've just started reloading for the 270win too. Dipping my toe in the water with 130grain sierra gameking and reloader 22 powder. Managed a few sub moa groups with 55.2grains of powder. Average speed for that load came out at 2812fps.
Be interested to see how you get on!
 
I’ve got vhit 160 for loading as I can get it easily enough, cci primers and a selection of brass, just trying to figure out what’s best bullet wise, and what loads anyone else is using, but will probably go down the 130gn route
 
If you are starting out then keep it simple. Batch your cases according to head stamp, choose a large rifle primer and slow ish powder for the cartridge as this will often give more gradual development of pressure signs than a faster powder (Re 22 and Viht 160 will both be OK but the Re22 should give higher velocities). Size your cases (lube first - I like imperial size wax) and reprime. Clean the lube off the cases.
Bullet wise there isn’t a bad bullet out there to be honest but you won’t go wrong with Sierra Gamekings until you get used to the process. They will be accurate fairly cheap and effective. Equally nothing wrong with Nosler, Speer, Hornady, Barnes, Fox etc.
It is best in my opinion to use a set method for load development and the ways I would suggest are either the optimal charge weight or the Satterlee method (needs a good chronograph). Let me know if you need links to these.
Measure out your incremental charge weights from minimum to maximum, seat the bullets to book length (3.320 inch based on Nosler load data) don’t worry about distance to lands yet- go and shoot them.
At each increment look at the cases when ejected and look for pressure signs such as flattened primers, scrape marks on the case head that shows the case head has started deforming into the bolt face or loose primers. If you get any of these signs, stop and go no further. Using a chronograph is really a great idea as velocity relates to pressure so if you are getting velocities over 3100fps with a 130g bullet you are probably at or near max pressure.
hope this helps
 
Slower powders work better so in Viht a minimum of H160 and in the now banned Hodgdon a minimum of H4831. Reloader 22 would also be a good "go to" powder.

Personally for the UK the .270 WCF is probably better with a 140 grain or 150 grain bullet at about a steady 2,750 fps to 2,850 fps. Hornady do their Interlock in 140 and 150 grain and Speer their Hot Cor in 150 grain. I am sure that Sierra will do something similar.

Oh...just a fad or fetish of mine...I prefer flat base bullets if there is a choice over boat-tail bullets. For even though boat-tail are easier to insert into the case mouth flat base bullets if correctly handled when placing them in the case mouth go in easily enough.

Lastly best accuracy is often in loads that aren't crimped.
 
I have mainly used Hornady 130 gr spire point and reloader 19 for years at 3000 fps ,which is all you need. Have also used Nosler partition and accubonds in 140 and 150 gr weights Have used hundreds of Winchester cases, PPU are ok too.. Keep it simple just consult a loading manual . All loads I have tried are accurate.
Don't let people over complicate and confuse things for you. Follow the KISS principle!!!!
 
If you are starting out then keep it simple. Batch your cases according to head stamp, choose a large rifle primer and slow ish powder for the cartridge as this will often give more gradual development of pressure signs than a faster powder (Re 22 and Viht 160 will both be OK but the Re22 should give higher velocities). Size your cases (lube first - I like imperial size wax) and reprime. Clean the lube off the cases.
Bullet wise there isn’t a bad bullet out there to be honest but you won’t go wrong with Sierra Gamekings until you get used to the process. They will be accurate fairly cheap and effective. Equally nothing wrong with Nosler, Speer, Hornady, Barnes, Fox etc.
It is best in my opinion to use a set method for load development and the ways I would suggest are either the optimal charge weight or the Satterlee method (needs a good chronograph). Let me know if you need links to these.
Measure out your incremental charge weights from minimum to maximum, seat the bullets to book length (3.320 inch based on Nosler load data) don’t worry about distance to lands yet- go and shoot them.
At each increment look at the cases when ejected and look for pressure signs such as flattened primers, scrape marks on the case head that shows the case head has started deforming into the bolt face or loose primers. If you get any of these signs, stop and go no further. Using a chronograph is really a great idea as velocity relates to pressure so if you are getting velocities over 3100fps with a 130g bullet you are probably at or near max pressure.
hope this helps

Cheers, really helpful, I reload a few other calibers just new to .270 and it’s only basic reloading, just factory lengths and recommended loads, Il probably end up with something Sierra, use the matchkings for my .308 with pretty good results so can’t complain, cheers
 
I load mine to about 2800fps with a 130 grain Sierra Gameking. It kills everything from roe, red, whitetail in the states, and raccoon with tame recoil and muzzle flip! It's also good enough to kill a 4" clay pigeon at 280 yards with no holdover. I'm going to run out of H4831 at some point, and I just hope I can replicate this performance!
 
Cheers, really helpful, I reload a few other calibers just new to .270 and it’s only basic reloading, just factory lengths and recommended loads, Il probably end up with something Sierra, use the matchkings for my .308 with pretty good results so can’t complain, cheers
Good luck. It is an easy calibre to reload, no different to .308. Just follow basic reloading data from either powder manufacturers or bullet makers and you will be fine. Don't get hung up on minimising bullet jump etc . A chronograph is useful but not absolutely essential. Start with the starting load and work up. Stay away from maximum loads. Keep all your brands of brass in separate batches.
 
Slower powders work better so in Viht a minimum of H160 and in the now banned Hodgdon a minimum of H4831. Reloader 22 would also be a good "go to" powder.

Personally for the UK the .270 WCF is probably better with a 140 grain or 150 grain bullet at about a steady 2,750 fps to 2,850 fps. Hornady do their Interlock in 140 and 150 grain and Speer their Hot Cor in 150 grain. I am sure that Sierra will do something similar.

Oh...just a fad or fetish of mine...I prefer flat base bullets if there is a choice over boat-tail bullets. For even though boat-tail are easier to insert into the case mouth flat base bullets if correctly handled when placing them in the case mouth go in easily enough.

Lastly best accuracy is often in loads that aren't crimped.

I don’t crimp any rifle loads apart from .44 mag, is there any need too? I thought it was for military rounds so the bullets don’t move about once seated?
 
I load mine to about 2800fps with a 130 grain Sierra Gameking. It kills everything from roe, red, whitetail in the states, and raccoon with tame recoil and muzzle flip! It's also good enough to kill a 4" clay pigeon at 280 yards with no holdover. I'm going to run out of H4831 at some point, and I just hope I can replicate this performance!

I'm getting 2842 fps from 57.5 gn Viht N160 using hornady interlock 130 gn, 20" barrel.
Not sure about killing clays at a thousand paces without hold over.
 
Cheers, really helpful, I reload a few other calibers just new to .270 and it’s only basic reloading, just factory lengths and recommended loads, Il probably end up with something Sierra, use the matchkings for my .308 with pretty good results so can’t complain, cheers
Sorry, wasn’t trying to teach granny to suck eggs !!
 
I load mine to about 2800fps with a 130 grain Sierra Gameking. It kills everything from roe, red, whitetail in the states, and raccoon with tame recoil and muzzle flip! It's also good enough to kill a 4" clay pigeon at 280 yards with no holdover. I'm going to run out of H4831 at some point, and I just hope I can replicate this performance!

200 yard zero? And sounds like you don’t actually need to ramp them up too much at all, how many grains of powder are you using for that load if you don’t mind me asking?
Cheers
 
200 yard zero? And sounds like you don’t actually need to ramp them up too much at all, how many grains of powder are you using for that load if you don’t mind me asking?

2" high at 100 :thumb:

That's with 54grains of H4831, CCI primers, and 3.18" COL (but let me check that before not take it as gospel?)
 
Not sure about killing clays at a thousand paces without hold over

Didn't say anything about a thousand paces. Nor did I claim to have hit it in the middle ;)

6-7.5" drop at around 300 yards, say? I reckon if I counted on around a 5" drop at 280 (or thereabouts-kindof-ish), with a 2" high zero at 200 I'd be hitting the base of a 4" clay. Which is what I did

:thumb:
 
Fair enough, seems like a good recipe and just standard cci 200 primers?, not magnum
Thanks

Nope. Just standard, mate. Do you have the Lee manual? That's the one I load to. 54 grains is actually below the minimum start load, so if I don't keep my brass soft I tend to get sooting on the case necks as the obduration isn't optimal (I'm guessing)
 
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