Load development

DC .270

Well-Known Member
Hello again...

Having started to 'play' with the various load configurations for 130gn .270 I've worked from the factory .120" from the lands to 0.020" to the lands. With no significant improvement in accuracy. I've tried varying the powder loads, albeit not up to maximum yet and I can see this becoming an increasingly frustrating experience...

Can you get loads developed by others and buy the receipe off them? Not sure if I want to go down this route yet but if I don't start to find those sweet spots soon I'll start cracking up!

Thanks

DC
 
Have just loaded my first batch for the .270 X-boalt using H 4895 130gr Speer BTSP & CCI primers.

Started with 42gr & worked up to 45gr in .5 incraments at a time.

The first 5 that i fired gave me about a 5" group at 100m this slowly got smaller till i got to 44gr.

I think that i have just been lucky first time round as i am getting 5 rounds in a 1" square using 44gr & have still to try 44.5 & 45gr.

Did start using factory amo & found Fedral Fusion in 130gr gave me 1½" to 2" at 100m so i started using the OAL from fusion to get things roaling.

John
 
JC,

Not sure what your procedure is but in broad terms try this:

1) Choose a load combo that you fancy using and seat your chosen bullet 20 thou from the lands and work up in incremental powder charges of say 0.5 grains.

2) Take the most accurate load and then experiment with seating depth. Try on the lands and then work back incrementally to about 50 thou off.

3) If you find that you are getting a couple of shots close together or touching and a third a bit further out try changing primers.

I generally find that there are a couple of sweet spots with any given load. One around the mid-charge weight for a powder and a second at or a bit over the max load.

If the above procedure doesn't give you the accuracy you're looking for then it's time to change components and start again.

It is normal for it to be an incredibly frustrating process and I'm sure there are various riflesmiths that provide load development services. Mike Norris is one that comes to mind.

Good luck,

Tim
 
One thing I found important from the start is to ensure the brass cases are the same make and the same length,
Distance off the lands is a factor but case length will make a massive difference.
give me a call if you want and we can look at he procedure you are following

smithy
 
Or buy your self quick load and take a few accurate measurements an find out where the optimal barrels timings are. Now I have to laugh when people say change seating depth by 0.005" as if you actually measure the position of the ogive where is touches to rifling on the typical SP Hunting bullet is will vary more than this magical 0.005". In fact it's been noted found to vary as much as 0.025" in a box of bullets .

I usually start with the bullets base seated to the bottom of the neck and work out in 0.010" or 0.020" steps.

i also find that despite what a lot of folks seem to think a flat based bullet often gives far better accuracy than a Boat tailed one and unless your shooting at over 300 yards then the benefit of a Boat tail does not even come into play..

Oh and strangely enough I have found that H-380 seems to be good for accuracy in the .270 with normal primers too..

Another thing is try to 150 grain bullets. You didn't mention the bullet type only the weight and I have this strange feeling your trying one of the so called "Premium" bullets. i tried a few and never got the accuracy with them that a std bullet gave. So much for the premium label :rolleyes:. In my 6mm I tried some Nosler partitions (90 or 95 grn) and they shot patterns no matter what powder, primer, load I tried. Never again will I waste the time, energy nor money on them
 
Thanks guys. I'm going to have a long day with it on Sunday. I'm going to seat the bullet deeper into the case, based on the factory round shooting acceptable groups at similar seating depths. For information i'm using sierra matchkings - boat tails. H4831, CCI primers, and Winchester once fired brass.

I'll hopefully get it sorted out with your advice - thanks. You've all instilled a bit of faith in me. i.e. keep with it, it's not all that straight forward... I bet it's good to have the load data 'receipe' for a perfect round that you can produce over and over again. One day..

Smithy - I keep meaning to call you - Maybe on Saturday or Sunday if that's ok?

Thanks gents, Greatly appreciated as always.
 
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hi dc if you dont get things right i have a couple of different bullets and powders you can try with a couple of recomended loads that worked well for me from the off i also found that when i started off low they where all over and accuracy was spot on around max load i am also using cci primers and hc4831 with gameking boat tails
 
I've spent the last 12 months experimenting with various loads for my .270 and my stalking partner's .270, tweaking COL, powder charge, primers, bullet weights etc - purely out of interest and because I have my own range to play on. I now tend towards the view that .270W really comes into its own ballistically at the hotter end of the reloading scale (which is why .270 factory loads are pretty hot) - the most accurate loads have been using H4831, RL22 and N160 over benchrest primers, all at or near maximum charge. Like BritHunter, flat based bullets have proved better - my default bullet is the Hornady 130gn Interlock as this is the optimum weight for the calibre. I've also found all of the 6 .270s I've loaded for prefer the bullet seated pretty close to the lands - usually at ten thou' off, so long as this fits in the magazine and doesn't leave less than calibre depth in the neck.

My current favourite is 60 grains of H4831 over a CCI BR2 primer pushing a Hornady 130gn Interlock at just under 3000fps and zeroed at 200 yards - shot off the bench, I can manage three shot C-to-C groups of .5" and five shot groups less than .75" (much helped by a massively improved trigger by Mike Norris and the new Zeiss Victory scope). Works brilliantly for Fallow and Sika but I think it's a bit fast for Roe and Muntjac, so I'm currently improving a load using RL22 and 150gn Interlocks running at 2600fps.

I also think that the slow but sure 'ladder load' process really helps load development, e.g. sets of three rounds at .5gn increments around a predicted sweet spot (Quickload is brilliant for this), replicated at 10 thou', 20 thou' and 30 thou' of the lands, letting the barrel cool between groups - it's all a process of triangulation allowing you to home in on the right combination. If you use QL, it's worth putting the time in getting your load and rifle's measurements and data set up properly - rubbish in = rubbish out! That's what you'll be paying a professional to do and that's why it's expensive, although most experienced reloaders can use their knowledge to home in on a potential effective combination a bit more quickly.

Adam.
 
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