Ammo suggestions for .270

[5pointer]

Hi all,

Just wondering what recommendations any of you might have for factory .270 ammo?

Ideally it would tick all the boxes you’d hope for in a .270 - fast, ‘flat’ etc. but also something which bucks the wind well, and is also well suited for taking the occasional neck shot alongside the conventional boiler room shot.

All and any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

5pointer.

 

[Dalua]

My approach before started loading my own was to go round all the local RFDs and to but a packet of whatever they had available, within some fairly broad self-determined parameters. For .270, for example, I excluded anything heavier than 140gr on the grounds that they seemed to turn the .270 into a .308

Then I'd test and chronograph them and find out what the rifle liked, and based on a balance of theoretical ballistics and actual accurracy I'd decide what I'd order 300rounds of to last a year or two.

I've done this with about half-a-dozen rifles new and new-to-me over the years. My experience suggests that what works well in one rifle doesn't necessarily do so in a different one, even of the same type.

 

[Firefly]

I find geco 140 gr pretty good and hard hitting.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

My mentor when I first started (pre reloading days) told me the following.
Find out what your nearest RFD stocks in good supply.
Start with the cheapest and work up in price till you find one that is.
One accurate enough. Two performs as you want on your quarry.
No disrespect intended but what you call accurate and what the next man does. Are not necessarily the same. The same applies to carcass damage etc.
Most modern ammunition will do the job. Mid weight for calibre usually gives best combination of accuracy vs flat etc.

 

[DavyG]

What rifle are you feeding...?
DG

 

[5pointer]

Thank you all for the replies.

I absolutely agree that two rifles of the same calibre can have wildly different results when using the same ammunition. My normal approach is to do as a few of you have suggested and grab a few different boxes from the local RFD to find out what works through trial and error. I suppose I was just curious as to whether I could narrow the playing field down to a few different options which already had good support from people on here, particularly in relation to carcass damage and effectiveness with different shot placements. Accuracy wise I can get consistent half inch groups through my other rifles with factory ammo, so sub 1inch groupings are my benchmark.

I suppose it’ll just be a case of plugging through whatever options are in the RFD!

 

[Tim.243]

Hi all,

Just wondering what recommendations any of you might have for factory .270 ammo?

Ideally it would tick all the boxes you’d hope for in a .270 - fast, ‘flat’ etc. but also something which bucks the wind well, and is also well suited for taking the occasional neck shot alongside the conventional boiler room shot.

All and any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

5pointer.

I went through 3 different brands 2 @ 130 and 1 of 150 gn

mainly to see the physical drop from 100 to 250, saved the brass and know use a home load with a 150 pointy bit..

 

[Sonicdmb73]

Thank you all for the replies.

I absolutely agree that two rifles of the same calibre can have wildly different results when using the same ammunition. My normal approach is to do as a few of you have suggested and grab a few different boxes from the local RFD to find out what works through trial and error. I suppose I was just curious as to whether I could narrow the playing field down to a few different options which already had good support from people on here, particularly in relation to carcass damage and effectiveness with different shot placements. Accuracy wise I can get consistent half inch groups through my other rifles with factory ammo, so sub 1inch groupings are my benchmark.

I suppose it’ll just be a case of plugging through whatever options are in the RFD!

I have had groups less than an inch with PPU through my 270, but I found them unpredictable as I pushed the range with fliers throwing the group size out too big for me.
I have used Winchester they were ok. I believe that was all my mentor used once over. As they fit his needs on price availability and results. I don’t recall him writing off a carcass due to damage maybe the odd shoulder. But you can get that with any bullet in the wrong place. He used 130 soft points for everything from Roe to Red for many years.

 

[Dan Gliballs]

Norma 110grn Vmax.

in my opinion it’s a one size fits all round. At no point have I ever felt “under gunned” and at no point have I thought I’m “over gunned”.

 

[Staggie.308]

Norma 130 grain soft points - Red Stags
Norma 110 grain Vmax - Hinds and Roe

 

[Shootgun]

Sako Powerhead, either 130gr Barnes TSX or 110gr Barnes TTSX

 

[User00040]

fast, ‘flat’ etc. but also something which bucks the wind well, and is also well suited for taking the occasional neck shot alongside the conventional boiler room shot.

Lead or non lead?

How far do you usually shoot?

How long is your barrel?

How much do you want to spend per box?

The very cheapest Federal or Remington 270 ammo works just fine. Pull trigger and it goes bang (usually!) and hopefully your cull/trophy animal falls over in short order.

 

[6pt-sika]

My only 270 is as you might expect a Mannlicher Schoenauer MC Carbine with a 20” barrel . Obviously not the optimum barrel length for the cartridge . But it’s worked okay for me woods hunting in Virginia . Year I bought it I killed one deer with a 130 grain factory load . A year later I worked up handloads with five different 130 grain bullets all using the same 100 yard sight in I might add . Killed deer with four of them one shot each and have yet to try the fifth load . For factory ammo Winchester 130 grain Power Points and Remington 130 grain Core Lokts .

 

[slider]

I tried a few and fortunately found that one of the cheaper brands was best in my rifle. consequently I have used nothing but Winchester PowerPoint 130g for a few years now.

just starting on the non lead journey but too soon to make a judgement on that

 

[5pointer]

Norma 110grn Vmax.

in my opinion it’s a one size fits all round. At no point have I ever felt “under gunned” and at no point have I thought I’m “over gunned”.

Hi Dan, thanks for your reply. I’ll be totally honest and say that my experience with Vmax is limited to scrolling through the, often controversial, threads on here. As someone who uses them, what are your thoughts on their performance as far as species/shot placement is concerned.

Norma 130 grain soft points - Red Stags
Norma 110 grain Vmax - Hinds and Roe

Hi Staggie, thanks for your reply.
Pretty much as I asked Dan above, but what are your views as far as the performance of Vmax with regard to shot placement and carcass damage etc? I don’t have much experience with the ammo, and I know it’s often viewed a little controversially on here.

Lead or non lead?

How far do you usually shoot?

How long is your barrel?

How much do you want to spend per box?

The very cheapest Federal or Remington 270 ammo works just fine. Pull trigger and it goes bang (usually!) and hopefully your cull/trophy animal falls over in short order.

Hi Caberslash, thanks for your comment.

I use non-lead in my other rifles, but I’m open to using conventional ammo in the .270. One of the estates I stalk on has limited it to neck shots only, mainly on fallow and roe, so using something well designed for this purpose is important. My personal experience of lead-free is that they are a bit harder than conventional ammo, and I feel something which is slightly more frangible might be better suited to neck shots. I’d ideally like something which isn’t too excessive on conventional boiler room shots, but that has aggressive enough expansion to add in some insurance when taking neck shots.

I like to stalk as close as possible. Admittedly there are occasions where I take longer shots, but anything >250yds is rare. I’d say 150ish would be a pretty good average mark. Often much closer, occasionally a bit further out. Depends where I’m stalking. The rifle will be used in various places, but the estate where neck shooting is enforced is heavily wooded and shots would normally be within 100yds.

It’s a 23inch barrel.

As regards cost: ike everyone, if I can get something cheaper then happy days, however, if the bullet does exactly what I’m after then I’m happy to pay for that.

I tried a few and fortunately found that one of the cheaper brands was best in my rifle. consequently I have used nothing but Winchester PowerPoint 130g for a few years now.

just starting on the non lead journey but too soon to make a judgement on that

Hi Slider,
The Winchester’s sound interesting. Will see if I can find some to try out in my rifle. As for non-lead, I don’t know if you’ve tried any options yet but I can recommend Fox ammunition as something to try. Works very well in my other rifles.

 

[VSS]

Federal Powershok 130grn are working well for me at the moment. 230 yards is the furthest I've taken a deer, but that would be unusual for me - most would be 80 - 150 yards, with some a lot less. It is called stalking, after all!

 

[Dunwaters]

Most recommendations in .270 will be for the 130 grain rounds with a few people opting for 150's, may I suggest that 140's are probably the best option with traditional lead/ copper bullets. They don't give much away to the 130's in velocity and are noticeably flatter than the 150's and generally exit.
If you hand load it's no great trick to develop a soft shooting round at 2,700 - 2800fps that'll comfortably replicate 7x57 ballistics.
I'm about to try the 130 grain bullets in copper, should reduce meat loss a bit and still exit ( which the lead bullets in that weight won't do reliability) or at least that's the theory. It'll be interesting to find out.
If you go abroad the caliber is more than adequate for moose and boar but you may have to use a bullet of 156grain weight, Sako make one.

 

[stubear]

As a few others have said I would go to a gun shop which has a good selection of .270 ammo (Dauntsey Guns have a great selection of ammo across all cartridges) and get a box of everything, then see which shoots best. Shoot a 5 shot group of each ammo type at 100y and see which groups the best and go with that.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

No such thing as flat
The difference in trajectory is so small as to become negligible outside of a bench rest competition.

Wind bucking ability only comes with ability to read wind.
Something I am the first to confess I am crap at.
Having shot a .270 from the age of 14 I experimented with everything from 90gr Hollow points to 180gr soft points.
At one point I had a clear out and sold the best part of 1500 bullets!!
I went back to 130gr soft points (Hornady interlock)
Not only does the 130gr trump all other factory loads in energy across the entire expected stalking range, they are the most commonly found in RFDs

No bullet should limit your shot placement
Sadly a few of those above most definitely do.
Neck shots with soft points are no less effective than those with frangible Ballistic tipped bullets.
However trying to drive a frangible bullet through the shoulder of a mud encrusted stag with shoulders like an Olympic swimmer, quartering towards you at extended range is a Hail Mary shot.
The expansion of the VMax is within the first 6”
I want full penetration and ideally exit from all my shots on deer.

Similarly I want my non lead bullets to expand reliably at all ranges.
Some people will swear by a bullet, but I want to know the volume data. How many shots? What quarry? What calibre/bullet combo? What range? Factory or homeload? (MV can be very significant with some non lead)

Ask the volume users (100+ deer pa minimum as a suggestion) for opinion on a bullet and it’s efficacy.

I have data from estates and large agencies on bullet performance in the field and have collated data from pro/semi pro stalkers on performance.

If not reloading and not under pressure to move to non lead choose the ones you can get reliably and keep it simple
130gr Soft Point (Federal Powershok, Norma, RWS, Hornady, Sako, all the usual favourites)
Find the one that shoots well in you rifle and go shoot it at all ranges and weather conditions.
See what the actual drop is at 300m if you intend to take 200m shots
Check the drop at 400m if you intend to shoot quarry at 300m

See what the drift is in a stiff wind
You will be surprised how little it is inside 250m
Certainly nothing a couple of inches hold off won’t counter

 

[Namman]

No such thing as flat
The difference in trajectory is so small as to become negligible outside of a bench rest competition.

Wind bucking ability only comes with ability to read wind.
Something I am the first to confess I am crap at.
Having shot a .270 from the age of 14 I experimented with everything from 90gr Hollow points to 180gr soft points.
At one point I had a clear out and sold the best part of 1500 bullets!!
I went back to 130gr soft points (Hornady interlock)
Not only does the 130gr trump all other factory loads in energy across the entire expected stalking range, they are the most commonly found in RFDs

No bullet should limit your shot placement
Sadly a few of those above most definitely do.
Neck shots with soft points are no less effective than those with frangible Ballistic tipped bullets.
However trying to drive a frangible bullet through the shoulder of a mud encrusted stag with shoulders like an Olympic swimmer, quartering towards you at extended range is a Hail Mary shot.
The expansion of the VMax is within the first 6”
I want full penetration and ideally exit from all my shots on deer.

Similarly I want my non lead bullets to expand reliably at all ranges.
Some people will swear by a bullet, but I want to know the volume data. How many shots? What quarry? What calibre/bullet combo? What range? Factory or homeload? (MV can be very significant with some non lead)

Ask the volume users (100+ deer pa minimum as a suggestion) for opinion on a bullet and it’s efficacy.

I have data from estates and large agencies on bullet performance in the field and have collated data from pro/semi pro stalkers on performance.

If not reloading and not under pressure to move to non lead choose the ones you can get reliably and keep it simple
130gr Soft Point (Federal Powershok, Norma, RWS, Hornady, Sako, all the usual favourites)
Find the one that shoots well in you rifle and go shoot it at all ranges and weather conditions.
See what the actual drop is at 300m if you intend to take 200m shots
Check the drop at 400m if you intend to shoot quarry at 300m

See what the drift is in a stiff wind
You will be surprised how little it is inside 250m
Certainly nothing a couple of inches hold off won’t counter

Spot on!!!. Hornady 130 gr interlocks take some beating for all deer. Have used them for many years.