Information about 270W

[Renico]

What is the smallest and largest factory load for the 270win? Just got a pack of Sako Hammerhead 156grains 10,1g and wondere if these are the biggest?

And what are the smallest? is it 130grains?

 

[8x57]

I wouldn't know about loaded ammo but bullet wise I believe that the 90 grain Speer was the lightest bullet made for the .270 and the heaviest that I know of was 180 grain made by a Canadian company.

 

[enfieldspares]

RWS now do a 155 grain load with one of their speciality bullets. RWS Evolution. I have a pack of twenty. The heaviest weights of bullets, for handloaders, I know of are the 160 grain Nosler Partition (still current) and the 170 grain Speer (not made in the last twenty years).

 

[8x57]

I was fortunate enough in coming across a box of the 170 grain Speer bullets some years back and I put them aside in the hope of saving them for boar at some time. When I sold my .270 I shot them off. I can't remember the name of the Canadian company that was producing the 180 grain bullets for .270 but they were intended for bear and moose and were a premium specialty bullet. Woodleigh the Australian bullet maker have recently started selling 180 grain .270 bullets.

 

[Renico]

Ok thank you think ill stick to 130-156grains which is available around here.

 

[monarman]

lightest factory load available is Remington 100grain softpoint. followed by Norma 110 grain v-max. not sure about the heaviest as we don't really have any quarry large enough to need any heavier than 150 grains.

 

[bewsher500]

woodleigh do a 180gr too
I had some 90 gr hollow point (scierra I believe) and some 180gr
the velocity drop on the 180's negates using them IMO
similarly the 150's

130 or 140's work best, quite a narrow range considering the size of the case

 

[65morris06]

Looking through several manuals produced by the bullet manufacturers, I can't find an American bullet heavier than 150 grains. I know that the Vulcan, made in Europe, weighs in at 156 grains.

 

[8x57]

You are not looking in the right books mate. I was trying to find the name of the Canadian company and came across this link to Barnes http://www.barnesbullets.com/copper_manual/270_Winchester.pdf
I also came across information from Berger regarding a 170 grain .270 bullet so that's two American companies but has already been pointed out by enfieldspares Speer dropped their heavy .270 bullet some years ago.

 

[65morris06]

"You are not looking in the right books mate" Well, it was early. My Berger manual, (1st., Edition), only lists a 150gr., but the Nosler lists a 160 gr., Partition. The Barnes manual lists a 180 gr. I don't know, but you may have to look hard to find 180gr., Barnes and take out a small mortgage to buy them

 

[8x57]

You're right most of the heavy .270 bullets are very expensive, not like the old Speer 170 grainer. To be honest I don't really see the point of them unless you are restricted to one rifle and want to occasionally use it for something a little special such as a one off trip on moose or boar. As much as I like the .270win, I've had three of them, I would go with a much larger calibre for such game given the chance.
At the other end of the scale the 90 grain Speer bullet is awesome on fox. There can't be many calibres with such a wide range of bullet weights available (double the weight), but as brewsher says the most useful bullet weight is probably in the 130 -140 range.

 

[enfieldspares]

At the other end of the scale the 90 grain Speer bullet is awesome on fox. There can't be many calibres with such a wide range of bullet weights available (double the weight)

Eh? Surely some mistake? .30" is the most versatile with readily available factory bullets for handloaders available from 110 grains (Speer) up to 200 grains and 220 grains.

I have always wondered why the .270" never went much beyond 150 grain and felt that for British and continental European use that it would have been better with a heavier bullet option. Making it a sort of equivalent of the 7x64 in having a 175 grain available.

I suppose in the USA if you wanted heavier you used a .30-06, on the continent a 7x64 and in the UK?

Earlier before the ridiculous velocity limit in the deer legislation the 160 grain bullet in 6.5x54 or 6.5x53R was almost a standard factory rifle highland stalking calibre.