.270 load development help with next step

[iXanadu]

Rol_P, ColColt,

Very good point. I'm looking at my box of factory ammo now, and it is indeed 3060. But if I run them and they don't shoot 3060, is it my chrony or my firearm? I'm so new to this, it never occurred to me that these might shoot "slower" out of my rifle due to barrel length and twist rate. I'll fire a few next time out, and report back. Do you think a ballistics calculator would take a velocity for a 24" barrel and calculate the muzzle velocity out of a 22" barrel?

I could have last time, but I didn't want to wait for the barrel cool down. I try to wait until the barrel is barely warm to the touch, which seems like an eternity between shots. I'm thinking I'm rest 5 min between shots, so a round of 4 will add 20 minutes to my range outing.

 

[ColColt]

I've never concerned myself with velocity. No game animal, nor paper target for that matter, will know the difference between 2935 fps and 3120fps. I'd be more apt to work up the most accurate load for the caliber I could muster. With the 270, there's good reason to believe that's going to come with H4831, 4350, 4064 or even RL22. That's with either the 130 or 150 gr bullet. A good 150 gr Nosler Partition bullet at 2800 fps will bring elk meat into the camp no problem.

 

[Wis65x55]

I take factory ammo velocity with a very large grain of salt. In testing some Remington and Federal 280 Remington ammunition I found 100-120 fps SD.
Keith

 

[Rol_P]

Agreed that factory ammo is not absolute. I found similar variations between different lots of Federal Premium 180gr Accobonds in my '06 last fall before going on an elk hunt. That is part of why I stayed with my hand loads ..

 

[SJB358]

I've never concerned myself with velocity. No game animal, nor paper target for that matter, will know the difference between 2935 fps and 3120fps. I'd be more apt to work up the most accurate load for the caliber I could muster. With the 270, there's good reason to believe that's going to come with H4831, 4350, 4064 or even RL22. That's with either the 130 or 150 gr bullet. A good 150 gr Nosler Partition bullet at 2800 fps will bring elk meat into the camp no problem.

This man speaks the gospel as far as I am concerned.

You have a great load going right now, keep inching up till your accuracy starts to drop off or you observe pressure signs. Run with what you have, you'll see, doping for 50FPS is negligible at best, accuracy is going to count much more. You've got great looking groups right now, don't get hung up on the speed. It'll be there.

 

[Bruce Mc]

O'Connor's load for the 130 gr Partition bullet was 62.0 gr of H-4831 that he reported to yield a muzzle velocity of 3160 fps from his 22" barrel. He also chronographed his loads so it wasn't jut a guess. I'll go against the grain here and say if you want to get 3000 fps then go for it. Personally I want as much velocity and accuracy as I can get in my hunting rifles. I want fast bullets grouping in small holes. If I can't get it, I'll find a different combination. I've been working up some .270 loads with a 130 Partition. A quick load I got (adjusted for 22" barrel) showed 62.8 grs of Reloder 22 as a near max load and predicted 3182 as a muzzle velocity. The same quick load shows 61.0 grs of H-4831 as near max and yields a muzzle velocity of 3081 fps. My first loads were 60grs of H-4831 that yielded 2955 fps and gave a 1-1/4" group with no pressure signs. The other load was 62 grs of Reloder 22 that yielded 3255 fps and a 1" group. The Reloder 22 showed flat primers and sticky bolt lift. Both were less than the near max load. But you see the different result. Look at what your rifle is showing you and adjust accordingly. Have fun and be safe, and be safe, and be safe. Oh,yeah-be safe.

 

[Bruce Mc]

O'Connor's load , and the one he likely used to take that stone sheep in picture, for the 130 gr Partition bullet was 62.0 gr of H-4831 that he reported to yield a muzzle velocity of 3160 fps from his 22" barrel. He also chronographed his loads so it wasn't jut a guess. I'll go against the grain here and say if you want to get 3000 fps then go for it. Personally I want as much velocity and accuracy as I can get in my hunting rifles. I want fast bullets grouping in small holes. If I can't get it, I'll find a different combination. I've been working up some .270 loads with a 130 Partition. A quick load I got (adjusted for 22" barrel) showed 62.8 grs of Reloder 22 as a near max load and predicted 3182 as a muzzle velocity. The same quick load shows 61.0 grs of H-4831 as near max and yields a muzzle velocity of 3081 fps. My first loads were 60grs of H-4831 that yielded 2955 fps and gave a 1-1/4" group with no pressure signs. The other load was 62 grs of Reloder 22 that yielded 3255 fps and a 1" group. The Reloder 22 showed flat primers and sticky bolt lift. Both were less than the near max load. But you see the different result. Look at what your rifle is showing you and adjust accordingly. Have fun and be safe, and be safe, and be safe. Oh,yeah-be safe.

 

[ColColt]

Of all the Outdoor Life articles by Jack I don't recall his recommendking 62 gr of H4831. He did say in one of his books and I think it was "The Hunting Rifle" that "everyone was using that load of 60 gr of H4831 but nobody said where they got it from. I never got credit for it"

He did mention in his books that 62 gr of 4831 was about all you could get in a case and then you'd have to tap the case to get it in. Bradford O'Connor told me he tried that old load once and didn't want to try it again. In fact, this is what he said, "A friend of mine and I cooked up a load of 62 grains of the modern 4831 for my old .270 and lived to tell about it. It made a hell of a boom on our only shot, but it didn't quite singe my eyebrows or give me bloody crescent-shaped kiss. I think we dropped it down later to 58 grains for slightly less than 2900 fps".

 

[Bruce Mc]

The load I mentioned is quoted from "The Rifle Book".

 

[ColColt]

That may have been where I saw his mentioning how you had to tap that much to get it in a case. With the seven books I have by him, it's sometimes hard to remember what you read where.

 

[iXanadu]

All,

Very good input, I learn so much here. I guess I got so hung up on velocity because its such an essential part of reloading. At least with regards to an indicator of how the load is working up. I do want to push the speed up here, but I love the clover leaf this is shooting at 100y. I guess I figured 3000 would hold tighter when I stretch it out to 200/300y where I really want to be.

I built 4 rounds each at 59g, 59.5g and 60g. I'll shoot them in order and stop if I obtain decent speeds early or see signs of pressure. I don't know how h4831sc compares to the original h4831 but I can attest case is pretty full at 60g. If I recall correctly, very near the neck of the case.

 

[SJB358]

Yeah, 4831 will fill the case up real well. Accuracy will still be accuracy, whether at 100 yards or at 300 yards. It sounds like your going about it the right way. Can't wait to see how the load works out for you. I imagine you'll find the right spot real quick.

 

[ColColt]

If you want max speed try Hornady's Superformance SST 130 gr ammo. On the box it says 3200 fps. You might be hard pressed to get that with hand loads.

 

[DrMike]

I figured 3000 would hold tighter when I stretch it out to 200/300y where I really want to be.

I built 4 rounds each at 59g, 59.5g and 60g. I'll shoot them in order and stop if I obtain decent speeds early or see signs of pressure. I don't know how h4831sc compares to the original h4831 but I can attest case is pretty full at 60g. If I recall correctly, very near the neck of the case.

Increased velocity may tighten groups; and it may not. There will be a point where accuracy falls off. I doubt it is possible to predict where that point will be.

 

[iXanadu]

At the range. So far win PowerPoint fps 2996,3037,3065


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[iXanadu]

59gr 2996,3009,2996,3044. Don't know where the 3044 came from. Is it possible that a warmer barrel shoot faster than a cooler barrel.

I'll shoot the 59.5 but suspect I'll stop there and skip the 60g for this outing.



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[DrMike]

3044 is not significantly out of the realm of expectation. Statistically, your load is still a good load.

 

[ColColt]

With the kind of 85-90 degree heat we're having here, I wait a minimum of five minutes between shots. FW barrels heat up easy enough in cooler weather. Two will usually go inside of an inch and the third will go high and left or right if you don't wait long enough in my experience. I place a large folded piece of poster board over my barrel to reflect the sun off it if I can't get it out of the sun. The white board will reflect enough to aid it keeping it a bit cooler.

 

[iXanadu]

I'm under cover but it's taking 4-5 min between shots. So far with 2 shots at 59.5g velocity is same as 59g.


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[ColColt]

I may have missed it-how long is your barrel?