270 WSM 130gr. bullet speed?

[moreloader]

Never fired it with the cheap scope and mounts. Mine wears a NC Star Mark III 10-40X50 in Leopold dual dovetails and 30mm rings. I know sounds cheap, but they have worked great for me. My 270 WSM is in my handmade wood stock and I loaded up a quick batch of 130g Hornady SST's with 66.0 g of RL 22 to blow some new brass out and already under MOA. Shake bench and 3 of 5 are 3/10's 3/4 for all 5. I will start load development for it first chance I get. The 66.0g feels low pressure for the gun I intend on working up a tenth at a time and finding the best. My 300 has shot 5 in 0.291 and will consistantly put them inside a half. Though, that rifle was one of the built for bass pro models that came out first at 348 plus tax without the junk scope and mounts. It wears a NC-Star Mark III 4-16X50 in Leopold bases and burris 30mm rings.

 

[Jeff Olsen]

SOTN,

I think all the factory WSM's are loaded down now, compared to when they first came out. I think this was a big reason why they became so popular so fast. I know I love both of mine. I understand the issues with pressures and respect your input but to each his own on the way they check for it. :wink:

Interesting thread!

I guess my overall philosophy, for hunting loads, is generally the faster the better as long as the accuracy is still acceptable for the task, and as long as it's safe. In the pursuit of the above, I have a few loads that are over published book maximums, I will admit. However, in both cases they are with aftermarket premium barrels and the equation does change some in that case.

For target loads I load on the light side to be easier on my and my rifles.

I think the trickiest calibers I have tried to reload "hot" for have been 45/70 (Marlin Guide Gun) and .325 WSM. The former because of all the very conservative loading data out there for old 45/70's, and the difficulty in reading brass from a "stretchy" action.... and the latter because when I bought my .325 there was very little published data of any kind out there. The closest I've come to a "proof" load is with that .325 WSM following someone else's recipe "on the internet". Minus 4 grains and it was still the hottest load I've ever fired! Needless to say, I worked down from there!

The .325 WSM was a disapointment for me, I had to adjust my expectations and then I was OK with it. But factory loads chrono very slow, and even my hot handloads are nowhere near Winchester's claims for the caliber. My .325 is a Browning BLR with a 22" barrel. I think my hot load (book max) for that rifle is justified as the whole idea was to have the ultimate timber rifle, with reach if necessary, for elk.

I think a chrono is what leads to this obsession with numbers. When my 30-06 had it's original, slow factory barrel I was lucky to see 2800 fps with 150-gn factory ammo. That kind of bugged me but the deer I killed sure couldn't tell! As far is IT knew, someone done shot it with a freakin' 30-06, which is one badass mutha of a rifle, so it fell down and died. The fact that I was sub-.308 velocity didn't bother that deer at all! NOW my rebarreled 30-06 will do 3100 fps with 150's, so I'm happy, but in reality if I never had a chrono and just judged it by what it actually DID, I'd never have known the difference!

-jeff

 

[TN deer hunter]

Jeff,

I never Chrono a load until I find the one that I am going to use. I will then check the speed. As I stated before accuracy first then speed, if that load combination is the fastest it's just a plus.

 

[Jeff Olsen]

Jeff,

I never Chrono a load until I find the one that I am going to use. I will then check the speed. As I stated before accuracy first then speed, if that load combination is the fastest it's just a plus.

That's a smart way to do it! The chrono can really mess with your head if you let it... OTOH, a $75 Chrony is the reloader's best friend, as you know...

Re-reading my post, which I made late-night last night, I should qualify it a little... speed is only important to me if it's necessary for the purposes of that particular hunting load. Now, that's usually the case, but I have some hunting loads that, within reason, speed didn't matter one bit.

For my flat-shooting mulie and 'lope load for my 30-06.... needs to be fast. For my range-challenged .358 load.... sure nice to get that 125 fps faster... for my 45/70 deer thumper.... doesn't matter much <g>!

-jeff