DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,508
- 6,525
I had my Featherweight 270 WSM at the range today and thought I'd share some of the loads that worked very well indeed.
The rifle is one of the new South Carolina produced Winchesters, and the wood is very pretty indeed. The fit and finish of the rifle is so far superior to the last rifles produced at New Haven that it is difficult to believe that this rifle bears the same name as those. This is the rifle.
[/img]
[/img]
I only had a couple of loads with me today. My hunting load is a 130 grain E-Tip with 59.5 grains of RL17 for a velocity of 3250 fps and groups of 0.40 inches. The groups tighten down as I approach this charge weight, and it has proved consistent over a series of tests. So, I loaded up 70 rounds and set them aside for hunting.
[/img]
This morning, I shot a series using H100V and Barnes 130 grain TSXs, and the loads yield a consistent MOA across the spectrum of loads. I was doing break-in on a custom 270 WSM and shooting my 358 BLR, which has become somewhat of a safe queen since acquiring my 358 Ruger Hawkeye. The BLR was shooting much as it always has, good. After the first series of loads in my 270 WSM, I set the rifle aside to concentrate on the other work I was doing.
I really wasn't expecting much in the way of accuracy with the other load I was carrying, since it was built around 140 grain A-Frames, a somewhat more complex bullet that don't usually give great accuracy, though they are capable of giving excellent performance on game. In previous tests with the 140 grain A-Frame, the rifle has consistently shot MOA or slightly better when I used RL19, and it was a so-so performer with Supreme 780, giving slightly greater than MOA groups.
I had previously worked up a particular load with H100V and 140 grain A-Frames, observing that the rifle tightened within two grains from 2 MOA to sub-MOA. At 59 and 60 grains of H100V, I was getting good velocities and excellent groups. I decided to retest the upper end of those loads. To my delight, I got essentially the identical results. At 59 grains of H100V, I was getting a velocity of 3110 fps and a surprisingly good group of 0.35 inches. This is the third time I've obtained identical results.
[/img]
I'm beginning to believe that this will be an acceptable load for elk (which opened this morning).
One result is that I am reconsidering my loads. Previously, I focused on 130 grain bullets, but I'm inclined to look again at 140 grain loads. I dug out a box of 140 grain ABs and 140 grain PTs which I'll work up in the next couple of weeks. I was able to snag some GMX bullets which I'm currently loading for some range tests.
The rifle is one of the new South Carolina produced Winchesters, and the wood is very pretty indeed. The fit and finish of the rifle is so far superior to the last rifles produced at New Haven that it is difficult to believe that this rifle bears the same name as those. This is the rifle.
I only had a couple of loads with me today. My hunting load is a 130 grain E-Tip with 59.5 grains of RL17 for a velocity of 3250 fps and groups of 0.40 inches. The groups tighten down as I approach this charge weight, and it has proved consistent over a series of tests. So, I loaded up 70 rounds and set them aside for hunting.
This morning, I shot a series using H100V and Barnes 130 grain TSXs, and the loads yield a consistent MOA across the spectrum of loads. I was doing break-in on a custom 270 WSM and shooting my 358 BLR, which has become somewhat of a safe queen since acquiring my 358 Ruger Hawkeye. The BLR was shooting much as it always has, good. After the first series of loads in my 270 WSM, I set the rifle aside to concentrate on the other work I was doing.
I really wasn't expecting much in the way of accuracy with the other load I was carrying, since it was built around 140 grain A-Frames, a somewhat more complex bullet that don't usually give great accuracy, though they are capable of giving excellent performance on game. In previous tests with the 140 grain A-Frame, the rifle has consistently shot MOA or slightly better when I used RL19, and it was a so-so performer with Supreme 780, giving slightly greater than MOA groups.
I had previously worked up a particular load with H100V and 140 grain A-Frames, observing that the rifle tightened within two grains from 2 MOA to sub-MOA. At 59 and 60 grains of H100V, I was getting good velocities and excellent groups. I decided to retest the upper end of those loads. To my delight, I got essentially the identical results. At 59 grains of H100V, I was getting a velocity of 3110 fps and a surprisingly good group of 0.35 inches. This is the third time I've obtained identical results.
I'm beginning to believe that this will be an acceptable load for elk (which opened this morning).
One result is that I am reconsidering my loads. Previously, I focused on 130 grain bullets, but I'm inclined to look again at 140 grain loads. I dug out a box of 140 grain ABs and 140 grain PTs which I'll work up in the next couple of weeks. I was able to snag some GMX bullets which I'm currently loading for some range tests.
