Favorite .270 loads

filmjunkie4ever

Handloader
May 4, 2011
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I inherited a Browning BBR in .270 a while back. Love the rifle, am planning to finally get down to doing legitimate load workup soon. It shoots decent enough with 59 grains of H4831SC and the 130 grain Gamekings. I have a lot of IMR4350 around too. Not sure I want to branch out with various powders as they are getting tougher to find.

Was going to stick with the 130s most likely as this is going to be my “mountain rifle.” I am open to trying the 140s and 150s as well though likely no heavier as this will primarily be a deer/sheep/antelope rifle.

I’ve put a fixed 6x M8 Leupold on top and will probably sight in 3” at 100 yards like O’Connor advised and go hunting.

What are your favorite “go-to” loads for .270 WCF?


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I know alot of 270 guys love the 130's and I do as well, in my P64 with the 130 grain Trophy Bonded Tipped, but the various 150's, along with some of the sleeker 140's really are good combos. My little brother has used the 140 Tipped Bear Claws on elk and deer at 2900 from his 270 Win. H4831 is a solid combo with any of the 270 bullets, as is 4350. I'd say you'd look for 3050 with the 130's, 3000'ish with 140's and 2950 with the 150's. Noslers 150 Ballistic Tip really brings the mail around 2900 or better. Hard to beat that combo for what you're looking to do.
 
I loaded for a buddy who had a 270 that he used for deer, antelope, and elk. I got his 700 MTN Rifle shooting 130 gr. Partitions into consistent 3/4" groups at 100 yards. I worked up the load using H4831SC and Federal 215 Match magnum primers. With just a touch of tweaking to the Partition load I also was able to get it shooting 130 gr. Accubonds just as well as the Partition, and they hit almost to the exact same POI at 100 yards.

H4831SC with magnum primers seems to work very well. I later toyed a bit with IMR4350 with these two bullets and it worked just as well. I stayed with what I got for him though. He's taken quite a few bull elk with this load also.
 
In a couple 270 Wins I have owned and those of a couple friends the old Jack O'Conner load of 60 grs H4831 and a 130 gr bullet have went together like ice cream and apple pie. I know that the load manuals these days don't go that high but this is the max load that used to be printed right on the H4831 bottle. I used mainly 130 Sierra Game King or Nosler BT. WICKED on deer. Can't remember of one that was not DRT after the shot. I sight all my deer rifles that I hunt with where shots will be over 200 yards 3" high at 100 yards. Most will stay between 3 1/2 inch above or below line of sight out to 300 yards. My 246 Win mag which is a SCREAMER is still 3/4" high at 300 yards. Hold center of shoulder out to 400 yards and they are DRT.
 
My go to loads are the same powder charge of 60 gr IMR 7977 and the 150 gr Ballistic Tip and 160 gr Partition. The 150's go a little over 2900 fps and the 160's a little over 2800 fps. The 150's would be perfect for your application. Another load shows promise using the 140 gr Sierra TGK and 58.5 gr H 4831 sc, haven't clocked it yet but Sierra says it should be around 2950 fps. I haven't used the 145 gr ELD-X yet but would really like to, should perfect for what you are wanting to do.
 
My Remington 700 loves IMR 4350 and IMR 4831 and 130 gr pills. The 130 BTips shoot really well with just a tick under a max load. I have also had excellent accuracy with 130 sierra pro-hunters. The ballistic tips are the only boat tail bullets I have gotten to shoot excellent.
 
gerry":3pl085uz said:
My go to loads are the same powder charge of 60 gr IMR 7977 and the 150 gr Ballistic Tip and 160 gr Partition. The 150's go a little over 2900 fps and the 160's a little over 2800 fps. The 150's would be perfect for your application. Another load shows promise using the 140 gr Sierra TGK and 58.5 gr H 4831 sc, haven't clocked it yet but Sierra says it should be around 2950 fps. I haven't used the 145 gr ELD-X yet but would really like to, should perfect for what you are wanting to do.
My grandfather preferred the 140 grain Gameking bullets in his Mauser .270. Said it was the best all-around choice in his opinion just like the 165 grain in .30-06! I’m not against giving them a try. The Browning seems to like the 130s but I may give some 140s a try.


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filmjunkie4ever":tcao6fb4 said:
gerry":tcao6fb4 said:
My go to loads are the same powder charge of 60 gr IMR 7977 and the 150 gr Ballistic Tip and 160 gr Partition. The 150's go a little over 2900 fps and the 160's a little over 2800 fps. The 150's would be perfect for your application. Another load shows promise using the 140 gr Sierra TGK and 58.5 gr H 4831 sc, haven't clocked it yet but Sierra says it should be around 2950 fps. I haven't used the 145 gr ELD-X yet but would really like to, should perfect for what you are wanting to do.
My grandfather preferred the 140 grain Gameking bullets in his Mauser .270. Said it was the best all-around choice in his opinion just like the 165 grain in .30-06! I’m not against giving them a try. The Browning seems to like the 130s but I may give some 140s a try.


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The ones I have used is the 140 gr Tipped Game King but I bet your the standard Game King will work great too like your grand dad found out!
 
I like 150 SGKs over IMR-4350.
Real good BC - Will carry over 1,500 Ft-Lbs to 400 yards.
Great accuracy - Have touched 3 at 200 and
5 five at 400 measured 1" wide 1.8" vertical.
 
My experience with the .270 is long but thin. Early on I switched from 130 gr. bullets to the 150 gr. Sierra Game King for the most part. I felt the 130 gr. bullets were tearing up too much good meat. Loads were worked up using the old milsurp 4831. Accuracy with the Game King was excellent. Years later I came into a Winchester M70 XTR with I later learned had a factory installed McMillan stock in the Featherweight configuration. The price with scope was right and the seller swore the rifle was very accurate. I took it out the next day with a couple of boxes of Winchester 150 gr. Walmart ammo and he wasn't kidding. First group was .50" and the largest group .80" These were 5 shot groups BTW.
By this time I was using Winchester WLR as my powder of choice and it was easy to duplicate the factory load in accuracy with a bit higher velocity with the 150 gr. Game King. Later when I came into a large supply of Nosler 150 gr. Partitions I worked up to the same level of speed and accuracy with the Noslers. It got real interesting when I shot fine Game Kings, then 5 Partitions int the same target and got a combined set of shots into 1.50". Simply put, I could use either load on a hunt and not worry about readjusting the scope back and forth depending on the bullet used.
FWIW, while I've shot deer with other .270s in years past, I've only taken one game animal with the M70, an antelope in New Mexico. The bullet was the 150 gr. GK and the shot was at 75 yards. I figure there would be a mess at that range but the bullet hit right at the short ribs and exited just behind the off shoulder. About a one inch entrance and IIRC about 1.5" at exit. Very little meat loss.

My only gripe is Winchester discontinued WMR about 10 years ago. I have enough but I use it in the .270, .280 Rem. and .300 Win. mag. where it works very nicely. For some odd reason it does not work in the 30-06. I know because I've tried. it's ver erratic in that cartridge.
Paul B.
 
With the 130 gr bullets, H4831 is the classic powder or RL22.

JD338
 
JD338":7k39kpi7 said:
With the 130 gr bullets, H4831 is the classic powder or RL22.

JD338

Never a bad spot at all to start, with any bullet weight!
 
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