Yes, in fact, with the 150 NBT and 61gr R26 I got 3112fps! However, accuracy was crappola! I worked up from 57 gr to 61 and closest I got to halfway decent accuracy was around 57.5gr and 60. But the 61 was way too hot, hard bolt lift. Bummer. I will try again later and seat the bullets to SAAMI C.O.L. and let them get a good run at the lands. As it was, .025" off the lands was just too close. I even tried 55gr IMR 4350 w/130NP and it only gave 2945 fps but 2.5" groups. Pressure was mild. I am not impressed, but will drop back top traditional slower powders and see what I get.
Will R26 get you 3000fps in a .270?
- Thread starter preacher
- Start date
Wow we preacher. Sounds like 3,000 is possible alright. That's what I was wanting to know with RL-26. With the 150 BT I use .080 off the lands. Just letting you know a bunch of jump did work for me. PT,s are completely different as they like from .015 to .030 most of time. That IMR-4350 gives me a big velocity jump from 55 to 56. 4350 will get you over 3000 but ya got to work up slowly. I recently chrony checked the 130 gameking at 3045 with 56 grains while at 55 she only ran 2905.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,984
- 5,120
No elk can tell the diff between 2900 and 3050
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- #5
The 60gr/R26/3,030 fps load put the first two shots ( two minutes between shots) about 1.25" apart. I let the rifle cool awhile and shot another rifle, then shot two more. They too were about 1.25" apart but the "group" was a diagonal line of about 3.7". The 57.5gr load was about 1.75" for three shots and 2850fps. The 130PT was .030" off the lands. This rifle has a long throat and the previous owner said it shot the 130PT well, but didn't give me any specs! I am going to seat them deep and work up from 55gr IMR4350 next time. Oh well, I was impressed with the velocity with the 150BT from R26 but its moot right now. I'm sure I can get 2900 with one of the 4831 powders or R22/R17 ...hopefully, ha I admit, while I do love the little Mountain Rifles, that skinny barrel is challenge.
I did get an average of 3007fps with 77.5/R33/Sierra 175 SBT and around .60" for three shots in my 7mm Rem Mag. So that goal was reached, I wanted the original 3000/175 spec.
52gr/TAC was the big winner in my 338 Fed and the Barnes 160 TTSX for .75" for three shots. Get this...3013fps average! That's 7mm Mag territory! No pressure signs and extraction was very easy. I started at 50gr and went up in .5gr increments and each three shot group .75" or about that! It clearly likes this bullet. Sheboygin!
I did get an average of 3007fps with 77.5/R33/Sierra 175 SBT and around .60" for three shots in my 7mm Rem Mag. So that goal was reached, I wanted the original 3000/175 spec.
52gr/TAC was the big winner in my 338 Fed and the Barnes 160 TTSX for .75" for three shots. Get this...3013fps average! That's 7mm Mag territory! No pressure signs and extraction was very easy. I started at 50gr and went up in .5gr increments and each three shot group .75" or about that! It clearly likes this bullet. Sheboygin!
I will be testing RL-26 with the 150 LRAB pretty soon. I,m hoping to get good accuracy along with decent velocity. I have some rounds loaded up at .110 off the lands and ready to go. IMR-4831 already gives excellent accuracy with this bullet. IMR-4831 will be hard to beat but I shall give RL-26 a try just to see what happens. I do think RL-26 will be faster but I ain,t giving up my accuracy. Me demands moa or better or it won,t go hunting.
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- #7
I tell ya, that R26 was one slow powder...I never got even a "hint" at higher pressure until the 61gr load. Aliant's website shows 60.8 as Max. I really like it in my 7mm Rem Mag, but not surprised it didn't balance out in the 270. I'm thinking R22 is about as slow as one needs in the .270 Win.
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- #8
Finally! Went up to the range with my 40yr old Belgium BAR .270 and some new loads. I first went with 150 NBT and R26. They touched the lands at 3.40 but to fit through my magazine I had to seat them @ 3.30". I started with new, prepped WW brass, neck sized and 58gr R26. 59.5 was the choice with three rounds in 1.68" and 3050fps! I may not ever hunt with this load but it was nice to know I finally got to my goal of +3000fps/150gr bullet. Next up was some small based die resized, once fired RP range pick up brass, also prepped, and H4831SC. I found some of this powder waaaay in back of my storage shelf! I found my inventory list and there it was...I was supposed to have a full pound and about half of another pound on my top shelf of my loading bench area. I dug around and BINGO! Happy Boy! I was trying to find a load with the 130 NP ( some SPS Blems with the cannelure). I set them up also at 3.30" and loaded 4 rds each with 59gr and 60gr. I used BR2 primers with both bullets, BTW. 59 was 3065 av and about 2.5 inches. Bummer I thought. Then, the 60gr charge , waiting several minutes between shots, gave me 3150 fps and .76" for a four shot average! Sheboygin! Its about time! ha. I am jazzed. I will wait until it gets colder before I work with the 150 and 160 NP and the R26 or H4831 SC. It was only about 75 deg today but it still took awhile to let the barrel cool between shots. Not bad for a 40yr old semi-auto with a 3# trigger pull, huh?!
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 38,204
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Those pills are definitely stepping along. Excellent results from your tests.
Just a heads up about RL26. It has worked well for me in several cartridges. Per Q/L it was accurate for pressure in a 22-250AI, 6.5 Creedmoor and my 6-284. When I ran it in my 280AI I hit pressure a lot sooner than Q/L predicted and my speeds were faster than predicted. When I adjusted burn rate to match chrony speeds it dropped max charges by 3 grains.
RL26 is the fastest powder I've run in many of my cartridges. It's a good one.
Scott
RL26 is the fastest powder I've run in many of my cartridges. It's a good one.
Scott
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- #12
I should have added that my BAR also has a 22" barrel, and that it has never liked a 130gr bullet in my time with it! I never handloaded any 130 before this, but did try several known, accurate factory loads. I was really buzzed about how well the 130 Partition did, as I feel I could do anything with it that I want to do with this rifle and this load, even on elk. ( I've read many on this forum who said the 130PT even works well on moose) This rifle doesn't go hunting very much as I had it set up to commemorate my Dad when he passed in Oct 2001. After buying it from that old dude ( yeah right, he was about my age now, ha) in Ogden, I had my smith go through it thoroughly, had some engraving info put on it (those flat sides are great for that)and then he did one of his beautiful bluing jobs . He doesn't do bluing anymore but he was really, really good at it. So I always have vascillated between using, not using it, it depended upon the hunt. I took my 14yr old Godson on an exotic hunt one Thanksgiving holiday over in Colorado way back. I had him set up with a little Ruger 44 mag semi (original) and a 2x7 scope. he was good with it. However, we had an early storm/snow/then cold temps. It was 4 degrees, and his little hands/fingers couldn't get a good trigger squeeze ( it did have a stiffer pull, about 5#) when we checked his zero. I had brought this BAR and the 140 Failsafe loads as a backup. It has a sweet 3# pull and he did well with it. He shot a really nice Spanish Goat with it. It's also fancy enough I would never put it in a saddle scabbard, ha. I will take it when conditions are right, of course, and hope I don't slip and bust my behind when I do, ha.
This was also the second rifle I had the new Burris Timberline 4.5x14 AO put on. First it was on the "ill fated" Mod 7 6,5 Creedmoor, and it dialed right in. On this BAR, I had to move it about 6 inches to the right to zero but after that it was great. It's compact, moderately lightweight and very clear, but best of all the clicks were positive. I'm leaving it on there. Just wanted to say it's a good buy.
This was also the second rifle I had the new Burris Timberline 4.5x14 AO put on. First it was on the "ill fated" Mod 7 6,5 Creedmoor, and it dialed right in. On this BAR, I had to move it about 6 inches to the right to zero but after that it was great. It's compact, moderately lightweight and very clear, but best of all the clicks were positive. I'm leaving it on there. Just wanted to say it's a good buy.
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- #15
Back in the late 70's I worked with a fellow who had an identical BAR to mine and he used factory loads, 130 corlokt, for deer. I always tried to trade him out of it as I was the one who zeroed it for him and that baby would shoot! ha. I liked the fact it was so close to the 7mm Rem Mag but just a little lighter in weight and easier handling. I saw this BAR .270 for sale in the paper and decided to have a commemorative rifle made up. I paid the old gentleman $500 for it because he had kept it so nice. The wood was pristine and the bluing had honest wear, no rust on it. Like most guys, he had never had the gas piston cleaned, etc.
Down in Texas, I never saw a real advantage to one when actually hunting as you either killed the game with the first shot or it was gone...heavy woods, palmetto, thickets. But they were nice to look at, usually more accurate further out ( pipeline right of ways, old log roads, clear cuts) than any 30-30 we used and worked swell out of a box stand. Plus, any Browning, was a top end rifle/shotgun.
Down in Texas, I never saw a real advantage to one when actually hunting as you either killed the game with the first shot or it was gone...heavy woods, palmetto, thickets. But they were nice to look at, usually more accurate further out ( pipeline right of ways, old log roads, clear cuts) than any 30-30 we used and worked swell out of a box stand. Plus, any Browning, was a top end rifle/shotgun.
Ya know what they if your rifle will not shoot 130,s with 60 grains of H-4831. YOUR BARREL IS BENT. I,m rather fond of it myself. My go to charge is 60.2. Definitly like IMR-4350 and IMR-4831 as well. Glad you got .76. I,m not surprised.preacher":2zv7uhy6 said:
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- #17
.76 was for four shots too Hub! I'm rather pleased as I haven't seen any of that Winchester 140 Failsafe ammo in years! I really liked that Failsafe bullet, we used them( in 300 Win and .375 H&H) a lot in South Africa back in the late 90's and they were real killers, at least on thick skinned animals. Have you shot much game with the 130 NP in the .270 or seen it used on game? I bet, at the 3150fps I'm getting, it will be a killer indeed.
I,ve always used 150 PT,s for everything. A friend of mine uses the 130 PT,s for deer and elk. His load is 60 grains of H4831. He shoots bug hole groups from his pre 64 mod 70 win. We could never tell any difference between the bullet weights. As I recall JOC used the 130 PT on deer and elk as well. That included six grizzlies before they went on the endangered species list. JOC claimed he never saw much difference either between the two bullet weights as he surely used both. In the future I,m going with 130 BT,s for deer as they cost less and shoot great for me. Picking a bullet from nosler is easy. There all good.
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- #19
I rechecked my barrel length and I am closer to 23" than 22"! I also think this rifle has a tight bore as it has always given higher than norm velocity. In fact, the grey box Winchester 150 Power Point factory load goes 2865 from it. I have checked and rechecked my chronograph so I call it like it is, ha. I'm jazzed. Hub- I read good things about the SSTs for lighter game too. But these new Ballistic Tips are really good performers, way better than the older ones.
