Pushing the .270 Win .130 gr a bit faster!

Status
Not open for further replies.

pert near

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
390
Location
Heart of Texas
In a lifetime of shooting & loading the .270 Win, in probably 6 different rifles, I have always just reached for some 4831 & went out & shot good groups with 130 gr bullets. Velocity usually is between 3,000 & 3,100.

There are so many new powders now, my head swims just trying to keep up. Are there any new powders that safely push the envelop & get 130gr bullets over to the 3,200 mark in 22" or 24" barrels?
 
Hornady 3rd edition. Old speer manuals I own have push it to the limit load data but 4831 Is the powder of choice. You could get a 26 inch barrel or have it reamed for 270 Gibbs!!!
 
A couple of hundred FPS is not going to make much of a difference in the ballistics of the bullet used, and I doubt that any game shot with a hotter load is going to know the difference. You could try some of the slower powders like 7828, but I just don't see the need.
 
If I wanted to push that velocity with a 130, the first powder I'd try would be RL 26.
The Speer online load data lists the max charge of RL 26 at 60.3 and a velocity of 3171.
I remember reading a review of RL 26 when it was new. The reviewer concluded that you can turn your 270 Win into a 270 Weatherby Mag with RL 26.
Be careful and workup slowly.
I would agree that that kind of velocity isn't necessary for the 130 grain.
 
Uncle Jack's 270 was my goto gun for many years. Over the years I think that I have owned 3 of my own and have loaded for 4 or 5 more. I had a Ruger 77 that I had used to take 22 whitetails, 2 mulies, 2 pronghorns, 1 bobcat and a turkey. All but 1 was shot with a 130gr bullet over a medium charge of IMR-4350. Shots ranged from 20 to 400+yards. If you know what you and your gun is capable of, another 100 fps shouldn't make much difference under 400 yards.
 
It's hard to improve much on 270. It has always been loaded much nearer it's potential than some other rounds. But rounds like 30-06, which were initially loaded very conservatively, is easy to safely get 200-400 fps more speed than many factory loads.

I see where RL16 is listed at 3200 fps with 130's. But realistically the difference between that and 3100 fps with 130 gr bullets is minimal. And the trend today is to use heavier, much higher BC bullets and start them at lower velocity. They retain those speeds much better and hit harder at ranges close and far. The faster bullets have slightly less drop at long range, but inside 300-400 yards the difference in minimal. And at longer ranges is easily compensated for with today's optics.
 
Using Accurate Arms data, with MagPro powder, I’ve been able to exceed 3,200fps from a 24”bbl MkX Mauser. Accuracy was as good as anything else. My 22” bbl Rem700, just won’t quite break 3,100.

But I agree with jmr40. 100-150fps on top of 3,000+FPS isn’t likely to be a game changer.
The old standbys IMR4350 and 4831’s still get the job done in the .270. Just work up an accurate load, and go hunt!
 
Just finished load development for a new Nosler M48 in .270 with a 24" barrel. Load I settled on is 3176 FPS and the next highest was just over 3200 with no signs of pressure using H4831SC.

My old Steyr was at 3130 out of a 23.6" barrel with 58.3 IMR4831.
 
Using Accurate Arms data, with MagPro powder, I’ve been able to exceed 3,200fps from a 24”bbl MkX Mauser. Accuracy was as good as anything else. My 22” bbl Rem700, just won’t quite break 3,100.

But I agree with jmr40. 100-150fps on top of 3,000+FPS isn’t likely to be a game changer.
The old standbys IMR4350 and 4831’s still get the job done in the .270. Just work up an accurate load, and go hunt!

Yeah. You can only kill a deer so dead. What's the old saying... speed's fine; accuracy's final.
 
I have conducted a lot of tests in my 270 Win rifles with 130 grain bullets. I have tested the usual powders: IMR 4064, IMR 4350, H4350, H4831 and IMR 4831. When ever my velocities approach 3000 fps I have real over pressure indications with 24 inch barrels. Such as expanded case heads, leaking primers, blown primers or pierced primers. Maybe my chronograph is out of calibration, though the rimfire rounds I shot over the sensors as calibration rounds register realistic velocities, or maybe, 3000 fps is unobtainable within safe pressures.

And, what is the correlation between velocity and lethality? Does it make a bigger through hole?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top