Model 700 .270 Winchester

[Swampman]

Does yours prefer 130 or 150 grain bullets?

[possume]

my gun preffers 140s see what your gun likes and shoot what it likes

[mantihunter]

Mine prefers 150 gr. Nosler Partitions with IMR 4350 in R-P cases and WLR primers. Nothing else shoots as well; not 130s or 140s. Not Barnes, Hornady, Sierras or Speers. 150 grain Partitions and I've taken muleys, antelope and elk with them. If I can draw a Utah moose tag (currently have 13 bonus points), I'll take a moose with them too.

[Siskiyou]

“Does yours prefer 130 or 150 grain bullets?”

You sure know how to ask a tough question.  I have been Handloading for my Remington 700 chambered for the 270 Winchester cartridge since 1979.  It seems to like just about any bullet weight, I have loaded the Sierra 110-grain, Hornady 130 grain Sp, 140-grain BT, and 150-grain Sp.  It also likes Nosler 150-grain Solid Base, and 150-grain Remington CL.

It likes factory 150-grain WWPP, and I have found them effective on deer.  My favorite load uses H4831 and the 150-grain Hornady Spire Pt.  On this buck the bullet hit behind the shoulder on the side shown and exited out the off shoulder.  I could see the hide on the deer ripple away from the point of impact when the bullet struck.




We are currently suffering from many days of liquid sunshine.  I am waiting for a very sunny day to make a trip and test some loads in the 700 and get some Chrony data.  I purchased a few hundred blems from Mid South, I have no doubt they are Hornady 130-grain SST.  I have done some testing in the Savage 110CL and I am now setup to test in the 700.  I am using H4831 powder.  I am not seriously considering using a 130-grain bullet for deer; I did that for many years.  If I was to return to the 130-grain bullet I would use a bonded bullet or the Nosler Partition.

Last year I picked up a sleeve of 150-grain Power Points.  I have loaded some for Chrony and accuracy testing.  Middle brother loads for a 270 Winchester, and a 270 Ackley Improved, he was so impressed with the 150-grain WWPP that a few years back he purchased a 1000 of them in bulk.  The guy is not hurting for bullets because he also has on hand a number of preimum bullets because they were to be bought.

The best group I have shot with the 700 was with the old style 140-grain Winchester Silvertip using WMR (Winchester Magnum Rifle Powder).

I have three rifles in 270 Winchester, by choice and past performance I loaded the Model 700 and 760 with 150-grain bullets, and the Savage 110CL with 140-grain Hornady or (old style) Silvertip 140-grains.  All three rifles give good accuracy; the selection is based on performance.  The 140-grain and 150-grain bullets provide deeper penetrations, and exit wounds more often then 130-grain bullets.  The 140-grain bullet generates more energy at 400 yards and shoots flatter than most 130-grain loads.

I have a good stockpile of bullets for the 270 Winchester, but the thousand 150-grain Hornady Spire Point represents my favorite deer bullet.

[parkergunshop]

I use the following:  Rifle 1914 (P14) Enfield with 24 inch Shaw Barrel, 1917 bolt.

Hornady 140 grain with xx grains of H450 shoots into less than 1 inch for 3 shots at 100 yards.
Speer 130 grain with xx grains of H450 shoots into less than 3/4 inch for 3 shots at 100 yards.
Sierra 140 grain with xx grains of H4350 shoots into  less than 1 inch for 3 shots at 100 yards.

Velocity for the both the H450 loads is over 3100 FPS.
The H4350 comes in at just under 3000 FPS.

Interestingly enough the H450 loads per the Hodgen book generates about the same pressure, but over 100 FPS  higher velocity  than the H4350 load.

[charles p]

Sierra 140s.  Loaded some by mistake.  Thought I was loading 130s.  Shoot great so I have stuck with the 140s in my 700.

[Graybeard]

I've owned at least six or eight heck maybe more Model 700s in .270 Winchester and don't recall ever firing a 130 grain bullet in any of them. I use Hornady 140s or Nosler 150 PTs.

I've used a lot of the factory ammo with those two bullets from Hornady and Federal and also loaded them myself. I don't recall ever even trying another bullet in the round.

[Swampman]

Thanks Graybeard.  Mine was shooting 1 1/2" @ 100 with the 130s and dropped to about half that with the 150s.  I'm going to try the 140s too.

[parkergunshop]

I live on the east coast, if I lived where Greybeard lives in the west, I would use a 140 grain Nosler partition bullet or similar other design.   Regardless of Jack O'Conners love for the 130 grain in the .270 the heavier bullets are needed for game heavier than whitetail deer.   And the 130 grain is not the best load for black bear here in the east.

All said and done, west of the great plains I would opt for my .308 Norma Mag or 338 Winchester Mag just in case.  Too much gun is better than not enough in a pinch.

[Swampman]

I thought Graybeard lived in Alabama.

[Graybeard]

I thought Graybeard lived in Alabama.

He do. 

[bilmac]

I have wore out a 721 and am in the process of wearing out a model 78. Over the years I have loaded everything from 90s to 150s and they have proved to be about the unfussiest rifles a guy could ask for. Both shoot everything pretty good and usually without a lot of load tinkering. Both rifles like to shoot maximum loads best. The M78 even keeps the different weight bullets close together. I don't do it that way, but I'm sure I could have it sighted for 110s and be close enough to go hunting with 150s without checking the sights. Last time I changed loads, it only took a couple three clicks to be rezeroed.

[Lloyd Smale]

may get some flack for this but ANY animal that you could hunt with a 270 will die just as dead with a 130 partition as it would with a 150 partition.  There have been train loads of elk shot with 130 cup and core 270 bullets.

[bilmac]

Lloyd is right, there's no need for expensive bullets with a 270 and I've killed plenty of elks with 130 bullets. I keep 150s on the shelf because they are probably a bit better for elk, and because I occasionally get a moose license.