Homeloading advice ? (Rifle)

[wildfowler.250]

I’m currently reloading the .270 with viht N160 and nosler accubonds. I’ve managed to get a few okay groups but nothing better than factory yet.

 

I’ve started going up in 0.2 grain increments to try and find a sweet spot and  I think I need to shoot larger shot groups,(I’ve been doing 3 shots but one flyer puts you all wrong)?

 

A friend used to give me some nosler ballistic tips and from memory they shot quite well so I don’t think it’s entirely down to my shooting,(although that will be a factor).

 

1) Is it likely that I’d get better results with a different bullet?

2) possibly a change of powder?

or 3) just haven’t found the sweet spot yet. From memory I’ve worked up 0.5 grain at a time from 52 grain to 57 (recently doing 57.2 , 57.4, 57.6).   57.4 may actually be worth another trial.

A little bit frustrated as the initial few lower grains were a bit of a waste of time and done more as a safety precaution. You certainly go through plenty of rounds and money at this! 

 

The rounds hit like a train so I’m tempted to persevere but I am starting to get a little frustrated. Started as less of an interest and more because I wanted to choose my own bullets but it’s been a bit of an effort so far!

 

Any tips would be greatly suggested? I think I may find I just need to shoot 5 shot groups and go up in lower grain volumes but it’s definitely time and money expensive!

Edited August 27, 2018 by wildfowler.250

[Flyboy1950]

Perhaps you could state bullet weight,  COL used (and if you have measured what your COL is to the rifle lands) primer and case type may also help, as the type of rifle and barrel length.

The 130 grain bullet is considered to be the best bullet weight for this calibre, for hunting purposes.

I am no expert by any means but have found (over many years) that a good reloading book helps and I also tend to start at a mid range powder load to prevent a long drawn out ladder shoot.

Be careful, this home loading business is highly addictive.

[The Burpster]

When I had a .270Win (Sako 75 hunter) it was so hideously inaccurate with any factory ammo that I became obsessed with reloading trying to make it accurate. You haven’t said what action/barrel combination you are using so I can only guess it’s a hunter profile barrel. I subsequently found out that as it’s a fast round using a lot of powder that lighter  barrels can be susceptible to whip. So rather than try to get one particular bullet to work I tried lots of different ones and neck sized the cases to eliminate as man6 variables as possible.

Certainly with that barrel it was bullet weight fussy. Anything over 120gn and I would be lucky to get less than 1MOA, the heavier they got the bigger the spread. In the end Hornady SST 120gn and Sierra 90gn and 110gn SBT bullets were where where the best results laid. IIRC somewhere around the middle of the powder range was best using Varget (I tried using Viht with limited success), too much powder produced worse results. 

Although ultimatley I gave up with .270 and changed to 6.5x55 as it has a larger variety of readily available bullets and will do everything the .270 can and personally I find it a softer load to shoot. That said .270 is a cracking round if you can get it work in your barrel and you can have have a lot of fun trying! If ultimately it is a hunting rifle then the Deer don’t mind if it’s a 110 or  120 gn bullet and I can tell you definitively that you can make a real mess of a Fox if you hit it with a .270.

Edited August 27, 2018 by The Burpster
Typo

[Remimax]

yep gun your shooting em in would be a good bit of info.

have you got a bendy plastic stock with a bipod attached ?

[Dougy]

I start with 3 shot groups, then 5 shot. Loads will disagree but ill stick to what works for me.  All done using bipod and rear bags so as steady as possible.  

If you were close I'd lend a helping hand.

[wildfowler.250]

Sorry guys!

 

sako 75 stainless, 130 grain accubonds, Norma brass, cci br primers if I remember correctly.

 

They’re poleaxing deer but I’m after something a bit more accurate for piece of mind and for rare cases where a longer shot is needed

2 minutes ago, Dougy said:

I start with 3 shot groups, then 5 shot. Loads will disagree but ill stick to what works for me.  All done using bipod and rear bags so as steady as possible.  

If you were close I'd lend a helping hand.

Thanks for the offer! I do have one or two folk that can help me but I don’t want to pester people with 20 questions. And you can pick up a lot of tips on here.

 

Its getting there, just taking is time and any pointers are greatly appreciated

2 hours ago, The Burpster said:

When I had a .270Win (Sako 75 hunter) it was so hideously inaccurate with any factory ammo that I became obsessed with reloading trying to make it accurate. You haven’t said what action/barrel combination you are using so I can only guess it’s a hunter profile barrel. I subsequently found out that as it’s a fast round using a lot of powder that lighter  barrels can be susceptible to whip. So rather than try to get one particular bullet to work I tried lots of different ones and neck sized the cases to eliminate as man6 variables as possible.

Certainly with that barrel it was bullet weight fussy. Anything over 120gn and I would be lucky to get less than 1MOA, the heavier they got the bigger the spread. In the end Hornady SST 120gn and Sierra 90gn and 110gn SBT bullets were where where the best results laid. IIRC somewhere around the middle of the powder range was best using Varget (I tried using Viht with limited success), too much powder produced worse results. 

Although ultimatley I gave up with .270 and changed to 6.5x55 as it has a larger variety of readily available bullets and will do everything the .270 can and personally I find it a softer load to shoot. That said .270 is a cracking round if you can get it work in your barrel and you can have have a lot of fun trying! If ultimately it is a hunting rifle then the Deer don’t mind if it’s a 110 or  120 gn bullet and I can tell you definitively that you can make a real mess of a Fox if you hit it with a .270.

I did find Norma 110 grain very accurate but I was worried maybe a bit too explosive and light for chest shooting larger deer?

[MAB1954]

I have an old CZ 600 in 270W and it works just fine with factory or my home loads, shoots about 1" groups with factory ammo and best with my home loads 0.5" group all 3 shot groups at 100 yards. I load 130 grain bullets over H4831SC and Reloader 22 bullets are normally Gamekings or Hornady SP. I don't normally load max loads for best accuracy go for something between 2800 to 2900fps. If you zero that at 200 yards it will get job done to about 250 but that's a long shot and not normally taken in UK.

In your first post you talk of 57 + grains of N160 and I note my Nosler data is 51 grains to a max of 55 grains. I assume 57 grains is safe in your rifle but why are you chasing such velocity. Nosler claim 2900fps from 24" barrel with 51 grains N160 and also indicate that was the most accurate charge. I have never tested with N160 thus I have no data for my rifle that I could past on for you to work up. Good luck stick with it 270 is a fine calibre.

[The Burpster]

1 hour ago, wildfowler.250 said:

 

I did find Norma 110 grain very accurate but I was worried maybe a bit too explosive and light for chest shooting larger deer?

Never managed to get to take a Sika or Red but took plenty of Fallow ( inc mature bucks) with the 120 Vmax without extensive chest damage.

There was a lot of jibber jabber on the net (probably still is!) about using rapidly expanding bullets (or varmint) bullets so I rung and sppoke to the BDS about it. They said words to the effect “if you kill the animal outright it doesn’t matter wether it’s controlled expanding or rapid expanding as long as it does its job and you don’t leave injured animals”

[wildfowler.250]

40 minutes ago, MAB1954 said:

I have an old CZ 600 in 270W and it works just fine with factory or my home loads, shoots about 1" groups with factory ammo and best with my home loads 0.5" group all 3 shot groups at 100 yards. I load 130 grain bullets over H4831SC and Reloader 22 bullets are normally Gamekings or Hornady SP. I don't normally load max loads for best accuracy go for something between 2800 to 2900fps. If you zero that at 200 yards it will get job done to about 250 but that's a long shot and not normally taken in UK.

In your first post you talk of 57 + grains of N160 and I note my Nosler data is 51 grains to a max of 55 grains. I assume 57 grains is safe in your rifle but why are you chasing such velocity. Nosler claim 2900fps from 24" barrel with 51 grains N160 and also indicate that was the most accurate charge. I have never tested with N160 thus I have no data for my rifle that I could past on for you to work up. Good luck stick with it 270 is a fine calibre.

Thanks very much for this as I really appreciate these points. I’d a good accurate load with 52 grains but I was getting a lot of unburnt powder and the general consensus,(on the stalking directory admittedly) was to go higher.

I agree nosler said 55 grain max but I was sure I read somewhere up to 58 was okay,(I’m not trusting it but I heard online you can fill to 62g but I’m not buying that). I’ve no interest in hot loads at all. 

Maybe I should strip back to 54-55 grains and go up in 0.2?

Appreciate all the pointers!

29 minutes ago, The Burpster said:

Never managed to get to take a Sika or Red but took plenty of Fallow ( inc mature bucks) with the 120 Vmax without extensive chest damage.

There was a lot of jibber jabber on the net (probably still is!) about using rapidly expanding bullets (or varmint) bullets so I rung and sppoke to the BDS about it. They said words to the effect “if you kill the animal outright it doesn’t matter wether it’s controlled expanding or rapid expanding as long as it does its job and you don’t leave injured animals”

Good to hear. Biggest issue I moved away from the proper ballistic tips was a lack of an exit wound - fine until one makes some cover. I’ll keep them in back of mind though!

[robbiep]

If you had a good accurate load at 52 grains of powder, then stick with it.

Technically, my 223 homeloads are slightly under where the powder load should be (I use 24.0 grains of powder, whereas the book calls for 25.0 to 27.0 grains), but it produces a load that is incredibly accurate and consistent - both on the range and on foxes.

The only weak point is the Mk.1 idiot squeezing the trigger !

[Vince Green]

where are you? that could be a starting point.

its all very random this load development process,

1) It could just be your rifle doesn't like that particular bullet. Brand or weight, it happens. Have you tried 150 grn?  Heavier bullets often cost the same pretty much as lighter bullets but use a lot less powder so work out cheaper to load. Heavier bullets tend to go a bit slower but can be more consistent (until you start getting into twist rate issues with very heavy bullets) 

2) Vhit 160 is a main powder for .270 so should be OK 

3) Three shot groups are fine,  thin stalking barrels really don't like firing lots of shots in a short period of time. They get incredibly hot and POI definitely shifts. Be aware of this My 7.62 Target rifle has an incredibly heavy barrel but after 10 shots its still too hot to touch. Its where the first shot goes that counts from stone cold

My mate's Sako 6.5x55 puts each shot slightly to the right of the previous shot as it hots up, he's aware of it so its OK 

4) I am sure this will get howls of protest from some quarters but try PPU bullets, you can buy them by post now and they are half the cost of what you are using. A friend, a very serious target shooter used Sierra Matchkings for ever but when supplies ran out was forced to use PPU 165grn .308 match bullets instead.  He was genuinely impressed, certainly not the cheap rubbish he was expecting.  I use PPU bullets all the time now.

5) full loads are seldom the most accurate

6) how are you measuring your powder?

Edited August 31, 2018 by Vince Green

[Walker570]

To judge a load I shoot 3 shot groups and do it by loading five sets of five at a 10th grain intervals up to maximum in the book. I shoot these from a good rest at 100yrds at five targets ...

just black crosses on white card/paper one for each load.  Then I shoot one shot in sequence at each target until all three are done. Then I go and look at the result and choose the best group.  Fliers are my fault not the rifle so ignore them.  You will find the groups are like a graph and it is not always the max load that shoots best but the deer will not notice.

Your choice of Accubond is good. Excellent bullet.  

The system above allows you to compare the same powder at different loads in the same conditions.

As Vince as said, very occasionally a barrel just will not shoot a particular bullet but I would not believe this is your problem.

The main reason I shoot just three shot groups is there is less chance I will slightly snatch one ...we all do occasionally ....if I shoot more and if three holes appear nicely together then in my view thats as good as five doing the same.

My instructor used to say.." trust your rifle not your own judgement" ....very true as we are just humans and don't like admitting we fowled up.

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by Walker570

[Walker570]

Just run a check through some of my loads and found that N165 gave the best results. H4831 RL 19 and 22 are also listed as usuable but don't be hooked on this 'must have highest velocity'  to get best accuarcy as it is almost always not true.  I always found that the 130gr bullet worked best in the 270, like it was made for it. I'm a fan of Nosler but now turn to Barnes TTSX for most of my cartridges.  V Max for the 22s.

[Robertt]

Used .270 ( Sako Hunter ) on Roe and Fallow and Red Hinds using 130g Hornady flat base and H4895.

Only doing about 2800 fps but shot sub MOA and flattened everything and extremely pleasant to shoot.

Most shots were 80 - 120 ish yards but did some Hinds around 250 - 300y.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Robertt