270 Winchester Load and Primers

[Backcast88]

I recently sold my Browning XBolt 270 WSM and purchased a Tikka T3 SS 270 Winchester. I was going to load some rounds tomorrow and Thursday afternoon. I have IMR 4350 and Reloader 22. I was planning on creating several small batches (5-6 rounds each) and see what the gun likes. I was taking inventory of my reloading stuff and it looks like all I have is WLRM primers and CCI 250 mag primers from when I loaded for the 270 WSM. I thought I had some WLR or even Remington primers for my dad's 270's but I don't.

Rookie question, can I use the mag primers with IMR4350 and RL22 or do I need to find non magnum primer?

Also, any suggestions on starting loads or if anybody has any loads they have using IMR4350 or RL22 that would be great.

 

[hubcap]

There is two or three guys on here that use magnum primers. Stand by for more. What bullet are you going to start with?

 

[gerry]

Yep, no problems with using magnum primers, just work up carefully as you normally would. You may or may not have to reduce the charge from standard primer data.

 

[DrMike]

The magnum primers will generate somewhat higher pressures, which you compensate for by working up to a safe load, as others have already suggested. I believe most of us have made that choice at one time or another. You'll do fine.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have gone both ways with the mag primers in the .270 Win. Just drop the charge and work up with Mag primers.

 

[SJB358]

Man, I am sorta saddened that you sold that WSM! I remember when you got that rifle. It was a shooter, but I imagine your Tikka is going to be just as accurate.

I am with the others, I run alot of CCI250's without problems. I think they are great primers.

What bullet are you looking to use?

 

[Backcast88]

Man, I am sorta saddened that you sold that WSM! I remember when you got that rifle. It was a shooter, but I imagine your Tikka is going to be just as accurate.

I am with the others, I run alot of CCI250's without problems. I think they are great primers.

What bullet are you looking to use?

I loved the WSM and it was accurate. I wanted a tikka and had an itch to go back to a regular 270. A coworker of mine offered to buy it since she was in the market for a new rifle. She made a fair offer and we both walked away happy.

 

[sask boy]

If you are shooting 130gr bullets out of you 270 win. I have been using IMR4350 powder for over 40 years and Charlie might have me beat by a year or two :lol:.
I can give you a starting point and advise you of my particular load for my CDL. Just remember to start back and work you way up slow .

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Backcast88]

A good friend of mine has some CCI 200's he will trade me for my 250's and I did find some Remington #9-1/2 primers. I would rather use the CCI's or Winchester Large Rifle if I can find any while running errands tomorrow.

I am shooting 130 Accubonds. They shot great in the x bolt, a little slow due to my scale being off a little (1/2 grain low). I expect them to shoot great out of the Tikka. I will sight the rifle in with some 130 Hornady SP or SST's and then I will try out the handloads.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Dan, I am trying to remember? My first gun in the Army was a 7mm Mag. My first .270 would have been in 1966 (a Mannlicher Schoenauer) after I got out of the service, so 47 years for the .270 Win.? I still have a pair of 1966 RCBS dies.
Charlie

 

[sask boy]

Backcast88 I also shoot 130gr ABs my load is 54.5 grs. of IMR 4350. Please start around 53grs. and work your way up.
I know my cousin shoots RL-22 in his 270WSM & loves it!
I loaded my Son's 270win this fall with H4831SC & it was impressive as well.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[35 Whelen]

Backcast,
That was a great choice, super gun and a magic caliber, you really would be hard pressed to beat that outfit, the mag primer advise here is all good,
Good Luck with your new purchase

 

[vodekzz]

I use Norma brass, Federal Match 210 primers, sometimes Federal Mag 250 with RL-22 in the winter.
I have found that magnum primers will produce extra 20 FPS.
My 130 gr load use H4831 sc, most of the time. 140 AB like N560, 150 gr prefers RL22.
Velocity I get from 22 inch Sako85 : 130gr ( 2950-3050 FPS ), 140 gr ( 2850 - 2925 FPS) and this one with 150 gr almost always 2850 FPS. All of them shoots under 1 inch at 100 yards.
Vodekz

 

[hubcap]

I,ve always been impressed with the shot to shot velocity spread with IMR-4350. I was looking at a three shot string from the late 80,s I chrony checked using 130 sierra bullets. I had 3065 fps for all three shots. Its no wonder 4350 is so popular in the .270. It just flat works. Even Jack O Conner used it alot before he discovered Military surplus No. 4831.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I am losing some velocity in my .270 Win. This rifle is a 1949 Model and I am the second owner, since 1973. I know that I put a couple (100) bullets through this rifle every year for 40 years. so after 8,000 of my rounds and what ever from the first owner, I believe that I have frosted and eroded the first couple inches of rifling. I am only getting around 2940 out of the 24 inch barrel any more. The rifle still shoots 3/4 inch consistant groups with 55 grains of IMR 4350. Can't really complain about accuracy. I probably could switch to CCI 250's and freshen the load a little.

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I've had best results in the .270s I've loaded using the aforementioned powders as well. H4831, IMR-4350, RL-19 & 22 have all given me excellent hunting loads. Using a 130gr bullet, 58.5gr to 60.0gr of H4831 seems to be nirvana territory in all 3 of these rifles. I've decided to use 140gr ABs in my .270 but the other two still use 130gr bullets on WTs with boring perfection. IMR-4064 works as well accuracy wise but it doesn't give the top end velocities like the other powders listed.

Enjoy!

 

[Backcast88]

I traded my mag primers for CCI 200's. I was going to load some rounds last week but I am positive my scale is off some. I am waiting to borrow my buddies electronic scale to see how far off my scale is and I will also use it to load a few rounds in the next weeks.

I did get a chance to finally shoot the Tikka. The recoil was more then I was expecting but wasn't a real issue. I only had a chance to shoot at 25 yards b/c of the weather. I was shooting Hornady American Whitetail 130 SP factory ammo since it was cheap and readily available in my area. Once I got it dialed in I put 2 bullets in the same hole and 3 rounds in a 1/4" group. Yes it was only 25 yards but it was more of a confidence boosting range secession then anything else. Now I just need to run it out to 100 yards in the next week or so.

 

[SJB358]

Good luck BC88, hope the rifle turns out to be real good. Haven't heard of many Tikka's that don't shoot well though. Add in that it's a 270 Win and the odds go up even further.

 

[Backcast88]

Well, I finally found some free time to work up some loads. The rifle has shot factory ammo fairly well. I knew I was going to handload for the rifle so I ran several boxes of Hornady American Whitetail through the rifle to break in the barrel and zero the scope.

I tested several loads and to save time and space I only included the 3 best loads, or ones I want to revisit later.

The first handload I tested after checking the zero on the rifle turned out the be the best of the day. 130 gr SST seated to 3.23" over 59.5 gr of RL 22. I worked up to 59.5 and then ran out of bullets. The lower charges were not very impressive. I want to try bumping it up a half grain or so and/or play with my seating depth to see if it tightens the group up any. But if not I'll certainly use this as my hunting load.

By the time I got around to testing my AccuBond loads my barrel was a little warm. I waited as long as I could for it to cool but with the rain rapidly approaching I went ahead and tried the loads mainly to check for pressure problems.

The 130 AB seated at 3.30" over 57.5 gr of RL22 had a large spread. How much of that was due to the hot barrel, me pulling the shots (most likely answer) or is the load? I don't know, hints the reason I want to revisit this load later.

The last group was shot from a very hot barrel. Again, probably shouldn't have shot the group but really wanted to test for pressure problems. But the accuracy wasn't bad and is worth a 2nd try later through a cold barrel. 130 AB seated at 3.30" over 54.5 gr of IMR 4350.

I didn't see any pressure issues with any of the rounds fired today. I did use CCI magnum primers so I played it on the safe side and didn't really run too close to the max loads in my Nosler and Hornady load manuals. My buddies chrono is down currently so I don't know velocities exactly but my guess (comparing them to the factory Hornady rounds) is they are 2900 ish.

Once I get some time to load some more rounds I'll play with the seating depths and increase the powder charge a little at a times. After I test the 2nd batch I'll report back. So far things are going very well in the Tikka. Its not a troublesome as my Xbolt 270 WSM was.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I had great luck with Rl22 and H4831 with 140s and 150s.

I used CCI 250Ss as well, no problems. Was all I had at the time and decided try them anyway. Good velocity and low ES.