270 loads?

**Missed160** · 08-27-2007, 03:17 PM

I am going on a Canadian whitetail hunt next year & will be shooting a .270.

What I find so curious is the guides I have spoken with all "prefer" a 150 grain load. I think this is weird as, though they are close, the 130 grain load noses out the 150 in most factory loads..

Any idea why the people seem to lean towards the heavier cartridge?

I have shot 130's all along, but I now purchased some 150's to see how they shoot. Ballistically they are within an inch or two of each other out to 300 yards..

**wtnhunt** · 08-27-2007, 03:23 PM

Dont know, that is kind of interesting. I know that the 130 grain loads carry higher energies than the 150's at further distances, but my model 700 likes the cheap 150 grain core lokts. What I will continue to shoot around here as the chances of shots over 200 yards are not too frequent. You sure they know you are planning to hunt with a .270 and not a 30 caliber?

**Jeramie** · 08-28-2007, 08:43 AM

A few basics on the .270 rounds.

130grn Rounds. (Winchester Power Point)
@100 yds 2802 @ 2267 ftlbs of energy
@200 yds 2559 @1890 ftlbs of energy
@300 yds 2329 @ 1565 ftlbs of energy

150grn Rounds. (Winchester Power Point)
@100 yds 2585fps @ 2226 ftlbs of energy
@200 yds 2336fps @ 1817 ftlbs of energy
@300 yds 2100fps @ 1468 ftlbs of energy

I thought something was backward but its not. I also looked up the information on Remington and everything in their charts shows that the 130grn round outshines the heavier in every aspect! Something I would never have guessed. I figured that beyond 200yds the heavier would shine but I was wrong. I guess the sheer velocity of the .270 is enough to make the 130grn round more lethal!

Granted the 150grn is their choice but I couldn't see why you wouldn't shoot 130 grn rounds! Both have more than adequate energy to out over 300yds. I guess you just have to choke it down and shoot what they ask. After all, you are getting to hunt Canada!

**Missed160** · 08-28-2007, 01:37 PM

" I thought something was backward but its not" - You did the exact thing I did!! I expected the 150 at some point to outshine the 130 - but it doesn't.
I have read a couple articles on this & they recommend the 150 for larger game, (elk, moose), I would assume this same logic is what the guides are thinking, as the deer have such incredible body sizes..

**Buckslayer** · 08-28-2007, 01:49 PM

Missed, I think you may be onto it.

Weight retention/expansion of the bullet, and its characteristics after the impact may be the reason, especially with larger whitetails. Also, the 150 grn are less susceptible to movement due to wind and brush, because they have greater momentum if you do the math (according to Jeramie's numbers)...

**Buckslayer** · 08-28-2007, 01:52 PM

Given similar ballistic coefficients, and coefficients of drag, more momentum equals deeper penetration...

**Jeramie** · 08-28-2007, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by Buckslayer

Missed, I think you may be onto it.

Weight retention/expansion of the bullet, and its characteristics after the impact may be the reason, especially with larger whitetails. Also, the 150 grn are less susceptible to movement due to wind and brush, because they have greater momentum if you do the math (according to Jeramie's numbers)...

The numbers are off of Winchester's website. Both were taken off the exact same cartridge design!

And, when you look at surface area and the minute weight detail from 130-150grn (being 20grn and often less than a .22lr bullet) wind isn't a factor! You would have to be hunting in a hurricane to notice a major difference in the two!

Taken the exact same bullet they should have identical expansion. And if you thing about gaining a little momentum because of 20grn you haven't gained anything because the 100grn still out speeds the heavier and offers more energy!

I think for the most part its a wash. You really cant gain much by shooting a 150grn round out of a .270.

**Buckslayer** · 08-28-2007, 04:00 PM

Whoa dude take a chill pill... what made you think I was accusing you of sayin' anything wrong??? I knew you copied and pasted those numbers and that they are legit. So I did the math and it was higher for the 150, but I didn't calculate how much higher momentum, Buckslayer inserts foot in mouth here, its 1% more momentum... ahem yeah thats nothing at all...

Basically a wash is a good way to put it!

**Jeramie** · 08-28-2007, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Buckslayer

Whoa dude take a chill pill... what made you think I was accusing you of sayin' anything wrong??? I knew you copied and pasted those numbers and that they are legit. So I did the math and it was higher for the 150, but I didn't calculate how much higher momentum, Buckslayer inserts foot in mouth here, its 1% more momentum... ahem yeah thats nothing at all...

Basically a wash is a good way to put it!

Thats why im love the internet.

Im not wound up in the slightest, I was just filling in some gaps.

**Buckslayer** · 08-29-2007, 11:59 AM

LOL Jeramie. Its so much easier to read people's expression when you can see it on their face. I guess thats why emoticons were invented!?!

And thanks for leading us in the right direction with this question too!!

**Jeramie** · 08-29-2007, 12:07 PM

Better??

**wtnhunt** · 08-29-2007, 12:43 PM

Think I would shoot whichever preforms best in your gun. While the ballistics tables at both remington and winchesters sites the 130 grainers look to outperform the 150 grainers in energy retained, in drop and in velocity, I know that my particular model 700 really likes the 150 grain core lokts better than any other factory load I have tried. With rare shots out to a little over 200 yards, it has proven time and time again to put deer down with the corelokts.

Unfortunately the only deer I have ever lost with a rifle was in fact shot with that .270 with a winchester 130 grain power point plus, I switched back to the 150 grain core lokts immediately following that, but had killed 4 or 5 deer with the lighter faster bullets in the short time I hunted with them, and none of them went at all far. Best as I could tell with a shot at a distance around 50 yards, that deer likely made it just off of our property, really think a neighboring hunter fetched that deer just over the line across the river and claimed it as his own before I got close enough to recover the deer. Was a good solid 8 pointer on the opening morning of our season, signs indicated the deer was hit fatally and should not have gone far, but he made it far enough.

Colorado Bob · 09-04-2007, 11:12 PM

If it were me, I would look at shooting 150 grain Nolser Partitions. Federal has a factory load. They are more expensive than "plain-jane" bullets. But considering your paying some pretty big money going to Canada to hunt trophy whitetails----an extra $30 for a box is nothing. The partition is the standard by which all premium bullets are measured. CB

**OJR** · 09-05-2007, 12:45 AM

In February of this year, I shot a cow elk at about 125 yards with my 270 loaded with the 130 grain Hornady Interbond, over 58 grains of Rel 22!

I hit a rib going in, through both lungs and out through the rib on the off side! She took 2 steps and piled up!

This elk is one heck of a lot bigger than a whitetail. Even by Canadian standards!

I have shot several animals with that load and never had a problem or had to go tracking anything either!