270 win 130gr vs 140gr vs 150gr

Deputy819 said:

Okay….apologies to the "OP", but I gotta chime in here regarding energy and the transfer thereof.
So, let's say I conduct an "experiment" where I take a 250 lbs man and I put a threat level III ballistic vest on him and have him stand 10 yards away from me and then I…..

1) shoot him in the chest with a 40gr .22 LR bullet traveling 1,520 fps. And then I….
2) shoot him in the chest with a 547gr 12 gauge Power Shok slug also at 1,520 fps.

If he's still conscious afterwards (and before his trip to the ER) I bet he'd validate that energy transfer and the "shock" of said transfer was pretty significant. It's simple physics….and the numbers don't lie.
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UCH!

Not sure yet. This will be my first year hunting with 270 win. Out of the gate I'm planning on shooting 140 gn Sierra TGK. I am working on loads for 130 gn Sierra SBT Gameking and 140 gn Norma Tipstrike.

Tipstrike shot the best of the factory rounds I tried. It has a different design from other bullets. I am going to confirm but other 140 gn tipped bullets I tried could be seated to have an OAL at the max of my magazine (3.360). The Tipstrike for whatever reason appears to have a max OAL of around 3.25 on the lands. I'm looking for the right load but 3.230 OAL seems to shoot promising groups.

I previously deer hunted with a 20+ year old 7 mm WSM (Model 70) and a 140 Gn Winchester ballistic tip. I moved to an area with good Whitetail hunting and started for the first time in my 40s. I told the gun dealer that I wasn't a great shot and didn't want to chase deer- give me the flattest thing you have that puts deer down on the spot. I only had one deer go more than a few feet and I made a really bad shot on it. Most of the time everything in the chest cavity was liquified. VERY accurate and effective gun... but I'm getting old enough to not want to deal with the recoil. It isn't threaded. It has a pencil barrel that can't be threaded. I don't want to fool with a clamp on muzzle brake.

I would imagine a 270 WSM would be similar with the right bullet/powder combo.

As much as I like the 270 wsm it really doesn't do much over the old 270win. More money for ammo and components and will only get maybe 3 loading out of brass if pushed hard before primer pockets open up. The old 270 win isn't much further behind the 7 rem mag.
If you're wanting a light recoiling rifle with enough poop to put down elk at 500 yards the old 270 with 140-150 gr bullet would be pretty hard to argue with considering it's been doing it since the 1920's

I used to be the guy that said that the .270 was the best all-around rifle, supporter if you will, but when I decided that I needed another rifle to replace the .270 I had stolen many years ago, I seriously considered a fast twist .270 but after some research and talking with some folks who had one, I settled on the 6.5 PRC. I load for everything I shoot including shotguns, so the factory ammunition inconsistency's did not enter the picture. With a larger and better bullet selection, heavy for caliber, higher BC's and just better numbers overall that's the direction I went. With that said the .270 will always hold a special place in my heart as I have harvested a ton of critters with one shooting a 130 grain bullets including my longest shot on game, 352 yards on a decent mule deer. Only time will tell if I made the right choice.

Catskills said:

I too will avoid the energy debate… other than to say most folks confuse it with hydraulic shock.

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Yep…

Yup that 6.5 prc looks like almost the same ballistics as the 270 win. If a feller wanted something more modern that would be a heck of a good choice. If it were me I think I'd be more interested in rebarreling my 270 into a 280 Ackley. But between my 30-06 and 270's it would be kinda redundant. Maybe 35 Whelan would be fun to do.
Anyway good luck with your choice. Most cartridges are more similar than not unless you go major caliber size difference.

Rotten, certainly agree in the similarity between cartridges without a major caliber change. The line-up for me now goes .223, 22-250, 6.5 PRC, 7LRM. I've got another action in the safe now. Contemplating some sort of 300 next.

For the guy's arguing about energy if you look up the cinabar YouTube channel guy takes a nice mule deer @ 250 yards with the pipsqueak 25-35.
It's also a great channel for anybody that likes gunsmithing and old lever guns and such.

Deputy819 said:

Okay….apologies to the "OP", but I gotta chime in here regarding energy and the transfer thereof.
So, let's say I conduct an "experiment" where I take a 250 lbs man and I put a threat level III ballistic vest on him and have him stand 10 yards away from me and then I…..

1) shoot him in the chest with a 40gr .22 LR bullet traveling 1,520 fps. And then I….
2) shoot him in the chest with a 547gr 12 gauge Power Shok slug also at 1,520 fps.

If he's still conscious afterwards (and before his trip to the ER) I bet he'd validate that energy transfer and the "shock" of said transfer was pretty significant. It's simple physics….and the numbers don't lie.
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This clear demonstration is interesting because it kinda proves the other side too. As in the animal took a massive amount of energy the rocked the crap outta it, and then didnt die because there was no loss of blood or sigificant tissue damage that causes loss of life.
Now a head hit would be over id imagine but so will a 22lr to the brain.

Andy92 said:

What is your guys opinion on the 270 and what grain too use im always back and forth 130gr is most available but least ft/lbs of energy at longer ranges. What are you guys getting for ft/lbs of energy at long ranges between the 3? Also ive been always toying with the idea of a 270 wsm but factory ammunition is very slim too find. Thanks.

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For whitetails I started with 130gr partitions 51gr h4350, my guide told me I was destroying too much meat, I should go to heavier bullet. I got some 150gr partitions and loaded them up. Shoots sub MOA and I've dropped deer at 80yds out to 718yds, The 150 definitely puts them down, Now I only destroy meat if I hit a shoulder bone solid. The deer at 718yds was a pass thru and dropped where it stood. Definitely has plenty of energy at distance. The only bullets that I found that work as well as the partitions is a Swift A-frame which is a partition.

The question becomes how far do you want to kill stuff? I typically load the 270Win with 130's and 140's mainly for velocity. Not all 130's and 140's perform the same. For killing deer a 140g Sierra HPBT Gameking is hard to beat, they just don't go very far with a fist sized hole in the ribcage. That being said I have so far had 100% DRT results with my 270/300WM that uses a 150g Trophy Bonded Tip at 3340fps. It doesn't make nearly as big of a hole but the organs are purple goo...hard to pump blood with something unrecognizable as an organ and nerve disruption from hydrostatic shock just turns off the switch. The 270Win is pretty much done by 800 with most bullets, although the 160g Matrix does work in a lot of 270's but is no longer made. A 270WSM is a good step up in performance, and the 27 Nosler a good step up from that(duplicates the 270/300wm).

I have been shooting the 140g Nosler ballistic tips with 58g of H4831 with a cci 250 for a long time, and recently switched to the 140g Norma tip strike, 3000 fps with the above load.

270 Win barrels will "like" one weight or another where tiny groups abound. Some barrels that will not shoot a 130 well will love a 150, and vise a versa. I have one Rem Stainless barrel that shoots the 140s into a bug hole with the load above.

The harmonics of a barrel may determine what weight you will shoot.

I look at a ballistic chart for my caliber and bullet weight. Since I shoot Nosler Partitions and they recommend 1800fps for their bullets to perform as advertised, I chase the velocity not the terminal energy. If the bullet is mushrooming at the desired range then its got energy aplenty.
My .270win load with 150gr partitions says I hit 1800fps at between 600 and 700yds. So I limit my farthest shot to 700 and don't think you can shoot that far unless you have practiced doing it. A rangefinder is essential.